

Eco Mundi
Cairns Port, Cairns (AUS)
Queensland is one of the most sought after states to visit in all of Australia. It has an amazing reputation for having beautiful sandy beaches that are among the best in the world, crystal clear ocean water and stunning natural streams and rivers as well as being home to the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef.
This reef is actually the largest in the world and also rightly included as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. If all this amazing water and structures it’s little wonder the fishing is just as good.
Fishing charters in Cairns and Port Douglas target a wide range of fish species including grouper, coral trout, shark, tuna or marlin.
Fishing is unsurprisingly centred around the amazing coastline it possesses and can be equally as effective from both land as well as sea depending on the fishing you’re wanting to complete.
Weekend trips out to destinations such as Fraser Island or many Whitsunday Islands are sure to produce great fishing and memorable trips. Taking on the Northern route to Weipa is also a popular road trip many 4WD and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy, fishing along the way is a certain addition. The worlds largest coral reef also boasts an unrivalled selection of amazing fish species just waiting for an eager angler to explore.
Coral Trout: These sought after fish is one the top of anyone’s list when reef fishing in North Queensland. They are amazing to eat and offer a real fight as soon as they are hooked. They attempt to escape a hookup by surging towards a reef hole or cave. The first part of the fight with a coral trout is an exciting encounter and will test an angler of any experience level.
If the reef is shallow then it is possible to catch these with poppers and lures but the majority of these species are caught using the baiting method.
Barramundi: This is one of the most prized fish for anyone living in the north of Australia plus any other die-hard fishing person will also head to these parts to take up the challenge of catching the magical metre plus “barra”. The best time to target these fish is when the wet season is underway and moving water is strong. They can live in both fresh and saltwater but the ones with a glittery silver glow are the best eating and they are found in the saltwater estuaries and rivers.
They will attack lures and once hooked put on amazing aerial display on in a desperate attempt to “spit” the hook back out. They will also take live bait, fresh bait and poppers at times.
Marlin fishing: Black and Blue marlin fishing is statistically known as the best in the world. In fact, a staggering 85% of the worlds 1000lbs plus marlin are caught from the Queensland Great Barrier Reef. As you can imagine this brings in interested anglers from all over the world every single year.
From September until December big females arrive from the Pacific Ocean to breed with the continuously found male species. You will require specialist gear, a good understanding of the area and a great team to support you when chasing the fish. Many Battles go for hours and a good charter is your best chance for success.
Nannygai: These come in two different varieties known as large or small-mouthed, they also are commonly referred to as sea perch. They are excellent to eat and renowned for being a great fighting fish all the way up to the boat. They range up to 8kg for the small-mouthed variety and an impressive 20kg for the large.
You will find them in deep waters anywhere with a rough rubbly bottom or large and uneven flooring.
Distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, the Giant Trevally - also known as GT - (Caranx ignobilis) is the most wanted species for popping lovers. They can be 1,70 cm long and reach up to 80 kg (175 lb)!
Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) is often referred to as one of the most iconic and exciting fish to catch in all of Australia. They live in the northern regions of Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia. The maximum weight is about 60 kg (130 lb).
Mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus), also known as mangrove jack in Australia, belongs to the snapper family. It is found in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean from the African coast to Samoa and Japan in the north to Australia in the south. Mangrove red snapper can grow up to 1,5 m and reach a maximum weight of almost 9 kg.
The dentex (Dentex dentex) is a common saltwater fish in the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and sometimes they appear in the Canary Islands, Morocco and Senegal. They have very strong teeth to feed on fish, squid and mollusca. Dentex are a great species for sportfishing and are targetted mainly trolling or jigging. The larger fish are 1m long and can weigh up to 15 kg (35 lb).
The northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a popular fish often caught reef fishing in the Atlantic waters of Florida, Gulf of Mexico and also the Caribbean. This sought-after game fish can reach 1 m and weight up to 50lb.
Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) or simply mackerel have a great back with irregular black bands. They're very common and like the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean. Mackerel are typically between 25-35cm.
Black marlin (Istiompax indica) grows to be as big or bigger than blue marlin, with males reaching lengths of 4.65 meters and weighing up to 750 kilograms (1500lb), females larger. They are part of a group of fish called billfish, which includes varieties of marlin, swordfish, and spearfish.
The horse mackerle (Trachurus trachurus) is a common species found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe from Norway to South Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean to Mozambique. They are normally between 20 and 30 cm, although the larger fish can grow up to 70 cm and weigh around 2-3kg.
The king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) or kingfish is a common fish species of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. King Mackerel can grow to up to 40kg (90lb) and have razor sharp teeth.
The Flathead is of the fish family Platycephalidae. This fish is common in Australia, popular for sport fishing and very good eating.
Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), also known as Ono (meaning “delicious” in Hawaiian), are found in many subtropical and tropical waters. They’re identifiable by their blue-green upper body which shifts into silver towards their belly. They also have blue vertical striping along their sides. These predators are torpedo-shaped and have long and largemouths with teeth.
The Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) is a species of mackerels that can be found in the western Atlantic Ocean in the waters of Mexico, Gulf of Mexico to Florida. Atlantic Spanish mackerel have very sharp teeth and can grow up to 13 pounds (6kg) and live up to 12 years old. Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel live in tropical and sub-tropical waters of in Southeast Asia and can grow up to about 2.4 m and more than 40 kg.
Blackspotted croaker also known in Australia as black jewfish (Protonibea diacanthus) grow to lengths of 150 centimetres and weigh up to 45 kilograms. Their colour ranges from dark bronze to a salmon-brown on the upper section. Its sides are silver and have a yellowish underside.
The Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) also has a couple of other common names such Leopard Coral Grouper or Leopard Coral Trout. It is a close relation to fish from the grouper and coral cod families. They can grow to a length of 23 and 62 cm and the general average has been noted at around 40 cm.
Mud Crab
Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) are a Pacific fish that are highly reflective, shiny and are known to travel in schools. At times they fight so hard that they’ll die due to exhaustion before being released back into the water. They also have pointed spines that can inflict wounds if not handled carefully. Queenfish grow to around 15 kilos, but are most commonly encountered around half that size.
The Fingermark bream (Lutjanus johnii) is also known as John's snapper or the golden snapper. The species is found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It can grow to approximately 8 kg and 75 cm in length. Fingermark are a very good eating fish.
The sooty grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus) is a fresh water fish from northern Australia. The species inhabits the rivers of Queensland and the Norhtern Territory where they feed on plants, roots, crustacians and small fish. They can grow up to 54 centimetres (21 in) long and weigh over 6 kg (14 lb).
Nannygai is kind of a snapper. Various fish in Australia are called Nannygai.
The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), often referred to as barracuda, is a long predator that can be found in tropical and subtropical waters where they like to patroll mangroves, reefs and drop-offs. Record barracuda can grow to 1,5m and weigh over 45kg (100lb+).
Salmon is a generic name for several species from Salmonidae family. In fact there are eight species distributed in the Pacific Ocean (like for example the Chinook salmon, Pink salmon or the Sockeye salmon) and one species from the Atlantic Ocean (the Atlantic salmon).
Sailfish (Istiophorus) are one the most wanted fish in the sport fishing world. Often described as the fastest fish in the sea, sailfish can weigh up to 90 kg (200 pounds) and grow up to 3 m (9.7 ft) in length.
Yellowfin tuna grow fast, up to 400 pounds (180kg) in about a 7-year lifespan, and they range in length from 59 inches to 88 inches long. They’re known for their torpedo shape, with a pointed nose and a sickle-shaped tail, and have dark blue backs with yellow sides (thus their name) with a silver underside.
Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor), also referred to as Doggies or white tuna, is probably one of the most sought after species for sportfishermen, being jigging and spinning the preferred fishing techniques. Apart from braking your back, landing one of these brutal fighting machines is arguably an unforgettable experience. They can grow as large as 250cm (8 feet) and can weigh a whopping 130kg.
The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
The Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is probably the most wanted fish in the sport fishing world. The magnificent fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. Blue Marlin is mainly caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
Grouper is common name for all the bass-looking-fish from the Epinephelinae Family. This family also includes sea bass by the way. Grouper are colorful predators who like to live in rocky areas, reefs, wrecks where they can hide.
The Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). The biggest Bluefin Tuna ever caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
Spring: In the southern Queensland waters, you will find plenty of anglers looking to target species such as different sharks, amberjack and kingfish. Further north in areas such as Cairns the fishing is turning to big game fishing and in particular chasing big black Marlin.
Summer: In the areas around the Gold Coast shores in summer, things get really exciting with the arrival of large fish species such as mahi-mahi, marlin and yellowfin tuna. The yellowfin tuna can be targetted further north during this time as well. Giant Trevally, Barramundi and Mangrove Jack are also in the best period during these months.
Fall: Expect to enjoy some nice results if looking to target Spanish mackerel or mackerel tuna in the Southern Queensland coastal waters. If it has been a good wet season in the northern parts of Queensland then the barramundi and mangrove jack fishing will still be really exciting.
Winter: Fishing in winter can be a good time to target jewfish or kingfish in the areas around the Gold Coast while further north it can be nice to head over to Fraser Island and target species such as Queenfish, whiting and bream from the sand. Heading north and the Spanish Mackerel are starting to become a reliable option to target in the winter period.
The state of Queensland has 3 of the top 10 tourist destinations visited in Australia and these are spread out across over 1,600km. This means tourist visit many different parts of this state, mostly all while staying close to the coastal areas. The Daintree Rainforest in the north of Queensland, Fraser Island and the Great Barrier Reef are the 3 tourist hotspots.
Cities including Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville and the Gold Coast are frequent destination stopover points for many curious travellers. The sunshine coast area is another not to be missed if you like anything to do with amazing beaches.
While licenses are not required for recreational fishing in Queensland, regulations do limit fish size, the number of fish, and even gender for some species.
The fishing charters in Queensland know these regulations perfectly. For more information on recreational fishing, please contact the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.