Port Douglas GT Fishing

[Tom Kalic]

Hi Guys,

got a trip lined up for end of October/Early November to Port Douglas QLD. Taking my boat up for 10 days. Has anyone got experience with the area? Any tips or spots would be greatly appreciated.
Tom

[Stephen Polzin]

Should be a good time to go up, wind drops around then, I usually take November off just for the fishing.  GT's are on every reef, big tides (full/new moon) are best.  What size boat have you got?

[Tom Kalic]

will be taking up a 15 foot fibreglass centre console. Has a 110 litre fuel tank with 60hp 4 stroke outboard so has good range.  I picked that time of year for the weather. Also have some big tides and a new moon, so hopefully everything lines up for us.

[Stephen Polzin]

A little on the small side but will be ok in under 10knots.  I'd suggest towing it up the road to Wonga or daintree - probably more variety of spots available

[Tom Kalic]

Thanks for the advice. I have taken this boat out in 20 knot+ conditions. Its a small boat but handles better than alot of 18 footers out there. From what I understand the area gets alot of wind chop, but no real swell unless you go past the reef?

[Stephen Polzin]

Yeah fair enough, my pain threshhold isn't that high.  No way I'd be going to the reef up here in a 4.5m boat and 20 knots.  If it rides well in that wind it's going to bounce around a lot at rest and that's going to make gt fishing hard.

Anyway, yeah there's no swell inside, only chop, but it can be pretty evil. 

[Mark Gwynne]

I agree with Stephen, no way I'd go out in 20 knots up here even in a big boat, I'm too soft!!
As for popping, I've done very little so far and hope to change that. I can give you some advice on some reefs where I would pop which is probably what I'll do later this year around the same time (as long as it's 10 knots!!)

You could try a trip where you go to the Port Dougals ramp and start at the western tip of Rudder reef. Around both sides and the tip are good shallow bommies for at least a kilometre either side going east. As usual if there's no current you'll struggle.
You could then head across to Pratt rock for a pop before heading over to the western tip of undine reef. All the way along the southern side from about a kilometre east of the sand cay are bommies that will hold GTs. You could even go all the way and then head through the gap between Undine and St Cripsins popping the numerous shallow bommies along the way. Due to the gap there is a chance of more current here and more GTs.

From there you could head over towards Mackay and you'll see numerous small reef outcrops that are ideal for popping.

The one time I did do some popping was at Spitfire reef and Bonner rock and we had a ball on solid GTs smashing us on cheap poppers using jig rods. if we can do this as a novice you will surely have success there.

The Green Island wreck has some very big GTs on it. I landed one around 40 kilos off it and it's a known hot spot for big GTs.
As for the outer reefs, most are shallow so it's just a matter of sticking to the open zones and following the reef edge.
Hope this helps.

[Tom Kalic]

Thanks Mark, will look into those spots. I'm a novice myself when it comes to GT popping so any advice is helpful. When it comes to fishing in bad weather, being a Victorian I am used to it. Nobody likes to fish in 20 knots, but my boat can handle it quite easily. Especially if its just wind chop.
Any good jigging up that way as well?

[Craig Moffat]

Hi Tom,

Will be interesting to hear how you go - but from long experience up here (30 years of going to the reef north of Cairns - bl00dy hell - getting old) - you will find that a 4.5m boat won't cut it at all in 20knots up here. I expect you will find that the "wind chop" won't be anything like you'll expect. Have been there and done that in terms of fishing the reef up here (with Mark mostly actually) and its no fun out there in a small boat. (to paint a picture - Mark and I went out recently with a mate in a 7.2m centre console in 15-20 knots and it was not nice at all - we sat behind the reef all evening and ended up pulling the pin as we couldn't find anywhere comfortable to fish.

Having said that - the time you have picked should see a totally different sea - "if" it plays out normally for that time you year you will hopefully get morning land breezes followed by a mid-morning-early afternoon change to a north easterly - that can get up to 20knots. If you get those conditions you should be fine - though the ride out of a morning with a half metre westerly chop will be a bit bumpy - but doable all the same in that boat. Its an awesome time to fish up this way -  the only thing you'll have to worry about (being a Victorian ) is dealing with the oppresive heat!!! (just cool down on the trip back in getting wet from the NEly

I'm hoping to be out there in my own 16 footer at that time - just got to get it back on the water.

