to tow or not to tow

[ezzy]

Gidday,
Wet day down here in brisbane today, thought id try the little black box the missus keeps in the corner of my "fishing room", bugger me if i didnt spend the next 2 hours reading the exploits of you lot. Boys, to put it short im bloody impressed.
I've never been on a forum before, i dont know what a thread is, and im still trying to figure out how u can say faq in mixed company, needless to say here i am typing away like Barrett. Gents i was wondering if you could impart some of the sterling advice I've been reading all afternoon my way.
Guts of the tale is the wife and our 3yr old with me in tow are planning a trip for late december to southern cape york, I'ts pretty loose (not to big on schedules) 2 weeks to play with, 2 days to cairns, 2 days home a day or 2 with mates in cairns leaves 8 days to play. Plan is to put the tinny behind the cruiser and once we hit cairns check the weather patterns and drive to either Cooktown or Karumba. Pitch the tent and tarp in a caravan park (being the off season guessing we wont need to book a site) and enjoy the fishing and scenery.
My questions are, having the wife and young'n on board which of the 2 destinations would be more appropriate. Is it worth towing the tinny at this time of year or would we be better off hiring a tinny from said town. What species of fish are we likely to encounter at this time of year (for tackle pourposes). Also being as were novice offroad drivers could you recommend some detailed literature on local 4wd tracks, so we dont do ourselves a mischief(got a hema already).
Thank-you in advance for reading this and i look foward to hearing from you. Dont mind the spelling and grammar lads.

[Scorcher]

Welcome Ezzy,

Only 2 hours looking at the forum??

The first time I came across it, I read every thread & every reply on Day 1, then did it all again Day 2. Now I am well & truely hooked, and find it hard not to log on a dozen times a day, just to see what's happening !

My thoughts on your dilemma?

Unless you plan to use your boat at Cairns fishing with your mates, or plan to go fishing every day at your final destination (Cooktown or Karumba), its a looooong way to tow a boat for a few days fishing.

From the money saved on reduced fuel consumption (from towing), you could put the money towards hiring a boat for a few days. Certainly worthwhile doing the sums. Boat hire shouldn't be a problem at either location.

Now that you have discovered the wonders of the Internet, just Google Karumba & Cooktown to check boat hire availability.

As for Cooktown or Karumba? Both have pro's & con's. Both have good fishing opportunities. Weather won't be all that different at that time of the year either (maybe more chances of wind on the east coast). Biggest concern would be getting hit by the wet season. Ant should be able to give you a bit more info on that, being a local.

Enjoy.

Scorcher

[ezzy]

cheers scorcher, thinking the same as you about distance but a bloke knows his boats capabilities and is comfortable going that extra yard, not to mention confident of outrunning the odd sand ghecko. Trade winds are a big consideration (thats why Karumba made the list) and the wet is the reason im not going straight to Weipa. Figure if its hit already well head south until were out of range. On that does the wet usually hit the bottom of the Gulf around the same time as the rest and if so is the blacktop passable to cairns?

[ant]

G'day Ezzy and welcome aboard. Scorcher has some good points above in regards to towing a boat. It can be a long way to drag a boat and things can go wrong (trailer bearings, etc) which can make the trip a disaster. The other thing to consider is if the weather turns bad, you may not be able to get out. Given your timeframe, hiring a boat or guide could be the better option. Both Cooktown and Karumba have good fishing guides and hire boats as well.

Both locations are good for fishing and it really comes down to a few options. If you want straight estuary fishing then Karumba is the way to go. If you want some estuary and reef fishing then go to Cooktown. Cooktown is a lot closer to Cairns as well and given you only have a two week window, then it may be the better option.

In regards to the wet, things really don't get interesting until January so you should be fine at either location. If the wet comes in early, both locations have sealed road access so chances of getting stuck are usually not an option.

Fish species should include: barra, trevally, mangrove jack, threadfin salmon, and all the other usual suspects. It is a good time of year to get a good cross section of fish.

As for off road driving, the Cooktown area will have a lot more to offer in close proximity to the township. You may choose to head up to Cooktown via the inland road and then drive home via the coast road which should be pretty nice at that time. I would not recommend towing a boat off road unless the trailer is set up accordingly and the boat (presume it is aluminium) is supported properly on the trailer.

Hope this all helps.

[ezzy]

cheers ant, appreciate your reply mate and i think youve sold me on Cooktown (missus was leaning that way anyway). I,ve sourced some info on the web and think the hire boat is a good option, after all i dont want to waste time on the side of the road also we would hate to miss some of the sights because we couldnt access them with the trailer. once again thanks for the advice ,bloody fantastic.

[Scorcher]

One other thing Ezzy,

Whilst Karumba is a nice place, I think that Cooktown offers a lot more options. Plenty of history, & plenty of sites to see. And if the fishing is off, there's numerous day trip options as well.

Scorcher