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ARNHEMLAND BARRAMUNDI NATURE LODGE

The best technique for using a Mantaray is to crank it down briskly, stop winding and twitch it a couple of times, let it sit for two or three seconds so that it rises slowly, twitch it again to make it dart forward and down for about the length of its body, let it sit and float again, and so on until the Mantaray has moved well away from the structure and thus the strike zone. It’s a big barra bonanza!

Following on from last week’s reports of metre plus fish, this week has seen more big barra hooked in estuaries around Darwin.

Shoal Bay and Bynoe Harbour have been going off, and there is also excellent fishing to be had in Darwin Harbour.

Honorary Territorian Snow Dennis was casting a Classic 97 in the green rainbow colour around an East Arm rockbar, and came up tight on a 112cm barra. West Arm has also produced a couple of big barra around the metre mark.

The Rock at Shoal Bay continues to enhance its reputation as a spot for big fish. One crew fished it at night with Classics in the grey ghost colour, and hooked a succession of barra to 103cm.

As well as barra, the estuaries and foreshores are thick with small queenies and trevally. There are also some excellent golden snapper coming from the shallow rockbars and reefs, mostly falling to jigged soft plastics.

Craig Grosvenor from Got One reports good billabong fishing as well, with some of his customers fishing Corroboree Billabong and landing fish to 82cm. The best fishing was at first light, and most fish fell to Reidys Little Lucifers trolled very slowly.

Corroboree is also fishing well for saratoga, particularly for anglers prepared to cast into heavy cover with weedless lures.

For landbased anglers, lure casting off the rocks at East Point, Channel Island, Nightcliff foreshore and even the East Arm boat ramp is a productive approach.

Mackerel, GTs and small queenies are eager to hit a small metal slug or soft plastic. Put on a popper for some explosive surface strikes, but don’t expect to hook as many fish with this approach.

Buffalo Creek is producing barra and salmon for livebaiters. This is also an excellent spot to go for a stroll with a lure.

Big barra up to a metre in length have been sighted tailing at the Cullen Bay rockwall, but they are notoriously hard to hook. Unweighted livebaits or big soft plastics fished at night will give you the best chance of connecting to one of these street-smart fish.

The tides this weekend are perfect, with tidal movement of 3-4 metres coming off the spring tides of last weekend.

So what are you waiting for – get out there and give it a go.

 

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The Darwin Flyrodder’s 2006 Saltwater Flyfishing Challenge has just taken place at Bynoe Harbour. More than 1500 fish were caught and released during the competition, by 14 teams of long-wand aficionados.

Dave Bowring took out Champion Angler for the third year in a row, and was the only angler to catch all seven target species in a single day. He teamed with Roxley Pearce to take out Champion Team.

Cathie Bassett was nipping at Dave’s heels to take out Runner Up Champion Angler, and combining with Roger Bassett, Runner Up Champion Team.

 

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The annual Palmerston Game Fishing Club’s Junior Angler Education Clinic will be held at The Lakes in Palmerston on Sunday November 5.

Major sponsor Charlie Chambers from Happy Mick’s Fishing & Camping said today that he had been aware for many years of the need to get families new to the sport involved in recreational fishing. “I congratulate the Palmerston Game Fishing Club for their initiative in establishing this annual event. We are thrilled to be involved, and together with Shimano and Wilson Fishing, we have arranged for each child to receive a free fishing rod, reel, and tackle box”, he said.

Organiser Ray Colley is looking forward to a great day this year, after the outstanding success of the 2005 Education Clinic. “We have designed a program that would take kids between 6 and 14 (and their parents) through a basic education process, resulting in the participants being competent to catch fish themselves at an appropriate level of safety. We will be teaching how to tie knots and rigs, fishing with lures, safety on the water and lots of other exciting skills. Each child will be presented with a bag containing many goodies, plus an excellent fishing combo and a certificate of merit”, he said.

There are only 100 spots available for junior anglers, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Applications can be made this weekend at Happy Micks, Fairway Waters. A parent must accompany entrants, and there is a fee of $5 per child, or $15 for advanced students.

For more information call Ray Colley on 0418 892 822, or Mike Chambers on 8931 2466.