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New lure: Halco's large 150 Scorpion 'Crazy Deep' has been a popular lure for large barramundi and mackerel, but the new smaller 125 Crazy Deep Scorpion pictured here is likely to be even better on barramundi, queenfish and threadfin salmon

Matt Flynn's Northern Territory
fishing report: August 14, 2005

Also available in the Darwin Sunday
newspaper, Sunday Territorian


The neap tides this week could be the last good set of tides for longtail tuna in Darwin Harbour.

Mackerel will persist a little longer around Darwin's inshore reefs than tuna.

If the weather a holds, a trip this week to the Vernon Islands could be well worthwhile.

The Vernons are a top place during dry season neap tides for queenfish, trevally, tuna and mackerel.

The Narrows at the Adelaide River mouth will also be worth a look this week for jewfish.

After next week, the spring tides will mark the beginning of buildup barramundi fishing along the harbour foreshores.

The buildup is a prime period for barramundi, second only top the run-off period in March/April.

Don't forget Bynoe Harbour, which has been fishing well for barra and salmon.

Got One's Craig Grosvenor said that early last week there were consistent reports of large golden snapper from Charles Point Patches and South Gutter.

"Jewfish were also active with fish to 18kg taking local squid baits and River2Sea squid jigs,'' he said.

"Bynoe Harbour has been fishing well with local guide Jeff Corrie reporting a great session on barramundi on the flats near Crab Claw Island - he was sightcasting DK, Bombers and the new Rapala X Rap shallow lures and caught 20 fish to 80cm.

"He then chased mackerel at a reef off Bare Sand Island and landed spanish, grey and spotted mackerel, six cobia and a heap of stripies by casting and jigging chrome Gillies pilchard slices.

"There were some big barra taken from Shoal Bay last week with one crew landing two fish over 90cm while fishing the low tide holes.

"Warmer weather will ignite barra fishing along the Top End coastline soon.

"Dundee has seen a wide range of species taken during the recent Trailer Boat Club competition, including snapper, jewfish, cobia, coral trout, macks, tuna, queenies and GTs.

Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West said Corroboree Billabong was fishing well.

"I fished the Mary River Bridge lagoon last Sunday and it was really quiet there though,'' he said.

"There have been good fish taken at the billabongs at the top of the South Alligator River.

"Fishing guide Mick Winterton has been having some fun at Bynoe Harbour with loads of fish on the flats

"There are heaps of mackerel and trevally about in Bynoe too.

"Mackerel have been good out at Dundee wide.

"Crab pots sales have slowed down a little - perhaps the crabs are slowing down.

"John Jordan of Equinox Fishing Charters has been getting plenty of jewies and coral trout on the wider grounds."

Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said the weather had been cool in Katherine.

"Normally when there are low pressure systems around it gets warm but not right now,'' he said.

"But it won't be long before we are heading into the build-up and the fishing will improve.

"It has been an extreme dry season - we have not had the long dry spells we normally get.

"The mango growers are saying the temperature peaks and troughs this year were more extreme.

"The fishing has been hot and cold too - there were barra in the Katherine River last week trolling small lures like Little Lucifers, Classic Barras and DKs - some people have been getting three or four fish in an afternoon to 75cm.

"I am going to try the Victoria River on the neap tides this week."

Top End Fishing Supplies' Steve Compain said the past few weeks had been generally quiet offshore with a few jewfish and mackerel about.

"August always does seem to be quieter than usual for the bluewater charter boats,'' he said.

"But South Gutter usually starts firing up at night about now - we did a night charter a week ago at Fenton Patches and we caught jewies and snapper.

"The harbour's mud crabs seem to have gone a bit quieter now.

"Barra have been biting at the Finniss River freshwater - my son went there last weekend and caught barra to 80cm as well as big tarpon and sooty grunter.

"Duana Trouchet at DNA Barra Tours has been getting eight to a dozen barra a day to 8kg at Corroboree Billabong.

"We are consistently seeing sailfish out at Lorna Shoal - there seems to be more of them around lately - it's definitely worth the time to go and have a look with the right tackle.

"I think the next set of big tides will be good for barra in the harbour.

"Woods Inlet really fired on the last big tides - the amount of barra boofing and feeding was amazing."

Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Bob Morris said barra were biting on Thursday up the Little Howard River.

"There was a 107cm barra caught in King Creek last weekend,'' he said.

"Early in the week Cliff Watkins hooked a barra of 115cm that snapped the leader at the last minute.

"Another crew caught seven good barra at Hope Inlet last weekend.

"There have been some good mackerel around Gunn Reef.

"Peter Lock's 28kg mackerel was caught at Gunn Point reef - he was fishing a gar bait out of a boat with a balloon - it wasn't at Lee Point as reported.

"We caught seven good crabs on Thursday morning but the jennies are more prevalent now."

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