The Experience
Everything taken care of
so all you have to do is fish
Expert guides, a relaxed home aboard the mothership, and food our guests genuinely rave about. This is what a charter with us actually feels like — from the crew who’ll get you onto the fish of a lifetime, to the meals waiting for you at the end of the day.
100%
Family owned & run
30 Yrs
Years on the water, since 1996
5★
Rated onboard dining
10–80
Youngest to Oldest Anglers we’ve guided
2
Regions — Top End & Great Barrier Reef
Why Book With Us
A family business, not a franchise
Australian Sportfishing Charters is a genuinely family-run operation, fishing two of Australia’s most remote and sought-after regions. Since 1996, 30 years on the water have gone into finding the best of the best locations, from Barramundi country in Arnhem Land to Giant Black Marlin grounds off Cairns.
Most guests love to fish hard, from first light to last, then kick back with a hot shower, a delicious meal, and a cold drink to close out the day. Whether you’re 10 or 80, chasing your first fish or your PB, you’re treated like family from the moment you step aboard — and it’s not unusual to see the same faces back year after year.
Meet The Crew
The people who make the trip
A charter is only as good as the crew running it. Ours have decades of combined experience across both the Top End and Great Barrier Reef — and a genuine love of putting people on fish.
Captain
Captain Dan
Owner and founding skipper since 1996, with 30 years of local knowledge across the Top End and Far North Queensland. Dan’s the one who’ll take you to the spots that make a trip unforgettable.
Captain — Iron Lady, Cairns
Captain Arthur
An old salt, knowledgeable and skilled in the ways of the sea, with a lifetime of fishing and boating experience, Arthur often skippers Iron Lady out of Cairns during the Black Marlin season.
Lead Crew
Anthony
Years of experience guiding across both Cairns and Arnhem Land waters, Anthony’s as comfortable putting a beginner onto their first fish as he is chasing someone’s personal best.
Lead Crew
Matthew
An experienced guide across the Top End and Cairns grounds alike, Matthew brings the same patience and sharp eye for fish to every guest aboard.
Hostess / Steward
Onboard Hospitality
A dedicated hostess or steward looks after guests throughout every charter — cabins, meals and comfort all taken care of. The face may change trip to trip, but the standard of care doesn’t.
Chefs
Riccardo, Reg or Steve
One of our three regular chefs — Riccardo (“Tustra”), Reg Morgan or Steve Holbert — is aboard every trip, turning the day’s catch and quality local produce into restaurant-standard meals.
Onboard Dining & Life Aboard
Comfortable, relaxed, and looked after
This isn’t a floating hotel — it’s something better: a genuinely comfortable base built by people who fish, for people who fish. Elite guiding, real comfort, and a crew that knows exactly what serious anglers actually want at the end of a big day.
Life Aboard
Cabins are configured with bunks — two cabins sleeping two, and one sleeping four — each with an ensuite (shower & toilet) – comfortable, air-conditioned, and built around one thing: getting you rested and back on the water fast.
Guests love waking up aboard the Iron Lady itself — fresh coffee and a cooked breakfast before first light, then straight onto the fish. We have had guests who prefer sleeping ashore and helicoptering out to fish for the day, which we can arrange too. Either way, the guiding and the fishing are exactly the same — genuinely some of the best in the country.
The interior saloon has two tables and comfy bench seating for all 8 guests, and upstairs the open-air deck is where most meals happen during the cooler parts of the day — plenty of room, sea breeze, and no rush to be anywhere. Our guests are, above all, genuine fishing people — and it shows in how the whole trip is run.
Onboard Dining
Meals are built around whatever’s fresh — perhaps your own catch. Expect Northern Territory mud crab, Threadfin Salmon sashimi, tempura reef fish, barramundi straight off the BBQ, and a changing lineup of desserts and nibbles through the day.
Before you arrive, you’ll have the chance to talk through your preferred menu and any dietary requirements, so the food fits you — not the other way around.
Wine and other alcohol aboard are guest pre-order only — let us know what you’d like before your charter and it’ll be ready and waiting.
