Bowen, Cooktown & Weipa info

[jclay1773]

Thinking of a move to one of these places. Have a 6m glass boat. Enjoy offshore fishing, spearing and the kids like to snorkel. What's around Bowen and even Cooktown. Know plenty about Weipa. Thanks for any info.

[BigE]

Bowen is very hard to beat ..... very sleepy town , excellent fishing good port , everything shut by 530 Friday arvo.

Good place to grow old.

BigE

[Flex]

For pure fish awesomeness, Cooktown is the ducks nuts if you have a good boat,
Nothing on this planet fishes better than ribbon reefs. Cooktown woukd have best variety by far. Creek-reef options are endless.
Trade winds can be a pain, but otherwise it's incredible,

Plus your only a few hours drive back to civilisation, unlike Weipa.


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[jclay1773]

Thanks guys. I have an 06 Haines sig 600f with suz 4 stroke. Usually fish 40nm off sunny coast. How big are the runs at Bowen and Cooktown.

[Camhawk88]

Bowen you are looking at about 40NM to the first proper reefs as well but there is a heap of islands and shoal country much closer to home. Plenty of options. In winter they get monster Macks (30-40+ KG) just a few miles off shore.
Cooktown the closer reefs are only about 10NM offshore . There they get big Macks in the mouth of the Endeavor River. I still remember as a kid fishing off a sandbank on the inside of the Annan River I was casting a metals slice and a big spanish took a swipe at it no more than a meter from my feet. It would have destroyed me if it hooked up but it is an image Ill never forget.

Both great places.

[Flex]

From Cooktown closets ribbons are about 60km. Then run north as far as you like. Lizard island area 90km with camping options.
With a decent boat from Cooktown you can fish the exact same areas that Nomad charters do.


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[ric]

Cooktown is amazing. We towed a 5.5m half cab there from Brisbane and fished the ribbon reefs and surrounds.

[jclay1773]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like I will look at our options for Cooktown.