Cape Trip FNQ Fishing Holes!!!!

[Out-Station]

G'day everyone. Covid allowing i'm headed with wife and kids (2) to cape york in Sept School holidays with a couple of other families on 4wd camping trip. Spots we are camping and staying are down below. I'll obviously be looking to do as much fishing as i an fit in around other stuff as i go. No boat so shore based only. Was thinking i'd take a couple of 6/8kg 7ft spin rods for the majority of the river work, a couple of heavy popper style rods for anything more serious (Seisa jetty?? etc) and a couple of light spin rigs for jungle pearch and sooties etc. Cast net and all the usual bits and pieces. Done a bit of tropical sportfishing over the years but not up in the cape.

I'm an absolute stranger to any of these overnight destinations, i'm thinking fishing will be limited to where we're camped or close to (15 or 20 min from camp). Was hoping for any advise from those with a few runs on the board up that way on where to go looking for fish or 2 around where we have booked. Happy to fish anywhere, any time, any way to max our chance for a decent fish or 2 on what will mostly be a familly camping 4wd trip.

Any help welcome.

Scott

Where i'm staying:
1 night: Thornton beach (near cape trib)
1 night Cooktown
2 night Hann River Crossing
2 Nights Chilli Beach
1 Nigh Bramwell Station
2 Night Elliot Falls
3 Night Punsand Bay
1 Night ?
2 Nights Cairns

[Corry]

Looking at it Scott, I think you'll be doing a fair bit of beach fishing. The two estuaries near Thornton Beach have intrigued me for a while now, more on how to get in there in the boat. I don't know of a ramp nearby except for up Daintree, which I'm thinking of doing the run around to get in to. But I dare say there could be some success throwing spoons, slices into the mouth there from the bank.

Cooktown, if you have a search on here, there is a couple of threads on Cooktown, some give some good advice about fishing the jetty area.

Hann River Crossing. I've had limited success around this area over the years, but walking the banks flicking for Barra can be rewarding. We've always made sure that we've had someone on lizard watch though, back in the day Hann used to be where a lot of the 'rogue ' crocs were relocated to.

Chilli Beach, again, had limited luck throwing lures and plastics around the rocky area just in front of the camp grounds. Did head up to the headlands at the northern end of the beach, but got confronted with some locals that swiftly told me I wasn't allowed to be there. I wasn't sure if I was or not, there was a sign at the top of the beach but I figured it was for the buildings there not the beach and rocks, so I left anyway. Challenge here is the winds, if it's blowing, you'll be too busy holding the camp down to fish.

Bramwell, not much fishing to be had here, most of my trips north were before the roadhouse was built, you'll enjoy the hospitality and the food.

Elliot Falls, you'll be enjoying swimming too much to fish, and there's not a lot of fishing to be had in this area I don't believe.

Punsand Bay, ask the locals at the bar up there what's happening where, and where you can fish and where you can't. There's a lot of options around the cape, whether over the Eastern side around Somerset Bay, or Western Side. Will depend if you want to charter, or keep to land based. There are jettys around Seisia (but unless your staying there it's a fair hike from Punsand). Not sure if you're still allowed, but I've seen some great fish caught from the tip, the rocks near the sign. Again, the Eastern Side at that time of the year has a great chance of the winds making it difficult to throw anything but well weighted plastics or slices.

Cairns, join the Cairns fishing facebook pages, there's a lot of info on there about land based fishing, and some great guides around the Daintree and Port Douglas areas if you wanted to experience the Inshore GT fishing or the river Barra fishing. There a few threads on here for around Cairns as well, but most seem to have luck around the boardwalk and from some of the jetties at the boat ramps.

Hope this helps somewhat

[bluefin59]

G'day everyone. Covid allowing i'm headed with wife and kids (2) to cape york in Sept School holidays with a couple of other families on 4wd camping trip. Spots we are camping and staying are down below. I'll obviously be looking to do as much fishing as i an fit in around other stuff as i go. No boat so shore based only. Was thinking i'd take a couple of 6/8kg 7ft spin rods for the majority of the river work, a couple of heavy popper style rods for anything more serious (Seisa jetty?? etc) and a couple of light spin rigs for jungle pearch and sooties etc. Cast net and all the usual bits and pieces. Done a bit of tropical sportfishing over the years but not up in the cape.

