Cairns, here we come

[afishyfish 4]

back a while ago I put up a post asking for any ideas on darwin as our destination, but we have since changed ideas, and decided we're heading for the top end of Queensland instead, and paid for our airfares tonight at the travel agents :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: next step is to try an convince my other half that we might be better of just hiring a car in cairns and heading North, exploring and staying where we like as we go along.On the other hand, my other 1/2 is keen on a package, partly because of the convenience of it, but also the costs seem a bit less too Ive been told of some great areas up past cooktown by a new member, Mick ( Thanx Buddy ), and wouldnt mind spending some time around that area, maybe doing some lure fishing off the rocks, and maybe even hiring a dinghy for a morning or possibly doing a charter instead.There's just soooooooooooo many options :S We're thinking of maybe heading up to Pt Douglas from cairns so we can spend some time around some beaches, do a trip out to the GBR etc.Ideally i'd like to spend the most time staying in an area where I can target species landbased, off rocks, creekbanks, beaches etc., and yes I am aware of the stingers and the Crocs, though that doesnt mean I wont get bitten ! lolHas anyone from here spent much time in this area and have any more suggestions/ ideas ?

[vb4me 1]

Havent been up that far AFF but I would rather be doin my own thing apart from bein told you have to be here and leave there at whatever time. Packages are definitely cheaper but freedom is what us fishers enjoy the most ( just something to tell the misses )Good luck and enjoy

[afishyfish 4]

Yeah thanx VB.Ive been just past mackay/Airlee beach twice before myself,and people coming from further up always said it just gets better and better :ohmy: This time it looks like were virtually going the whole hog. ( Almost anyway )We've got the fligts booked, just need to fill in the blanks

[archerfish 685]

AFF - are you looking at saltwater or fresh? Lots of freshwater options up that way! Cheersarcherfish

[Ozzy 0]

How long you going for mate , that will dictate how far you go etc etc , definately hire your own vehicle , 4x4 not car , that gives you even more options north of Cooktown. If you go package your only going to get to the tourist areas not out of the way spots. The choices are endless once you head north , south of Cooktown the Bloomfield river and mouth areas , then cooktown , then north you have princess charlotte bay , bamaga , Jardine river etc etc as I said the list is endless , it all boils down to how much you want to rough it , how long you have , and whether your missus wants to go the rough it route or day trips out and about and the 5 star idea. You also have the Atherton tablelands and places like Tinaroo Dam where you will get into Barra.Enjoy yourself you lucky bugga , got an idea take me with you and I can show you all the good places to go.Often wonder why I ever left CairnsCheersOzzy

[hoopsy 697]

lucky bugga personaly i would do at least 1 charter i want to be a window cleaner

[brenton 637]

I didn't really find the beach fishing worth while between Cairns and the Daintree crossing,just small hammerhead sharks and a few unidentifiables...i did fish pretty hard for a few days but maybe its better at different times of the year. cheers brenton

[afishyfish 4]

Thanks guys,yeah really hard call I think. The self drive option is bloody tempting, but a shitty other 1/2 isnt :S :dry: @ Ozzy, going for 10 days mate Probably 2 nights in cairns and the rest up around Pt Douglas somewhere :ohmy: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: I think I'll still try and wrangle a complete self drive, stay as we go trip, but even if we do end up with a package, largeley at the one place, I'm sure we'll have time free for a couple of days to drive around, and hopefully find some rocky headlands and or creeks, in addition to going on a charter too You could be right Brenton about different species and seasons, what time of year did you go ?Been looking at Google earth, and every thing is so green I cant see much around the place!. can anyone tell me of any local creeks, estuaries or headlands in the vicinity ?hoopsy wrote:

i want to be a window cleaner

You can have my job anytime Hoopsy ! Believe me, its not all beer and skittles :S

[afishyfish 4]

archerfish wrote:

AFF - are you looking at saltwater or fresh? Lots of freshwater options up that way! Cheersarcherfish

Both mate.Might hafta go buy a map I think to look for creeks . Google is cool, but I erckon good old paper maps always win out Just remembered my old copy of Explore Australia, might check that out .

