All tackle is provided on a replace if lost or broken basis. You are more than welcome to bring along your own favourite spinning, baitcaster and fly fishing outfits. Our recommendations for the local conditions are:
Rods: A 6-8kg fishing rod no larger than 6 feet for estuary fishing is ideal. On board we use the strong and reliable Silstar Power tip 6-10kg sticks, which suit most situations. For anglers who wish to bring a spin-stick for light game purposes (chucking slugs, poppers, trolling lures), something in 8-10kg range would be ideal. For fishing the reef and off shore grounds a 12 -15kg rod of around 185cm is adequate (we have larger rods available, so don’t bother with anything heavier).
Reels: Good quality overhead (baitcaster) or thread line (egg beater) fishing reels are advisable. Ensure your reel has a good quality drag system and have it spooled with 8-10kg mono, or 30lb braid (guide only). In terms of larger spin reels, have them spooled with 10-12kg mono or 30-60lb braid. Larger overheads in the 12-15kg range are advisable (we use Abu 7000 with 15kg mono) and you may want to bring a larger reel (e.g. Charter Special / TLD20) to match with our larger rods.
Traces: Bring yourself a small reel of 40-60lb monofilament trace material. Maybe some heavier trace and 1x20m of 60-80lb wire trace material (Twist weld or crimp type).
Lures: For anglers supplying their own, try to have a selection of lures which will cover a range of depths and fish species. Colours are a personal choice, however a good start is gold, green, metallic, blue, red/pink and white. Some suggested lure brands which have proven reliable include:
- Gold Bombers or B52 Bombers
- Mann's stretch series
- Killalures
- Tilsan
- Leads
- Riedy's
- Nilsmaster
- Rapala
Opinions about the use of soft plastic lures abound. Anglers who are interested in using soft plastics are encouraged to do so, however the boat does not supply a large range. It is a matter of personal choice!
Instead of bringing bulky tackle boxes, try to keep lures in portable water-resistant flat plastic boxes.
Fly Fishing Gear & Poppers
Fly fishing is a highly specialized sport. This is not the place to begin fly fishing for the first time! Having said this, there will be a guide who can help anglers beginning on the long road to mastering the fly rod and reel.
Anglers wishing to fly fish are encouraged to bring their own gear (plus flies) and ensure rods are either three or four piece. It is inadvisable to bring anything lighter than a #9 weight rod and we usually use intermediate sink lines or floating lines with a sink tip.
Anything that resembles a popper, or that skitters across the surface, will do for Queenfish. Amongst flies, Lefty's Deceivers, Clousers, Pink Things, Bendbacks and Dahlberg Divers and their hybrids are attractive to Queenfish and other tropical fishes. A range of Deceivers and Clouser Minnows, and a small variety of other patterns, should suffice.
Remember, if you are on a charter with other fisherman, the fly fishing option will be dictated by space, weather conditions and fish availability. Charters dedicated to fly-fishing can be arranged, however for space and comfort whilst fishing, group size per tender must be taken into account.
Should anglers arriving in Cairns require personal assistance in choosing their tackle, Keith Graham of Bransfords Tackle Shop has kindly offered to pick up clients from their Cairns hotel / accommodation (with sufficient notice) and drive them to his outlet to select the right gear for the conditions.
Personal Equipment
Don't forget to bring your hat (one which stays on whilst boating!), sunglasses (polarized best), sandshoes / walking sandals, plus sun screen and insect repellent.
Cameras are a matter of personal choice. The Pikkuw has a good quality laptop computer on board, so bring any download cords for digital cameras. Photos can be burnt onto either CD or DVD and played back right there on our large flat-screen TV.
A 16 kg per person baggage weight restriction applies for light aircraft flights. Rod tubes must not be over 2m in length and should not be bulky.
Food
Part of any experience to this area is the food. Our experienced cook will work hard to give clients memorable meals.
Supplies come via a barge from Cairns and fresh produce (including special need items) can be flown in weekdays with the regular Skytrans service.
A selection of fish will form a large part of the diet onboard and delicious mud-crabs are a proposition for anglers who savour these delicious crustaceans.
Any special dietary requirements should be indicated early to provide adequate time to get items in stock.
Alcohol
Aurukun, including the surrounding land and water-ways, is an alcohol restricted area. Customers are advised NOT TO CARRY ALCOHOL into Aurukun with them as significant penalties apply. For more information, please visit www.alcoholimits.qld.gov.au.
The liquor license for Aurukun Fishing Charters only operates between 5pm and 10 pm and is restricted to mid-strength beer and “wine-with-meal” only.
If you have a specific request for beer or wine please let us know early (at least 4 weeks prior to departure). A selection of quality red and white wine is available on request.
