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An Awesome Day of Fishing with Cairns’ Newest Charter

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Jordan Squire

On the weekend I was lucky enough to be invited out to get a firsthand experience of a new full-day fishing charter operating out of the Cairns Marlin Marina.

After successfully operating in Townsville for 10 years, NCC has expanded to Cairns offering local fishing enthusiasts a great option to get out on the reef for the day and land some quality fish.

After stepping aboard the 48 foot purpose-built-for-fishing Vessel ‘Sir Reel’, everyone on board was checked in and given a quick safety briefing by one of the young deckies (deck hand) before we motored out from the Marina around 7am for the 2 hour journey to the reef.

On the way out the deckies were busy rigging up all the rods with high-quality hooks and sinkers as well as bringing around a fruit platter and biscuits for all on board. Tea and coffee facilities were available and you were free to help yourself as well as to make your way around the deck and the air-conditioned cabin downstairs. With the early start there were a few sleepy people on board and there were beds in the cabin that could be used if you wanted a bit more sleep before arriving at the reef.

Once at the reef the deckies gave a quick fishing briefing on how to use the rods and reels as well as how to bait up the hooks. For anyone not familiar with using a rod and reel they took the extra time to go over the correct technique and how to set the drag correctly.

The skipper then dropped anchor and gave the ‘all-clear’ for everyone to start fishing. Within 30 seconds there was a fish on the deck which was quickly released and then within another few minutes there were multiple Nannygai and Trevally getting pulled in which would be humanely dispatched and placed in the holding tank for the lucky anglers to collect at the end of the day.

Within half an hour it seemed we had caught all the fish at that spot so the skipper promptly pulled anchor and we were off to the next spot.

After a few spots in deeper water the wind had picked up more than expected so the skipper navigated through the reef passage to calmer waters on the inside of the reef.

The calmer waters made for more comfortable fishing but didn’t stop the quality of the fish. There were soon many Coral Trout in the holding tank plus some other hard-fighting fish that were released such as a big Chinaman which is a protected species and a big Slatey Bream which isn’t worth keeping as it is not the best eating.

Other interesting catches were an octopus as well as a remora which are the fish that stick themselves onto sharks and other big species in the ocean, getting a free ride through the seas.

It was then time for a delicious BBQ lunch cooked fresh on the boat including steaks, sausages, salad, roast potatoes, and bread rolls. With many hungry anglers on board the lunch went down very fast and then everyone was back to fishing.

Ice cold soft drinks and beers were also available on board for a very good price at $4 for a beer and $2 for a soft drink. Cold water was also available with a big cooler and cups that anyone could help themselves to throughout the day.

After lunch we headed to a few last spots with a good view of Michaelmas Cay (a small sand cay) and pulled in a few more prized coral trout to take home for dinner.

The skipper then gave the call to pull up our baits for the return journey back to Cairns. On the way home the deckie again came around with a platter of food including cheese, biscuits, salami and fruit.

Once moored back in the Marina at around 5pm (generally the boat aims to be back by 4pm but we stayed a little longer to catch more fish!), you could have your fish professionally filleted for you for a small price of $5 per fish although most were happy to take the cleaned fish home to fillet themselves.

We were extremely happy with our 62cm Coral Trout which we took home to the delight of the family who shared in a delicious meal of the freshest fish you’ll ever get.

All in all it was an awesome day out with NCC – the skipper and crew made the best of less than perfect sea conditions to put us on to some great fishing all with a smile and awesome hospitality on board Sir Reel.

As well as day trips, overnight and extended multi-day trips are also available. If you’ve got a fishing dream you want to accomplish, custom charters can also be arranged to suit you desires.

So, what are you waiting for? Book your fishing charter today and get out on the reef to experience the fun fishing action for yourself!