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..
You hear of stories that come through the shop and some are a bit hard to take. This is not one of them!
