Happy Micks Fishing Report

Joseph Schubert with this well deserved barra from the Victoria River last week

Peter Schubert took his kids for a trip down to Timber Creek last week, an annual pilgimage which has been happening as a post Easter trip for many years.

“It was maybe not quite as good this year, but we still got over fifty fish in three days” he said. “We left just as the tides were building, and the bigger fish were following the mullet upstream. It should really go off this next set of springs.”

It was difficult getting over the rockbar at Policemens Crossing, so we spent most of the time downstream on the rockbars at the Yangalari. Our biggest fish was 87cms which son Joseph landed just a few minutes after I extracted a treble from underneath his foot. He ttok the operation pretty well and was rewarded with this nice fish.  (more…)

Paul and Shane were down at Bynoe yesterday and absolutely cleaned up. They anchored over one hole out near the mouth and got blown away with Jewies (12) Snapper (3 big ones) plus Cod Salmopn and assorted reef fish and cleaned up on Mud crabs. Not a bad days work!

 Everyone is trying to squeeze the last out of the run-off that the wet has to offer. The  weather is an arm wrestle between seasons, but the weather bureau says there is only a slight possibility of a cyclone before its officially the dry season. Looks like the wet is all done and dusted.   

Things are looking good on the fishing front with the Barra Nationals in full swing down the  Daly river, so stay away from their for a few days. The rivers have been fishing well, and with the last of the humid days now numbered the saltwater has been more calm days then rough and folks have been making the most of things and getting into the snapper, jewfish and mackerel.

 There is still good barra fishing around.  l’ve been getting good reports from folk venturing  further afield.  With this decent weather there have been really good reports of sizable goldies up 80cm and lots of them. North Gutter,  and around Bathurst Island,  South Gutter and some areas of Fenton Patches have been great places to be. A bit further east,  around the Vernon Island has also been good,  with some very big mackerel free jumping and getting stuck into large schools of bait. With the larger models of Giant Trevally giving people grief on reef bottoms, and winning their freedom with dogged runs straight down where they came from,  there are more mixed reef fish in this area than people realise. Some good mud crabs coming from Leaders and around the  Adelaide River mouths and creeks within these systems. 

Trusty old Shoal Bay have been really good,  with some fishos only doing the one drop and getting two to three muddies in a pot. It amazes me how healthy this area is with crabs,  but how long can it be sustained with commercial crabbers in there every day. Remember to only take what you can eat, and release the rest!

Bigger tides this weekend may be OK in the Shoal Bay area. Certainly barra are on the chew up at Spot Six and the Howard River itself,  with plenty of mullet and scats in good numbers, getting boofed by hungry barra. The average fish size l’ve  been hearing is around the 65cm to 75cm mark, and the odd metre fish showing up, mixed up in amongst the rest on the outgoing tides. Live bait has been the best with Gold Bombers and the bigger Nilsmasters and B52’s pick of the bunch. Casting around while waiting for the live baits to go off has been productive. It looks to us like Shoal Bay is flourishing from the lack of pressure due to the closure of the Shoal Bay boat ramp.

Corroborre been a more popular fishing area, within an easy drive and on good roads.  

It’s a very nice day trip  with the family, there’s just so much to see. There is still a lot of bait around,  and they have been geting some good barra there as well as some great size saratoga. l’ve heard of some barra around the 85cm plus caught there but lots of fish around the 45cm to 55cm mark. Give it another couple of weeks when water levels come down a bit and the fish will become more active. The billabong has never looked so wonderful,  with lilly flowers blossoming all over the flood plains where there is still  water, and tarpon rolling all through the billabong.

Hardies is also open,  and some reports filtering through isuggest its going alright too. Fish are still coming from  Shady Camp but it has slowed down with still a few metre fish being caught at the mouth along with big threadies. Jewfish are still out the front of Sampan. ,

South Alligator is a good chance of a bigger barra up on the Nourlangi rock bar and Reichardts rock bar just below that creek. With bigger tides the incoming might be the go for a bigger fish,  as they herd the mullet down the river from the floodplains, boofing as the tide fills the river up. The East  Alligator has been good – friends of mine did alright of the crossing,  bagging some nice silver barra to 90cm. The fresh water side of the east has many snags and shallow sand bars which are now showing, and this  makes it hard to navigate,  but they are hooking good sized barra,  but the odds tend to favour the fish. Its  very snaggy and they sure know where home is!