Fishing Techniques
Whatever your style, we’ll show you
Our guides teach as much as they guide. Whichever technique suits the water and the fish on the day, you’ll come away having learned something.
FlyFishing
A visually elegant technique using a weighted line and lightweight fly to imitate natural prey — well-suited to the NT’s flats and estuaries.
Casting
A dynamic, hands-on technique — precision-throwing bait or lures at a target. Active, engaging, and satisfying once you’ve got it dialled in.
Estuary & River Fishing
Centred on the Top End’s tidal river systems, this is Barramundi country, home to some of the most aggressive acrobatic species — seasonal, dynamic, and iconic for good reason, drawing anglers from all over the world. The best fishing typically occurs during the run-off period after the monsoon, but fish are prevalent all year round in the Top End.
Heavy Tackle Deep Sea & Game Fishing
Monster Marlin, fast Tuna and acrobatic Sailfish patrol these nutrient-rich tropical waters — as raw and exciting as fishing gets.
Headland Coastal & Island Fishing
In Their Words
What guests remember most
The group flew in by seaplane and landed right beside the Iron Lady in remote East Arnhem Land — an unforgettable start to the trip, by their account.
— A.C. Outdoor
One guest, fishing the north for years, called it the best-run charter they’d experienced, and brought his teenage son along for the trip.
— Jeffrey Cox
Guests consistently point to the crew’s technique tips, the friendly welcome, and the quality of the food as trip highlights.
— Gavin Alexander
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions about the experience
Do you need fishing experience for a fishing charter?
No fishing experience is required to join an Australian Sportfishing Charters trip. Guides work with complete beginners through to experienced anglers chasing a personal best, and have guided anglers aged 10 to 80, tailoring each trip to the guest’s skill level and goals.
Can dietary requirements be catered for on a fishing charter?
Yes, dietary requirements and menu preferences can be catered for on an Australian Sportfishing Charters trip. Guests discuss food preferences ahead of the charter, so meals are planned around each guest’s needs.
What's the difference between cairns marlin fishing and Arnhem Land barramundi fishing ?
Cairns charters with Australian Sportfishing Charters target Giant Black Marlin on the Great Barrier Reef, typically between October and December. Arnhem Land charters fish the Northern Territory’s remote Top End rivers and coastline, best known for Barramundi, across a longer season. Both operate as live-aboard mothership charters.
Is a fishing charter suitable for kids and families?
Yes, Australian Sportfishing Charters trips are suitable for children and older family members. The company has guided anglers ranging from age 10 to 80, with trips paced and tailored so younger and older guests can fish comfortably and safely.
Is alcohol provided on a fishing charter?
Wine and other alcohol on an Australian Sportfishing Charters trip is the responsibility of the guests. It must be preordered by the guests and will then be available upon their arrival.
What is a liveaboard fishing charter?
A liveaboard fishing charter is a multi-day trip where guests sleep aboard a mothership vessel for the length of the charter, rather than returning to land each night. On an Australian Sportfishing Charters trip, guests wake aboard the mothership to fresh coffee and a cooked breakfast before fishing each day, with the option to instead stay ashore and helicopter out to fish for the day.
What are the different types of fishing techniques?
Common fishing techniques include casting, fly fishing, heavy tackle deep sea and game fishing, estuary and river fishing. On an Australian Sportfishing Charters trip, guides select the technique best suited to the location, conditions and species being targeted on the day.
Ready to see it for yourself?
Whether it’s Giant Black Marlin off Cairns or Barramundi in remote Arnhem Land, the crew, the comfort and the fishing are ready when you are.
Australian Sportfishing Charters
Australian Sportfishing Charters is a premium Arnhem Land NT & Cairns QLD Barramundi and Marlin fishing charter operator. For those with a passion for fishing and seeking out Australia’s untouched, pristine waters.
Call Captain Dan, who will help you design your perfect tour
Contact
Address
- 1 Drimmie Head Road, Nhulunbuy, NT, 0880
- Bluewater Marina, Harbour Dr, Trinity Park, Queensland, 4879.
