Chris Bolton Fishing

Chris Bolton Fishing A family owned and operated fishing business. Supplying Australia with supreme quality fish, direct from our boat. Qld Fishing licence 13193.

Got a tree full of big juicy guava's at the moment, and a couple of trout from last week in the fridge (we always leave ...
31/08/2026

Got a tree full of big juicy guava's at the moment, and a couple of trout from last week in the fridge (we always leave fish 4 days minimum before we eat it) so I thought I'd see what I could come up with.
15 minutes later.....
It was horrible, you wouldn't like it.....🤥😁
For anyone interested. Very simple. Very quick. Very tastey. 👌👌👌

Ingredients
250g sashimi grade fish fillet
1 firm fresh guava
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp white miso paste
Sea salt
Fresh microgreens or coriander leaves (for garnish)

Instructions
Pickle the guava: Slice the guava in half. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Using a sharp knife, cut the firm outer flesh into paper-thin slices. Toss the guava slices in a small bowl with the rice vinegar and a pinch of salt. Let it sit for 10 minutes to flash-pickle.
Make the dressing:
In a small jug or cup, whisk together the fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, and white miso paste until completely smooth.
Slice the fish using a very sharp knife held at a slight angle, roughly 3mm thick.

Plate the dish: Arrange the fish slices flat across a cold serving platter so they overlap slightly.
Drain the pickled guava slices. Interleave the guava slices between the pieces of fish.
Drizzle the lime-miso dressing evenly over the top.Scatter over the microgreens or coriander leaves.
Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt just before serving.
Tips- Place your serving plates and your knife in the freezer for 5–10 minutes before prepping. Cold plates keep the fish fresh, and a cold knife yields much cleaner, sharper cuts.
- Do not dress the fish until the absolute last second. If left to sit in the lime juice for too long, the acid will "cook" the fish like a ceviche, altering its texture
✌️

If you click on this and swipe across, you’ll hear a bit of what Josh Niland had to say. Something worth thinking about ...
15/08/2026

If you click on this and swipe across, you’ll hear a bit of what Josh Niland had to say. Something worth thinking about for anyone who catches fish, I reckon...

We’ve worked with Josh for many years now, but it’s pretty special hearing him talk about our Changemaker Award and the way we operate.
As I always tell my crew, catching the fish is less than half the job. What happens after it’s caught — that’s the biggest and most important part of what we do.

(I thought our conversation was being videoed on my phone but it wasn't so this will have to do)

13/08/2026

A bit of footage from the last few days doing day runs targeting coral trout.

I've had quite a few people tell me I should put together some sort of subscription, course or video series on how to properly handle fish from the second they come out of the water.
For a long time my answer was basically, bu**er that — I'm not giving away all my secrets. 😂
But I'm starting to come around to the idea.
Over the years, I've learnt a huge amount about fish handling, particularly since we started working directly with some of the best chefs and restaurants in Australia — and, I'd argue, some of the best in the world.
There's a hell of a lot more to getting the absolute best out of a fish than simply catching it and throwing it on ice. Far more than most realise. Small things at every stage can make a massive difference to the end result.
I won't teach you how to catch more fish. But whether you're a recreational fisho who wants to take home the best possible feed, a charter operator wanting to give your clients a better product, or a commercial fisherman wanting to lift quality (and prices) I reckon there's plenty I could share that would be genuinely useful.
Some of that knowledge I've kept pretty close to my chest over the years...
That could change.... 😏
I'd have to charge something for it, but I'd want to keep it reasonably priced and make sure people actually get some real value from it.
So, before I go to the trouble and cost of putting it all together (which will take quite some time) — would there actually be reasonable interest in it?
Tell me what you think
If there seems to be enough interest, and I think there would be, I'll get the ball rolling. 🤷‍♂️

Some people told us it couldn't be done.Some laughed. Some criticised us. Some even threatened us for challenging the wa...
04/08/2026

Some people told us it couldn't be done.
Some laughed. Some criticised us. Some even threatened us for challenging the way commercial fishing had always been done.
But we believed there was a better way.
Last night, that belief was once again recognised when we were awarded the 'Changemaker' Trophy at the Harvey Norman delicious.aus Produce Awards.

Since I was five years old, I've dreamed of becoming a commercial fisherman who supplied Australia's best restaurants. That dream has never been about catching more fish—it has always been about doing it better. Respect for the fish, respect for the environment. Constantly asking, "How can we do this better?"

This award isn't just for me. It's for my family, who have stood beside me through every setback. It's for the chefs who believed in what we are trying to achieve. And it's for everyone who supports the idea that quality, sustainability and innovation belong together.
To everyone who encouraged us—thank you.
And to those who said it couldn't be done, those who criticise and threaten..... thank you too. You gave us even more reason to prove that positive change is possible.

