Seek a bit of the huge tide
‘‘They were perfect bait-size for billfish.
‘‘I saw one barra tailing in the trees and that was about it, but I realised I left my electric motor at home when I got to the mangroves.
‘‘Other than that no one has been getting out because of the weather; it is lumpy and even the big charter boat has had to cancel trips.
‘‘The river crossings might be worth a look. I have not heard anything much from Shady Camp.
‘‘ There are plenty of prawns in the harbour this time of year so the barra and threadies will be around.
‘‘Our staffer Pat Tait got a metre barra and an 82cm barra in Middle Arm using prawn lures. That is good fishing for anywhere, and there’s no need to go for a long drive down the track.’’
Tackle World’s Pat Tait said the wind was stopping people fishing last week.
‘‘Shoal Bay has been white water as far as you can see,’’ he said. ‘‘I went for a look and saw what appeared to be a tourist in a boat head out from the ramp and he came straight back in.
‘‘There have been good fish from the Wilshire Creeks last week, and there will be plenty there fishing this weekend.
‘‘ I have been getting my harbour barra on prawn imitations. The places I fish are very shallow and it is easy to free swim a prawn lure — the fish smash them very hard, and they fairly pull the rod out of your hands.’’
Craig’s Fishing Warehouse’s Rob Rees said rain was still falling after the low.
‘‘The low is tracking back over the NT this week,’’ he said. ‘‘There are still a few barra coming out of the harbour, Bynoe and Shoal Bay.
‘‘I haven’t heard much from the bluewater; I have not sold much bait at all.
‘‘The weather has been a bit ordinary but some people are still catching goldies in the shallows at Middle Arm.
‘‘There was no culvert fishing I’ve heard of, but Kakadu has had a fair bit of rain.’’
Andy Ralph at Kakadu said there had been plenty of rain out that way last week.
‘‘It was bucketing down in Kakadu. Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River was at 1.5m for a few days, as has the South Alligator River crossing on the old Darwin road,’’ he said. ‘‘Bring it on!’’
On fishingterritory. com forums, one writer asked if it was worth confronting people over undersize fish they have killed.
He wrote: ‘‘Just my luck! I organise two weeks off with my little brothers visiting from down south and a cyclone develops. No matter, we went fishing anyway. Got a few cod and a skinny and dropped a few small barra while flicking the snags and drains on the outgoing tide and saw plenty of small barra and even a few salmon working, but the water was too dirty for them to see my lures (my excuse anyway).
‘‘After the tide turned we decided to call it a day.
‘‘I got back to the ramp and this is when the excitement started. There were a few young fellas cast-netting off the pontoon; they must have caught the barra which was clearly undersize, slit its throat and were letting it bleed out on the walkway.
‘‘I mentioned the fish looked a bit on the small side as I walked past to grabmycar.
‘‘They said it was legal and called me a southerner (I’m territory born and bred).
‘‘I retrieved the boat after parking up and a fella stomped over clearly aggravated at my comment, asking what wasmyproblem.
‘‘After saying my problem was people who take undersized fish he was getting more aggressive — at which point I ignored him even though he was standing over me.
‘‘I packed up the car and left him yelling at the ramp after walking back to his friends.
‘‘Was I in the wrong for saying something?
‘‘ Hopefully they at least think twice before doing it again. Funny thing is one of his mates said the fish looked undersized to him, haha.’’