Happy Micks Fishing Report

This is the time of the year all barra fishermen and fisherwomen wait for. The barra are starting to go nuts all around the traps at the moment. There are multiple crews coming into the shop after having a great day catching barra with some great and not so great days. The barra fishermen in the know are have 30 – 50 fish days. But some crews are busting out on the same river section.

Shady camp has been fishing well with alot of boats heading out to troll the mouth of Sanpan. I have had reports  of a mass of boats doing endless laps all day out the front. But they have been catching some good fish on the troll with Classics and Halco Scorpions in fluro colours. Up the top of Marsh creek is fishing very well with crews working the junctions and the snags with Hollow Bellys and Slickrigs for fish to the metre mark. I have had reports of multiple metre plus Barra. One customer got a 105cm, 111cm and dropped a horse of a barra over the magical 120 mark. Larger lures are the choice for these larger fish as they prefer hunting the larger bait profile. This weekend I reckon half  the fishermen in Darwin will be down at Shady, take care when driving the boat  because I have heard about alot of close calls with boat having to go aground to stop from colliding  into another boat that is going flat out.

Adelaide river is starting to fish very well at the moment. Live baiting with Tarpon is the go at the moment for larger fish. Find a nice quite junctions out of the way of the main river and anchor up and put out a good spread of live Cherabin and tarpon and wait for the fish to come to you. It is always a good idea to throw a lure around when you are at anchor because fish will be feeding past the boat. Hollow Bellies and Slikrigs are good lure choices because they can be fished in all the water column for with great efficiency.

The mighty Daly River is starting to fish great as well. With alot of fish being caught down near the mouth. Trolling the rock bars with Classics in +10 Guns and Roses are producing the best results with many fish being caught over the metre mark. Up the Daly in the junctions of Reed creek and Browns are producing good fish with boats anchoing up and tossing lures into the Eddies.

We just got a Hardstick rods into stock. They are selling very well so pop into the shop and have a look at these good but affordable rods.

Tight Lines Douglas Hewett

There are reports that the bigger barra are starting to show up around the rock bars above Reichardts,  with some  metre fish that were not around while the comp was on a couple of weeks ago now starting to show up..

We were up the top of the Mary River Bridge lagoon during the week. So many places - so little time!

Be warned;  if your pot is gone you’ll know why!

Trolling deep running lures and casting soft plastics at creeks and snags just as the tide changes will be most productive. On the slack water before it starts  running hard will be the  best  chance of hooking a bigger barra.

On either the the low or the high,  try to get down deep where they are, especially when the water becomes slack,  you may find that bigger fish will venture out from the snags to ambush mullet or tarpon. This is a good thing to do when the tide is at its change; casting the feeder creeks will be your  main focus, or sinking big plastics down and bouncing them around the bottom of feeder creeks,  back into the main system is also another effective way to get the large fish.

What we have been hearing is that  most of the feeders are still running,  and good numbers of fish are coming from them. The lures you should take on the trip are Barrabait 8+ and 20  and Big B52’s Triho  Minnows, or Classics in 10+ and +1. Any of your plastics in white, pink or red heads are the have been the weapons of choice.  Guns and Roses, browns and yellows, purple and blue and yellow,  in the range of depth from 10 feet  to deeper 20 feet.

Play it safe and be nice to each other on the river over Easter,  so if the creek is packed move on and find another spot,  or try something different. You never know,  you might find another secret spot, or a new tecnique like Mick did a couple of weeks ago. So watch out for the logs and rock bars.  l think you can drive across the low level on the low tide so check if you want to stay on the Mango Farm side instead.

An aerial view of Shady Camp a few days ago. (Photo courtesy of Dean Blackman)

Shady Camp really came alive last week. The barrages were fishing well, and there were cricket scores coming fromn the fresh water side. Out  front, jewfish or barra and salmon were on the chew, hitting  big green shallow running lures. Green Bombers, Triho Min or  or big B52’s, have been doing the job. One boat landing three fish over the metre mark over two days. The  water was good and calm,  making it easy, large numbers of mullet were around and the whole system from the top to the bottom is going well. The S bends are starting to fish well on the change,  and really any back eddy  is worth a few casts. There are still a few feeder creeks coming in on the Shady Camp side worth  fishing. There are plenty of barra around the 60cm to75cm mark being caught, but the water level is much lower then a couple of weeks ago so keep an eye on the tide.

 

 

 

 

 

Tim O’Donnell fishing a Shady Camp barrage recently. But wait … whats that under yonder tree???

Just can't be too careful, can we? Look closely now!

With the tide peaking around lunchtime, l’d be taking green lures or anything with a bit of flash or silver in it. You’ll need a ton of a ton of plastics Reidys, Squidgys, Gulps or Atomics are all you will need. Just like the real world, Redhead always prodide a lot of excitement, with  pink and the  more natural colours providing variety.

The word is Coroborree  may be open this long weekend. It is resplendent this ealy in the season, and flush with bait, Mick said he had never seen so much bait so early in the season, which augers well for the future fishing of this magnificent spot.

I took this amazing photo of bait out in the Coroborree area last week.

 

 

 

 The Adelaide River still has run off coming from it, with a mate catching a few good barra up to 94 cm  on the rock bar just before Goat Island on the change of tide. We’re hearing that there is still water flowing out of feeder creeks along the river,  with tell tail signs of bait fish in them. Beatrice  had quite a few boats in it.  Jason was in during the week, and said things must be going alright there. Once again live bait is certainly getting more re-action in this system,  and getting double the catches then using lures or soft plastics. l reckon this maybe the last couple of weeks that the run off will be effective, and the barra will be feeding hard,  so this is another area that will be worth your attention over the Easter peooi. Big tides will push the water up the feeder creeks, and it may not look like there is any colour coming from them,  but you will find that half way through the runnout  there might be a slight colour change happening. Give each feeder a good half hour at a time as the tide falls. Its bringing bait and nutrients out from the floodplains, and the fish will be gathering at the mouths hungry to get their share.

 Lures of choice are Classics, Barrabaits, Bombers, B52 and plastics. Again,  cast eddies and feeder creeks on the out going tide with a nice slow retrieve being the key to good fish.

The South Alligator has been producing a goodly  number of barra only a week after the Kakuda Klash. Thats how the fishing game goes! Still a bit of water coming from the flood plains, and the top of Nourlangi  at the forks will be a good as place as any for a good session.

As the tide moves in fish will follow mullet schools upstream,  bashing them as they go. The mouth of Nourlangi Creek has been fishing on the change of the tide,  with fish at 112cm  landed there only three days after the comp!

The mouth has good numbers of goldies and jewfish out the front. Brooks and the Rookery will be good on these bigger tides,  stirring up the bigger barra,  chasing mullet as the tide pours in to them. It can get very frustrating! The mullet are getting the living you know what beat out of them,  and yet you can’t buy a hit. But l reckon that’s all a part of why we go fishing,  to see this happening can be just about the best sight ever.

East Alligator will be another great spot.  l’ve heard the main rock bar down from the landing has been producing barra on the top of the tide,  and half way on the run out tide with high 90cm fish and bigger ones getting lost in to snags.  Upstream around the escarpment  would also worth a trip;  the huge sand bar is showing so you maybe able to get over it,  but the fishing will be great above it,  Have not heard anything from Yellow Waters;  still a lot of water out there so maybe in another couple of weeks ..

Much closer to home,  the harbour has been going great guns,  with good barra and goldies being caught in numbers and sizes. Last week hearing of a 98cm just 2cm under the magic  metre mark over in Woods Inlet and other fish around the 60cm mark also in great numbers. A 103cm was caught somewhere in Middle Arm, and but they are there  for sure, and the harbour system is so healthy at bthe moment its only going to get better and better.

 Gold bombers, Tiger Lillys, Junior B52’s, Twitch baits  and plastics are the lures you will need,  and live bait has been always a good option. Shoal B at Spot Six and that general area is worth a hit. The crabs have been plentiful, and in good numbers.

The harbour arms are also showing good numbers of crabs. The best time is as the tide moves back in,  or on the top of the tide as the water pushes  back out. Remember big tides this weekend so make sure you can get to your nets and that there is water around the pot all the time.

ith such big tides and the low ranging around the midday it should be nice and sunny so target the gutters as the tide falls and rock bars or any back eddy. If you are going to wet a bait on the change Town Hall or shallower reefs may be good before the tide becomes too much run. As  they say,  no run no fun! P

Plenty of options for the harbour and Shoal Bay area.  Leaders Creek  will be another spot worth going out for a crab or wetting a line out the front in the hole of the river. Trolling the  incoming tide along the  bank may get you a nice barra or threadie, or even a trophy jewfish!

There have been some big mackerel floating around the likely spots of Lee Point, so they  should also be hanging around the Vernons. There are  reports of the  odd tuna schools as well, mackerel and jewfish have been haunting the Bottle Washer and some big sharks have been getting on in the act. Six Mile Bouy and Charles Point, weather permitting,  are  worth  a go on the change, with  squid and pilchard are the go and even having a jig for them could hurt.

We are so fortunate here in the vast choice of destinations available to use, all magnificent, wild and productive. We haven’t mentioned Bynoe Harbour yet, a favourite long weekend playground, although the tides may be a bit too big. The road to Fog Bay will be heavily trafficked, and Sail City, Dundee wide and the blue water may beckon for the first time this season for some people. 

