Coral Trout Fishing From Hamilton Island

Coral trout fishing from Hamilton Island with Topnotch Game Fishing puts you straight into the “Dino-Trout” frontline! These highly prized reef fish are, hands down, the most sought-after Coral Sea reef fish on the Queensland east coast & they are native to the Whitsunday waters. North Queensland coral trout are the real deal taste of luxury & while they are delicious to eat, they are also known for their great hard hits & bulldogging fight.

Chinese Football Trout

Where To Find Coral Trout At Hamilton Island

As a habitual and territorial species, they don’t stray away from their home base too much & they aggressively protect their lair. The structures to look out for are deep ledges, bommies, channels, shallow reefs, and caves. Also, healthy coral patches blooming with life will indeed house a few trout here and there. The many Whitsunday islands have fringing reefs off beaches & rocks, creating the perfect trout home. When looking for good spots to fish, always look for lively bottom structures. Generally, the depth in the Whitsundays region is from 40 to 60 m & in some areas closer to the GBR 70 m deep. The beauty of coral trout fishing from Hamilton Island is that the travel distance is short for finding them. Many of our guests catch them on 4-hour half-day fishing charters.

Barcheek Coral Trout

Bait & Tackle For Coral Trout

While squid has always been well known to catch many trout, the good old pilchard will also work fine. (aka trout lollies) The topnotch team uses Shimano Taipan rods (15-24kg) teamed with Shimano Saragosa 1400 reels for all bottom reef fishing.

Common Coral Trout

Coral Trout Seasons & Bag Limits

• The minimum size is 38 cm
• The combined limit for all species is 7
• All year round season except for 2 x 5-day Reef Fin Closures during October & November.

Coral Trout Fun Facts

Did you know?

• Never throw away the skin of the coral trout while filleting! The skin has tiny scales & when cut thinly into stripes, then shallow fried in hot oil, it becomes the best snack ever! Crispy Coral Trout skins are the pork crackle of the sea! Season crispy skins with salt/pepper or chilli flakes for a hot kick.
• The biggest recorded trout weighed in at 23kg! Hence, the term “Dino-trout” has been used to classify these chunkier rarities.
• Coral trout can change their colours quickly depending on the situation. They take on a mottled pattern when in an aggressive hunting or fighting mood & you can often see them “lit up” when boat-side or even after landing them.
• Scientific name – Plectropomus Leopardus

Can you name all the species of Coral Trout?

• Barcheek Coral Trout
• Bluespotted Coral Trout
• Common Coral Trout
• Passionfruit Coral Trout
• Vermicular Cod
• White-edge Coronation Trout
• Yellow edge Coronation Trout

Call us today to book a coral trout fishing from Hamilton Island fishing adventure – 1300 347 444

Barcheek Coral Trout