The light tackle, deep sea game fishing off Cairns is generally excellent year round, offering great action targeting a variety of our more prominent bluewater pelagic species including juvenile black marlin, Pacific sailfish, Spanish mackerel, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, giant trevally, dogtooth tuna and mahi-mahi.

A selection of Australia’s top captains along with their world class charter boats, fish year round from Cairns and will ensure the most professional and successful fishing charter possible.

The winter months (May to September) are best for targeting Spanish mackerel (king mackerel) and juvenile black marlin (up to 100lbs). The warmer months (October to March) provide good fishing for wahoo, big spanish mackerel (up to 100lbs), sailfish and black marlin (100 to 250lbs).

Light tackle offshore trolling is performed with either lures, live baits or natural dead baits. A mixture of these is used by the captains in the Cairns fleet.

Dead baits such as mullet and gar fish (ballyhoo) are ideal for targeting billfish (juvenile black marlin and sailfish and other pelagics including Spanish mackerel, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, dogtooth tuna etc.

Live baits such as yellowtail, trevally, pilchards, pinkies and gobbers are caught whilst fishing commences offshore. Lures used range from hard body trolling plugs (bibless minnows and “Rapala type” lures) best for mackerel tuna, Spanish mackerel, trevally (smaller pelagics) through to soft skirted pusher style lures (Moldcraft & Pakula) best for marlin and sailfish.

Baits are generally trolled at 5 to 6.5 knots and lures are more effectively trolled at 6.5 to 8 knots. Distances that the baits and lures are trolled at behind the boat depend on sea conditions and the lure and bait type – generally between 15 to 30 metres behind the boat.

Tackle consists of trolling rigs with line classes varying from 6 to 24kg, depending on the size of the fish sought. Boats troll four to five rigs with 1 or multiple teasers. The “bait and switch” method is gaining popularity with many skippers ie: towing baits with no hooks and teasing the fish to the back of the boat, whereupon a bait with hook is then dropped – a visually exciting way to fish!!

Popular tackle used include Penn & Shimano lever drag trolling reels on short, powerful, stand up fishing rods. Large spinning reels are also utilised when casting any live bait or lure to all species.

The light tackle fishing grounds are between 15 & 30 nautical miles offshore from Cairns depending on the size of the species sought and time of year. December through to March will see you fishing on the outside of the reef and March through to November will see you fishing closer to Cairns on the inside of the reef for the best light tackle action.