The Daly is in full swing with Barra Nationals on and in another week the  Barra Classic. They should be getting into some good fish by then. Dundee and  the Finnis on the neaps fired up on barra with nice quality fish being landed .

 The harbour  still has everthing going on. Mud crabs have been in good numbers, although the jewfish scene has slowed a bit. Goldies,  Red Snapper and Cod are still the main catches while bottom bouncing. With bigger tides this weekend and midday lows, the barra will be the main target.  Plenty of area to search around to find fish. They are not super low tides, and  at 2 metres there should be ample water in the gutters,  where they can hide and  ambush mullet,   so it will be a good casting tide. 

If you  have an electric use it for moving in between creek gutters but if you havn’t try to get the wind and drift right.  The less noise you make the more fish you will see – it’s that simple. On the incoming its worth a shot at the barra and on the outgoing go and chase a few tuna and mackerel.  ”Yes” they have been sighted! Tuna in the harbour already. Forget your UFO’s  and Yowies,  the tuna have arrived in the harbour for another year. As one fisho told me he said he was coming back in from a jewfish session at Charles Point and saw them in good numbers around the front of Six Mile and closer in toward Talc Head.  Remember, try to get ahead of them in quietly.

As with all schools of feeding fish, this might work a few times before they become flighty. When they do try to work out where they will pop up next,  and wait with motor off. They are so much fun on light gear and fly gear. There are macks mixed up with them, mainly greys and the odd spainard so things are on the up on the pelagic scene.

 My picks will be Shoal Bay and the harbour arms for the mud crabs,  and to chase a few barra and threadies. 

Bluewater: Mackerel around Lee Point, and weather premitting, the further reefs and wrecks. Coroborree will be good for a day trip. It should be getting better in the billabong as the weekspass but its just a very nice place to be at the moment  to catch a few barra. Be sun smart and safe boating …………

“The Territory was a land of crocodiles, cattle barons, and warrior chiefs, where adventure and romance was a way of life.”

Interesting choice of words. In years past, because of professional hunting and wide scale “culling” this land was a land of crocodiles. Past tense.  

 It is a land so vast, so great a dimension and space, that those joint companions of romance and adventure still stroll wide eyed in amazement through the wilderness we fondly call “The Territory.”

Made doubly famous by another big screen epic, “Crocodile Dundee”, the “croc” as it is coloquially known, brings fame fortune and tourists to the NT in droves.

Of course, times change. The cattle barons of today are more likely to be found in Pitt Street bars  than the Darwin Hotel. They still own and control gigantic swathes of the country, pastoral kingdoms rivaling in size many European kindoms of the old world.

Warrior chiefs still prowl the land, proud and powerful vested interests, who seek to control individual thought and ideas and are driven by newspaper sales and TV ratings, often lacking the love and respect the land deserves. (more…)

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!

I went to Coroborree last Sunday with mates Tony and Heather. An early start got us at the Rockhole ramp just on daylight. The water there was quite dirty, not unusual this time of year. We travelled right to the end of the billabong, fishing Palm and a couple of barrages we usually do well at.

The Mary River bridge lagoon is also worth a go at the moment wih good run offs still working both above and below the bridge.

Anothe hooter of a saratoga pulled out of the lillies on a Pink and White Gulp.

Dean Blackman sent this aerial photo of the mouth of Sampan recently with the individual boats marked!

With constant twitter about an early dry season, the end of the wet, last of the run off – that sort of thing- it might be oportue to point outthat according to my diary on this day ywo years ago we declared the first “dry season” day. I can remeber it well; cloudless, cool dry eaterly breeze, bit of a chil; before dawn. That sort of thing. We’d just like to point out that exactly fourteen days after this Cyclone Monica arrived!

Things are shaping up nicely though. The major river systems are fishing well with good numbers of barra being caught in most locations. At famous Daly and Shady Camp things can only get better for the next couple of weeks. Easter is looking good for some prime fishing, the weather has been ideal, withe the days still hot and humid, and really great weather just to sit back and wet a line or two.

