FISHING
NEWS FROM NORTH AUSTRALIA
With Alex Julius - 18 January 2007
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Spring tides this weekend are ideal for chasing the big queenies that are around at the moment, with increasing water movement pushing them right up into tidal rivers and estuaries.
Both Saturday and Sunday are good propositions, featuring morning high tides of over 6 metres falling to lows of under a metre in the early afternoon, with the next high of over 7 metres by 8 or 9.00pm.
Queenies, trevally and other pelagics can be found throughout the tidal cycle, and will eagerly take a variety of lures and baits.
Good catches have been reported from Shoal Bay, Bynoe Harbour, and the arms of Darwin Harbour.
Lures to try when casting are small chrome slices, red and white marabou jigs, and soft plastics like the 80mm Squidgy Slick Rig. Colour does not seem to be crucial when targeting queenies with soft plastics, but a good starting point is white or pearlescent colour schemes. Green or chartreuse lures are also proven producers.
A variety of retrieves can be employed, from a flat-out wind to a more subtle jigging retrieve, with pauses to allow the lure to sink. Experiment with lure size and retrieve style until you find what the fish like on the day.
Look for eddies, and any area where strong tidal flow meets structure such as rocky points, creek mouths, navigation beacons or shallow sandbars.
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ARNHEMLAND BARRAMUNDI NATURE LODGE
Christina Hurren caught this impressive 1m queenie from around the pylons at Fort Hill Wharf . |
Warren Collins is the first winner of a trip to the When moving between spots, you can troll shallow-running minnows or soft plastics to maximise your chance of locating fish. The addition of a trolled popper often seems to attract fish in this situation by creating a bit of surface disturbance.
Bait fishos can use a variety of fresh fish baits, with mullet fillets and pilchards at the top of the list for dead baiting. A small live mullet drifted through a likely area is a dynamite bait.
Present your baits on a simple running sinker rig, keeping the weight as light as possible, and even removing it entirely during the slack water around the turn of the tide. Hook size should match the size of the bait used for as natural a presentation as possible.
Using these techniques will also give you a good chance of hooking other desirable species such as golden snapper and salmon.
If livebaiting around creek mouths, barra will get in on the act as well.
AFANT Junior Fishing Clinics
Last weekend the Nhulunbuy Regional Sports Fishing Club (NRSFC) held 2 fishing clinics, sponsored by the Amateur Fishing Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT), and supported by NT Fisheries and Halco Lures.
Interest was strong, with over 60 juniors and some 25 adults showing up on Saturday at the Gove Yacht Club. Many juniors took advantage of the chance to have their reel re-spooled with 6 or 8 kg fishing line for free.
Keep an eye out for more clinics and information sessions throughout the year, supported by the generous sponsors and Nhulunbuy Regional Sports Fishing Club.
HALCO Junior Tournament.
Following the success of the fishing clinics last Saturday, the NRSFC in conjunction with AFANT Junior Fishing Clinics held the Halco Junior Tournament on Sunday.
The Halco Junior Tournament and family presentation at the Gove Yacht Club was attended by over 100 juniors, parents and friends, following the competition weigh-in.
The results were : 4 - 6yrs, winner - Jasmine Wright - Barracuda 71 pts and runner up Michael Fisher 47 pts; 7 – 9yrs, winner Chris Wright - Queenfish 162.22 pts and runner up Laura Hawthorne - Barracuda 137 pts; ,10 – 12yrs, winner Zoe Sloane - Coral Trout 113 pts and runner up David Woodroffe - Saratoga 67 pts; 13 – 15yrs, winner Jay Pascoll - Fingermark 160 pts and runner up Peter Mastin - Mackerel 64 pts; 16 – 17 yrs winner Daniel Pascall- Large Mouth Nannaygai 162.85 pts and runner up Connolly McCue - Giant Trevally 158 pts. Tournament Champion was Daniel Pascall on 162.85 pts, just out-fishing Chris Wright on 166.22 pts.
Well done to all the juniors who participated in the Halco Junior tournament.
This event would not be possible without the efforts of NRSFC members and the support of event sponsors AFANT, NT Fisheries, and Halco Lures. Great support was also provided by Bernice and the girls at Travelworld Gove, as well as the Gove Yacht Club.
Alex Julius Fishing Media
PO Box 571, Howard Springs NT Australia 0835
International phone: (618) 89832167
International fax: (618) 89831914
Fax (from within Australia): (08) 89831914
E-mail: AJFM@hotspot.com.au