Later I'll post a video of a quick chat with Josh Niland after receiving this award so you can all hear what he had to say.
Cheers 🥂

21/07/2026

Not all bait is the same.....
Here's where you'll find our 5 spot garfish. And maybe some mullet and sardines at times 😃

📍 Top End Tackle World
📍 Fishing & Outdoor World - Darwin
📍 Tackleworld Weipa - Fishing the Far North
📍 Tackle World Cairns
📍 Compleat Angler Cairns
📍 Tackle World Tully
📍 Torque Auto Babinda
📍 Coastal Marine & Outdoors
📍 The Tinnie Shack – Mission Beach

Delivery soon to:
📍 The Lure Shop Tackleworld Cooktown
📍 Tackle World Townsville

We sincerely thank these stores for supporting us. And of course, thanks to those of you buying our bait from these businesses 🙏🇦🇺

We also regularly send directly to fishermen right around Australia. Perth, Sydney, Gold Coast etc. (Airfreight)

I'm not sure how much more we'll catch this year, so if you've been meaning to grab some, grab them while you can. Being such good quality, and cryovac packed, they'll hold for a bloody long time in your freezer if need be.

BTW- the sharks are so bad this year, we're only really concentrating on 5 spot gar- higher return....
We have caught some very small amounts of mullet and sardines, but unfortunately the sharks are making a mess of my nets. Fine mesh bait nets and insane amounts of sharks isn't a good combination. Every time the net goes in the water the sharks are putting holes in it, which makes a lot of work, and adds a lot of cost 😫

Ok, I gave fair warning, so here's number 1 name and shame.We have NOT sold bransfords tackle shop a single garfish, mul...
01/07/2026

Ok, I gave fair warning, so here's number 1 name and shame.
We have NOT sold bransfords tackle shop a single garfish, mullet, or anything else for many years!
False advertising!!!

22/06/2026

Bit of a quality check today. I'm sure they'll work👌
I know a lot of people eat the pin bones but nah, I'll pass on eating fish bones....
If you haven't tried eating garfish, you're missing out. Bloody good eating 💯 and not that hard to prepare. Took me about 5 minutes to do 4 big gars, which fed the 3 of us for dinner.

30/05/2026

Remember- if it hasn't got our name on it, it didn't come from us!! We didn't catch it, we didn't pack it!!
Every year we get messages saying something like "we bought your gar from ______ and they aren't your usual quality".... and this year its started already 🤦‍♂️
In the past we have stopped supplying certain businesses with bait, and also reef fish because of this sort of thing happening on a recurring basis. Buy a few packets of gar, or a couple of trout off us, but they're somehow still selling our fish weeks later.....😑

A warning to any business that does it, with table fish or bait- I'll start naming and shaming if it keeps happening 🫵

29/05/2026

Almost that time again......
We'll start getting some gar into the usual places very soon! 👍
For locals heading out this weekend, there'll be some at Coastal Marine & Outdoors Innisfail this afternoon.
(We had cryovac machine problems last night, so they aren't our usual cryovac packs, but they're as fresh as it gets. They just wont last months in your freezer like they usually do. I'll refill the freezer with cryovac packs asap)
Cryovac problem being sorted right now. Once sorted we'll start catching and getting some out firstly to-
Tackle World Cairns
Tackleworld Weipa - Fishing the Far North
Tackleworld Coolalinga
Fishing & Outdoor World

26/05/2026

A short video of the process. This is obviously barra, but the same thing happens with all of our fish.

Once caught, every fish goes straight into live tanks — big tanks with plenty of room and constant water flow. From the tender tank they’re transferred into tanks on the main boat, where they stay alive and in perfect condition until unload day.
On unload day, (usually a Sunday) the fish are taken from the tanks one by one, ikejime spiked, bled, and brined. First into a brine while they bleed, then transferred into a second clean, blood-free brine.
Blood is what causes that strong “fishy” smell. Remove the blood properly and a box of fish smells like a freshly opened oyster — sweet, salty, clean, and like the ocean itself 👌
From the second brine, the fish are loaded into our vehicles and transported to our coldroom at Kurrimine Beach for packing.

Packing is a process in itself. Usually there’s four or five of us involved. Dad is always there carefully laying fish out on the bench while I pick through them for particular customers — everyone has preferred sizes and specifications. Every fish is gently patted clean and dry before going into a box. Kim tapeing and doing the paperwork. Evie filling in where needed.
Once packed, they’re on the next flight ✈️ to restaurants all around Australia. Any sold locally — and there’s always some — goes by road transport. Sometimes even by helicopter to Orpheus Island 🏝

Up north we work on 7-day turnaround trips: 4-5 days fishing, 2-3 days unloading, packing, cleaning, refuelling, loading ice, and travelling back to the fishing grounds. Operating like this in a remote location takes a bloody lot of effort and a bloody lot of organisation. No time to switch off.......
What we do has never been about quantity. If quantity was the goal, we’d do things very differently.
It’s about quality, sustainability, respect for the fish, and achieving the best possible return from a limited natural resource.
A lot of fishermen claim they’re fishing to provide cheap fish for the community.
Not us.
We’re not about cheap. Cheap isn't good, and good isn't cheap........

Address

470 Murdering Point Road
Kurrimine Beach
4871

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

0400956585

Website

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