Cairns Reef Fishing
Cairns Reef Fishing
5
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
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About
Cairns Reef Fishing is Far North Queensland's leading fishing charter. We provide an exciting full day fishing trips to the Great Barrier Reef. Our trips are $330.00 per adult and per child (7-14yrs). Fully inclusive fishing experience!
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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5.0
472 reviews
Excellent
420
Very good
29
Average
7
Poor
6
Terrible
10
jkrip
Bathurst, Australia5 contributions
Aug 2021
Amazing day with a great crew!! From the first pre-phone call to confirming the charter is going ahead to having tea, coffee, croissants for breakfast, great salad rolls for lunch (super fresh) to local fruit platter on the way back home after a big day fishing.
Both Pete (Skipper) & Mitch (deckhand) made the trip great knowledgeable & super helpful. Great fishing spot locations also hooked on to a fish in the first minute of dropping the line in the water.
Caught a great variety of fish & also helped in having fish cleaned & recommending a top spot to get the fresh catch cooked (Salt house).
Can't speak highly enough of the team & would recommend them to anyone wanting a great day on the reef & a memorable/ unique experience in Cairns.
Both Pete (Skipper) & Mitch (deckhand) made the trip great knowledgeable & super helpful. Great fishing spot locations also hooked on to a fish in the first minute of dropping the line in the water.
Caught a great variety of fish & also helped in having fish cleaned & recommending a top spot to get the fresh catch cooked (Salt house).
Can't speak highly enough of the team & would recommend them to anyone wanting a great day on the reef & a memorable/ unique experience in Cairns.
Written 22 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for coming out with us and your great review, we’re so glad to hear you had a good time with us on your trip to sunny Cairns. Pete and Mitch try their best to give people a great experience and its nice to have that recognized. We hope to see you out again with us soon. Thx again.
Written 2 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Noel D
1 contribution
Feb 2020
I booked a charter through cairns reef fishing it has to be the best Day out fishing I have ever gone on. The captains name was Pete he took us to many great spots his knowledge of the best spots on the reef were second to none always friendly and willing to offer great advice to any one who needed it .Time and time again he put us onto some great fish from coral trout to Nannygai Sweetlip and many types of emporer .Now Pete’s right hand mans name was Connor the best offsider any skipper could ask for he never stopped the whole day going from one person to the other always helping with great advice and help every time a fish was hooked up more than half the fish would not of been caught without his dedication to his job and customer service I liked it so much I have rebooked again already
Written 13 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for your great review, Yes Pete and Connor love their jobs and work hard and putting people on the fish.
Hope to see you again.
Written 6 March 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mark P
1 contribution
Mar 2020 • Solo
I booked with the owner Nick he was very polite, professional and he answered all my questions about the charter without the normal bs sales pitch.
630am check-in and I met the crew and other guests. Fresh coffee and ham and cheese croissants once stepping onboard was a really nice touch as I didn't have time to stop for breakfast.
Having fished on charter boats around the world and working in the tourism industry I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to fishing charters.
My expectations were met and exceeded. The crew Pete and Danny were professional, attentive and experienced. The boat was well set up for bottom fishing and the gear was good too. (I snapped my own rod and ended up using one of the boat rods that was great)
Pete showed me the sounder and what he was looking for while circling the spots and only dropped the anchor when he was happy there were fish holding on the bommies the rest was up to the punters. Danny gave a brief on the gear and bait and once the engines stopped Pete said drop your lines guys. The first spot was slow and the fish weren't biting so we moved until we found feeding fish.
Once the fish started biting we started catching, the fishing was consistent and when it slowed we moved to find more. The fish were measured, spiked, bled and iced down immediately.
Lunch was a great spread of cold meats, salads and condiments with bread roles that tasted like real bread. Cairns reef fishing water bottles were given to customers and being environmentally consius it was the first charter that I have been on
that didn't have single use water bottles filling up bins. Great idea and you can take the bottle home too.
A fruit platter was served on the way home with tropical fruits that tasted amazing.
Fish were bagged up at the end of the day and we and the crew thanked us for coming and bid is farewell.
I will be booking again with cairns reef fishing next time I'm in cairns and taking my kids along with me.
630am check-in and I met the crew and other guests. Fresh coffee and ham and cheese croissants once stepping onboard was a really nice touch as I didn't have time to stop for breakfast.
Having fished on charter boats around the world and working in the tourism industry I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to fishing charters.