I'm an absolute stranger to any of these overnight destinations, i'm thinking fishing will be limited to where we're camped or close to (15 or 20 min from camp). Was hoping for any advise from those with a few runs on the board up that way on where to go looking for fish or 2 around where we have booked. Happy to fish anywhere, any time, any way to max our chance for a decent fish or 2 on what will mostly be a familly camping 4wd trip.

Any help welcome.

Scott

Where i'm staying:
1 night: Thornton beach (near cape trib)
1 night Cooktown
2 night Hann River Crossing
2 Nights Chilli Beach
1 Nigh Bramwell Station
2 Night Elliot Falls
3 Night Punsand Bay
1 Night ?
2 Nights Cairns

I have a post here on fishing Cooktown and surrounds ,have a read and hopefully some of the info will help . September is a tough one up around Hann as it’s been fished hard by then and they are waiting for the rain again to refresh the system but giving it a go is the only thing I can offer for that location, Cooktown wharf fishes well at that time of year . Thornton beach again is tough as it’s shallow for a long way due to tidal influence but again you could have some luck , anywhere north of Cooktown it’s best to talk to the boys at the Lure Shop in Cooktown they are more than helpful. But please be VERY crock aware as they have heaps up that way and some big boys amongst them , I can’t say it enough be croc aware we had one stalking us up at Kalpower Crossing. Matt Cooktown fishing
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[Out-Station]

Corry, Matt, thanks very much for all that. Very helpful and you have got me pointed at a few more good sources now so will keep working on it. Yes, will be very croc aware, thanks for the emphasis though for this southerner!!
I'll be sure to refer to those fb pages and also the lore shop in cooktown. Thanks again.
Scott.

[NAGG]

I have a post here on fishing Cooktown and surrounds ,have a read and hopefully some of the info will help . September is a tough one up around Hann as it’s been fished hard by then and they are waiting for the rain again to refresh the system but giving it a go is the only thing I can offer for that location, Cooktown wharf fishes well at that time of year . Thornton beach again is tough as it’s shallow for a long way due to tidal influence but again you could have some luck , anywhere north of Cooktown it’s best to talk to the boys at the Lure Shop in Cooktown they are more than helpful. But please be VERY crock aware as they have heaps up that way and some big boys amongst them , I can’t say it enough be croc aware we had one stalking us up at Kalpower Crossing. Matt Cooktown fishing
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

Great advice mate ...... I want to do a big trip up north in the next few years & you really need to be all over the dangers ....... Crocs are an animal that will crawl many meters up a beach or riverbank & attack ..... I've camped in croc country ..... set up sensors just in case

Chris

[Bremic]

Been watching some Youtubes of a young couple traveling up the East coast in a 17 foot haines. They camp out on small islands as they come across them. The number of large crocs on these islands, well away from the water and spending the day in the scrub is scary.

[CT]

The is good fishing in all the main rivers that the telegraph crosses on your run up and back. Small lures and soft plastics. Most tourists don't walk far so you've only got to go a bit further!

[Corry]

Been watching some Youtubes of a young couple traveling up the East coast in a 17 foot haines. They camp out on small islands as they come across them. The number of large crocs on these islands, well away from the water and spending the day in the scrub is scary.

Back to Basics, It's an awesome watch. Would never have thought you could live out of a 17f boat for that length of time. What a mammoth effort and commitment.

[andoland]

When you’re not on the coast the Wenlock River is going to be your best fishing option. Maybe try to tweak your itinerary to spend a night or two on the Wenlock. Plenty of Barra and Sooty grunter. If you were going to Weipa I’d say go to Stones Crossing where we used to catch heaps of Barra.

in terms of crocodiles, only go in and stay near the water where it’s clear enough to see for 10-15 metres. If you want see into the water you’ve got no idea if there’s a croc there waiting for you or not. Don’t try to get your life out of a snag if it means you’ve got to go in the water or be over the top of the water, e.g hanging on a tree.

[Stressless]

Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park is worth a visit on the way through.

Bit of video to whet your appetite, not by me.

Some huge laughing logs in there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcEPcktl448