Fishing - Cape York

DOLFN YOU CAN HIRE BOATS AT WEPIA HALF DAY AND FULL DAY QUITE RESONABLE PRICES , ALSO YOU CAN HIRE BOATS AT LOYALTY BEACH FRON DAN AGAIN HALF DAY AND FULL DAY.
FROM WHAT WE HAVE HAD ON TOUR PEOPLE TAKE BOATS BUT THEY SAY THEY WOULD NOT TAKE ONE AGAIN THE RATHER FISH OF THE BEACHES OR RIVER BANKS [but not to close] ALSO YOU CAN DO FISHING CHARTERS FROM WEPIA AND THE TOP. BOOK THE TRIPS WHEN YOU GET THERE JUST IN CASE YOUR A DAY OUT WITH YOUR TIMING
ALL THE BEST ERICCape York Connections

Hi Dolfin
I have not accessed the area by land but fished some of the inland waters last year from a game boat out of Cairns. There were fishing camps around Bathurst Bay accessed through Lakefield NP. Serious barra fishermen were using boats and using lures in the mangroves, they had to travel some distance. We came ashore here and fished from the rocks/beaches with moderate success but you are going at a much better time than we. You should take a cast net to get live bait along the beaches or use shallow diving strong lures like gold Bombers. The other brilliant spot was the Lochhardt river, so pristine but only by boat. I wont tell you about the other two weeks we had out on the GB reef, but just brilliant.
All the fish up there fight dirty and have sharp teeth. If you want to take hand lines I suggest 80lb and use finger stalls. For rods nothing less than 6 lb barra rods and 20 lb braid line. There are plenty of sharks that will take your fresh bait and others that will bust you up.
I have a mate who hired a boat at Weipa and had a great time.
If you cart a boat you also need a motor (15hp +) and also fuel, if you were going to camp in one spot it would seem logical, but there are not too many boat ramps up that way.
Hope some of this helps.
Cocka

You don't NEED a boat to fish the Cape but it does open a a whole new world for you. A friend I regularly camp and fish with has a small polethene canoe 1.5 mt long an 1 mt wide small and lite enuf to carry anywhere. He takes it just about everywhere with him and its the most useful piece of fishing equipment I have ever seen. Lots of creeks and rivers are difficult to access but gently drifting along in this flicking lures or flys is unbelievable. Please be very aware of crocs up here, my son fishes nearly every day in the Cairns inlet and regularly see crocs less than 1 klm from our city centre.

Cheers Rob.Cairns Offroad Training & Tours

Dolfn,
So many times in our "journeying" we we have said " Gee, I wish I had a boat!". We bougt a small Zodiac and a 15HP motor. The boat folds up to the size of a large suitcase. It takes one stubby and a glass of chardonnay to inflate and half a stubby to fold up. You can also leave them inflated and carry them on your trailer. Works for us.

Mal T.

The less you carry up there the better.
Every river and creek is a chance of a big barra and definitly good perch or sarratoga ( bit boney but bake up well) great to catch like a barra. dont get 2 close to dirty water. you can swim and get barra at the wenlock. stay at the telegragh station , (hot showers) and ask if you can access the river further down there track too wards the sandy beaches.