Aussie fisherman nets 3m croc in drain

File photo / Supplied-

A Queensland fisherman casting for bait in a tidal drain got a lot more than he bargained for when he snared a three-metre crocodile.

Joel Pezzutti got the fright of his life after casting his net in the drain, which feeds into an estuary in Cairns.

"As I was pulling my cast net in, a croc lunged out of the water, ran up the bank and latched onto my cast net," Mr Pezzutti told AAP.

"I see a lot of crocs when I go fishing out on the boat but this made my heart skip a beat.

"It was the closest contact I've ever had with a croc. I could have touched it with my arm if I wanted to."

Mr Pezzutti said he quickly released the net and ran to his car.

"I thought I've got to get a photo otherwise no one would believe me so I ran to my car and grabbed my torch and camera," he said.

"It was still sitting there on the bank (when I got back). It hadn't moved and it wasn't scared of me."

Mr Pezzutti said it was the first time he had seen a crocodile at that tidal drain in the past four years he has been fishing for bait there.

Officers from the environment department are monitoring the site after the June 12 incident, but wildlife director Nick Rigby said there'd been no sign of the croc since then.

Officers continue to regularly inspect the drain, he said.

"A permanent metal sign at the site alerts the public to the possible presence of crocodiles," Mr Rigby said.

- AAP