Fishing Skarden River Cape York - any tips?

[Chopper Taylor]

I'm going up to fish the Skarden River area in mid-October this year.

I've never been past Cooktown, so any tips would be helpful.

We will have a 4.6m tinnie.

Reels - Stella 2500 for light spinning. Medium spinning I use a Certate 4000.
Should I take my 10000SW or the dogfight for heavy popper work? I have spare spools for them both.
Bottom bashing - I use a Saltist LD20 down here, I expect that to work okay if we do any bait fishing.
I'm mindful of taking too much gear but I am thinking about taking my Talica 12 for trolling, ballooning or jigging.

If anyone has experience in this area, or the western gulf in general, can they give me their opinion on whether I'm on the right track?

In my shed I also have a myriad of other reels hidden from the missus - those I would consider taking are: bait runner 4500, torium 20, accurate 500N, Saltiga 4500.

One thing I am particularly keen to get an opinion on is poppering and stick baiting. Should I take my specialist rods for this fishing or is it not gunna happen that often?

[Meterplus]

You might be able to throw small to medium sticks and poppers to Long Tail Tuna or Mackerel if you find them balling bait, Tuna you should see regularly, I have pulled GT's out of a Tuna feeding frenzy in about 20m that fish took a slug on the drop. Light gear for Queenies in shallow, sticks, poppers, slugs, at the river mouth on the run out or turn of tide. You can also throw surface lures over the likes of Kerr reef. Bottom bashing, depends if you want to be sporting or fill the esky. If you want to beat the sharks anything from 50 - 80lb, get em up fast. One trip out front of Skarden we were able to fill the boats limit on Nannigai and all good size, also caught good size Tusker and Grassy Sweetlip, this was a night fish. My best Mackarel came from south of Skarden just over 133cm, I got that one throwing a Bumpa Bar from a Shimano T-Curve GT with Saltiga. Look out for the southern current line. And don't be scared to go far an wide looking for ground, the smallest bump can hold heaps of fish.
I think its best to have an arsenal at your side as a school of big Tuskers for example can come through and bust you off one after another and be gone in a flash you don't have time to re-rig, you need to grab the next heaviest set up you have.

Hope I was some help.

[Chopper Taylor]

Thanks Meterplus. I'm busy replacing/upgrading all my trebles and split rings, but I'm sure I'll get up there and wish I bought some of the gear I have left behind.

Ah well, there's always rum...