[brenton 637]

I went around June,also i wished i fished the creeks up there a bit but it depends if your into that sort of thing i guess.Pt Douglas was my favorite area but the local creek charter is a bit of a dud from what i've heard. cheers brenton

[archerfish 685]

AFFIf you're after a good paper map, RACQ (Queensland equivalent of RAA) put out a good one of the Far North Queensland Region (should be available at the RAA shops here).If you're looking at staying up Port Douglas way, for something different and a tad exotic, you might like to try chasing Jungle Perch in the (upper) freshwater areas of the Daintree River in the rainforest. http://www.daintreevillage.asn.au/fish.htmlIf you're in a position to head a little further north, the Annan River south of Cooktown used to offer some good estuarine fishing a while back (Barra, GTs, Mangrove Jacks, etc.), but I'm not too sure what it's like these days.If you haven't already done so, please acquaint yourself with the Queensland fishing regulations (things tend to be a little different up there):http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_2981.htmCheersarcherfish

[afishyfish 4]

archerfish wrote:

acquaint yourself with the Queensland fishing regulations (things tend to be a little different up there):http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/28_2981.htmCheersarcherfish

Thanks Archerfish. Everythings diferent in Qld

[archerfish 685]

AFFAfter just mentioning Annan River, just decided to check it out on the interweb thingy and found this:http://www.fishingcooktown.com/site/river-annan/Cheersarcherfish

[mareva1 0]

Good luck on your adventure and make sure you call in and see brett at Endeavour Falls Tourist Park just nth of cooktown and hit him up who the best charter to use PS grab my tacklebox and lures for me if there is any left lol left them ther on my last visit bugger there from my last trip up there and out with brett have a gr8 trip mate

[afishyfish 4]

mareva1 wrote:

from my last trip up there and out with brett have a gr8 trip mate

thanks marevalWe've got our flights to and from Cairns sorted now, just waiting to see where the travel place suggests we stay and what we do.Will be able to say definiteley where we intend to go, and how long where etc, after that Meanwhile I dont want to waste anyones time and good suggestions

[afishyfish 4]

Just spoke to Rob at tackleworld Cairns. Great guy and very helpful He let me know the crocs up there arent that bad unless you do something silly, so that might help the other 1/2 relax a bit While I was asking about tackle, I mentioned my TLD25, and he said bring it for sure, so I wonder what he thinks i might get with it :ohmy:

[coight 0]

i know guys up there that use them for marlin.there's all sorts of mackeral, tuna, trevally. give you the hot tip if you are gunna trawl around some of the reef's, get yourself a purple yozuri hydro magnum(or two) and get the guy at the tackleshop to show you how to do a haywire twist. there's a nice little reef worth a look called "pixie"I'm lucky enough that my folks live part of the year there and i can go whenever i like.just remember BIG hooks most fish have big mouths up there.

[afishyfish 4]

coight wrote:

i know guys up there that use them for marlin.there's all sorts of mackeral, tuna, trevally. give you the hot tip if you are gunna trawl around some of the reef's, get yourself a purple yozuri hydro magnum(or two) and get the guy at the tackleshop to show you how to do a haywire twist. there's a nice little reef worth a look called "pixie"I'm lucky enough that my folks live part of the year there and i can go whenever i like.just remember BIG hooks most fish have big mouths up there.

Thanks coight, that lure sounds almost exactly like what I was thinking of They reckon July is a pretty good month up there for a wide variety of speciesI'm looking at taking a shimano4500 BR, an Abu7000 and maybe the TLD25 on a 15-20Kg stick for any serious beasties that happen along :woohoo:

[alfybabe 16]

hey aff when are you heading up to cairns ? as me and my cousin are booked on a live a board charter for seven days out of princess charlot bay with only 8 on board with 3 16ft tenders and your own guide and cant wait our trip is the 1st till 8th of oct but will be going and staying at cairns for a couple nites first...you should only need take 2-3 outfits with you if you use baitcasters then a n either 6-8kg baitcaster or a 8-10kg spin stick (more versitile )and your tld and a 15-24kg stick for t5he big stuff spanyards big gts marlin wahoo just to name a few...hardest part is taking enough lures lol have allready bought 3-$400 worth and i still need some poppers..but wot you are taking above will have you covered from all basestake care mate and have a great time AB

[afishyfish 4]

alfybabe wrote:

hey aff when are you heading up to cairns ? AB

Crikeys, looking at what you have planned I should cancel my trip and come with you fellas :ohmy: We're off on the 4th of July I think. At this stage were styaing 3 nights in cairns, 3 or 4 in Palm Cove b4 driving up to Pt Douglass for the rest of our time there.Still havent finalised all our budget, accomodation and day trips, but after doing that will be able to work out just what time and money I can spend on either a charter, hiring a tinny or whatever :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: Been thinking a light outfit for any Lizards up there, and smaller fish, a medium outfit for jacks, coral trout etc, and maybe the TLD if I get out around any reefy patches

[alfybabe 16]

not to long now mate hope you got everthing organised, we are leaving on the 31st of sep and comming back on the 9th of oct cant wait and we looked around thru out the kimberlys darwin gove and they were all to expencive for a 7 day package $5500-$7000 and the 5 days were bet $4700-$6200 and most of them wanted extra for any that needed charter flights to destuination and back..where as we found mvboomerang at princess charlot bay for $3750 for 7 days all incanyway i hope you both have a great trip and i hope you get into sum good fish tight lines and good luck

[afishyfish 4]

LOL, you still have to wait AGES Yep, just a bit over two weeks and Ill be like a kid in a lolly shop Looking forward to spending some time in Shorts and T shirts too havent really organised a lot of stuff just yet, mainly because Im not taking much terminal tackle with me, preferring to rely on Robert Erskine up in Cairns for his advice.

[urhookedfish 12]

Very envious of your trip there Brent, but I hope you dont get bogged down in the major tourist towns. Cant wait to see if you get any decent fish.Im also lucky and will be going to QLD one day before you guys. Leaving on the 3rd of July and have been given a weeks advanced leavy by my new boss - what a legend,.Im packing my two peice Diablo and both my 3000 shimano and 4000 daiwa and hopefully going to flick some softies around in the broadwater.. I dont want to hi-jack this post, but if anyone knows any good spots for big flatties or trevally can you throw me a line.Brent...cant wait to come back and compare holidays'ENJOY!!!!

[afishyfish 4]

urhookedfish wrote:

but if anyone knows any good spots for big flatties or trevally can you throw me a line.

I stayed at a caravan park years ago at Maroochydore, not far away from Brisbame from memory, and got spooled BIG time on a SP in the estuary there on an out going tide. Flatty ? :unsure:Fantastic estuary system there Maybe worth hiring a car and giving it a try

[urhookedfish 12]

Yeah will definately be hiring a car for atleast a day or two.I cant wait..just hoping some bannana benders can throw me some ideas for some good landbased destinations...estury wise I mean.

[rocknev 2]

ive got a mate in brisbane, and another in townsville... sadly they both say, WE have it made here for fishing from land...they do catch fish, but the kind of fish they like to catch requires a boat.one of them fishes real deep water... over 100mtrs on a shelf... hard to feel the bites, and from about half way up, the fight is boring once their swim bladder comes outsurvival rate for fish released is not good.

[alfybabe 16]

hey brett your prob up there now but let me no how you wentand get some good pics to ,i no i will be taking as many as i can of the fish we hopefully will catch.i have allready bought close to $500 of hard bodies and soft plastics and lucanus jigs as in theese remote places you can lose a lot of lures to sum huge fish and them bloody toohy men in grey suits.hope you have had a great trip tight lines and talk soon