Looking forward into 2011

So what can we look forward to in 2011?  Well alot depends on the weather.. more cyclones are forecast, that means more strong winds, more rain and more floods.  The Gold Coast has got off lightly so far with only 2 mild flood events, which have only taken a couple of weeks to clear, that can change at any time.

From now until late may is pelagic season, its been a good mackerel season so far so hopefully that should continue.  Tuna have been around but not in any numbers, schools have been found all the way from south straddie to palm beach reef but all schools have either rejected offerings or been impossible to get a cast into.  We should start to see some striped tuna and yellowfin tuna in late January/early feb with the bulk of the mack tuna schools showing up in mid february and staying with us until late May.  The full moon in March usually provides some excellent tuna fishing just off the mouth of the seaway, as long as the weather allows you to get out there.

As for the seaway itself, Jewies will still be around at the top of the tide changes on plastics.  Bigeye Trevally will stick around until about the end of January then start to fade out though the smaller ones will stick around.  Giant Trevally usually show up in numbers as the Bigeyes move off, they usually stick around until July/August but can be difficult to catch regularly.

Tailor should be around all year but will stop surface feeding as the water gets colder, the bigger fish will be caught on poppers and shallow running minnows from now until about May, when the smaller fish take over.

Tarpon are still a mystery fish, I caught alot in winter last year but that was due to the good conditions we had, lots of flat calm seas enabled me to fish where I had not fished for them before.  None have been captured in summer so far but the conditions have been challenging to say the least.  2011 will hopefully add a few more behavioural patterns to my knowledge of seaway Tarpon.

Yellowtail Kings can show up at any time, they don't seem to have a preferred time of year but they do seem to prefer cleaner water.