Hervey Bay fishing charters: which ones really operate, and what they cost

Search for "Hervey Bay Fishing Charters" and you will find an old business name that no longer trades. The Smarter Fishing Charters directory marks the charter of that name, once at Fishermans Wharf Marina, as no longer operating, and the web address herveybayfishingcharters.com.au now redirects to Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing. Several other names in older lists have also closed.

So rather than review one dead brand, this page rounds up the Hervey Bay fishing charters we could confirm are running, with their direct prices, what is included, and the rules. We are an independent guide; we are not any of these charters and we do not take bookings.

Hervey Bay fishing charters that operate now

Prices are the operators' own (Princess II's as listed by its agent, Experience Hervey Bay). None of these charters is on GetYourGuide.

Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing

This is where the old "Hervey Bay Fishing Charters" address now lands. Andrew, who calls himself a "born and bred local", runs guided trips mainly on lures and soft plastics, with Shimano spin gear and Sage fly outfits supplied. The target list includes golden and other trevally, snapper, school, spotted and Spanish mackerel, longtail tuna, queenfish, cobia, threadfin salmon, reef species and black marlin.

The half day stays inshore around the bay, the Great Sandy Strait and inshore reefs, and the operator pitches it as the family option. The full day ranges along the western coastline of K'gari (Fraser Island). Both include morning tea, drinks, snacks and water; bring your own lunch or pay extra.

The fine print: a A$200 deposit secures the date, children pay the adult price and must be at least 5, and there is a A$50 fee for pick-ups from K'gari or from yachts. It also runs 3-day, 2-night mothership packages at the northern end of K'gari.

Hot Reels Pro Fish Charters

Hot Reels, run by skipper Bob, sells private, small-group charters so you are not sharing the rail with strangers. Its site lists bait and float-lining for reef fish, jigging, trolling, and popping or stickbaiting the bait balls for mackerel, tuna, golden trevally and cobia. It also offers tag-and-release shark fishing. You keep your catch within the legal limits. Its long-range Breaksea Spit charter is marked "not currently available".

Hot Reels does not publish prices online, so ask for a quote. Its terms are strict: a full refund 7 or more days out, 50% between 7 days and 48 hours, and nothing inside 48 hours. Minimum age is 5 and children pay the adult price.

Princess II: the cheap share-boat day

If you want a day's fishing without hiring a whole boat, Princess II is the one. It is a 45 ft purpose-built fishing boat that leaves Fishermans Wharf at 7:30 am and returns at 3:30 pm, with 5 to 13 people aboard. For A$250 a head, Experience Hervey Bay lists rods, reels, tackle, bait, a barbecue rib-fillet lunch and tea and coffee. Drinks are BYO, with no glass. Our review of Experience Hervey Bay explains how that agent works.

Names you may see that we could not verify

• MV Golden Phoenix (a 50 ft tri-hull, 1–7 day trips, up to 10 guests), Reel Deadly Fishing Charters (up to 12) and Fraser Coast Sportsfishing appear as current in a directory, but we did not check official sites. Confirm directly before booking.
• "Tri Star": no business of that name found. Golden Phoenix, a tri-hull, may be what people mean.
• "Reef & Rainforest": not a fishing charter. "Reef to Rainforest" is an Experience Hervey Bay 5-day holiday package with two nights on Lady Elliot Island and two at Kingfisher Bay on K'gari.
• Closed or possibly closed: the directory marks Bite Me Fishing Charters and Ally Jay Deep Sea Fishing Charters as no longer operating, and Time n Tide Charters as possibly closed.

What you catch, and the rules

Visit Fraser Coast splits the fishing into zones: pelagics such as golden trevally, longtail tuna and juvenile black marlin in Platypus Bay; whiting, flathead, barramundi and threadfin in the Great Sandy Strait; inshore reefs such as Roy Rufus. The 868 m Urangan Pier is a free land-based option.

If you fish on your own from a hired boat or the shore, check the marine park zoning map first. More on species, seasons and DIY spots is in our Hervey Bay fishing guide.

Booking: direct only, and what GetYourGuide has instead

No fishing charter is sold on GetYourGuide for Hervey Bay, so book these direct or through a local agent. The nearest thing in the feed is a private sailing charter of 4–8 hours around the Great Sandy Strait, which is A$1,800 for the whole boat, not per person, on GetYourGuide. It is run by a different business and is a sailing day, not a fishing trip; ask before you pack a rod. For a shorter evening out, the 1.5-hour champagne sunset sail is A$100 on GetYourGuide. GetYourGuide prices are checked regularly, and our cruises guide compares the other trips from the marina.

Who each charter suits

Serious anglers and fly fishers: Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing. Groups who want a private boat and reef fish: Hot Reels. Families and budget anglers who want a feed: Princess II. Whale lovers: none of the above; book a whale watching trip instead, or pair a charter with a day on K'gari.

Our call

Book Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing for a private, lure-based day with a local guide, or Princess II for a cheap full day with bait, tackle and lunch.

Both publish their prices and what is included, both are current, and between them they cover the serious angler and the family that just wants to catch a feed.

Skip it if you only want a pretty day on the water — the fishing boats leave around 6:30–7:30 am and are working boats; a sailing charter or a sunset cruise suits that better.

Check the private sailing charterfrom A$1,800 · GetYourGuide