Reidys Lures' Jeff Reid caught this barra in Bynoe Harbour Matt
Flynn's Northern Territory Hot calm weather is the norm for October with the occasional storm and that's what we have been getting, but with mostly clear skies last week. With the calm weather perfect for offshore trips, and coastal areas firing - and billabongs also fishing well - there's simply too many choices. The regular afternoon storms will set in soon enough though, so now is a good to fish safely, providing you take loads of drinking water. Top End Fishing Supplies' Steve Compain said a group of 10 clients bagged out on jewfish by 6pm on an afternoon trip last week. "The tide change was at 4pm by which time we had 16 jewfish and had to move,'' he said. "Most of the jewfish were around 6kg and we also got some goldies to 4kg - not real big ones but it was good fishing. "Last Saturday we went wide of Dundee and caught some red emperor. "There were big mackerel there but the sharks would get them every time we hooked up in a huge froth of red and white - the 20kg fish would disappear in front of our eyes. "We went to The Rock in Shoal Bay the other morning and caught no barra but I saw a 90cm barra free jumping - we potted six crabs at King Creek - they were all jennies just on legal size. "Elizabeth River and Middle Arm have been producing some crabs with good bucks among them. "There is a big inter-service fishing competition at Dundee this weekend and it will be interesting to see the result. "There is little tidal movement this weekend - it is a great weekend for fishing the Vernon Islands and other deep water." Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said river fishing continued to pick up with the Roper River fishing best. "There have been a few caught down at Port Roper but not a lot yet,'' he said. "I am going to the McArthur River this week. "The Victoria River has been quiet but this weekend's small tides should see it fire up. "We had some reasonable rain here on Wednesday night so the build-up is starting. "But the rocky headlands and coastal areas are now the places to fish." Got One's Kane Dysart said Hardies Billabong really fired this week with barra to 85cm caught on Little Lucifers in colour green 008 and Classics in banana fish colour 09. "Corroboree Billabong is also producing barra up to 80cm up around the S-bends ... but smart fishermen have been fishing other areas where there is less boat traffic and finding more fish - most of them are caught trolling,'' he said. "The Darwin foreshores and rocky headlands are producing loads of blue salmon to 75cm with Mindil Beach and East Point rocks productive using small chrome slices. "West Arm has been producing barra with two customers reporting fish near the metre mark on live bait, both being lost in snags. "Reichardt, Bleesers and Hudson Creek mouths all produced legal barra and the odd threadfin salmon last week. "Shoal Bay has been producing crabs with King and Meckits Creek producing - barra have been biting well in Shoal Bay on the new Halco Skin Deeps in the King Cobra colour with the biggest barra reported to us being 86cm. "South Gutter is producing loads of golden snapper and jewfish. "There are plenty of tuna and mackerel wide of Dundee. "We suggestbthis weekend fishing the mouth of the Adelaide River using Black Magic Lumo Groper Grabber bait jigs - a customer got a double-header of jewies on them - they are tied on heavy mono - while others in the boat went fishless." Reidys Lures Jeff Reid said he fished Bynoe Harbour again last weekend but the tides were not right. "I still managed to hook a couple of barra,'' he said. "We caught some golden snapper on bait but did not get any jewfish. "We caught some nice trevally from the beach at Raft Point. "After going to Manton Dam and catching a 75cm barra and another that went 20kg we went there again two days ago and only got one hit. "But I know another group who caught six barra on fizzers at the dam at 1am which does not surprise me as we heard plenty of fish boofing in the lilies last time we were there. "Fishing guide Darren Nickolls went to Corroboree Billabong recently and caught six barra with his clients." Leaders Creek Fishing Chris Edwards said there were some good snapper caught last Monday caught by drifting during the bigger tides. "There were also redfish and cod biting,'' he said. "According to a local expert this weekend should be good for barra in the creek - he uses lures so he likes clear water during the small tides. "There are loads of snapper being caught between Cape Hotham and Melville Island. "Some good barra have been taken in the creeks at Cape Hotham. "The last couple of days produced some crabs in the creek. "A big mangrove jack was caught while trolling one of the small feeder creeks off Leaders Creek. "The weather has been good and it has been flat. The road is also being redone so it should be good over the next week." Happy Micks' Charlie Chambers said now was the time to target big barra. "There have been stories and photos of some great fish which didn’t get away,'' he said. "Some of the best fishing I have experienced so far this year has happened in the past two weeks. "In the past fortnight I have hooked four or five fish over the metre mark and haven’t landed one of them because of bent hooks, bad hookups, snags and the one I like the best - a trashed lure with every treble straightened. "All this I take on the chin because I love it. "We have had some luck out of all this though. I believe in the past two weeks we have hooked 12 fish over 80cm, landing five in only three trips." For more visit www.happymicks.com.au
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