Deep sea fishing in Airlie Beach is legendary. Fast-paced action is default here almost year round. These waterways are home to one of the ocean’s titans—Giant Black Marlin. If you manage to be there from September until December, boy are you going to love your decision. Most charters bent on landing deep sea fish offer full or extended full day trips. This means eight hours and more of pure adrenalin-pumping action. And it’s totally worth it.
What fish to target
Deep seas off the coast of Airlie Beach are crammed with mighty pescatorial opponents. In plain English, you can find Black Marlin, Giant Trevally, Sailfish, Barramundi, as well as Snapper, Grouper, Red Emperor, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, and Tuna. A true feast for any fisherman.
How to fish for deep sea species
No matter how skilled you are, you will have fine chances of landing a catch. Local captains grew up fishing for game fish. They know the waters intimately and will show you the ropes. World records have here been set and smashed, year after year, so most charters can show you how it’s done. Go trolling for Trevally using lures, or try poppers and stickbaits—and the fish will come to the noise. Bottom fishing can be rewarding. Just make your baits appear appetizing to fish. There are several ways to do this. Use freshly killed bait caught on the fishing grounds, or live bait. If you must use frozen bait, then make sure it’s a quality one.
When to go there
These hard pulling fish feed at different seasons, which makes the whole area a nerve center of sport fishing. Blue, Black, and Striped Marlin are biting readily from January to May. Yellowfin Tuna put up a fight from October to April. Giant Trevally, praised and caught, peak somewhere from October through March, but still bite year round. As you can see, the offer is superb and always on.