FISHING
NEWS FROM NORTH AUSTRALIA
With Alex Julius - 9 February 2006
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The annual opening of Shady Camp is always a big event on the calendar of all Territorian anglers, and the past week has seen many making the trip to fish this famous spot.
Anglers fishing from the barrage have landed some nice fish, particularly those fishing at night on a rising tide.
You have to persevere to land a barra, so be prepared to put in a good session of casting.
The usual run of smaller barra, around 50 – 60 cm, are congregating below the barrage along with a few bigger ones, and are suckers for a well-presented soft plastic.
The key to fishing the barrage is to use a soft plastic that has enough weight to work down near the bottom. Cast out and work the lure back very slowly, as the current will keep the tail moving.
I find colour is not so important here, as long as the lure has a good tail action and you work the area thoroughly. A shad-style soft plastic with a forked tail seems to work better than one with a wriggler tail, but it must be equipped with a good strong hook.
Justin Jones caught this 92 cm Daly River barra last weekend
The opening of Shady Camp produced this outstanding 107cm barra for Victorian visitor Megan Watts, a guest at Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge
Darwin resident Daniele (Harry) Davis traveled to Kununurra, and found time to catch this 92 cm barra from the spillway at Lake Argyle. |
Don’t forget to be careful around the barrage – there are some big salties living in this area.
Some bigger fish were caught by anglers casting at the flooded edges downstream from the barrage.
The S-bends have produced a couple of good sessions – including by anglers working big surface poppers – but the fish are moving through so you have to stick with it.
Darwin angler Chris Errity fished the Daly last week with Justin Jones (pictured) from Obsession Fishing Charters, and they worked hard for a few fish from around Clear Creek.
He reported that there was very little bait around as yet.
Ronald Voukolos and crew from Fishing and Outdoor World also fished the Daly last weekend. They traveled a long way downstream, and cast to some good colour changes for a catch of 7 medium barra.
While conditions were tough last weekend, the quality of the run-off is a good sign that fishing will fire up as the bait starts to move through.
Warren De With from Katherine Rod and Rifle reports that the Roper Bar is continuing to fish well for anglers who are prepared to put the time in.
While the Roper is at a good fishable height now, locals are hoping for another lot of rain in the next month to raise water levels and rejuvenate the river for the dry season.
The Victoria River has flooded, and the water is now dropping rapidly. This is another spot that should fish well once the river is back within its banks.
Golden snapper continue to be active in Darwin Harbour, and there are also jewfish coming from some of the deeper wrecks.
Anglers fishing from the foreshore around Larrakeyah and Nightcliff have been catching hard-fighting queenfish and trevally, mainly on live baits, fished under a float on a rising tide.
The East Arm Port rockwall has also produced some big trevally for anglers trolling shallow running lures like the ever-popular Gold Bomber.
With the recent break in the weather, Darwin locals have returned to Shoal Bay.
One crew caught 6 barra to 90 cm and some blue salmon while live-baiting a low-tide hole.
This weekend has great tides for Shoal Bay, as you can launch in the morning and fish the midday low before returning to the ramp in the afternoon.
Bynoe Harbour is full of threadfin salmon at the moment. Target them around the edges of mudflats on a falling tide for the best results.
There are also schools of trevally along the western side of Knife Island, and they are taking trolled lures.
The many rockbars around the fringes of Bynoe are great spots to have a cast for mangrove jacks and pan-sized golden snapper if you head out there this weekend.
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The Annual General Meeting of the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT) will be held this month.
The AGM will take place at 7 pm Thursday 23 February at the Cruise Ship Facility at Darwin Wharf.
Major topics will be amendments to the AFANT constitution, and the presentation of AFANT’s Development Plan 2006-2009.
In attendance will be Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries, Kon Vatskalis, and Minister for Planning and Lands, Chris Burns. They will both be addressing the meeting on issues relevant to recreational fishing.
For more information visit www.afant.com.au.
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The Australian Government is contributing $15 million over three years to improve the recreational fishing experience.
Community projects of high public benefit are being sought under the Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program.
Funding of up to $100,000 (GST inclusive) per project is available. Applicants must also contribute, in cash and/or in-kind, on a matching basis.
Examples of projects for which grants could be available include, but not limited to:
• improvements at boat ramps
• funding for volunteer marine rescue associations to provide safety for anglers
• re-stocking programmes
• re-snagging rivers and waterways to provide fish habitats
• interpretive signage
• fish-cleaning stations and boat wash-down facilities
• improvements for local boating safety measures
• youth recreational fishing camps
For more details or to register your interest, visit www.daff.gov.au/recfishinggrants, or email fishinggrants@daff.gov.au
Submissions close for Round 2 on Friday 17 March 2006.
Alex Julius Fishing Media
PO Box 571, Howard Springs NT Australia 0835
International phone: (618) 89832167
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E-mail: AJFM@hotspot.com.au