Ep. 5: Alive with Coral Trout!

In this episode, we shelter from the wind in Watson’s Bay (Lizard Island) and find the surrounding waters ALIVE with coral trout!

Big winds and huge encircling green zones restrict our fishing to the yellow (conservation zones). 

For those not familiar, fishing in the Great Barrier Reef is restricted in certain areas.

The yellow zone around Lizard Island was alive with coral trout!

Potentially due to the surrounding green zone seeding adjacent areas.

This is the premise of green zones. They allow resident fish like coral trout to get bigger and have more offspring.

Hence the surrounding areas get alive with coral trout and other demersal species.

Green zones work best if adult fish become residents.

Obviously, pelagic fish move through green zones and are not protected once outside.

So green zones are more effective for fish like coral trout.

Adults like to hang in the same area and frequent the same bommies.

So they remain protected and can grow very large. Larger fish have exponentially more offspring than smaller fish.

Hence surrounding areas (in this case the yellow zone) become alive with coral trout. Especially that beautiful eating size!

We were using RMF lures for this hot session, however, if chasing coral trout with live (or dead) bait, use this rig!

Get a glimpse on how to fish a yellow zone for coral trout below: