Houseboating in Hinchinbrook

[Fish_guru]

G’day

Thinking of going north for a week on a houseboat to Hinchinbrook. I suggested to the wife that it would be a good destination for our honeymoon in November. My wife said, “That would be a good idea for the two of us”. Leaping at this opportunity I suggested we spend two days together on the houseboat and then bring six more people on for the week following. So that’s the plan, must have got her in a very good mood.

Does anyone have any information on locations for fishing & crabbing the Hinchinbrook area? Also, has anyone been on a houseboat in the Hinchinbrook area and if so what were they like?

We will undoubtedly be taking a couple of tinnies along for the trip so we can explore a little more of the Hinchinbrook area. I’m a very keen fisher however, most of my experience is shallow and offshore reef fishing. Any assistance would very much be appreciated.

Many Thanks,
Jon ;) [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

[devocean]

Have been on a houseboat oput of hinchinbrook before and I would definetly recommend going from cardwell not from lucinda as there are better fishihng spots that way for the houseboat. You can crusie over to Missionary bay and all the way down the channel. When you go let me know I can give you a few good GPS coordinates for inside the channel which are good for jew and barra. Also if you can see if you can bring along a tinny or something and crab pots as well.

Cheers Devocean

[Slide]

Mate, Hinchenbrook is possibly the best fishing area I have ever come across. 60 km of mangrove lined creeks and channels. There are fish everywhere (and big lizaqrds). I went on a charter, lure fishing for barra. It was pretty much a case of finding a decent looking snag and casting as close to it as possible, drag the lure down to about three feet under the surface and then letting it start to float up and then wiggling it a bit. We hooked about 10 barra off one snag alone. There are also queenies, fingermark, jacks, trevally, threadfin salmon and more bream than you have ever seen in your life (they form big shadows under the over hanging trees). Lots of mozzies and sandies too.

[devocean]

Just got back from there slide and ddint have too much luck. Tides were way to big 3m + tides but had a ball anyway

[Barraholic]

Yeh its a great spot and the houseboat option is a good one. We did it around easter last year and had a ball - doing basically what Devocean was saying - a bit of time up the main channel and then around to Missionary Bay. Definitely take a tinny if you can, the houseboat people supply one but its a basically only a tender.

The houseboat people have a book onboard that gives some info on fishing spots but you could also get hold of North Australian Fishfinder which has some good introductory info in it.

Here is the website for the houseboat company we used: http://www.hinchinbrookrentayacht.com.au/

You will find that you will need to book well in advance if going at peak times.

We had no luck on the barra but did catch some fingermark and muddies around in missionary bay - the biggest challenge I had with respect to fishing was working out where to start, the place is bloody huge.

PM if you want any further info.

Barraholic

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Jon - haven't house boated there before but fished it a few times. See alot of houseboats anchored around Haycock Island which has good deep water around it - fingermark, barra and all the usual suspects, even some mud geckos on the banks in the creek mouths there. Prawnstars work well here because you can get them down and bounce them over the bottom. When the tide is running hard the bait shelters in the eddies on the down current side. BIG Queenies, BIG GT's etc.
Deluge Inlet is another popular spot in the channel. Deluge is roughlt half way. The barra can be hard to work out because there is just so much good country. We generally target the small creeks on the last of the run down and first of the run up.
It is just a magic place and catching fish are just a bonus.

Dev - no run no fun ;D
Them big tides gets the drains firing. Heading up in Feb for the full moon.

[devocean]

Jack no leave pass for about 3 months.

[clearwater]

jon

mate i got a thing at work about house boats up that way i will show you it when i see u next ..btw we could have a look in that 500 gps marks book for some spots up that way

andy