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ARNHEMLAND BARRAMUNDI NATURE LODGE

The area was closed to commercial fishing some years ago, and that is one of two reasons why it fishes exceptionally well for barra during the build-up.

The other is that it there are extensive swamps across much of the Howard’s catchment area.

These swamps hold heaps of freshwater which flows steadily into the system during the wet season and well into the dry season.

If there is one thing common to all great barra rivers, it is the large volume of freshwater which feeds into them.

That is likely the key to why barra – in both numbers and size – are being caught at high tide near the top of the Howard, its arms and the smaller creeks in Shoal Bay: it’s where the salt meets the fresh and where smaller fish and prawns which barra love to chew on abound.

A good tactic on the weekend is to fish across the low tide in one of the holes, then head upriver with the incoming tide.

Sunday’s 2.2 m low just before 9.00 am is probably the pick of the weekend, but you’ll still have to get going early.

Best bet would be to drive to the Shoal Bay Boat Hire facility right on the Howard River, getting there no later than first light.

You can launch a trailer boat there, and then head upriver where there are several holes that will get close to being landlocked as the tide drops.

There’ll be barra in these holes, and you can target them on both hard-bodied lures and soft plastics.

If you can use a throw-net, take one and catch some live mullet baits and prawns, both of which are guaranteed to catch you a barra or three.

One of the best baits to muse is a strip of blue salmon, and you’re always a chance of catching one of those in the Howard.

I haven’t done this for a few years, but my experience has been that the barra come on best for the last half hour before the the incoming tide reaches whichever particular hole you’ve stranded yourself in.

I can’t remember exactly how far from the boat launching facility the biggest hole is, but I can tell you it is about 500 metres below the T-junction.

This hole is actually long and deep enough to troll, and it holds metre-plus barra at times.

Most years, the T-junction itself has a good hole near it, and there’s often another one about 300 m along the right arm.

Hopefully you will have nailed a few saltwater barra by the time the tide surges in, and then you can go with it up the left arm and fish around the mangroves with the rising tide.

If you take the right arm, you’ll come to a rockbar, so travel with caution.

Some terrific barra have been pulled from this rockbar over the years, and it’s also a land-based favourite because you can drive to it from a Gunn Point turn-off not far past the Howard River Bridge.

If your intention is to fish Tree Point inlet, then I doubt you’ll get there in daylight before the tide drops too low.

However, you can plan for an easy afternoon fishing session on the rising tide.

Saturday is best for that scenario because the high tide should be early enough to get back to the ramp before dark.

Whatever you do, don’t forget your insect repellent.