cairns fishing tours dragon lady

Dragon Lady is a 34ft Cairns Custom Craft, one of a few game fishing boats in the Port Douglas region specifically designed to cater for everyone’s needs, whether it be heavy tackle, light tackle or reef fishing. Catering for a maximum of eight people ensures ample room on the aft deck. The day we went out there were seven of us.

The skipper and crew of Dragon Lady take care of your every need you are greeted on deck at 08.15 am by the crew in a very friendly way; everyone becomes extremely relaxed very quickly. Skipper Steve has 28 years of experience under his belt and, believe me, it shows during the day. Steve then explains where we are going for the day and what he anticipates we will catch. Once all the formalities are done we are under way. About an hour out of Port Douglas we reach our first spot. On our way there the deck hands have the lines and bait all prepared and ready to go. You can sense the anticipation and excitement of all aboard as Steve places Dragon Lady right on the spot as the anchor drops everyone is on deck ready to go. Lines in the water as Steve and the deck hand teach and explain to you what the sensations are on the line what you are feeling and what to look for. The colour of the ocean and reef is just amazing — the deepest blue you could imagine.

I was amazed by how quickly we started to get bites and sure enough it was only a few minutes before the first fish was brought to the surface. An little under size so back it went. It was also very noticeable how stable Dragon Lady was at anchor.

I was surprised that after what felt like a few minutes Steve announced we were moving to another spot, but it soon became very evident we were not there to stand around and chat — we were there to fish.

We arrived at the next spot and, sure enough, it was better than the last and everyone had great success here. Morning tea was served which was very welcome by everyone and soon disappeared. A couple more hours at three or four more spots and there were a few runs on the board. Lunch was served consisting of rolls, salad, cold meats and sliced fruit.

We moved again to one of Steve’s secret spots (you won’t get the GPS details off him!) and again we had some great success. If I recall correctly we must have visited at least half a dozen sights, if not more. The fish we wished to keep were gutted and cleaned for us. Once we had enough fish to share around any surplus that was caught was placed back in the ocean to fight another day.

On our return to Port Douglas afternoon tea was served consisting of cakes and slices. Your day is fully catered for including soft drinks and water. If you want to take your own beverages to consume you are welcome to do so and the crew will refrigerate then for you.

We pulled back into Port Douglas at about 4.15pm — what a day! Our fish had been tagged and bagged and were ready for us as we disembarked. You could tell none wanted to leave as we were all lingering on the aft deck.

It really is evident why Dragon Lady has gained the reputation it has as the premium fishing vessel in Port Douglas. The service and fishing is second to none; we certainly caught some fabulous fish. You certainly catch fish on Dragon Lady. This was an awesome experience.

The Tour Specialists tip

Don’t hesitate just do it — This is an amazing day an experience the whole family can enjoy. It’s definitely not chicken tonight.

Nicholas — the tour specialists consultant

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