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ARNHEMLAND BARRAMUNDI NATURE LODGE

The jury is still out on the question of whether these stopgap barrages were the way to go.

They have certainly led to a rejuvenation of much of the wetlands that were all but lost, but they have had a harmful effect on the barramundi and other aquatic life simply because they have stymied the interaction between the freshwater and the saltwater.

To be fair, the scientists have redesigned the barrages to include spillways that permit more fish traffic, but significant fish kills occur every year on adjoining pastoral properties when barra trapped in drying channels behind the walls simply perish.

Perhaps a reflection of its former status as Australia's number one barramundi river, even with all these aquatic death traps, and even with vast wetland areas turned to saltpans, each year the Mary River system continues to produce some of the biggest wild-caught barra in Australia.

During the peak of a good wet season, the Mary River can become an inland sea and locating barra ready to take a lure is very difficult.

However, in recent years, new country has been pioneered by some of the Top End's great professional fishing guides.

For starters, even during big floods, both Sampan and Tommycutt Creek mouths, where they enter Chambers Bay, produce enormous barra during breaks in the wet season.

The key to it is water clarity.

Basically, if the water is clear enough for a barra to see your lure, then a combination of time, effort and wise lure choice will put you in the running to catch 120 cm-plus fish.

Mostly the big ones are caught trolling at these major creek mouths.

Two great lures that are proven big-fish catchers are the Classic 160 in the Coward Dazzler colour and the Bomber 16A in silver/chartreuse colours.

Along the Chambers Bay coast, heading either west from Tommycutt Creek or east from Sampan Creek, you'll find smaller creeks.

Those flowing a tannin-coloured stream into the bay are always worth checking out for big barra. Most seem to fish best on the larger tides, and during the first couple of hours of the run out. Some absolute whoppers have been caught by anchoring and casting right at their mouths or just inside.

Usually, big shallow-diving lures – once again, like the Bomber 16A – seem to work best, but big poppers also get smashed by monster females hunting the surface.

Shuttlecock sails

When Ian “Moe” McKay of Nhulunbuy asked Russell “Farmer” Graham to go and wet a line chasing billfish on his 5.85m glass boat “Streaker”, the offer was too hard to resist!

Russell Graham writes:

You don't have to go too far from the Alcan boat ramp to get into prime sailfish grounds. They are regularly raised within fifteen minutes of the main wharf where the big ships come to load up on alumina. We were heading out Saturday afternoon for an overnighter to get a fresh start on Sunday to fish the Brombie Island area and the water was smooth as glass.

The baits of choice are a skipping garfish rigged with a single hook and a pink squid skirt over the nose. The lines had only been in the water for approximately ten minutes when a nice sailfish took the bait. This was too good to be true, and turned out to be the only fish for the day.

During the next day we raised several sailfish, along with two black marlin of maybe 30-40kg. The last fish to be hooked (pictured) came up mid afternoon. It initially stripped two skipping baits and left the hooks behind.

Moe had come up with an idea of a budget teaser, using a pack of 6 shuttle cocks spray painted red, dragged all in a row.

Yes they raised a few eyebrows! However much to our amazement, this hungry fish thought it looked good and started to chew on it.

Moe being the captain and boat owner got the last remaining rigged bait and fed it down past the unorthodox teaser to the strike zone. This sailfish fast food didn't even get time to have the wrapper taken off before the big Shimano screamed into life! Ten minutes went by with many leaps for freedom before we got him along side and got a tag inserted for recording purposes. After a few quick family photos were taken he swam away under his own steam to fight another day!