0
0
Subtotal: $0.00
No products in the cart.

FISHMAS EXTENDED ENDS IN...

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

FINDING FINGERMARK SALE ENDS IN...

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Lizard Island in the Monsoon

Heading into the eye of the monsoon for our 2022 trip in Black Watch 40 “Mood Swings” with the six metre “Blue Boat” in tow. Eventually forced to shelter at Lizard Island. But not before smashing some great fish.

This playlist covers our adventures on the trip.

Play Video

Ep. 1 Northern Safari

Boat bad luck be gone!

Karen decides to go to the boat spirits to get rid of our boat bad luck!

Due to the split water tank we aborted the trip down to the Swain Reefs but are finally back in business heading north to Lizard Island and beyond.

But not before a bad luck purge!

Play Video

Ep. 2 Northern Safari

Fishing Cairns to Cooktown.

We are finally on our way north from Cairns fishing on our way to Cooktown.

Often we tow the tender (our 6.5 m blue boat) but note to self… check the tow ropes regularly!

Play Video

Ep. 3 Northern Safari

Topwater SMASHED by a HUGE GT

Whoah big fella! Fishing topwater and Smashed by a huge GT we struggled to lift into the boat.

Max is 6’4″ and the GT still looks huge!

Caught on a barra lure!

Play Video

Ep. 4 Northern Safari

Epic fishing

We can’t leave a good session, wait too long and get smashed on the way back to Mood Swings who had swung on anchor around a bommie!

Play Video

Ep. 5 Northern Safari

Fishing a yellow zone ALIVE with coral trout!

The yellow zone around Lizard Island was alive with coral trout! Potentially due to the surrounding green zone seeding adjacent areas. This is the premise of green zones. They allow resident fish like coral trout to get bigger and have more offspring. Hence the surrounding areas get alive with coral trout and other demersal species.
Play Video

Ep. 6 Northern Safari

Fishing beside green zones

Trapped by bad weather and a green zone, we had a tiny window for fishing.

Is fishing beside green zones more productive??

Or does it depend on other factors?

Play Video

Ep. 7 Northern Safari

Lizard Island camp ground and HUGE but super friendly coral trout!

Can I get to Lizard Island in a small boat?

On good weather the 57 mile jouney can be undertaken by a 6-7 metre boat and you can reduce weight in the boat due to the amenities at the island.

There are BBQ’s, shelter, toilets and a fresh water bore.

Well worth the effort to get there with the super friendly trout that swim up to you when you snorkel.

Play Video

Absolute Madness!

Hectic fishing session in relentless bad weather!

After running out of fresh fish due to the never-ending bad weather, we leave the blue boat behind and head out into the maelstrom in Mood Swings. It’s pretty gnarly out there but we have a great session in the big girl with Karen driving backwards into the swell as Max and Ryan hang on!

Play Video

Fishing the Unknown

Navigating Untouched Spots with Garmin Fish Finder

Finding and fishing isolated spots is one of the great joys of my fishing career.

I LOVE going to new places, exploring with my fish finder unit.

Play Video

Circumnavigating Lizard Island

during our Northern Safari

Circumnavigating Lizard Island in the blue boat was a real treat.

Waterfalls dropping from the cliffs into the azure blue sea, interesting rock formations and stunning white beaches. Too bad about the rubbish!

Play Video

Fishing SECRETS Revealed

Epic Slow Pitch Jigging Session On The Reef - Ep. 11

Valuable tips from Ryan on slow pitch jigging isolated spots to catch a great feed of coral trout.

If you’re only fishing reefs you’re missing out!

Play Video

Self-Sufficient!

Living on a 40 footer, fishing for food during our Northern Safari!

Given we spend 3-6 months on the ocean, many people ask, “What’s it like living on a boat?”
Play Video

Surviving Storms

Can We Find Safe Anchorage in Severe Weather?

A good anchorage is critical when cruising and fishing in the northern section of the Great Barrier Reef during the monsoon.

Play Video

Jigging for Snapper

Exclusive Fishing Expedition To Catch The Best Eating Fish

On the hunt for supreme eating fish Golden Snapper! Learning fish behaviour and sounder skills get you on the fish fast – and not just any fish. SUPREME EATING FISH. HEAPS more info on the topic on the blog: Exploring remote areas for Golden Snapper!

Play Video

We Got ROBBED

$1000+ Tackle Bag STOLEN While Exploring Cooktown

A spate of bad weather had us stuck in Cooktown for over a week. In that time the boat was ROBBED and we got to see the spectacular Trevathan Falls in flood. Cooktown really is the gateway to remote fishing in FNQ.

Play Video

Catching Snapper On Lures In 20 Minutes For Dinner

Catch Clean Cook

Woman says I want a Golden Snapper for dinner. Man says I can get one in 20 minutes! Can he get the job done? Self sustainable boat life – Fishing alongside one of the BEST BEACHES in the WORLD!

Play Video

Treasure Hunt On The Most Fascinating Island

What Wonders Did We Discover?

The most spectacular island on the Great Barrier Reef has to be Noble Island. Remnants of an extinct volcano it looks the perfect place to find a pirates treasure. Or maybe another kind of treasure!
Play Video

Remote Fishing At It's Best

This Fishing Destination Is INSANE!

Fishing around the Barrow Islands off Far North Queensland was HECTIC. The variety of fish, the double hook ups, we almost got spooled. It doesn’t get any better than this. If you’re looking for some adrenaline-pumping fishing action, then you need to check out this video. It was hectic, but totally worth it!
Play Video

LOST My Favorite Slow Pitch Jig On This Wonky Hole

Was It Worth It?

Slow pitch jigging is all the craze at the moment for big red demersal foragers. My mate Maxy (alias the Red Baron – I guess that makes me Snoopy) – lost his favourite jig. Find out why it was his favourite!

Play Video

Plagued By BIG QUEENFISH!

Can We Get Through Them?

With the northerly starting to pump the quality eating fish go deep and we can’t get through the Queenfish. Great sportsfish but a pain when you can’t get your jig to the bottom. It’s also pushed in a very dangerous critter – don’t jump in here!
Play Video

Hit Or Miss?!

xploring And Fishing The Howick Island Group

The 19 islands and cays in the Howick Island group provide an excellent anchorage when cruising the Great Barrier Reef. Be aware – the midgies are fierce going ashore. And several of the islands have mangrove swamps so probably not the best for snorkelling due to crocs and irrikandji.

Play Video

Discovering Big Fish in Wonky Holes

With Garmin GT51 Transducer

In between dodging storms, we gave our dual pair of Garmin GT51 transducers a workout looking for Wonky Holes!
Play Video

UNEXPECTED Catch!

Never Caught One This BIG In 35 Years

NEVER caught one this big or on a jig before! Huge SURPRISE. We thought it was a massive queenie. After assessing cyclone damage in Ninian Bay, we had some fun with queenies before encountering an erratic speedster that pulls ten times as hard as most fish their size. Round and round the boat, out to sea under the boat. It was bedlam but we finally got a look at it!
Play Video

Incredible Catch On Slow Pitch Jig

Fishing In Bad Weather And Tides

With falling tides well after the moon, plus a land breeze, fishing was hard. But we still managed an incredible catch on our slow pitch jigs. What is it that we caught?
Play Video

Chased Home By A Cyclone

Revisiting Our Favourite Spots in FNQ

In our final episode for northern safari, we head back from Lizard to Cairns visiting 7 cool stops on the way. Chased home by cyclonic weather as it were.

UpSkill Your Fishing

These Links Lead The Way!