What you need to know when booking a fishing adventure
We have been asked some interesting questions over the years. No matter who you book with, make sure you have these questions below covered.
As a business, we want to control what we can control, and the first thing we can control is the quality of information we give you.
Tides do make a difference! There is no doubt.
For example, you want to target BIG GT in the Coral Sea. Tides are critically important, and they are totally different tides from what you would want if you were going on a general ‘want-to-catch-a-bit-of-everything’ fishing adventure.
We understand the correlation between the best tides and the times you are available to go fishing. They do not always coincide, but we will always let you know. It is something that we work hard with you to get the best outcome.
Tides:
Tides can make the most significant difference to a successful (the actual catching of fish) fishing trip. *Please see the last question on this page* there is no doubt about that. Suppose you have a particular fishing purpose or, indeed, target species. Then tides matter. Nothing is worse than your guide telling you that you should have been here last week. We all know that conversation Guide to clients ‘gee, they were jumping into the boat last week at this spot.
There are three main factors when booking tides.
- Picking the best tides, no matter if it means you have to delay your trip. You have an open calendar and can go anytime as long as the tides are the best.
- Tides that they have. You want to go barra fishing in March; they only have massive spring tides. So they are the tides you take.
- Tides that you and your crew can make due to your busy schedules.
Let me explain that.
Yes, there is no doubt that we want to get your booking. We do not have to fill seats in a boat or beds at a lodge. We will be honest with you about what we think of the tide options. We all know the weather and the fishing gods will do what they do. I no longer look at the weather before a trip, as I always take a raincoat with me anyway! I will deal with the conditions I turn up to. However, I want to know in advance what tides I am walking into.
Before I started this business in 2008, I thought it did not matter when you went fishing at places like the Barra Lodge. Every TV show and magazine showed me that you cast a lure in the water and it comes back with a big barra. I still remember the shock of my first cast at a barra lodge and the lure coming back ’empty’.
We are not social media influencers, we work hard to make sure you know what you need to know. Yes, to be sure, we use those amazing day photographs, but our focus is not to pretend, lie or push you into a booking.
We can’t do anything about the weather. But we can make sure you know what tide you will be fishing.
For example, the two photos below were taken one hour apart. Great tides, fantastic fishing, and ordinary weather. As we said above, we are not influences. We work hard to give you the information you need. On all my fishing trips, I wish the weather was as good as many Instagram accounts show me.
I know we have been banging on and banging on about tides. Let’s look at some other gems we have compiled that will help you get the best fishing adventure possible.
We want to point out that no answer fits every location or, indeed, charter. As you will see from the questions, the answers depend on many different things. But there is an answer to each question that fits your purpose and the location.
Questions you need to ask:
Q ➡️ Do I need my own fishing gear?
⚓️ Most of us have more fishing gear than you can poke a stick at. The only restriction you will have with taking fishing gear on any fishing charter will be the type of transport you are using. Helicopters and private aircraft charters have strict weight restrictions. Also, the length of your rod tubes, although fine for Qantas/virgin, may become an issue with your remote location transfers. We will let you know what standard of gear your charter operates with. There are not many operators anymore supplying top-of-the-range (Stella) type gear. Some do, but they typically have a rental policy in excess of $400 per person per week.
Q ➡️ We want to target xyz species. Does this location have these xyz species for us to target?
⚓️ One thing that has made Sports fishing in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea famous is the number of different species you can target in any particular area. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, on the eastern side of Papua New Guinea, there is surprisingly very few barramundi to be caught. Please let us know if you have a particular species on your bucket list.
Q ➡️ What is the weather like?
⚓️ Robin Williams from ‘Good morning Vietnam’ HOT between October and May. There is also a chance it can be sweltering and rainy. Unfortunately, the wet season weather patterns have changed, so there are no predictable wet season/dry season demarcation lines. January has been the driest month of the year for the last couple of years in a number of tropical locations. We will assess the likelihood of what the weather could be like, but there are now less than zero guarantees that standard patterns will continue. We will advise you the best we can.
Q ➡️ Speaking of weather. Do locations have bad weather policies?
⚓️ Each location will want to have you fishing as much as possible. You need to speak up if you feel unsafe about the weather or the conditions. Several motherships have a set wind speed, meaning no one can leave the mothership. When booking ask the question!
Q ➡️ What else is there to do?
