# Cape Tribulation



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

Im heading up to Cairns in a couple of weeks and am hoping to do some spinning off the beach or similar at Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation. Apart from the crocs, has anyone had any experience up there?


----------



## Alster99 (Nov 20, 2008)

Got a couple of nice flatties up the end of the beach furthest away from the PD township on Squidgy wrigglers. Just keep an eye on the water and the mangroves.


----------



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

flathead :? 
Was hoping for something I havent caught before, maybe queenfish, Mangrove jack etc. Living at Newcastle I get more than my share of flathead. But thanks


----------



## Guest (Jul 20, 2012)

You could try for queenies of the cooktown jetty and a miriad of other speices.


----------



## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

By Cape Trib do you mean the township?
I didn't do much land based lure fishing there but...
Noah beach is up Cape Trib way. On a rising tide, preferably at sunset on a full moon, we have caught barra, jacks, flathead, cod, whiting etc all from near the rocky outcrop just to the north. Just past the freshwater creek.
Cairns marina can fish well as can palm beach jetty. Both are flogged by bait fishermen though.
Port douglas there is meant to be a spot of the rocks to the south that can be awesome? Local knowledge will be your best bet.


----------



## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

Is this a yak trip? I paddled this whole area back in 1992 (even parts of the Daintree) with mixed(generally poor) results. The biggest limiting factor offshore are the SE winds that can really mess it up unless you stick to the creeks or head north a bit to the (supposedly croc-infested) Bloomfield River. Expect to get jacks during tidal changes. The Bloomfield track was supposed to be 4WD when i was there but I drove it once in a 1976 Celica coupe loaded with backpackers, and later in the Suzuki Swift (solo) which does the Gulf trips. I think the road may be better now to the river but you still have to cross a few creeks. Offshore from Cape Trib out from the main backpackers beach (PK's Lodge) the paddling is nice unless the winds blow. I paddled the big headland north of CT without much luck (the one in the background in the photo) but enjoyed watching the unfit backpackers struggling in the wind on their hire SOTs and having to be towed back to their eskies on the beach.

Bloomfield river is a really nice place to put your yak in and paddle to the mouth. I didn't see any crocs in the area but heard a million stories of T-Rex's living along the banks. Even the creeks were croc-less and the stories really came out when they saw some goose in a little green kayak trying to catch dinner. One day I might go back there.

Have a good time, and here's a happy snap from the 1992 trip taken on the main beach at CT:


----------



## mangajack (Jul 23, 2007)

Land based jacks can be found in reasonable numbers the very last bit of road along the coastline before Port Douglas. Where it cuts back inland there is a large boulder wall right beside the road to stop erosion. Incoming tide there in late afternoon / evening the jacks come through there in schools as there is a large magrove floodplain starting right there and a very close to shore reef that holds them during the low tide.
Caught jacks there every single visit to the spot, plus occasional squid and reef sharks.


----------



## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Don't get busted with grog driving through Wujal Wujal.


----------



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

mangajack said:


> Land based jacks can be found in reasonable numbers the very last bit of road along the coastline before Port Douglas. Where it cuts back inland there is a large boulder wall right beside the road to stop erosion. Incoming tide there in late afternoon / evening the jacks come through there in schools as there is a large magrove floodplain starting right there and a very close to shore reef that holds them during the low tide.
> Caught jacks there every single visit to the spot, plus occasional squid and reef sharks.


Thanks, this sounds like what I am after! Do you mean where the coast cuts back in (at port Douglas) or where the catain cook highway goes inland a bit (google shows a small creek just north of this point)?

I will actually be going up to meet up with my girlfriend who has been fruit picking for a few months so fishing time wil be very limited, hence have to try to increase my odds even if it means risking the crocs!


----------

