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Another great harbour jewfish

Matt Flynn's Northern Territory
fishing report: July 18, 2004

Also available in the Darwin Sunday
newspaper, Sunday Territorian

Barramundi fishing improved last week with the warmer weather.

Dave "Mad Mullet" Magner has been catching barra along the CBD foreshores at night on shallow lures, while fishing guide Chris Hurt has been successfully fishing his favourite mudflat out from Reichard and Bleesers Creek.

Mackerel are still showing up at Lee Point, mostly from the Bottlewasher Reef through to the inshore reef.

Tuna schools are about but as flighty as ever.

Inland, the rivers improved last week, with the Daly and Roper Rivers producing some big fish.

Bait fishing is the best way to go, but even the tasty cherabin used for bait have slowed down a little in the cool July weather.

Mud crabs remain consistent in the harbour and Shoal Bay.

Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Bob Morris said fishing had been quiet for barramundi.

"You have to use livebait among the snags now, but there are plenty of salmon about,'' he said.

"Crabs are good - they slowed up on the really big tides and have now come back on.

"Out at The Rock at the weekend a couple of big queenfish were caught and a 15kg jewfish.

"The water in the bay was 19C a fortnight ago and now it is up to 25C - you can really feel the difference with just your feet - so the barra should be picking up.

"I haven't seen any tuna schools working the bay, or mackerel."

Top End Fishing Supplies' Dylan Jenkins said Lee Point fished well on Monday for tuna.

"They were all over the place but we only caught one about 8kg,'' he said.

"We trolled for mackerel but did not see any.

"We caught a big mackerel fishing at night last week from the shop's charter boat - it was near Fish Reef and it took a squid and pilchard cocktail bait - that's the first mack I have seen caught at night but Steve Compain says he has caught them at night before.

"Crabs are still going strong - my mates are getting plenty in Shoal Bay and West Arm.

"The Daly River is still producing fish and there have been barra in the harbour.

"There have been quite a few small barra caught up the freshwater side of the East Alligator River, which is a nice place to fish."

Tour Tub Harbour Fishing Charters' Rob Marchant said Corroboree Billabong was producing barra in the clearer water sections of the famous waterway.

"The clearer water is good well away from the cutting and where there are not lots of boats - we have been using some of the old Graeme Forrester lures with no rattles, in green,'' he said.

"The Reidys Little Lucifers have been good too. We have been getting the fish in shallow water less than 2m deep.

"We have not caught a saratoga there lately - they might have wised up to our Scum Frog antics - last year it seemed better for saratoga.

"I think the neap tides over this weekend will be good at the Six Mile Buoy in the deep water for big goldies - we have been getting some really nice goldies there and big stripies and redfish.

"The tuna will be on in the harbour this weekend.

"There have been queenfish off Larrakeyah - I like to watch where they bust up and then quietly move in and anchor rather than troll around - the little white Storm lures are good for them."

Got One's Kane Dysart said whiting to 35cm were at Casuarina Beach and Rapid Creek, taking peeled prawns.

"Barra have started to bite again around the harbour on the foreshores of Fannie Bay and East Point on soft plastics and small minnows,'' he said.

"Mackerel were good last weekend with several fish near 20kg caught off the Bottlewasher and Anglers Reef.

"There have been large schools of mackerel off Lorna Shoal with the odd cobia mixed in.

"There have been tuna at the mouth of Darwin Harbour and at Lee Point, with fish to 6kg taking maribou jigs and chrome slices."

Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said fishing had improved on the Daly River with the warmer weather.

"Fishing was good with the onset of bigger tides with some fish over a metre caught Tuesday and Wednesday,'' he said.

"Small deep divers and soft plastics have been working well but live bait is best and some people are even using mullet strips successfully.

"The best day reported was one crew who caught 12 fish between 80cm and 90cm.

"Lonesome Dove Station's Mandy Brennan caught a metre-long barra at the Roper River on her first cast.

"The changes in the weather will dictate how the fish bite now and the ebbs and flows will continue through the dry season.

"But because there are so many fish they will probably be competing for food and will be more aggressive.

"The cherabin seemed to have quietened right down - I don't know if that is because they slow down in the cold or the barra ate them all."

Fishing and Outdoor World's Mark Ost said there were loads of mackerel and tuna offshore, especially around Bass Reef and Loee Patches.

"The Four-Mile Hole is still fishing well for barra,'' he said.

"Barra have been biting again in the harbour.

"Corroboree Billabong is still producing fish.

"I have yet to hear of tuna being caught from the wharf even though there appears to be big mobs of tuna in the harbour.

"One local says he has spotted one of the biggest schools of tuna in the harbour he has ever seen.

"We have been selling a lot of bream bait and gear so the locals are getting into it."

Happy Micks' Charlie Chambers said the harbour had been fishing well with tuna and macks in large numbers.

"The tuna are thick off Lee Point and Emery Point with good schools popping up all over the place through most of the day on each set of neap tides,'' he said.

"They are a lot harder to follow on big tides because they are in small schools on the bigger tides.

"I think that’s because the tides spread out the bait schools which makes it harder for the tuna to round up the bait into large manageable schools.

"The tuna have all been of good size most around the 6kg to 9kg mark.

"I did hear of a 14.5kg tuna caught wide of Angler Reef and that was caught casting into a small school of large tuna.

"Jewies are being caught in the harbour. Barra have been a little quiet in the harbour although the past few days have been a little warmer which may help bring them back on the bite for a while.

"Dundee has fished well this week with a break in weather conditions.

"The dry season winds calmed down for a few days this week leaving excellent conditions for venturing wide and getting stuck into the tuna, macks and red emperor.

"One boat reports seeing mackerel near 30kg, and loads of tricky snapper."

For more see www.happymick.com.au

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