A WEIPA fisherman fought for 15 minutes to free himself from the jaws of a 4m crocodile by holding on to mangroves and punching the monster with his bare fists.

Todd Bairstow, 28, a Rio Tinto bauxite mine worker, was fishing on the banks of Trunding Creek near the Albatross Hotel when the huge crocodile lunged out of the water about 4pm yesterday.

The croc attack victim reportedly told Weipa Hospital staff he fought for his life with the 4m monster "for about 15 minutes" before locals heard his cries and ran to his aid to help drag him to safety.

He told medical staff how he desperately clung onto mangroves to prevent the big croc dragging him underwater for the deadly death roll.

Last night Mr Bairstow was flown to Cairns by the Royal Flying Doctor Service suffering extensive lower limb lacerations, cuts to his hands, a broken leg and dislocated joints.

He was taken to Cairns Base Hospital about 11.15pm where he is reportedly in a stable condition with the injuries described as non-life threatening.

Mr Bairstow, an avid fisherman, pig hunter and outdoorsman, told friends on Facebook how he was "living the dream'' in the wilderness of Cape York where big crocodiles are a familiar sight in creeks and waterways.

"Off to mow down some pigs after shift,'' he noted in his latest Facebook entry.

Another earlier entry he said he was off to a popular fishing spot known as Jurassic park to "slay some barra''.