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Robert Muir (left), Mark Brennan (centre) and Lindsay Frater (right) caught this monster barra at Shady Camp fishing with Rob Marchant's Barramundi Fishing Charters

Matt Flynn's Northern Territory
fishing report: March 20, 2005

Also available in the Darwin Sunday
newspaper, Sunday Territorian


If you went fishing last week you probably caught a cold and not much else - but Cyclone Ingrid has stirred up the fish.

Even out at Cobourg Peninsula, after the full fury of the cyclone passed over Port Essington, the fish were chopping along the foreshores near Cobourg Beach Huts just days after the cyclone passed.

Ingrid did not bring as much rain as fishermen would have liked - most of it fell north of the cyclone into the sea.

But consistent showers since the cyclone have improved the outlook on our rivers.

The Tiwi Islands received a drenching, and Melville Island rivers such as the Johnson and Jessie will be well worth a visit in coming weeks.

The Daly, Mary and South Alligator Rivers were producing good fishing last week, with the Kakadu Klash under way on the South Alligator this weekend.

A lot of rain has fallen on the lower Adelaide River floodplains, and when the sea calms the Finniss River at Fog Bay might be worth a look.
  
Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Cliff Watkins said barramundi had been busy after the cyclone.

"There are plenty of medium barra from 65cm to 68cm - on the Sunday morning when the cyclone went past the barra were firing with fish boofing everywhere," he said.

"Crabs have been excellent with lots of big bucks.

"It is rough out the front with this monsoonal weather - fishing The Rock is out of the question but it is fine up the creeks.

"The crabs are out the front - you must crab the edges as the crabs are not up the creeks now.

"There are colour changes at the top of the Howard River from all the fresh water.

"I was up Scrubby Creek on Thursday and the tide did not stop running out as there was a fair bit of water pushing down."   Got One's Craig Grosvenor said that betwen the windy spells there had been huge queenfish and trevally caught from Stokes Hill Wharf last week.

"Live herring produced some good hookups but the challenge has been getting them out of the pylons,'' he said.

"One of the our customers landed a queenfish a metre long and lost bigger ones.

"We have had a desperate run on the nine-inch Tsunami soft plastics this week as the Kakadu Klash prepared to kick off.

"There have been some big barra landed working these big plastics slowly across the rockbars and slow trolled past the creek mouths.

"The Daly River has been producing barra for some but not others - fish have been landed throughout the tidal reaches on Classics, soft plastics and particularly at night on the surface using fizzers.

"Casting Snapbacks at the mouth of Elizabeth Creek has produced fish to 82cm.

"Bluewater reports have been scarce as the winds have been too strong.

"Marrakai Creek on the Adelaide River has produced fish to 75cm on Little Lucifers in 008 colour, 4-inch Storms and five-inch Snapbacks in pearl colours.  

"Harbour wrecks will be popular this weekend if the wind dies down.

"Jewfish and snapper should be on the bite using local squid and pilchards."   Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West said the top of the South Alligator River had been producing fish on large soft plastics.

"On the Daly River guide Preston Higgins has been getting some good fish,'' he said.

"Not many people have been brave enough to hit the bluewater."   Reidys Lures' Jeff Reid said a friend had been fishing the Adelaide River and cathing lots of small fish on various run-offs.

"But that's all - I have caught fish every time we visited the Daly River this year - we lost one fish over a metre recently but that has been the only big fish we have had on.

"We went fishing in Manton Dam with Lindsay Dobe of Proserpine Bait and Tackle in Queensland and he pulled one barra about 70cm."   Top End Fishing Supplies' Steve Compain said it had been too rough for the shop charter boats.

"It is horrendous out there at the moment,'' he said.

"The South Alligator River has been producing big fish but only on nine-inch Tsunamis - they were working in all colours and everyone is buying them.

"There are good crabs around - I got four on Wednesday in an hour and a half, and three big ones on Thursday, all in the Elizabeth River.

"Someone who flew over the Adelaide River said there was tonnes of water coming off the floodplains - I have found the Adelaide River runs out better on the neap tides so it should be good this weekend."   Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said there had not been a lot of rain after the cyclone.

"I'm hoping the monsoonal low will come up again - it was coming across our way on Friday, but it's a bit far south - it might get pushed back up again.

"The Victoria River got a lot rain. But this late rain will not allow bait time to breed up because we are so close to the end of the wet season - this rain may not be of any great significance.

"There has been some good fish caught though - it's still well worth having a go over Easter.

"The rain will have mostly helped the Fitzroy River region in WA - they have badly needed rain."  

Woolianna on the Daly's Ian Harvey said there were several people in the park who could be classifieds as early Easter arrivals.

"They have been doing well - there were several fish caught over 80cm and one over 1m, and all were returned to the water,'' he said.

"It's good to see people just keeping fish in the 60cm and 70cm to range.

"Bamboo Creek has been good but has quietened down with the flow diminishing - most of the big fish are being caught below Charlies Creek.

"The drop-off near the S-bends has a lot of fish on it one day and none the next.

"There is no hard and fast rule or hotspot at the moment - the fish are up and down the river.

"Since the cyclone went past we have had consistent showers but no prolonged heavy downpours.

"The campers are happy because they are all catching some fish."

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