Cape York Fishing Adventures Punsand Bay

Location

We have all heard the stories about that fanatical fishing friend that got all the way to the very tip of Australia and couldn’t go fishing. Sitting in the campgrounds of Australia’s most northern campsite Punsand Bay looking out to the Coral Sea. But, for love nor money could they get a fishing charter.

We want to fix that for you!

Dave at Cape York Adventures and Punsand Bay have come up with some amazing fishing packages.  When the camp group is packed in June, July, August, September and October. The winds make it a little tricky to go fishing. We want to offer you options for the best months of the year. February, March and April and then November and December. 

There are no commercial fishing fleets pillaging the area as the traditional owners of Torres Strait have the fishing rights. That doesn’t mean it’s like a TV fishing show that we all love to watch and if you look at the water hard enough GT is bigger than the average bear jumps on your popper. The Coral Sea is one of the best fishing locations on earth. The variety of fish that you can catch is absolutely staggering. But it’s a destination where effort often indicates the level of reward that you get. 

We all have that friend that can just dangle his line in the water and catch a fish of a lifetime. Dave and the boys of Cape York adventures work hard with you to help you experience your fishing dream. Go and have a look at a map and calculate the distance between there and one of the most remote locations on earth Papua New Guinea. Yes, every Tom Dick and Jessica can drive up to the tip. But not many get to experience the fishing.

That very first glimpse of the deep turquoise green waters of the Cape York makes it the place to be.

Location Species  

GT (Giant Trevally), Giant Trevally has also been referred to as being the gangsters of the flats, they have a reputation for being thugs, bullish and unforgiving. They prey on almost anything that moves. From crabs, lobsters, squid, and eels to Mantis Shrimps. However, their favourite prey will be the wide variety of smaller fish that populate the shallow flats. In the buildup to the wet season, GT congregates in numbers that almost make them a pest (almost).

Fingermark, without a doubt the Northern parts of Australia is spoilt when it comes to numbers of finger mark. They readily take a fly or lure and will keep you busy and test your skill and indeed your gear. Many will say finger mark is Australia’s best table fish!

Queenfish,  when you see a Queenfish working bait or cruising along the edge of mangroves they look majestic and indeed powerful. Once you have hooked one they turn into an acrobatic monster. Many get complacent when a big Queenfish smashes their proper thinking I have this covered. They are as powerful as any fish in the ocean pound for pound, especially once they reach over 100 cm.

Coral Trout, Popper fishing for Coral Trout in a couple of feet of water is one of them fishing moments you will never forget. More often than not a Coral Trout is going to come up from a depth and smash your popper, lure or jig and start to return home with power and speed. For those fishing with the long wand casting across the top of a reef at low tide with an 8# always have a spare fly line or two if you are fishing remotely as you are going to need them.

Spanish Mackerel, unless you are fishing with 130lb big-game gear a Spanish mackerel is always going to give you a run for your money. Recently we hooked a 55 cm model on barramundi gear and let us know who was boss. Always good fun and plenty around on the right conditions.

Golden Trevally, those that like the long wand have always loved targeting Golden’s. They are never going to be as big and fierce as their good friend the fearsome GT but they will always test your skill and a superb target for those flyfishing.

Black Jewfish, the number of people that over the years have thought they had finally cracked the monster barramundi mark only to find that 30 minutes later they have a beautiful black jewfish. A surprise catch on barramundi gear will have you taking a nice cold drink once it has been released.

Mangrove Jack, those of you that have caught mangrove jacks (wolves of any estuary system) just think of one of them coming in at 5.5. They fight to a factor of at least 3x so a 5kg is going to feel like a 15kg fish. A fantastic fish to target as they release well and look great in a photo. Probably rivalling fingermark as one of Australia’s best table fish

Cobia, growing up we used to catch these on an 80lb handline when fishing for reds. In 200ft of water, you gear a great work out to be sure. Growing up to 78kg (MONSTER) they give you a chance to capture one of the ‘nicest’ fighting fish in the sea. They also love to give away their position by hanging out with Mantarays not all the time but it is a good bet. Makes them good to target on fly!

Northern Bluefin Tuna, they are never going to rival those tuna that have become famous on TV with shows like ‘hot tuna’ and ‘tuna wars’ they are however a superb fighting fish and release well. Always good to keep one or two for predinner nibbles and/or dinner. Your guide will make sure the fish is looked after to keep its flesh in its prime. Those flyfishing will have an absolute blast as there is only two speeds for northern bluefin tuna and that is fast and stupidly fast.

Fishing

Location Facilities 

Cape York Camping Punsand Bay is the ultimate base for any Cape York adventurer, angler, beachcomber, birdwatcher or history buff looking to explore and discover the Cape York Peninsula and Torres Strait Islands.

Situated 5km west of “The Tip” of Cape York Australia, it is the most northern address in Australia. The unique geographical position makes Punsand Bay one of Australia’s untouched wildernesses with an abundance of wildlife. Watch the sun rise out of the Coral Sea in the Pacific Ocean and set over the Arafura Sea in the Indian Ocean.

The beachfront camping ground, accommodation, restaurant and bar overlooks the golden sand beach and turquoise waters of the Arafura Sea, Torres Strait Islands and northwards to “The Tip” of Australia.

Cape York Camping Punsand Bay has a range of accommodation and camping ideal for couples, families and groups to relax, unwind and recharge.

Meals & Drinks

Meals are prepared by our inhouse chef.

Starting the day with coffee and a continental breakfast and we will have a packed lunch and snacks for out on the boat.  A wide range of meals every evening including steaks and of course fresh fish.

At Cape York Adventures, we fish sustainably and bring back enough fresh fish for us to sit back and enjoy the freshest of fish from some of the most pristine waters in the land. 

All cooked by our own chef in a different way each night, crumbed, battered, pan fried, steamed, sweet n sour, curried, the list is only limited by your imagination.

We could even have a fire on the beach, watch the sun go down and have a fresh fish cook up on the fire. You know that feeling when you bust open a piece of freshly cooked fish, that white juicy flesh, a bit of steam coming off it, the crisp crunch of the outside coating, I am actually drooling as I write this!

Every evening we will meet in “The Corrugation Bar”, so named because of the millions of dirt road corrugations most visitors encounter on their 1000km drive from Cairns to the Tip of Cape York. You however won’t feel one of them.

The Corrugation Bar has icy cold beers on tap as well as a generous range of spirits and bottles of wine.

Getting there

The team at FishingEarth will work with you to put together the most cost-effective and time-efficient travel plans for you. We will work with you to make sure that your budget and time limitations are taken into account and the best route there and of course the best route home. At FishingEarth we get excited for you when you are going on a FishingEarth Fishing Adventure. But the thing that makes us smile is when you walk in your front door ‘home’ safe and sound.

Charter Dates

Charter Dates, at the bottom.  March and April, then mid Nov to mid December for 2022.

Package information

Typically the charters are five days and six nights or six days and seven nights. But, arrangements can be made for shorter or indeed longer trips.

If you can think of it we will work on making it happen.