Happy Micks Fishing Report

Darwin Harbour

The humidity is on the rise. This means two things. It’s going to get hot and the fishing will improve out of site.

There have been some good reports of hot barra sessions coming from Middle Arm. A customer was in the shop with his fishing partner stocking up on lures they lost and bragging about their two hot bites. They said they landed 4 barra all of good size and 2 mangrove jacks. The biggest barra being 78cm, the biggest jack 40cm. They fished around the mouth of Middle Arm. The exact location they wouldn’t say. They said that the majority of fish were caught using Reidy’s B52 on the cast but the jacks were caught on Squidgys. They said the barra come on the chew for the first time as the water dropped out of the mangroves. They landed the biggest fish on the first of the incoming tide at the mouth of one of the large creeks they said.

Elizabeth River has been producing some quality snapper fishing on the smaller tides down the mouth. I have heard reports of 2kg goldies all caught on the first of the incoming tide. A couple of guy’s said they fished there 2 days in a row for a total of 14 goldies over the 2 days. He told me they were using prawns and squid as bait. He said they even landed one on a small jig.

Mud crabs have been on the move in Elizabeth River as well. Some big numbers have been pulled over the last few weeks with chicken carcasses being the number one bait to use I’m told.

This weekend’s tides should be good for bottom bouncing around six mile buoy. Fish in the deep water of the shipping channel on the run. It isn’t necessary to anchor if the wind is down just drift your bait through good areas you have found on your sounder.

Corroborree

The fishing at Corroboree remains at a high standard. There have been some big barra caught this year. A good mate of mine has caught more than a dozen barra all over 90cm this year in Coroborree. Most of these fish have been caught on Bombers first thing in the morning. There have been mixed reports coming in but the good reports are far out weighing the bad reports. With the humidity on the rise there is only a small window of good fishing before the water gets too hot and the rain drops the oxygen levels down to a point were the barra will go off the bite. There should be at least another month of good fishing before that happens though.

The Vernons

The Vernon Islands has been fishing well over the past few weeks. There have been reports of some big Macks caught between Melville Island and North Vernon Island. A few guys have been poring over the big slices in the shop stocking up for another round with the speed machines. One bloke said he and a mate got more than 12 good sized macks on the last set of neaps 30lb being the biggest landed. They said they also saw some small schools of Trevally busting up around the shallows close to one of the islands. They said they landed 3 big GT’s over 8kg on big poppers. He said when they were trawling the shallows with poppers a little latter that landed a small coral trout on a big popper. This weekend’s tides should provide similar fishing as long as the wind stays down.

It’s time. Bet you’ve never seen the weather turn from one season to the next this quick! The humidity didn’t creep back in; it bolted!

The fishing has started to warm tup too. The barra are ready to feed up before the rain comes. l have just come back from a great trip over to impoundment-land in Queensland,  up at Gladstone’s famous Lake Awoonga.  l will tell you that story later, although l have only been away a week, I left in dry season and came back in the build up.  At the airport l bumped into people that were off down south seeking a  cooler change, and they filled me in on what has been going on. It took me twenty minutes to leave the terminal – just by people talking about fishing,  and how things were getting better each week. How good is this place! Barra in the billabongs are really starting to fish well,  with some good reports from Coroboree and Hardies fishing well as the weather warms. One fisho had a ball at Hardies,  one day over fifteen and the next day was pretty much the same  ranging from 65cm up to 80cm,  all fat and very healthy,  also nice and silver. A few fish coming from Mary River Bridge lagoon around the snags,  the depth of lures from 10(foot) plus to shallower lures like Bombers. The colour that seems to be working is Brown and Yellow,  the colour 67 and Blue Yellow, colour 66. 

The blue water since has been good,  big tides made it a bit harder to fish the bottom but the jig boys went out to  Fenton Patches got into some big trevally and goldies but trevally were all over jigs. Mackerel have been quieter, except for the odd monster at Bottlewasher. It may be over for another year,  but maybe one last chance over the neap-er tides before the water warms up.

The SWB (Secret Womens Business) and the Coroborree Park Challenge  are on soon, and with the weather on the change this area as well as Hardies will be a good spot to get amongst them. Bigger fish have been showing up and a few around 90cm. The Rock Hole is one of the hot spots night fishing or late afternoon, some fisho’s have been using fizzers and poppers around the weeds and the Lilly pads,  and even around the many pandanus. Below the water the root structure is a great hiding and ambush point. Hardies being a bit deeper try using three metre lures around the drop offs and the deeper snags. Fish are holding up on these so try either casting or trolling over them,  changing lures after three or four trolls and in the end getting a bite. The Daly is the quite achiever with some hard fighting barra  being caught on live bait,  but the lures are starting to come back in to the scheme of things. Fisho’s that are working hard are coming up with the goods. Yellow Waters is good this time of year and is well worth the drive. Its a lot of sight casting,  surface moving barra on fizzers and great fun on fly rods. Very visual and great takes keeps you on your toes

The tides are coming into neaps this weekend, Saturday tides have a bit more movement then Sunday’s tide,  the flats around Darwin Harbour and Bynoe will be the go,  sight casting barra and other species that patrol the massive flats looking to get into bait schools. The mouth of the Adelaide and Leeders  will be also worth the trip,  trolling the mouth of Leeders or dropping a bait along the Narrows. The Rock in Shoal Bay could be another likely spot  it is a great spot to tangle with a big barra maybe a bit early to fish around there,  but you never know. I heard the odd jewfish is being landed. For the land based fisho’s East Point along the rocks casting poppers or bombers in the early morning or late afternoon might get you a chance to tangle with big Queenfish,  and even a barra casting along the rocky foreshore. Your chance for a barra as the tide moves back in from the low is the better time to catch barra in this area .

Nice warm weather and tides coming into neap tides on Sunday with that bit of run fish for a jewfish in the harbour or Charles Point could be worth doing like they say no run no fun. On Saturday with the nice movement snake drains and back eddies will be your best beat on Saturday,and flats fishing will be the go on Sunday for a barra or blue salmon even Queenfish and travelly. Inland Coroborree and Hardies are my pick. Little Lucifer’s and plastics like Hollow Bellies might get a barra or two. If you are looking for a barra in the Harbour area Elizabeth River and Middle arm is my pick, but do remember the sun has a sting to it now, lots of water and sun screen play it safe, from the Team at Happy Mick’s have a good weekend..