COOKTOWN

[Dave_Robbo]

G,DAY GUYS, HEADING UP TO COOKTOWN IN EARLY JUNE, ANY ONE KNOW A GOOD CAMPING AREA AND A FEW TIPS ON WHERE TO FISH AND WHAT IM LIKELY TO ENCOUNTER

THANKS
DAVE

[Dr_Dan]

gday Dave. Try camping at the mouth of the Anan river (not sure of the spelling). Only bout 5-10min from cooktown. you can camp on the beach, lotsa areas. Can keep the boat tied to a tree (if you got a boat), if not, great fishing jsut at the mouth. last time i was up there, had some memerable fishing just at the mouth. Barra, queenies, more barra, HEAPS of Big tarpon, even had a whaler shark of some kind doing cartweels while we were soaking some live sards, right in front of us, in the mouth, and the sucker was bout 1 1/2 meters long. Had barra swimming past our feet at night, and the tarpon, after the sun went down, the mouth sounded like rapids flowing with all the tarpon chopping around. Just got them on fillets of garfish. The Anan is a real shallow river system, full of great bait. You can fish the anan for normal river fish, and then head out past the mouth and there is a fringning reef out there.

hope this helps a bit dave.

you'll luv cooktown.

Cheers
Dan

[Daintreeboy]

Mate it's the Annan River and that and the Endeavour are definite spots to try. Worse time of the year to go but and with the small wet don't lose faith in the place after this visit as the Barra will be quiet. Try for other species instead to keep yourself going like grunter and queenies. Have a good trip, hope it goes well

[Dave_Robbo]

Thanks Dan and Daintree for your response. Yes I do have a boat, towing it up from Wollongong- long way but hopefully it will be worth it. I have never fished up that way before so I really have no idea what we are in for but we'll just play it by ear. Hoping to get amongst some GT'S and maybe some Red's and Spaniards so it will be an experiance thats for sure.
Like I said, never caught these fish before so I will learn as we go I suppose. Whatever the case Im sure we will have one hell of a time. Dont think I will want to come back. We plan about a week to get there, after a few watering sessions at various watering holes on the way up, about two to three weeks there and then about a week back down to reality again.
thanks
dave

[Jack_Lives_Here]

WATCH OUT FOR THE BIG BITING LIZARDS.

Remember driving across the Annan and looking down at a funny looking log. On the way back ot it wasn't there.

Have a great trip. Look forward to report when you return.

[Dr_Dan]

As jack says, watch out for the big lizards (not the ones you target on soft plastics either ). Last time i was up there, had a crab pot setin a small creek bout 100mt from camp, had some fishframes in it over night. went to check it the next day, something VERY powerful had mangles the hell out of my pot. Now the pot wasn't a cheapy, and i still can't bend the friggin thing back. Scary stuff, considering we say a couple of guys in the creak that afternoon wading around about knee to thigh height.

Also, keep an eye out for the numerous sandbanks. They everywhere!

Cheers
Dan

[mackmauler]

something VERY powerful had mangles the hell out of my pot. #Now the pot wasn't a cheapy, and i still can't bend the friggin thing back. #Dan

Have you ever seen what a prop can do to a pot Still a good idea not to swim there though.
Rob

[Dr_Dan]

Don't think it was a prop mate. None of the mesh was damaged, and there was no chips or bad scuffs on the metal rim. Looked like sumthing had tried to pull it apart???? Dunno, gave us a story at least!

[Daintreeboy]

In the Daintree I've some pots mangled by gators over the years. However most (and there have been an awful lot) of pot damage has been caused by large cod and grouper. We've had crabs sucked into the side of the mesh and bitten in half with the surrounding mesh crushed in a moon shape matching the mouth of the fish. I've also had them jam their heads in the ends of those cheap folding pots and the steel frame has bent up around their heads showing just how big they are. They often are chasing the crabs inside, not necessarily the bait. I've also driven up to check a pot and had a grouper in the process of figuring out how to get the crab inside. Very cool

[Dr_Dan]

There was a big grouper/cod swim under the boat as we were entering the creek. Didn't think they'd have the power to smash the pot like that tho.

[spike2]

worked at cook town for five weeks it blew for four weeks and six days on the one day it didnt we went out to the reef which would only be ten k out had a blinder of a day catching coral trout and spanairds . if you get a day without wind go out it maybe the only day you get . inthe endevour you can catch barra but local knowledge is a big help , live baiting in really really close to the banks is most effective
have a great trip
ps next time try weipa

cheers spike

[NQCairns]

Hi I camped at the Anan river once 2 years ago for 5 days on touring holiday from NSW, we towed the boat to the mouth 14 foot ally it is 4wd only and a tall boat will not make it through the scrub the way we went in anyway. The fishing when we were there was a disaster, no bait fish either but you get that, got a nice and quiet rest after 3000km in 3 days though. Got GPS of campsite at mouth (within spitting distance of boat in water - dumb southerners I know!!!) if you want just send email. Take sand pegs. Nq