Matt Flynn's
Northern Territory Once again it is the blue water saving the day, with golden snapper on the bite and good pelagic fishing for mostly small mackerel close to Darwin. Billabong fishing is almost a waste of time, unless you are going out to enjoy the scenery and catch a few saratoga or tarpon. The barramundi are often refusing to co-operate even in the more remote billbongs, and water levels have dropped low in some areas. If you are going inland do it in the early morning or afternoon because billabong fishing is now very hot during the day. On the barramundi front the Adelaide River has been a complete disaster this year. Even the small fish seem to be missing from the top of the river, and bamboo rafts are clogging all the snags on the corners, yet another reason why we desperately need a big wet season. Most people who used to fish the top of the Adelaide regularly have given up on it this year. Offshore Lorna Shoal has been fishing well for big golden snapper, as have the usual spots of Cape Hotham and the Vernon Islands. Charles Point Patches should also be worth a look, and the reefs out the front of Bynoe Harbour, but keep an eye on the afternoon storms. These storms often form over the Lorna Shoals/Fish Reef area. There have been sightings of small marlin at the Fenton Patches, but these fish are tricky to catch, requiring both careful presentation of the bait and ultra-strong tackle. Big barra are showing up in small numbers in Shoal Bay, but Shoal Bay Boat Hire's Tony Kaissis says fewer fishermen seem to be chasing them this year. Threadfin salmon have been showing up on harbour flats in numbers chasing the unusually abundant prawns, and as usual the fish are hard to catch, even on livebait. At the Fenton Patches there are loads of small mackerel, mostly spotties, and these are great fun and good eating. The schools can be cast too, or the fish can be jigged over the Fenton Patches wrecks as they often sit deep. At the Fentons saddletail snapper have been biting strongly, as well as the usual trevally and moonfish with the odd jewfish mixed in. This week's tides are ideal for harbour barramundi. Hopefully a few more storms will stir up the barramundi, but in the meantime dust off your handlines and chase some quality golden snapper along our excellent coastal reefs. |
