Yet another happy fisherperson at Shoal Bay Boat Hire Matt
Flynn's Northern Territory A very cool September has delayed the onset of frenzied build-up barramundi fishing. Just when fishermen thought it was warming up, as is usual at this time, a cool dry season-type wind cuts in and pushes the water temperatures down, as well as stirring up the shallows with the chop. So the barramundi fishing has not yet fired up as expected - but that's not to say barra are not being caught. Many fishermen visited Shady Camp barrage and Cahills Crossing for the big tides last week. The barra bit well on the top of the tide at night, with some explosive surface takes making for exciting fishing. The harbour has been producing barra too, but not yet in the usual September numbers. But it's going to happen soon enough. Top End Fishing Supplies' Steve Compain said he went to Saltwater Arm on the Adelaide River last week and caught only six undersize barra, a cod, a flathead and an archer fish. "We had the crab pots out all day too and caught one legal crab and a few undersize ones,'' he said. "Another boat I know was there and they did about the same. "There was a lot of bait flicking around but just nothing else chasing it. "Offshore it was rough earlier in the week and we cancelled some offshore charter trips. "It has been fairly quiet out wide otherwise - they are getting fish but working hard to do it. "One customer caught five big female crabs in Buffalo Creek last week but no bucks. "Another customer was at Corroboree Billabong on a houseboat and he noted that the fish were not feeding hard with many hooked on the side of the head. "Last year at this time I caught barra to 80cm at Lee Point rocks at low tide during the middle of the day. "There's usually not many people out there because it is hard for them during week to get time off at the low tide - you just fish on the edge of the muddy water." Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said fishing overall had been quiet with strong winds blowing last weekend. "Thursday and Friday calmed down a bit but it looks like a high pressure is coming through again,'' he said. "Steve Barrett at Limmen Bight Fishing Camp said customers were finding slow fishing because of the strong wind. "Darwin recorded its lowest min temp for September for several consecutive days since 1958 so it's a cooler buildup than we are used to. "I reckon we are about a month behind from the usual buildup weather. "They are still catching good fishing in the Daly and Roper Rivers on cherabin baits - one customer caught 15 barra with 15 cherabin, but the fish were only up to 75cm." Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West said Equinox Fishing Charters had been catching fish at Loee Patches, which is quite a long way from Darwin. "They caught one jewfish of 19.6kg,'' he said. "They caught more golden snapper than jewfish though, and it was otherwise a pretty quiet week offshore. "I have not heard of any tuna or mackerel, although one customer reported catching tuna off the wharf the week before. "On the barra scene things are fairly quiet. "Corroboree and Hardies billabongs have been fairly slow. "Insight Fly Fishing's Graeme Williams has been doing OK at Bynoe Harbour but it has been rough. "Match the Hatch's Grant Hatcher caught some good barra on the Bynoe flats last Sunday. "There have been a few barra caught in Darwin Harbour. "It's strange weather - when you think it is warming up it chills up again. "I've been using the tiny soft plastics that are normally used for bream down south and I have been catching everything on them - I have been using them in the billabongs and caught everything from mouth almighty to barramundi." Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Bob Morris said people were fishing up the creeks out of the wind. "There have been plenty of barra - a customer who has been camped here for two months caught a 1.13cm barra at the bottom of the Little Howard River on a trolled Mad Mullet,'' he said. "Down the bottom of the Little Howard most customers have been catching fish on lures with low tide the best time - they are both casting and trolling. "Last Sunday I fished a corner near Scrubby Creek and we caught nine barra by casting lures. "There have been quite a few barra in the 80s coming from the Little Howard and there's a few blue salmon about. "There is also a lot of estuary cod around now. "One fellow camped at The Rock for two days and he said at low tide at night there were lots of big barra - but no one has been fishing for them. "Crabs picked up with the big tides - there are a lot of little ones mixed in with the big ones, but you will get a feed. Leaders Creek Fishihg Base's Deneise Edwards (correct) said crabs improved last week but other fishing had been poor. "There were good barra caught the week before,'' she said. Got One Darwin's Kane Dysart said Shady Camp barrage was exciting on Thursday night with some big fish boofing. "There were at least 10 fish to 85cm caught on surface lures and soft plastics,'' he said. "For a while there it was like shotguns going off as the barra fed on the surface right at the top of the tide. "But there is a ridiculous number of big crocs there at the moment so people have to be very careful. "On Thursday night there wasn't many people fishing there but on Wednesday night there was quite a few, and quite a few fish were caught. "Barra and blue salmon have been feeding off the East Point rocks at low tide on the first incoming tide with gold Bombers and similar shallow lures working well. "I know of two fish over 1m caught at the Howard River rockbar on fizzers and Bombers, fishing at night time. "Corroboree Billabong produced fish to 75cm last week by casting soft plastics on the weedbed edges, with trolled Little Lucifers also accounting for fish. "Schools of small to medium queenfish have been prolific off the Larrakeyah rock wall. "The Blue Holes at
Gunn Point produced queenfish and trevally last weekend,
as well as goldies to 5kg caught in the channel between
the island." |
