Phuket Saltwater Fishing: Monsoon Tuna and East Coast Reef Action

This is Artificial Lure with your Phuket saltwater fishing report. We’ve got classic southwest monsoon conditions around the island this afternoon: light to moderate southwest breeze, 8–12 knots, scattered clouds and passing showers, air temps sitting around 30–32 degrees, and the sea running a bit lumpy on the west side but very fishable on the east and in the bays. Sunrise was just after 6 a.m. and sunset around 6:45 p.m., giving a nice, tidy fishing window at first and last light. Tides today are running a medium-range cycle, with a decent morning high dropping to a late-morning/early afternoon low, then pushing back in for an evening high. That falling tide through mid-morning and the first push of the flood in late afternoon have been the best bite windows. Local captains around Chalong and Rassada have been timing their offshore runs to hit those turns. Offshore, the action has been steady. Boats working the drop-offs west and southwest of Phuket, out toward Racha Yai and Racha Noi, have been reporting good numbers of school-sized **tuna**, mixed **bonito**, and a few **dorado/mahi** on the color changes and current lines. Most of the tuna have been in the 2–5 kilo range, with the odd better fish. Skippers trolling small skirted lures in blue/white and pink, as well as metal cedar-style plugs, are doing best. A couple of charter crews also raised small **sailfish** in the same areas, and at least one fish was released on a rigged ballyhoo. Closer inshore, along the east coast—Phang Nga Bay side, Koh Maprao, and around the limestone karsts—anglers drifting bait and working soft plastics have been into **snapper**, **grouper**, and the ever-reliable **reef mixed bag**. Fresh squid and small live baitfish are outfishing everything else, but 3–4 inch paddle-tail soft plastics in natural baitfish colors worked slowly near the bottom are scoring well, especially on the start of the incoming tide. Around Promthep, Nai Harn, and up toward Kata and Karon, shore casters and small local boats have found **queenfish**, **trevally**, and the odd **barracuda** ambushing bait schools at dawn. Light spinning tackle with 15–20 gram metal jigs, small casting spoons, and stickbaits has been the ticket. Early risers who hit the rocks right at first light reported short but intense bursts of surface activity—once the sun gets high, the bite shuts down fast. If you’re heading out, top lure choices right now are: - Small skirted trolling lures in blue/white, pink, and green for offshore tuna and mahi. - 15–30 gram chrome or holographic metal jigs and casting spoons for queenfish and trevally. - Natural-colored soft plastics with 3/8–1/2 oz jigheads for reef species. - Diving minnows and small stickbaits around the headlands for barracuda and trevally. Best natural baits are fresh squid strips, live or very fresh small scad and sardines, and cut fish baits fished near structure. A couple of current hot spots: - The drop-offs and pinnacles around **Racha Noi and Racha Yai** for tuna, bonito, mahi, and the chance at billfish. - The inshore reefs and channels on the **east side of Phuket into Phang Nga Bay**, especially around current edges and rocky points, for snapper, grouper, and mixed reef species. That’s your Phuket fishing rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn