Happy Micks Fishing Report

Tynos 10 only $329 including braid only while stocks last!

Shoal Bay has been firing of late on the good old muddies. The crabs have been feeding in the smaller feeding creeks in King Creek and Mickets Creek on the incoming of the neaps we are having at the moment.

 The odd barra can be found by live baiting the holes that form in the upper reaches of King Creek on the dropping tides. Be careful when travelling in this area because the sands bars can be painful and nobody likes siting on a sand bar and waiting for the tide to come back in. (Like Charlie did a fee years ago)

 Don’t forget to take a handful of Gold Bombers because it seems that’s the only lure they like when the tide falls and the water muddies up. The mullet are in good numbers in the system but very shy and skittish, so drags nets seem to be the best way to get a couple of good mullet for live baiting.

with Brenton Marschke 

Mick with a Queenie from Bynoe last week

Talking to some that spent one day on each of the billabongs over a two day camping trip and had a fat time. Good barra fishing and even some monster toga. There were not really any stand out lures, the days were warm and the barra were ready to go,  bashing anything that went near them. 

 There has been some more Sailfish action around Sail City and Long Lost. One crew fished the area the last couple of weekends and reported Mackerel and acres of tuna. The weather has been kind to them,  with no real rough weather, and always calming down in the afternoon. Last weekend they hooked and fought a big sailfish for nearly hour and half,  but lost it at the boat –  the hooks pulled! They were happy they hooked one,  but hurting that they never got any happy snaps holding the sailfish. Thats fishing! All sorts of reef fish have been around Dundee,  remember pick they weather and stay safe. 

Mick also got this Jewie at Lorna. Is he shrinking or is that a big fish?

(more…)

with Brenton Marschke

Firstly congrats to Athiena and Charlie Chambers, with a wonderful healthy  bady girl ”Lyla.”  All is well and  great effort to both parties. Mike and Aileen Chambers are more then chuffed with their new grandchild (number 7 they think), l did my bit on ABC Tails from the Tinnie with Tim Moore last weekend. l had a great time they are all great fellas loved it, you can listen to the show here.

The fishing has been going along slowly and they have been getting a wide range of fish from bream (sorry Tim) to snapper jewfish and tuna. Even good size Mackerel still coming from the usaul haunts at Lee Point, East Point and they have even been sighted around Channel Island on the in coming tides  chasing the bait fish as the water moves in .

  I’m hearing of jewfish being caught in deeper parts of the harbour,  then just the many wrecks, so have a look around for some good structure off Larrakeyah and you might be surpised. Snapper and Tuskfish,  yes even the odd Coral Trout have been landed. There is some pelagic action off Lee Point with Mackerel and good schools of Long Tails kept fishos on the look out. I have heard it was a bit hard to spot schools working the surface, with a bit of a chop in the morning, but it did calm off in the afternoon. (more…)

The weather blowing one day and the next it’s over cast with no wind; on Tuesday morning we even had a light shower out in the rural area in the early morning.

The blue water still producing. Sailfish have been on the lips of most fishos and the schools of Northern Blue Fin Tuna that inhabit our coastline and wider out this time of year. Reef fishing and the Mackerel scene around Dundee has been good with numbers of Coral Trout and a few Red Emperor have been on the chew around Long Lost and Peron Islands,  as well as some large Mackerel. Closer to home Lee Point and wider has been producing some good all round fishing for Pelagics and yes, even some billfish! Earlier in the week during the neaper tides there were large schools of tuna close along the coast. They were hungry and ready to go, with reports of Longtails up to a massive 20 kilos.

On the barra side of things its hot and cold in many of the Billabongs  and river systems but because of the events that have been happening in the blue water the humble barramundi has taken the back seat for the last month or so..

 Dean Blackman and his wife Melanie went out in the harbour during the week and tangled with the Northern Blue Fin. They landed a few and lost a few and  had a blast as there were heaps of schools busting the surface, working hard and fast and staying on top feeding,  so you could get a few cast in before you hooked up. At one stage they were all around the boat chopping through the bait schools. Still buzzing,  l got the call to head out with them the next day. As we cleared Emery Point and made towards Six Mile we scanned the surface of the water looking for jumping fish. As we came off the plane a group of young fellas in another boat had a double hook up on some very lively fish. It was not long,  only a matter of minutes, before we saw our first big school of tuna, turning the surface water to a foam and crushing bait schools.

As we moved into the path of the frenzied school of feeding fish, we made sure not to power into them, but allowed them to come to us. We fired a long cast into the school and two cranks of Dean’s reel and he was on  to the first screaming fish. They are such a good light game fish, no more then 10kg line class is needed, even though  my good mate Craig told me 50 pound braid was the go to get them in quicker. And  to get more fish! Yep,  two broken rods later and a bit of a dented ego! It was totally my fault as l certainly pushed the envelope on rods that were not suited to the for the line class l was using. We had spare rods, well at least Dean did. Thanks Dean. The fish were about for a good couple of hours and lots of  bust up’s every couple off minutes. Schools of up to thirty or forty tuna averaging 6kg to 8kg.

Brenton was as proud as punch - about a millisecond before his rod popped!

It’s a  great visual sight’  seeing busting schools of bait fish over all the place and forget all about the V8’s! Dean in the driver seat zooming around like he stole it, blasting around getting in front of feeding tuna was just as much fun as catching them. Just as well  it was a nice calm day. In the end Dean and l landed 6 tuna and lost a few but it  gets the blood going. Yahoo- like we were 16 again! Great fun the double hook up’s, l rate it big time! Chromes and even plastics were the weapon of choice to get hooked up to these speed demons. l’m also  hearing of Mackerel still floating about around East Point and Tuna and some larger models of G.T’s working close to shore,  with early morning land based fisho’s getting hooked up  on big Travelly  and the odd Queen fish getting in on the act. Poppers and large chrome slices are the shot. The Bottlewasher has mackerel and the odd jewfish hanging on it and maybe worth a shot on the bigger tides on the the change of tide.

 The Billabongs have not yet really fired up but we are hearing some reports filtering in that people are catching barra. Not in big numbers, but average 55cm to 65cm are the norm. The fishing folk have been changing their tactics and casting to the lillies and weed beds using fizzers, small poppers and scum frogs, as well as the ever reliable plastics. Saratoga have been aggressive, taking most lures cast into the lilies, and the fly brigade have been getting amongst it as well with Dalbergs and Pink Things. Trolling early mornings and late afternoons with the trusty Little Lucifer’s and spearhead  have been working OK.  Hardies is  the same as Coroborree,  and  casting has been getting the results. Early mornings have been good. Bigger fish have been coming in from 70cm to 80cm. Nice barra  and clean to boot. 

The land based fishermen have been getting barra off East Alligator crossing on the top of the tide with good schools of mullet getting harassed by rampaging big barra. Poppers seem to be the go as the tide moves out. The Daly has slowed down considerably and that’s thanks to the cold weather but they are still getting good fish down there on the bigger tides. Live bait has become the preffered method to catch a barra, but on the bigger tides deep lures have been working on the change of tides. Above the crossing has also slowed but if we get a few warm days things should start firing up again.

 Darwin Harbour now and the Bream have come into the Harbour in clouds, haunting most of the rocky points and rock bars in many of the estuaries. In the harbour itself the crabs have been a bit slower but the crab bait is still moving out the door. If the weather permits Shoal Bay has been a great place to catch a mud crab. One fella was the only boat in the whole Shoal Bay/Howard River system, and never saw another boat all day! He was rewarded with a heap of big mud crabs, salmon and also barra caught on some live mullet. The mud crabs have been active  in Elizabeth and Middle Arm on regular a basis but the share farming has been making fisho’s seeing red. But be sure the days are numberd where they get caught by the owners of the pots or the authorities. Be sure, they will be caught and dealt with..

  With the bigger tides this weekend chasing a few muddies bream and a few golden snapper could be a pleasent way to spend the day. Snapper are not around  in huge numbers like a few month ago,  but the odd deeper rock bar is still holding them on changes of tide. Use live bait  mullet to lift your average of catching a barra or even casting the gutters with plastics or Bombers 15A, even the smaller 14A and the little B52. Over the other side of the harbour in West Arm and Little West Arm wind plays a big factor so if it’s not to breezy,  jobs on.  Mackerel early morning off Lee point and East point will be also another place to be before the wind picks up, though early indications are that the wind is going to die off again over the nexdt few days! Call in and ask where they are biting and have a safe and sun smart weekend from the team from Happy Micks tight lines..

This weeks tides

 It has been a great start for the blue water season with mackerel and tuna in good numbers, closer in  around Darwin habour itself,  and East Point and Lee Point saving many fishos from the slower barra fishing  in the rapidly cooling billabongs. They are still getting fish in the fresh  but with the cooler weather it makes it more interesting,  and you have to try different things. What l’m hearing is that people  have been chasing Saratoga in the lilly pads and having been hooking good size barra in between the saratoga,  running through the lilly pads. Great fun!

Trolling has been been good in the mornings and through the later part off the afternoon. Finding shallower areas around weed beds have been producing results,  using the trustworthy gold bomber and the old favourite Nilsmaster Spearheads. You need to work them hard whilst trolling,  even taking the motor out of gear,  then slowly moving off again,  and changing lures every couple of trolls. You never know whats going to happen. Hardies Billabong has been going well, with the water level dropping and some nice fish to 75cm have been bashing soft plastics cast right up into the pandanas bushes. Let it sink and slow retrieve. Reidys rubbers and slick rigs in the three inch size has been the ticket. White and red heads have been the most popular. 

  Crabs have slowed a bit around the harbour,  but with the full moon last week it should start to pick up again this week. They are still getting them in Shoal Bay and Leaders Creek and in some of the harbour

Elizabeth has been been serving up some huge crabs, as well as bream and golden snapper. I heard of a couple of metre plus jewfish coming from only a small  hole in the mouth of Elizabeth. Tuna have been feasting on bait schools in the early morninga around day break,  but are getting flighty once the sun is up. There are some nice bream getting caught along the foreshore of the harbour around the many rocky outcrops,  and queen fish are popping up everywhere in the harbour,  and some big

Redmonds 14kg Jewie

schools are out the front of Cullen Bay. Land based early morning spin sessions have been good for a few fishos this week,  hooking Queenfish and the odd smaller Gray mackerel and GT’S. There are some large travelly giving the land based brigade fun and often losing some large amounts of line. Nothing they can do but grin and take it on the chin. Channel Island is also another great place for land based fishing with a variety from bream to barra and pelagics on the incoming tides .

Stuart Mair with a great dry season saltwater barra

Good tides for for a bottom bounce, or go and chase bream and even pelagics around the harbour or even out wide.  Dundee will be the go to spot for many trying to catch the first bill fish,  and to see these awesome fish in their natural enviroment.  Lee piont will be a good option,  and also East Point to troll for a few Mackerel. Bynoe will be good for flats fishing for Salmon and Barra in shelted areas out of the wind. The Adelaide Narrows wil be worth a shot for a Jewfish or a Golden Snapper. Have a great weekend and be sun smart. From the team at Happy Micks..

Here’s another long weekend, so again, where do we go and what are the options?

There are some areas that are really firing up, and its going to be a great weekend in the blue water if the wind stays away. You must admit the dry season has given us only a few cooler mornings so far, and the water temperature has not dropped all that much. The cooler weather shouldn’t be too far away though.