The reports that we’re  getting from the Daly is that some people are getting right into them a few that are coming home empty with nothing to show for their effort. 

The water is still quite dirty but talking to a few folk down on the Daly the “green” colour is starting to work it’s way  through the dirty water. The tides ths weekend are ideal, and the river should really clear up, with some great fishing as a result. You may be able to go over the crossing by this weekend depending on tides. There is still  water flowing from Elizabeth and the few run-off’s past there have been firing up on the changes of tide. It’s time to start  trolling the snags,  and any new ones that have arrived in the recent wet season. 

The mullet are in the river in good numbers, and cherabim have been high on the menu already. There has been some great feeding action witnessed with many saying that some of the mullet that are getting boofed have been up to  a foot in length. That takes a big barra.

Mick and his mates were there last week, haunting their old spots around Hairy’s Rockbar on a fast running tide, and still managed to troll a high eighties from the rockbar. Mick said he had an unbelievable session casting along the rockbar with big B17 Bombers thown right along the bank. In three of four casts, (its debatable!) he hooked and busted off two at the boat before they could unhook the anchor line from a tree. Third cast the big one nail the Bomber right in close to the bank, and they managed to get it out and fight it in the current before it straightened the 3/0 XXX trebles! Everyone is reporting big fat fish on steroids that are punching way above their weight.

That’s some big barra to throw bait around that size, and sometimes it takes a lure the same se nd depth to take them. Greens and  purples have been doing ok  but l think it changes from one day to the next. Heather’s barra shown here took a Blue and Yellow Classic, and though only high eighties in the current it played like a metre plus fish!

Even the live baiters are have trouble on sharks and catfish. The reports from Clear Creek, down around Palmerston Island, are a day to day proposition, with some reporting sixty to a hundred a day and others missing out.  

Shady Camp is now at point  that you have to pick your tides to retieve your boat. There is still good water good water coming over the barrage but the rest of the system flood water  that was over the flood plain are now inside the banks so the fishing is good there is heaps of bait coming off the flood plains and the number of tarpon and mullet that are making there way up the river is in large numbers and when the water is coming in or out the water comes alive with boofing barra, great reports around the three closest barrages have been great on plastic of any colour and hard body lures are all working some fish up around the magic metre mark and plenty of fish to 60 to 75cm are in big numbers and of course tons and tons of small barra. Remember to take care of them when releasing,  as they are the future stock. Take just as much care as if they were a metre plus fish! The mouth has still been getting the bigger barra and threadies are  around in good numbers on the  good tides. It looks like Smith Street on a Friday afternoon! The  coastal run off is slowing down but all in all lots of barra around Chambers Bay and Shady camp..

Tim O'Donnell took this photo of a big fish being landed at Tommycutt recently

If the weather holds and we dont get any big rain l think Corroborree will re-open on the Arnhem Highway end 1 km from the Park Tavern. Some people have been going in through the Rock Hole on the Point Stuart road and have been doing oK. The water is still over some of the flood plain,  and in other areas its level with the banks so it might be that the gates will open for the Easter break.

Closer to home the harbour has been consistent with some good reports of barra and reef fish being caught in the comfort of the harbour arms,  and deeper channels. Town Hall has been a good on the changes for a jew fish and there have been some nice catches of some good size muddies. Shoal Bay just keeps on producing them. One bloke only had to do the one drop and come home with a heap of good size mud crabs!

The mackerel run has begun early around Lee Point with some 10kg models hitting the deck as well as jewfish on the Bottle Washer. The Narrows has been also a place to pick up some goldies and jewfish and with good tides this Saturday and Sunday this should be worth the trip. There are barra  there in good numbers as well and a bit of live bait has been doing the trick on them.

With the weather being good and minds turning to Easter its time to start wondering where to go and  whats going to happen.   Lets hope the weather holds. Things are looking great across the board from blue water to the rivers  primed and ready so be sun smart and boat safely and tight lines ..

Mark Kershaw and Andrew Prescott landed some goof fish at Shady like this one over 90cms and lost a few big ones.