What to Bring
Essentials
Broad brimmed hat, long sleeve top long pants, polarised sunglasses, sandshoes, insect repellent (Bushman is excellent!) a small backpack or bumbag, small tackle box, digital camera. If you have a SLR I recommend bringing a Polarised and UV filter, they have a minimum cost and while they also protect your lens prove invaluable when shooting around the water and islands.
Note: No aerosol cans permitted on charter flights.
Remember: Fishing gear is classed as sporting goods, which on most airlines must be packed in 'checked in' luggage only (ie. do not put in carry on bags). Whilst we have our own rod length restrictions (refer "fishing equipment" section below), please also check with your commercial airline of their own rod tube length restrictions.
Fishing Equipment
Anglers are encouraged to bring along their favourite outfits. Although the Boomerang provides basic tackle - hand lines, rods & reels for river / estuary / reef fishing (all available on a replace if lost / damaged basis) we operate in a remote location where repairs and replacements are not readily available, so we recommend bringing your own outfit, if you have one that is suitable and you are comfortable using.
Rods: Due to private aircraft charter restrictions all rod tubes must be under 7ft in length. A 6-8kg fishing rod not exceeding 6" 6' for estuary and river fishing. Good rods to use include Wilson Live fibre, Shimano Range T-Curves, Pacific Composites or Loomis. For fishing the reef, or fighting game fish, a rod not exceeding 6" 6' and not less than 15 - 24kg would be suitable.
Reels: A weeks fishing in PCB is the ultimate test on your gear. If you are bringing your own reel we advise purchasing one of good quality and reputation (rather than a $30 online bargain) as this will ensure that it will see the week out in one piece. A good quality overhead / baitcaster (such as a Shimano Calcutta 200 or Curado 300) or Egg Beater / Spin reel (we recommend the Stradic 4000/5000). It is recommended that the reel be in good order, with a drag that is smooth when under load. For the GT and big sport fish enthusiasts a larger higher quality spin out fit (such as a Shimano Stella or Twin Power 10000/20000) would be a good choice. For reef outfits we recommend the Shimano TLD series (TLD 15 or 20) as a suitable choice.
Line: It is recommended that the minimum line class used for river/estuary fishing be no less than 30lb (13.6kg). For reef or light game fishing, 50lb (24kg) to 80lb (36.3kg) will test the bigger ones. Although the use of monofilament or the newer generation of braided lines is a personal preference, braided lines do offer a significant advantage over monofilament lines - strength for diameter, low stretch, great feel and good casting properties.
Traces: You will need approximately 1x25m of 50-60lb monofilament trace material (Jinkai, Surecatch, Penn 10x etc).
Lures: Lure's to have are Gold Bombers Rapala X-Raps, Barra Classics, Killalures, Halco Laser Pro's & RMG Scorpions etc. The idea is to have a selection of deep diving (3 - 5m) and shallow diving (-1m) lures in gold, blue, pink, white and red. If sport fishing is of interest a small variety of poppers, slugs and Jigs is recommended.
For the Sport Fishing Purists: We recommend a light to medium 8 - 10kg Spin outfit with 30lb Braid, useful for popper casting and soft plastics. With the Plastics we recommend the Squidgy range and Berkley Gulp stick baits in the chicken flavours, with a selection of jig heads 5/0 half oz and up.
If you wish to purchase tackle once in Cairns please see Laurie or Rob Erskine of Erskines Tackle World - 51 Mulgrave Rd Cairns, phone (07) 4051 6099, fax (07) 4052 1080 or email
Casting... Practice, Practice, Practice
Having all the right gear is only the first step as it's no use having good gear if you do not know your equipment or how to use it. Trolling is an effective method for producing quality fish, but one of the secrets to successful Barramundi fishing is to be able to consistently cast lures very close to cover and snags. Practicing this before you come will ensure you get the most out of your fishing trip. Practice casting different weighted lures, consistently hitting a bucket at 10 metres (20 paces). A major advantage is to be able to cast under overhangs, so practice overhead, side hand, and backhand casts.
Luggage
Please limit your luggage to a maximum of 15 kgs (including rods and tackle) and use only "soft" bags. This is crucial as the actual plane is chartered to suit the combined all up weight of passengers and luggage. No excess is allowed. Your accurate body weight/s are also required to be advised at least 30 days from tour date. Additionally, please remember no sharps or fishing gear in carry-on luggage ('checked-in' luggage only).
This has been the best fishing adventure I have ever been on. The food was great, and the fishing the best I have ever experienced. I hope we can come back next year... Thanks for everythingBrook, Botany, NSW