So there’s a few ideas where you may go and wet a line over the long weekend. Play it safe on the water,  be kind to your fellow fisho’s, and be sure to  tell people where you going if you are going further a field, and the  time you are due back etc

Be sun smart, and we hope you have a good safe break. Don’t drink and drive on the water or  the road as the word is the police will be out in force. WE want to see you safe and sound next week not as a headline in the paper!

Jeromie"s secret spot!

With nice clear days and little wind over the last week, for most keen fisho’s its a hard decision where to go. A lot of folks have been heading out wide and with mixed results,  but they have been getting and seeing some bill fish so that’s great news. 

On the bottom bouncing scene l have heard of more big snapper and jewfish coming from no further out then 6 Mile Buoy,  and even inside the harbour itself,  with some getting their bag limits within a short session. During the last neaps sharks played havoc with bait fisherman,  moving in on good snapper bites and shutting them down. The trick is, once they move in, you move out! Go find another spot, as they will take a toll on your fish and tackle pretty quickly. Pull anchor and scout another likely spot. 

The Town Hall hole seemed to be one place that they got both goldies and jewfish and on many other  wrecks around the harbour. Bigger tides this weekend will  give you a smaller window so fish on either low or high tide on the changes,  before you need a house brick or two to keep you in the zone..

Apparently there was a line up of boats400 metres long  at Shady Camp. Anyone would think that the fish are jumping into the boat,  as many  as 60 to 70 boats lined up waiting to get their feet wet.  Since you have to go a long way into the water to get the boat off the trailer, it’s not a real nice feeling standing in knee deep plus water  with a lot of  healthy hungry crocs haning around.

There are numbers of smaller fish along the coastal run offs with odd bigger barra getting caught. Its the law of averages: with that many boats down at the mouth and that many lures getting dragged through the strike zone the bigger fish must be having a hard time picking which lure to crunch. The mouth of Sampan had a nice run of metre plus salmon and a lot of barra around the 65 to 75cm mark,  with some boats landing some real stonker threadies. Great to see good numbers getting around the mouth – just imagine if the government brought back those licences,  what kind of holy mecca  would this area become for barra and salmon –  it would be simply awesome!

The normal lures,  Killalures and Classics and also Reidys B52’s have been the weapon of choice. There are also plenty of jewfish out on the reef  from Shady Camp mouth,  so that whole system is looking good. We should still get another monsoon, so it’s going be a great run off  well into April, easter and beyond. And another great year for the billabongs – how good is this place?

 A bit closer to home the Adelaide river below the bridge,  with a week of little rain has,  dropped a bit and good colour change is coming from many run-offs into the main river system. Some good fish coming from Beatrice and a few “no name” creeks,  and well formed drains along the river producing nice tea colour water, bait coming from them late in the tide. One crew fishing a moonlight session heard some big boofs like gun shots going off,  as they braved the millions of mozzies,  but had a good sessions on  quality saltwater barra. It seems there have been good results right above Goat Island. The Daly river is a sleeping Gaint waiting for the water to drop,  when  l will think it will be ”GAME ON.”  Its still over 11 metres and has been for the last four weeks,  but it is starting to drop now, and this weekend should be right on the money, except that the Wooliana Road is still closed and omly access is from the crossing. Be patient – it will happen!  A couple of boats fishing around the mouth have been getting cricket scores,  but thats a big trip,  so remember safety in remote areas at this time of year is paramount.

The South is still up, and they have been getting a few fish up top,  and around the run off’s. Down at the mouth its been really good  for soaking baits for big goldies and jewfish,  with  some good  vibes coming from people who  went for a look down that area!  For the barra  it may take bigger tides to kick start the barra bite – all up the river the creeks are primed,  so if we get a bit more rstorm rain all well and good. 

 Big tides this weekend: the harbour is one place worth a shot for the barra. Like l said last week they have been taking bigger lures and  plastics are still working but the Bombers and the B52 have been the undoing of a few quality barra; even  getting good size goldies on the many rock bars. West Arm and the Little West Arm have been the quet acheivers,  with some nice barra and a few salmon coming from them. There have been a few crabs around, but mostly the crabs have been out along the sides of the creek mouths,  not up in them. Not great numbers,  but the lucky few have been getting a nice feed. Elizabeth River and Middle Arm have been the pick for them.

Town Hall will be a chance for a jewfish or a goldie on the change of tide and for the land based fisherman l think Buffalo Creek would be as good as any for a barra or a salmon. Even a few culverts out along the Stuart and Arnhem highways, but  make sure you don’t leave rubbish laying around.  Further out,  the Adelaide river might be good as well. If the water drops down on the bigger tides you should be able to find some great colour change and some good fish moving in on the incoming tides, so be sun smart and safe and  hook into this great fishing while it’s there.