Reef

GREAT to see some perfect weather over the last week and also to see so many boats making the most of it and getting out to the reef.

Mixed reports with some bagging a good catch and others struggling to scratch up a feed.

Red throat emperor are still making up the majority of fish caught with the bigger tides although some nice catches of nannygai and reds of the shoals were reported.

The sharks are still out in force, stealing hooked fish at any opportunity so do your best to get them up fast.

Ash Matthews, Sea Fever Sportfishing

Islands

THE islands over last week's awesome weather has everyone bragging about the fish they caught with reports of coral trout everywhere for anglers fishing the fringing reef around the Whitsundays.

Spanish mackerel are here and have turned up on most of the outer islands with reports of good mackerel around Dolphin Point, Mackerel Bay and the Edward Islands. Anglers have been reporting trolling and live baits as the best ways to get a hook up with a few anglers saying they had a spanish mackerel swim up to the boat.

Nannygai and jewfish have also started showing up in the deeper water around the islands as the water gets cooler and also with the cooling water the squid are starting to show up. There have been some decent reports from anglers going out at night.

The weather is getting better towards the weekend and the tides are dropping in size, hoping for another good weekend of weather and tides.

Rivers and creeks

THE local creeks around the mainland have been fishing well with a few reports of big barramundi and a few small ones being reported by anglers fishing with soft plastics and live baits.

Mud crabs are still running well in the coastal creeks with a few good reports by anglers.

Proserpine River has been crabbing extremely well with great reports from most anglers catching a good feed of crabs.

Salmon have been reported in good numbers around the deeper holes and bends.

Barra in the Proserpine River are still fishing and the mouth and the upper reaches are the best places.

With the bigger tides this weekend we should see a good number of barramundi being caught all through the river.

Rock walls/wharf

SHUTE Harbour wharf has been fishing well with a few reports of anglers catching a few coral trout off the wharf, the herring have been down there and trevally and queenfish are biting on livies and lures.

The rock walls have been fishing well for grunter and golden trevally with prawns and garfish fillets.

Anglers fishing with livies off the rock walls have been reporting a few fingermark being hooked.

Port of Airlie has had some anglers scratching their heads after hooking up to some huge fish and being spooled fishing with live baits.

Squid have also been reported at Shute Harbour in okay numbers but should only get better as they come in to the shallows with the cooling water.

Dingo Beach/Hydeaway Bay

WHAT a week of sensational weather it has been and the fishing has been right up there as well.

The deeper rubble patches have continued to fire as we lead up to the full moon with plenty of good fingermark, grunter and nannygai coming over the side.

Interestingly jigs have been outfishing baits and producing most of the trophy sized fish.

The shallow reefs are producing plenty of fish as well although a lot of the fish have been in the medium sized bracket.

Over the upcoming week if the breeze is up then try working around the rocky points of the mainland.

There should be plenty of school mackerel and golden trevally about.

Mick Underwood, Reel Addiction Sport Fishing