My expectations were met and exceeded. The crew Pete and Danny were professional, attentive and experienced. The boat was well set up for bottom fishing and the gear was good too. (I snapped my own rod and ended up using one of the boat rods that was great)
Pete showed me the sounder and what he was looking for while circling the spots and only dropped the anchor when he was happy there were fish holding on the bommies the rest was up to the punters. Danny gave a brief on the gear and bait and once the engines stopped Pete said drop your lines guys. The first spot was slow and the fish weren't biting so we moved until we found feeding fish.
Once the fish started biting we started catching, the fishing was consistent and when it slowed we moved to find more. The fish were measured, spiked, bled and iced down immediately.
Lunch was a great spread of cold meats, salads and condiments with bread roles that tasted like real bread. Cairns reef fishing water bottles were given to customers and being environmentally consius it was the first charter that I have been on
that didn't have single use water bottles filling up bins. Great idea and you can take the bottle home too.
A fruit platter was served on the way home with tropical fruits that tasted amazing.
Fish were bagged up at the end of the day and we and the crew thanked us for coming and bid is farewell.
I will be booking again with cairns reef fishing next time I'm in cairns and taking my kids along with me.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, thanks for your detailed review. Super stoked you enjoyed your day and all we had to offer. Please, come back soon :)
Written 28 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lee W
Brisbane, Australia43 contributions
Sept 2020 • Couples
Had the best day out on the water with this amazing fishing company. Not only was the boat comfortable and clean, but the guys Pete and Alex who took us out were amazing. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone as I have no real fishing ability and even I caught some.
Breakfast, lunch and water all provided, which was so thoughtful.
They work their asses off to make sure you have a wonderful experience. Leaving the boat with a bag full of fish was incredible and to end the amazing day Pete recommended we take a fish to salt house for the chef to cook and he was right on the money. Best dinner I’ve had for years.... the flavours 🙌🏼
We will be back!!
Breakfast, lunch and water all provided, which was so thoughtful.
They work their asses off to make sure you have a wonderful experience. Leaving the boat with a bag full of fish was incredible and to end the amazing day Pete recommended we take a fish to salt house for the chef to cook and he was right on the money. Best dinner I’ve had for years.... the flavours 🙌🏼
We will be back!!
Written 4 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks, endlessly for sharing your happy vibes with us and the world.
The FLAVOURSSSS!!!!! :) :) :)
Hope to see you again soon.
Written 29 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chloe F
4 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
Best experience of our FNQ holiday so far. Went out with Pete & Shannon today on a shared charter from Carins and came home with a great catch. We fished around several spots just off the reef, with great success. Meals were fresh and very yummy, we were provided with more than enough food for the day. If you’re staying in a hotel without a kitchen, the boys can recommend a restaurant which will cook your catch. If you’re heading to Cairns/Port Douglas/Palm Cove, I would totally recommend seeing Pete & Shannon at Cairns Reef Fishing.
Written 22 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We'll make sure to slap high fives with the boys when we catch up this afternoon. Thanks for your detailed response, it means a lot!
Take care and hope to see you again REEL soon :)
Written 30 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jim J
2 contributions
May 2021
My wife and I usually take a fishing charter when we are on holidays and we chose Cairns Reef Fishing after reading the reviews and seeing their boats which are very comfortable and well equipped. We had the best day out with Pete and Deano. The boys were great, they gave us a hand when needed and offered good advice on baiting up and how to land the larger fish and all had a lot of laughs all day. Cairns Reef Fishing is the best charter we have been on by a mile. Couldn’t recommend them highly enough.
Written 9 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for coming out with us and your great review. Pete and Deano worked hard at giving people a great experience and its nice to have that recognized. Thx again.
Written 11 May 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nicholas H
6 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
We had the most amazing day Pete the skipper and Shannon the 2nd mate were absolutely fantastic.
It was our honey moon which we started on green island. It turned out to be the worst place we have ever stayed. When I called the guys and told them what was happening. They came and picked us up from the island at no extra cost and took us on the best charter you could ask for.
They put us on some amazing fish and then organised Salt Hose restaurant at the marina to cook our catch for us.
If you are in Cairns and want a premium charter experience then book with these guys.
They have turned the tide on our honey moon and we cannot thank them enough.
Kind regards,
Nick and Jess Henn
It was our honey moon which we started on green island. It turned out to be the worst place we have ever stayed. When I called the guys and told them what was happening. They came and picked us up from the island at no extra cost and took us on the best charter you could ask for.