⚓️ Options are typically limited outside of regular fishing activities, but locations are constantly building new tourist products into their operation. However, 90% of location operations are setups and designed for fishing all day.
Q ➡️ My partner wants to come with me but doesn’t really like fishing
⚓️ Most of these superb fishing locations, as mentioned above, cater primarily for those who want to fish and do more fishing. The luxurious Mother Ship Fishing operations certainly offer more non-fishing activities. When booking, this is certainly something that needs to be investigated. Most of these locations are perfect if your partner wants to spend the day reading and just relaxing. No telephones, no TV… But let’s discuss this as facilities vary significantly between different locations.
Q ➡️ Do you do the booking of flights and accommodation?
⚓️ We work with you to make sure that we get the correct flights. We want to make sure you spend as little time as possible in airports and more time at your fishing destination. However, we have a close working relationship with a flight expert. She will take all of the thinking out of your journey. Planes, trains and automobiles plus accommodation. She does it all. But it does cost extra. This extra cost does take all of the stress out organising everyone.
Q ➡️ I have to take medication at set times and the medication needs to be refrigerated.
⚓️ We work with you and your proposed location to ensure this is possible. All locations have 240v power, but it may be harder to keep your medication at a set temperature when you are in the boat fishing.
Q ➡️ What medical provisions are there at my location.
⚓️ Each location is required by law to have medical provisions. Some locations with the Royal Flying Doctors regarding their medical kits. Make sure you ask the question! We will let you know what they have. Some locations have defibrillators many do not. We are working on getting information from all locations.
Q ➡️ Communications
⚓️ Again this comes down to the law around what is required. For example, a boat that does not go more than an hour away from the lodge must have different safety and communication gear than a location where its boats travel further than an hour from the lodge. If it is essential for you to be in contact with people back home, then we will talk to you about options regarding the hiring of satellite phones etc. Alternatively, if you want people to think that you have no communications, we are more than happy to supply an email saying that you will be out of radio range. The lodge’s phone number can be provided for any emergency contact.
Q ➡️ Sleeping, my friends SNORE!
⚓️ We understand what it’s like to be buggered at the end of a day’s fishing only to be kept up at night by your fishing companions in your room snoring for the Olympics. Most locations work on twin share in their pricing. Some locations offer single-person supplements. Each location has limited resources (boats/accommodation), and they need to earn X$ per boat per room. Unfortunately, in this situation, to get the single room supplement means paying more, and in many cases, it can be a considerable amount.
Q ➡️ Food and booze
⚓️ As we have spoken about several times, the weather gods and fishing gods will do as they do. What locations can control is the quality of their food. There is no doubt that even after a terrible days fishing, you will be excited about what is for predinner nibbles and what is for dinner.
Regarding alcohol, each location has a different policy. Some locations have their own license, whereas in other locations, you are required to pre-order what You want for your trip. Most locations operate in and around indigenous communities, and many of these communities have strict alcohol laws.
Q ➡️ Can we take booze out on the boat with us fishing.
⚓️ This can only really be answered by your location. We will get you an answer. As mentioned, many locations operate in and around indigenous communities. Even though you may not feel that you are close to a community, the rivers, creeks and coastal environments you are fishing in are often within their traditional and legal boundaries. Therefore the same alcohol restrictions that apply on land apply whilst you are in your guide boat. Mother Ship operations have licensing provisions that allow them to have alcohol on the mothership itself. This typically does not apply to any tenders/guide boats.
Q ➡️ Can we drink the tap water?
⚓️ Drinking water will be provided. There will be no shortage of good drinking water. We recommend that you drink as much of it as you can.
Q ➡️ Passport Information
⚓️ All domestic airports in Australia require official identification. This is also a requirement when flying on charter aircraft, whether a helicopter or a private plane. We recommend that you always have two forms of identification. Try to keep one separate from the other. You will be required to follow or passport and Visa control requirements for all international visitors.
Q ➡️ I want to catch fish and lot and lots and LOTS of them!
⚓️ There is a fantastic catfish farm in Bangkok that we can recommend. If you look at the water with serious intention, the fish just about to jump onto your lap for the photograph. In all seriousness, we have been to the absolute best locations on the best tides and/or time of the year and blanked out. It doesn’t take away from the overall experience, but it is disappointing when the fishing is tough. No matter how many times someone tells you, that’s why it’s called fishing and not catching. We still do understand the disappointment.