Cairns Fishin'

[Justin]

Hey all

I am heading to Cairns for 4 days with work next week. Flying up from sydney and working 9-5pm

might take a small flick rod and some plastics.

Can any one shed some light on the area for me ???

Any directions to popular night spots? or whats biting at the moment.

Thanks all

[slinkymalinky]

G'day Pinkus,

I don't really know the Cairns area but I know Townsville pretty well and at this time of year there are fish everywhere. With a light flick rod you should be able to find Pikey Bream, Jacks, Trevally and Barramundi in the creeks... just watch the crocs. The same can be found off jettys and rock walls.

I'm not sure if fishing is allowed off the Cairns Marlin Wharf but that's probably the area I'd start looking. There's a lot of MASSIVE mud flats straight out the front of town that I've never fished but look like pretty hard work. All I can suggest is visit the local tackle shop up there for some pointers on locations.

Cheers, Slinky

[alasdair]

Hi there,

You can fish of the main wharf. Lots of small bait fish and prawns tight in against it. Plenty bigger ones around as well. It is quite high though so if you hook some thing decent, especially on the plastics rod, your going to have to climb down one of the vertical ladders to get it.The sand flats are massive but the signs everywhere warning of the crocs were enough to keep me to the wharf. There are other spots I was told about a little outside the main city but you'd probably need to hire a car to drive to them.

good luck

alasdair

[Justin]

hey guys

thanks for the replies

i know where im staying, right on the espanade. Is the main wharf the big one thats runs in a square formation where the Shangri-La is?

i think ill wake up at 5.30 to do the morning session over the night sessions.

will only be practising catch and release too

[olitay]

marlin wharf is the main marina at cairns, whilst fishing is prohibited there, you can walk a little further west (if your looking at the main marina) and there are some quieter spots. i dont think your meant to flick there but no one really says anything cause its out of the way. They dont like you flicking near the main wharf though.

go see the tackle shop, there is a good one as you head to the northern beaches about 6K out of town.

Good luck, Cairns is a wonderful place.

[wttmrwolf]

I was in the same boat as you last year. Could of days in Cairns for work. I took a soft plastics rod and a few bags of gulps.

You can fish off the marina wall near the casino. There will be heaps of people there at night. Speak to the kids, some of them are down there every night and have heaps of knowledge.

Most of the locals bring a cast net and catch squid/prawns/garfish for live bait. Then they cast out a live bait to target barra. Looking over the edge you can see squid everywhere. They come in because of the lights. The locals thought I was a freak using squid jigs, a few people even asked what I was doing.

I got even stranger looks casting pink gulk jerk shads out into the night. After a few hours of fishing managed to hook a school Jewfish. The locals showed a bit more interest in the Gulps after that.

I fished until about 2am each night and there were still plenty of local's about. Have fun.

[Justin]

BAHHAHA that hilarous! i totally thought itd be like that with the plastics.

I arirved here today at midday and will check out the casino wall tonight, then watch the soccer. Its only 3 blocks from my hotel.

i would LOVE to hook a barra!!! but i didnt know they were in the open waters? i thought theyd be in the muddy inland creeks and rivers. I will settle for a jew tho hahahaha.

Good thing i brought some bigger plastics but only have 6lb braid on my flick rod.

keep an eye peeled in the reports thread.

and PS> anyone traveling on planes with fishing rods must check them in now. security wouldnt let me through with it as carry on.

[wttmrwolf]

how did you go?

[Justin]

how did you go?

hey, yeah it took me a while to find the spot where everyone goes fishing. The wall infront of the casino currently has alot of ships docked with the engines running late into the night, not sure what they are doing? but im sure that would scare of all the fish. Marlin Marina is also a no go for fishing. But the most northerly side of the marina, right before the sand banks, if you walk out past the 3rd lamp post - thats where you can fish.

first night - got there about 11.30 after wandering around most of Cairns. I saw a 97cm Barra (about 10kg i heard the next day) get caught on a hand line with a live mullet. getting the fish up 1.5m onto the ledge was the trickiest bit, but everyone on the wall helped and cheered when it was landed haha.

second night - went back a bit earlier and was flicking some large shallow diving lures. picked up 4 or 5 hairtails (never caught these before) took me a while to learn how they strike. lost a fair few plastics to them without know what even happened! eventually started using hardbodies with 2 pairs of trebles and was hooking them every second strike (always on the middle treble)

third night - was determined to hook a barra and used a modified Slick Rig that a local gave to me the previous night. Lost it within 5 minutes (possibly to a hair tail) and then it started raining.

so yeah. sussed out the area for next time, saw a big barra, caught a few hairtails.

also had three runs on a small 3inch water melon minnow near the top of the water, i think it was largish 50cm tailors as i saw the flash of silver come up from the murks when it struck. it had a forked tail with black along the edges. the hook didnt catch on either of the runs which has never happned to me with tailors before. My leader was all jaggard when i inspected it after.