They put us on some amazing fish and then organised Salt Hose restaurant at the marina to cook our catch for us.
If you are in Cairns and want a premium charter experience then book with these guys.
They have turned the tide on our honey moon and we cannot thank them enough.
Kind regards,
Nick and Jess Henn
Written 10 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bok_1981
Brisbane, Australia72 contributions
Mar 2021 • Friends
Pete and Josh did a great job ensuring all 14 of us had the best fishing experience. From finding the best spot, helping with a catch, rebaiting and untangling all were done really great.
Best for value for money too. The food that comes with the package never stopped coming. The price of drinks being offered onboard were reasonably priced as well.
Thanks for the team for all their efforts. Special mention to Josh who worked untirelessly throughout the whole trip.
Will definitely do it again with family next time with Cairns Reef Fishing!
Best for value for money too. The food that comes with the package never stopped coming. The price of drinks being offered onboard were reasonably priced as well.
Thanks for the team for all their efforts. Special mention to Josh who worked untirelessly throughout the whole trip.
Will definitely do it again with family next time with Cairns Reef Fishing!
Written 20 March 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
haydyn2015
Bowden, Australia16 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
As a bonus, we managed to hook onto a 2m black marlin on our cruise out to the fishing grounds. Skip and his crew were great. Coffee and croissant before steaming out, a COVID prepared lunch with a fruit pack for way home. All of good quality. We hopped around as dictated by the fish, only staying put as long as they were active. A great variety of species were bagged, trevally, coral trout, nannygai, bream, ++. As we were travelling, the crew filleted my best for me which we pan fried that night...
Would we recommend..? Absolutely. Even if you haven’t fished before as the guys are very helpful and take time to ensure your enjoyment.
Would we recommend..? Absolutely. Even if you haven’t fished before as the guys are very helpful and take time to ensure your enjoyment.
Written 31 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wohoo! Marlin Magic, what a treat :)
Thanks for taking the time to review!!
Written 17 November 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Len
Bathurst, Australia18 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
Awesome crew in Pete and Danny, the skipper did everything to get us on to the fish. There were some good catches as we worked hard to get them. The food was awesome and plentiful. The only downside is the gear is not the best. For the price you pay it should be a lot better the line was cheap and hooks rusty and old. Lost a lot of big ones as the line was too old on all the reels. All in all great day out will be back maybe with my own gear. Thanks crew for a great day out.
Written 10 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks very much for your review and glad to hear that you enjoyed your day but sorry to hear that you thought our fishing gear was not as good as it could have been. We check, clean and oil all the reels after each use, any sub standard gear is replaced as well as any that we see during the day that is not 100%. If a rusty hook or some line that is frayed has slipped past us then that is disappointing, we spend a lot of money on top quality tackle and invest a lot of time into ensuring our gear is first class. You would have only had to bring anything you weren't happy with to our attention and we would have changed it without question, but I understand that sometimes people don't like to make a fuss.
I'm glad that it didn't impact on your day too much and you enjoyed your day overall ,and thanks once again for your review.
Written 13 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi Guys.
we own an apartment at Trilogy and we or the kids come up very often.I have tried some half day "crabbing and fishing" deals offered but was very disappointed.
I would like to find someone that the wife and I can use or the rest of the family when they come up.
Could you please give me some prices on half day and full day and the locations where you fish please?
thanks
Arthur
Written 23 August 2015
Hi Arthur, We run full day fishing trips to the Great Barrier Reef. We fish anywhere in a 20 - 25 mile radius from Cairns.We have you meet us at the Cairns Marlin Marina at 6.30 am and return at approx.3.30 pm. The cost is $250 for adults and $225 for kids under 15. This includes all your food, bottled water and fishing gear. Check out our Facebook page to see some of our recent catches.
Written 9 September 2015
hi guys reading the reports I'd like a bit more info on species/sizes of fish caught? also dates you went on this charter would be greatly appreciated, as a rough estimate for seasons for each species of fish caught.. I have 4 reef charters booked in the coming week and am curious what to expect. thanks in advance :)
Written 11 January 2015
$250 per person. Includes equipment, reef fees, morning and afternoon tea. All fish are cleaned and packaged. A word of advice would be to only take what you plan to eat unless you have storage facilities. Cheers and goodluck
Written 6 January 2015
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