FISHING
With Alex Julius             2 September 2010

I’m not sure why there is all this fuss and amazement about the intermittent rainstorms we’ve had over the past week. After all, it is September, so we can also finally stop talking about how unusually warm and muggy it has been for the last few weeks.

There’s nothing unusual about solid rainstorms in September which is the month I regard as the official start to the Top End Build-up. Yes, we can now explain the current weather conditions as typical of the changing seasons: from the Dry to the forthcoming wet season.

Make no mistake, as we progress through September, it’s going to get hotter and muggier. But those are the very reasons why the fishing will continue to improve in our coastal estuaries and inland lagoons.

The climate build-up to the wet season sends a message to the barra: it’s time to breed!

There’s not an animal in the world that doesn’t get excited at the prospect of doing a bit of breeding. It means metabolisms speed up, more regular food is needed to maintain energy levels and, in the case of both male and female adult barramundi, they begin to think with their gonads rather than their noggins.

Yes, September through to the wet season is a fabulous time of year to be barra fishing in the Top End.
Places like Corroboree, Hardies and Shady Camp Lagoon on the Mary River, and Four Mile Hole, Yellow Water, Alligator Billabong and Red Lily in Kakadu, all offer wonderful opportunities for some serious barra sessions, both during the day and at night.

Of the estuaries, Darwin Harbour is as good as any.

With the choice of three major arms and a couple of smaller inlets, on the right tides, the harbour can go off during the Build-up.

Mind you, the tides are fairly radical this weekend. Not only will they be big spring tides, the mid-afternoon low tides on both Saturday and Sunday – at 0.25m and 0.32m respectively – will all but drain the harbour of its waters.

But that shouldn’t deter anyone from having a shot at a barra up one of the harbour’s arms, or further afield at Bynoe Harbour which actually fishes at its best on these super-low tides.

Look for a hot bite at creek mouths and drains as the huge incoming tide begins its push.

I’ll tell you about an area close to Darwin which actually has already been fishing well: Shoal Bay. Some beautiful silver barra have been caught in creeks like King and Meckett over the last fortnight. The mouth of King Creek, in particular, has been a hot focus; and that’s actually been the case for the last few years now.

I reckon a daybreak hit at the mouth of King Creek – trolling, casting and live-baiting as the tide peaks – then a quick scurry out of there before the tide drops to low, could work a treat for a few silver barra.


On a slightly different note, there’ll be some real secret women’s business going on at Corroboree Billabong this weekend.

I mean that literally because the Palmerston Game Fishing Club will be holding its annual Secret Women’s Business Challenge. This all-female fishing competition doesn’t even allow male boat drivers, so the girls must do it all on their lonesome.

There are plenty willing to give it a go – 85 in fact, so there should be about 30 competing boats on the water.
On Saturday, fishing will be from 6.00am to 6.00pm; on Sunday, it will be from 6.00am to 2.30pm.
With more than $25,000 in prizes on offer, competition should be fierce.

Points are awarded according to fish length for the following three species: barramundi, saratoga and tarpon.
It’s too late to enter for this year, but expressions of interest can be emailed to for next year.

Last year’s Secret Women’s Business Challenge winner, Sharon Leine, will be out to defend her title this weekend at Corroboree Billabong.

Shane Tippa’s 105cm saltwater barra came from a small tidal creek in Gurig National Park.

Kade Abala caught his personal best 95cm barra unassisted in his secret Cobourg creek.