Re jigging - another mate has had some good fishing with Jigs a little further east than the spots Mark mentioned to you. The green island wreck rocks for Jig fishing as well - just be prepared to loose a few - the GTs on the wreck are monsters (and the wreck is sharp). (you don't worry about sharks knocking your fish off at the wreck - its the GTs that do it!)

The other thing to be aware of - up here we have closed seasons for Coral Reef finfish around the new moon in October/november - so that means you can only target pelagics during that time - this year 24-28 October is closed - so just factor that in for your trip.

Cheers,

Craig

[Tom Kalic]

Hi Craig, thanks for the info. Half metre of chop will be a non-issue. Last year I did a trip up to Princess Charlotte Bay about 4 hours north of Cairns. The norm was 15-20 knot South Easterlies. Did a 25km trip out to one of the offshore islands and stayed the night. I am guessing the type of sea will be similar. Not all 15 foot centre consoles are the same. There are some 18 footers I wouldnt go out in, and aluminium, forget it.
Thanks for letting me know about the closure for reef species. I actually picked my dates so I could be there on the new moon with big differences between low and high tides to get some run. Was looking forward to getting some coral trout and red emperor. If you are in the area and wouldnt mind another boat tagging along let me know. No substitute for experience, and sounds like you know your way around up there. I am gonna have to look up this green island wreck...

[Craig Moffat]

Not all 15 foot centre consoles are the same.

Yep - know what you mean- Mark and I actually have sister ships - 16 foot wooden centre consoles - little rally boats that rock in the waters up here (and have had them out in 15 - 20 knots and also 35mile out (though not 35 mile out when its 15-20kn....)- our waters are a bit more exposed than Princess Charlotte and the islands you mentioned - we are protected by the reef to a small extent - but there's a long fetch before that - but if you are keen you will get out no doubt - as I mentioned the weather should be a lot more favourable then anyhow.

here's a smallish GT from the Green Island Wreck - as you can see - caught out of my tinny - so easy to get to in your boat!! Thought i'd have a pic of Mark's behemoth - but can't find it at the moment. Have hooked bigger ones (than Mark's) - getting them in is a different story. when they start taking 3kg trout off your hook you know they have some size!!



Cheers,

Craig

[Tom Kalic]

geez, not bad for a smallish fish. That would be over 20kg wouldnt it? I got one last year that was 20kg, and looked smaller than that one.
I heard theres a wreck not far out from Port Douglas itself, about 10 k's.?
Do you drift over the green island wreck, or anchor up?

[Stephen Polzin]

Mark and I went out recently with a mate in a 7.2m centre console in 15-20 knots and it was not nice at all - we sat behind the reef all evening and ended up pulling the pin as we couldn't find anywhere comfortable to fish.

Glad I'm not the only one Moffy.  I got a Cruise Craft 625 Explorer back at the start of May and I've had it out twice (damn winter winds).  One of those days was a 20-25.  Sure the boat handles it fine, but it's just not fun. 

[Graham Scott]

Hi Tom,
What breed is your centre console, I might have to buy me one? I don't like 20 knots in my Cat, I tried Travis's Contender the other day which was awesome, but still not comfy...and no GT's to boot.
We are in CQ rather than NQ, but it is very difficult to describe our sea conditions to non locals, although I have never been to PCB so not sure what you experienced up there. Take some barra gear just in case,  the season for those closes at the end of October!!

[Tom Kalic]

Hi Graham,

its a Haines Hunter 445F.  They punch above their weight class. I have some experience being out of Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays in CQ. Crossed the Whitsunday passage once with a 30 knot south easterly going against the tide. They were standing up that day(not in the 445F though). Have visited Port Douglas before, and the sea looked very similar to Port Phillip Bay here in Melbourne. Alot of short sharp wind chop. 20 knot southeast-south westerlies with 1 metre waves are the norm here during snapper season. Not ideal conditions, but not exactly dangerous either. I think you guys have it a bit too good and dont realise what we Victorians go through to catch fish...
Is it worth going for Barra at that time of year? Wasnt planning on fishing the creeks, but did plan on getting some mudcrabs.