This is Artificial Lure with your Phuket fishing report.
We had a classic southwest monsoon day around the island. Light rain showers rolling through, humidity sitting heavy, and a steady onshore breeze from the southwest around 10 to 15 knots. Air temps hovered near the low 30s, and the sea state outside the bays was a bit lumpy with that short monsoon chop, but the main beaches and inshore areas stayed very fishable.
Tides today were on a moderate cycle, with a good push on the incoming through late morning and again a decent bit of movement on the falling tide toward late afternoon. Sunrise came early, just after 6, and the sun dipped not long after 6 in the evening, giving us those nice, short twilight windows that turn the fish on.
Inshore, the action was best in the low-light hours. Around the rocky points off the south end of the island and the mouths of the small estuaries, the mangrove jacks and barramundi woke up with the morning flood. Anglers casting small hard-body minnows and 3–4 inch soft plastics in natural baitfish colours picked up a handful of solid fish. Live prawns and small live mullet got the most consistent bites, especially when tucked right up against structure.
Along the west coast beaches, the surf stayed a little messy, but there were still some bites close to shore. Small trevally and queenfish pushed bait into the gutters. Metal jigs in the 20–30 gram range, silver or blue, worked fast just under the surface, drew strikes. A few Spanish mackerel were reported a bit farther out, taken on trolled diving minnows in sardine patterns when the wind backed off around midday.
Offshore, the bigger boats that dared the chop reported scattered action on tuna and the odd dorado. The schools weren’t thick, but those who worked the current lines and floating debris picked at them using small skirted lures and feather jigs. The monsoon season can be hit-or-miss offshore, and today was no different, but when the birds started working, things happened quickly.
Best lures right now around Phuket are:
- Small sinking minnows in natural baitfish colours for inshore points and rocky shorelines.
- 3–4 inch paddle-tail soft plastics in white, pearl, or light green on 1/4 to 3/8 ounce jig heads.
- 20–40 gram chromed metal jigs for trevally, queenfish, and small tuna when they’re busting bait.
For bait, you can’t beat live prawns and small live baitfish. Fresh squid strips are a close second, especially on simple running rigs bounced along the bottom near reefs and drop-offs.
A couple of hot spots to focus on right now:
- Racha Yai and the nearby reefs: When the sea isn’t too angry, these spots hold plenty of mixed reef species, trevally, and the occasional pelagic. Work soft plastics and jigs along the drop-offs, and bring some squid if you want steady action.
- Chalong Bay and its surrounding points: More sheltered in this season, with plenty of structure. Early morning on the incoming tide is prime for mangrove jacks, small grouper, and the odd barramundi. Quiet presentations, light leaders, and natural baits make a big difference here.
Overall fish activity today was moderate. The fish weren’t climbing into the boat, but if you picked your windows—first light, last light, and peak tidal movement—and matched your lure size to the smaller bait in the water, you could put together a respectable session.
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