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This big jewfish was caught with Darwin's Equinox Fishing Charters

Matt Flynn's Northern Territory
fishing report: May 22, 2005

Also available in the Darwin Sunday
newspaper, Sunday Territorian


Cool weather, neap tides and mobs of tuna and mackerel hit Darwin at the same time last week.

Big tuna swam into the harbour as far as the Town Hall Hole in Middle Arm, which is better known as a jewfish spot.

Tuna were caught off the wharves and off East Point and Lee Point.

Big spanish mackerel were reported off Lee Point and in as far as The Rock in Shoal Bay.

And there's still a few barra around too despite the cold change - I hooked a couple of big ones fishing the Adelaide River last week as the cold morning mist swirled around.

Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West said tuna moved right into Darwin Harbour on the neap tides.

"There were quite a few out the front of Darwin during the week and as far in as near the Channel Island ramp - a big school of tuna came rolling through that area and one crew landed a big one that weighed 9kg,'' he said.

"They caught it on a little spin rod and had to chase it - it was a good fight and a challenge - there were some big fish amongst them, but they were flighty as usual and one boat was seen chasing them for an hour.

"There were heaps of golden snapper up Pioneer Creek last week - there were threadfin and barra on the harbour flats too.

"Crabbing has been good - people are getting them here and there, but some people still don't catch any.

"Lure One Fishing Charters' Chris Hurt has been getting a few mackerel - he usually makes a heap of Nautilus lures for our shop at this time but he must have been too busy catching mackerel lately.

"Corroboree Billabong has been alright for some guides with up to a dozen barra a day - Chris Jones from River and Reef has been getting into them.

"Hooked on Fishing's Mark West caught a dozen barra up to 80cm long at Corroboree the other day.

"Yellow Waters and the Two Mile Hole on the Wildman River have been good.

"Equinox Fishing Charters has been doing well out on the reefs with cobia, coral trout and some snapper, and they caught a dozen jewfish in one session last week to 15kg.

"Sailfish have been running at Sail City off Dundee."

Charlie Chambers at www.happymicks.com.au said Shoal Bay was the place to be at the moment with lots of barramundi and salmon being caught in the Little Howard River and Hope Inlet.

"Small soft plastics and live baits have been working the best at low tide with shallow running lures and live baits working best at high tide,'' he said.

"Crabs are in numbers with boats landing up to 20 plus crabs in a session at Shoal Bay.

"There a few mackerel and tuna working around Lee Point and the Vernon Islands also. "The harbour has been good with some really good barra being caught in Woods Inlet and Middle Arm up to 90cm, along with blue and threadfin salmon.

"There have been jewies caught in Town Hall up to 14kg with some nice snapper also. "Charles Point produced a couple of bigger jewies up to 17kg on Monday night.

"Some mangrove jacks are still being caught on the wreck in Reichardt Creek and a mixed bag of barra, salmon, trevally and queenies are along the flats and up to the East Arm rock wall.

"Small snapper are being caught around the Elizabeth River bridge, and there have also been a couple of good barra caught up to 78cm in the creek.

"Dundee has been fishing well with some nice barra being caught of the rocks up to 107cm and smaller ones along the rock wall and the sandflat next to the boat ramp.

"Queenfish and trevally are also being caught off the rocks.

"Mackerel are working out wide but are a bit touchy about boats.

"The Shady Camp barrage is fishing well with most fish being caught on the freshwater side - I was there recently at night and landed a couple of barra, with a couple of other blokes getting an 80cm fish that hadn’t been long in the fresh - best lures have been DOA Bait Busters and 4-inch Storm plastics.

"On the South Alligator Nourlangie Creek is still fishing the best with one customer landing eight barra in a session between 52cm to 87cm, casting Tsunami soft plastics towards the rockbar.

"On the East Alligator there have been some really good barra caught at Cahills Crossing over the past couple of weeks, with fisherman catching up to six plus fish a day all averaging around the 55cm mark with a couple of bigger ones landed up to 103cm.

"The Daly River is still producing fish but it is tough going. Live cherabin are producing most fish with the odd one on a lure. There was a couple of good barra caught trolling at Elizabeth Creek using the RMG mullet in R25 colour.

