FNQ sweetwater fishing is so underated

[brendan]

Everybody comes to Cairns to catch a big barra or a big Marlin, but I bet noone comes to cairns go sweetwater fishing.
I bet if I took a person sweetwater fishing up here casting poppers on 3kg line, and most sessions catching up to 20-30 sooty's and Jungle Perch that they would have a much more rememberable time than if they went barra fishing and caught 2 barra in 5hrs fishing. Apart from the fishing the scenery is amazing. Not only that catching sooty's and JP's on 3kg line is just as heart pumping as hooking a barra or jack on 8-10kg line and also popper fishing - what a way to fish

[Brett_Finger]

mate,
it's all good.....
i love Barra fishing to the max ! but.....
i have had full on fitlh sessions up the creeks and tops of river in the FNQ it's mind blowing, Steve Ooi and i used to fish the top of the Baron in the george country,
rain forrest draped clifs, droping down walls to looked to vert for anything to grow on let alone flourish.
fast flowing white water with back pockets and pools of tranquial water that almost looked out of place in the churning gorge basements.
Sooties and JP's holed up out of the currents waiting for a meal for witch to strike at.Barra , Jacks also...
site fishing these pools from high atop a boulder,twichind flys and lures amounghst them....
some great memories of great water with a great friend...
you have me thinking now Brendan... thanks for reminding me.
Hookin,Brett.. :)

[brendan]

Yeah mate Iknow it is all good, I love barra fishing and blue water. But I just love what sweetwater has to offer like you pointed out. Thanks for the reply mate
Brendan

[Steve_Ooi]

Brendan yeah it's pretty , when you consider just a short drive from town you can be fishing the Mulgrave pulling dozen or so sooties, or chasing jp's. Or up the Russell not knowing whether the next fish you hook is going to brick you cause it a barra, instead of the jp you thought that was going to hit you.
We've got in pretty good up here considering that in the fresh we have jp's, sooties, barra, jacks and tarpon.

Poony

[Simon_Goldsmith]

Brendan, I've recently moved back to Brisbane after living in NQ for two years. I've caught barra over a metre in Hinchinbrook, endless numbers of jacks sightcasting poppers, rampaging GT's around bombies, but without out a doubt the greatest fishing i experienced while i was there was fishing the SW for sooties and JP's.

There was period last year when i didn't use the boat for 8months. When you fish about 3 times a week that's a lot of trips without using the boat. But those jp's and sooties are just fantastic, if i had one last fishing trip before i died it'd be for those guys.

I am missing them though and i'd give my right arm to just be able to grab a back-pack, some sneakers and rod and go wandering up a creek casting poppers at pools and snag piles.

Brendan checkout teh Herbert and it's offshoots if you haven't already. My last trip before i leaft was on the Herbert and experince was out of the world, 98 fish for a day and a half, all on topwater.

Regards

Simon.

[brendan]

Yep that is the way,
I love it Steve you sound that way too.
I love wandering up an unknown creek or a well known creek casting poppers on light line it is great.
Thanks steve

cheers
(read ya message)

[Rumpig]

Gidday fellas,
being from Sydney I am greatly lacking in sweetwater and would like to experience some of this magic for myself.
So I have a couple of questions for you:

When is the best time of year for this kind of fishing?

What gear do you use (reel, rod, line class, lures, etc) ?

What else should I take?

And does anyone have any extra advice for me?

TIA

Mick