Big Mac’s all around at Lee Point and surrounding areas, the Bottlewasher, and Rick Mills have been producing some good action with big mackerel, jewfish and tuna giving fishos a run for their money. There’s been some big shark sightings around Lee Point so you would think with that much berley put in the water the action would be thick and fast! Perhaps that’s why there’s been a few really large mackerel getting some serious air free jumping over twenty feet out of the water. Great to see! East Point has also been producing descent Mackerel and some tuna school are working this area. Darwin Harbour is going great guns again from Bream to Snapper, Barramundi and Blue Salmon all providing action and interest. and good reports of jewfish being caught on the many wrecks that are in the harbour.

Many of the estauries have been giving up some good crabs. I was talking to an old crabber and he says that next month is the best time of the whole year for mud crabs. So happy day if he is right, with most of the fifty litre crab cookers that are walking out the door providing folk with there fair share of this tasty crustacean. The Elizabeth has produced some monster crabs, as well as Shoal Bay and some parts of the mouth of the Adelaide River..

Still in Shoal Bay and Adelaide river mouth, jewfish have been landed around the Rock and the Narrows, and some barra have been taken on live bait in Shoal Bay. The jewfish have been taking local squid and fresh fillet of mullet – great fun going ballistic in shallow water. There are good numbers of blue salmon over the huge mud flats, that have been getting into mullet and smaller gar fish, taking live bait intended for barra as well as threadfin salmon. Land based fisher people have been getting into them from East Point. One costumer got done over big time and ended up getting spooled. He said ”it never slowed up at all, once he gave the rod a couple of big hits to set the hook, it just locked on to the horizon and kept on motoring.”

Around Larrakeyah and Stokes Hill Wharf tuna and Queenfish have been popping up withincasting distance, with the odd jewfish getting landed on the Stokes Hill Wharf. Live bait if you can get it, but Halco chromes or maribou jigs are the best to use off the wharf. Channel Island foreshore has a wide range of fish being caught from bluebone to barra and travelly. Town Hall has seen the odd jewfish on the change of tide, Middle Arm has been good on the many rock bars for a Bream and Snapper, and the Elizabeth is also producing some stonker bream. One customer got stuck a session of them on the upper reaches of the river .

If you want to get further afield the on this Queens Birthday long weekend the Mighty Daly River has been outstanding. Its still producing some awesome fishing, with plenty of nice size fish around the 60cm to 70cm but also a lot of big fish are moving onto the river with these making tides. Many tourist that visit this river came into the shop to restock lures and tackle and told me that they had the best week, catching fish in the 80 and 90cm range, and also two over the metre mark one going a massive 117cm. (Not bad for a first timer. These fish were released by the way) He also added that deep diving lures were just as good as live bait and they were preffering lures because there was no need to going through the trouble to get live bait.   We’ve also heard of another half dozen well over the metre trolling, and rumours of a 122cm on fly! Good times down there at the moment and it keeps getting backed up by some excited fisherman trying to hold back on how well its going, but not disclosing where on the river. From what I’m hearing they’ve not been travelling as far as up Elizabeth. It seems that bigger and building tides have been the most productive on the Daly, so this weekend should be a stonker!

I’m hearing the mouth of the South has been good also, with the mouth of Brook Creek producing some great barra and salmon. Golden Snapper and Jewfish are plentiful around the islands. Another good place and always tangle with barra this time of the year is Yellow Waters. It has heaps to offer and they have been getting a few down there. Good place to get away and very pretty place this time of year. Shady Camp is another place where you would be assured of a barra. There’s a lot of smaller barra coming from the fresh water side of Shady Camp and as the tide changes at the mouth they are getting into some nice fish. Weather permitting the jewfish out the front of Sampan will be worth a trip.

Hardies has been good, with fish around the 65 plus and a few 80cm fish starting to show up. With the full moon this weekend Hardies and Coroborree may be well worth a shot at night. The night time fishing is where you pick up your bigger fish and with the days producing few barra maybe the night time option might be a better choice. Remember to make sure your boat has ample lighting when fishing at night; its not a very good place to be in the water at night with all those snapping logs if you have an accident with a fellow boaty!

So with good tides this up and coming weekend it seems the only thing that will determine where people will go will be the wind factor. If it holds, Dundee will be another great spot. With sailfish and many reef fish on hand around the Perons, Point Blaze and wide off Dundee itself. Do remember to watch the weather, and if you are in a smaller boat, Darwin habour with its many arms and estauries has plenty to offer, and with the bigger bream showing up, and mud crabs around it will be a good family outing. Have a great long weekend, stay safe on the water, sun smart tight lines..

Allison Smart takes the trifecta with these three beauties caught at the Perons last weekend. Come in and collect a FREE Octo Sniper Jig, Alison.

With neap tides last week there was a lot bait sold,  and the number of crab pots walking out the door tells the story.

 The weather has been good to get out in the blue water and have a crack at those hard pulling fish, as well as getting up in those estuary creeks chasing muddies and barra. It’s looking like 10 knots or less in the morning calming down after lunch both days. Hope they’re right!

Reef fisho's note. Things are changing out there. Check out the bait! All these fish were taken on the new Octo Sniper jigs currently available instore.

Folks fishing creeks around Darwin Harbour and Bynoe are reporting quality catches of muddies up to 10 or so a trip. Shoal Bay has been another hot spot for muddies and the Narrows and Leeders Creek been producing muddies and some big blue salmon around the mouth,  as well the odd jewfish abit further east. The Adelaide has been doing well on jewfish and barramundi. It seems all tides are working, and  one regular customer has been fishing nearly every weekend while the wife was away. He said he’s not going to miss out. 

 Dundee has been going great guns around Blaze and more towards the Perons Islands,  with 2 to 3 kilo golden Snapper being boated. The Mackerel are everywhere and there are plenty of sailfish being reported at Sail City, with one boat raising a dozen last weekend.  There are some big bait schools out there at the moment,  and trolling  in between reef spots has been producing Mackerel,  so this area has been fishing really well. The Finnis River has been consistent,  with barra and the odd mud crab coming in on the bigger tides.

This weekend you may have to change your fishing tactics.  One southerner just cast a Classic lure in at the mouth of the Finnis,  and just trolled up the river one side then back down the other side and boated 12 nice barra up to 75cm. Not bad for the first time on the river. Closer to home Lee Point has seen some pelagic action. Tuna schools have mackerel mixed in with them.  Bottlewasher  has been fishing well with mack’s and the odd jewfish. In the harbour around Larrakeyah  and Emery Point and  Talc Head has seen tuna action,  busting into schools of fleeing bait,  but they are getting flighty so remember try to get in front of them cut the motor they will hang around more if you do this.. (Click here for more on catching tuna)

 If Coroborree was a race track it would be marked down to slow. They are still getting small fish in the billabong, but  only a few people are getting more than ten fish a trip. Saratoga are in good numbers and they are putting up a good show. Shady camp has a lot of smaller fish in the fresh water side. The lillies up on the top rock bar are thick and you hear a lot of boofing going on in amongst them. There are still catching them off the Barrage at night.  Hardies has been very spasmodic but they are mainly getting fish early morning or at night…

 Daly has been fishing very well, with some good numbers of 65 to 85cm fish caught.  l have been told of  a metre fish landed up near the crossing. It  goes to show that you do not have to travel to get big barramundi down the Daly. People have been getting up above the crossing to keep clear of the Barra Classic that is on at the moment,  and banging some good fish on live bait around snags. With this weekend’s large tides it should be good to chase a few muddies and a barra on live bait. Cast a lure around if you are live baiting,  you never know.

The forecast is looking good for the weekend so  if you want to give the motor a good run, The Vernons Bathurst, and Dundee Wide should be your sights. In closer,  chase some tuna either at Lee Point or Darwin Harbour.  Be sun smart and tight lines.