"There are still a few fish being caught off the Daly Crossing up to 95cm."


Top End Fishing Supplies' Chris Rainbird said there had been tuna and mackerel in the harbour with some schools of fish coming past Darwin's Stokes Hill Wharf.

"There have been spanish mackerel and tuna at Lee Point,'' he confirmed.

"Our charters boats have been fairly quiet but we are still getting some jewfish - the wind blew up this week which didn't help.

"There are still a few barra being caught at the Daly River down near Charlies Creek.

"Mud crabs are moving in the harbour.

"At Corroboree Billabong mostly saratoga were caught at the fly competition last weekend - most of the pro guides were working the boat ramp section down past the houseboats for barra - they were not going down the small channel to the main part of Corroboree - the saratoga were mainly caught in the 'pandanus straight' area.

"Shop staffer Mulga was up at the Adelaide River last week and got some fish in the snags."

Top End's Steve Compain - who was in the runner-up team with Chris at last weekend's fly comp - confirmed the abundance of saratoga.

"Definitely the first thing in the morning was best for the saratoga - you can't miss in the morning using any popper or surface fly with a decent weed guard,'' he said.

"We were using a lure made of bits of thong with weed guards and they hooked up every time.

"We cast right into the backs of the weeds and we kept moving and worked every metre of the lily pads.

We only caught one barra fishing this way - we did not hear any boofing or anything the whole time.

"We were not targeting barra because saratoga were worth the same points and they were more available.

"Wayne Hinton targeted barra at the comp and he caught a 79cm fish - he was working rockbars with sinking fly lines.

"I think a sleepy cod was also caught, some archer fish and lots of tarpon - it was perfect weather - dead still and warm - very enjoyable except for the hangover.

"Dorothee Williams (champion angler) worked very hard for her win.

"Elsewhere, Dean Jackson of Yellow Waters Fishing Safaris is doing well in the billabongs around Cooinda."

Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Locky said a 97cm barra was caught in Hope Inlet on Wednedsay on a green Squidgie lure near North Australian Fish Finder's Spot 7.

"The fisherman was drifting on the outgoing tide and casting to gutters,'' he said.

"Jewies are still out at The Rock - one of our hire boat crews hooked and released 11 fish.

"A big spanish mackerel was caught at The Rock floating a pilchard.

"The fishing in the Howard River near Scrubby Creek croc trap has been excellent with lots of barra at low tide, mostly caught on live bait.

"Crabs are still around and are nice and full - there are also a lot of threadfin salmon out on the flats, caught using live prawns for bait or small lures, or small live mullet.

"We have seen some big salmon but hooking them is a different story.

"There were queenfish around on Monday with four over a metre caught on live and dead baits."

Leaders Creek Fishing Base's Chris Edwards said the neap tides last week were good, with jewfish to 15kg caught in the creek.

"On Monday a 1.18m barra was caught and a few smaller barra,'' he said.

"Threadfin salmon were also caught.

"On Tuesday and Wednesday not many fish were landed after the weather turned cold.

"On Thursday there was a mob of crabs caught, and pikey bream.

"Out wide there were some big mackerel dropped by one crew on Thursday.

"At Cape Hotham last weekend there were good jewfish caught but no snapper.

"The Vernon Islands fired for snapper in the deep channel last Sunday.

"The wind has been blowing hard late last week.

"The crabs have fired up for a change though - they were really good over the neaps - there seems to be more jennies in the creek now and the bucks are out moving with them.

"Most people are putting pots in the small side creeks - down near the mouth the local crocodile has got the crabbers sussed out and eats the crab pot baits."

Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said the colder weather had slowed the fish up.

"There has been some good fish at the Victoria River,'' he said.

"There has been mobs of bait at the bottom of the river towards Curiousity Peak.

"There are jewfish and salmon being caught so they have moved up the river already.

"They are catching a few at the Roper River but only on livebait.

"There are few fishing camps down at the mouth at Port Roper now, but I have had no reports from there.

"I haven't heard too much from the Daly River.

"There have been two 80cm barra caught in Katherine Gorge on poppers at night time - that has been a trend this year - there are more reasonable sized fish in the Katherine River this year."

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