Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – March 2025 Report
March brought extreme weather conditions, making fishing challenging with poor tides and short bite windows, while sharks remained a persistent issue. A recent seminar in Townsville confirmed shark depredation concerns, but no action will be taken due to green lobby pressure. Despite warm water temperatures, anticipation is high for improved fishing in April as the weather cools and Easter charters ramp up.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – February 2025 Report
February was a slow month for Port Douglas, with tourism declining after the Australia Day weekend, partly due to media exaggerations about flooding. Despite mostly excellent sea conditions, strong winds and unfavorable tides limited fishing opportunities, though one exceptional session yielded a great catch of Large Mouth Nannygai, Crimson Snapper, and Red Emperor. With sharks remaining a persistent issue and water temperatures still high, hopes are pinned on cooler waters and late wet-season rains to improve fishing conditions.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – January 2025 Report
January was a busy month for Port Douglas fishing charters, with us operating almost daily except for weather disruptions and maintenance. While sea conditions were often calm, making fishing more challenging, there were still some great sessions with full eskies when the bite was on. Sharks were a major issue, and with ongoing concerns about their numbers, hopefully, there’ll be plans in place to address this soon. Fishing conditions are expected to improve as water temperatures cool.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – December 2024 Report
December 2024 brought excellent weather in Port Douglas, contrasting with last year’s disruptions from Cyclone Jasper. However, the calm conditions, paired with gentle northerly winds and high water temperatures, created challenging fishing conditions as fish are less likely to bite during these circumstances.
The best fishing occurred during evening high tides, though finding strong currents was difficult. Calm conditions also made drift fishing and anchoring tricky, requiring precision to target fish effectively.
Despite the challenges, we’ve achieved success by putting in the right amount of effort to still catch quality fish.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – November 2024 Report
November delivered great fishing conditions in the far north, with consistent weather supporting successful trips. Coastal reef charters saw abundant nannygai and grassy sweetlip action, while outer reef excursions offered larger catches like nannygai up to 65cm, gold spot cod, and cobia. Full-day charters explored remote waters, yielding coral trout, gold band snapper, and spangled emperor, despite some shark challenges. Anticipation builds for rainy season fishing, promising bigger trophy fish from “wonky holes.” With December and January heavily booked, anglers are encouraged to secure their spots soon. Merry Christmas and happy fishing in the new year!
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – October 2024 Report
October was a smooth month operationally, thanks to favorable offshore fishing conditions, with minimal rescheduling due to wind. Most trips were 4-5 hour coastal and outer reef adventures, yielding good catches of coral trout, large mouth nannygai, and occasional gold spot cod, while full-day trips rewarded VIP clients with prized species like gold band snapper and reef mangrove jack. As reef closures approach, I’m taking a break to enjoy some laid-back canal fishing with my dad before resuming in November, eager for more action.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – September 2024 Report
This month’s fishing report reflects challenging early weather conditions, making coastal trips difficult. By mid-month, conditions improved, allowing for successful coastal and outer reef trips with notable catches like nannygai, trout, and emperor fish, though shark interference was an issue in some areas. The school holidays brought more families on board, and bookings for October look solid, with upcoming restrictions in mind for reef closures and Spanish mackerel.
Fishing in Port Douglas with Akula Sportfishing – August 2024 Report
August brought challenging southeasterly winds, but there was a week of exceptional weather that led to excellent fishing conditions. Large-mouth nannygai, coral trout, spangled emperor, cod, and mackerel were successfully caught, with sardine, pilchard, and squid proving to be effective bait. Looking ahead, locals anticipate prime reef and sportfishing opportunities in the coming months, making it a great time to book a fishing charter from Port Douglas or Cairns.
Port Douglas Fishing Report for July 2024
July was a challenging month for fishing, with persistent south-easterly winds disrupting many planned trips. Despite the weather, about 60% of bookings were completed, primarily half-day coastal reef trips for families, where fun and catching fish were the focus, even if many catches were just below legal size. Experienced anglers found success offshore with quality catches of large mouth nannygai, spangled emperor, and coral trout. Looking ahead, hopes are high for more stable weather in August, which could lead to prime fishing conditions on the Great Barrier Reef.
Port Douglas Fishing Report for June 2024
June brought more favorable conditions for scheduled fishing trips, despite occasional south-easterly winds. The improved winter pattern allowed for successful coastal and reef fishing, with some outer reef excursions yielding intense action, including frequent quadruple hook-ups of large mouth nannygai and trevally. The introduction of a Cairns to Port Douglas adventure trip has been particularly rewarding, offering exceptional fishing opportunities along a scenic route. With school holidays underway, shorter coastal trips have become popular, especially for families, providing an enjoyable and budget-friendly introduction to angling.
