With the weather conditions starting to get better and the temperature starting to steadily drop, it’s clear that winter is just around the corner.
May is defiantly one of my favourite months to fish offshore as there’s still some awesome pelagic action around but the reef fishing becomes more consistent for good results and quality catches with the current slowing.
The Spanish mackerel fishing this season has been very hot and cold with the bigger schools not hanging around for very long. There has been consistent captures on the reefs in close around Point Lookout and Cape Moreton as well as the coffee rock reef in 10-15m of water along Moreton, with most fish being taken on slow-trolled baits and live baits. There may not be huge numbers of Spanish mackerel around this month, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in size.
Wahoo have been very quiet this year but they will slowly start to show on the reefs around Point Lookout and Cape Moreton such as The Group, Sevens and Hutchinsons and are commonly caught using high-speed trolling lures.
It’s also common to pick up quite a few mac and yellow fin tuna trolling high-speed lures for wahoo and if small enough, tuna make awesome live baits for wahoo.
There should also be a few mahimahi starting to show up out wider as they migrate north to warmer waters for winter. They can be taken trolling skirts or using cubed pilchards and live baits.
Recently the reefs in close to Point Lookout have been producing good numbers of reef fish such as tusk fish, cod, squire, spangled emperor and the odd big snapper and mulloway. I’ve been using small 45-60g jigs and soft plastics lately with a lot of success, but fishing live and dead baits would be just as successful.
During this month we should see the reef fishing in close improve with a few more quality snapper starting to show up. As the current slows, the fishing out wider around Deep Tempest, 35 and 42-Fathom Feef and The Cathedrals should see good numbers of pearl perch, rosy jobfish and snapper showing up.
The reefs out wide of The South Passage Bar and Cape Moreton in 70-90m will start to hold good numbers of yellowtail kingfish, amberjack and Samson fish. These fish respond really well to live baits and will put up a good fight as they try to make their way back to the bottom.
May is a great month to get out on the water with better conditions and a lot of fishing options available. Just keep your wits about you and take care crossing the costal bars and have fun.
Reads: 2276![Spangled emperor have been a feature in the bags of those fishing the closer reefs around Point Lookout.](/img/uploads/5e14c476274891d5a276e7c688c9dd45_Leni515_1.jpg)
Spangled emperor have been a feature in the bags of those fishing the closer reefs around Point Lookout.
![Mahimahi are still being taken out wide before they migrate north for winter. These high-flyers acrobats really put on a show when hooked – they look awesome, too!](/img/uploads/5e14c476274891d5a276e7c688c9dd45_Leni515_2.jpg)
Mahimahi are still being taken out wide before they migrate north for winter. These high-flyers acrobats really put on a show when hooked – they look awesome, too!
![Wahoo should start to come on the chew in the coming months. This chunky ‘hoo nailed a trolled lure on a close-in reef.](/img/uploads/5e14c476274891d5a276e7c688c9dd45_Leni515_3.jpg)
Wahoo should start to come on the chew in the coming months. This chunky ‘hoo nailed a trolled lure on a close-in reef.