FISHING & OUTDOOR WORLD DARWIN

A poor Wet, yet persistent rain combined with a change in fishing techniques, has meant fishing in Territory waters continues to produce good catches of barramundi. The water levels in all Top End rivers achieved at least average heights, and anglers employing forward-facing sonar continued to find barra, which was good news for outdoor stores like Darwin-based Fishing & Outdoor World.

Look for the two big barramundi.

Situated on the corner of Cavenagh and Knuckey Streets (look for the twin barras), Fishing & Outdoor World (FOW) has been servicing the Territory’s fishing, camping and shooting aficionados for more than 50 years.

Store manager Ronald Voukolos said that, two years ago, the Territory endured one of its worst-ever wet seasons, with some rivers drying up. However, everything changed last season.

“We had a terrific Build-up, and we all thought we were in for a cracker Wet, but we never got the flooding monsoons,” Ronald said. “But forward-facing sonar technology has allowed anglers to find fish anyway, so it will be interesting to see if we are busier in what would normally be our peak season.”

Active Target fishing has been like a gift from above for many anglers.

Last year, Ronald said the so-called “Active Target” or live-scope fishing had taken off, with anglers hooking ridiculous numbers of barra.

“Active Target fishing has been like a gift from above for many anglers. I know of anglers who have spent years chasing meterys, only to catch a dozen or so in the past couple of years,” he said.

“We did have a good couple of wet seasons, and even though this year wasn’t great, there is still plenty of water coming down off the rivers.”

The biggest change in fishing has been active targeting, with the focus on suspending lures so anglers can get them down quickly to where the fish are. To meet this need, tackle preferences have changed. Anglers are rigging bigger plastics with bigger hooks and smaller weights.

“Many anglers are retrofitting their plastics to ensure their lures sit at the right depths,” Ronald said.

“And lures now have fatter profiles, making them easier to see when scoping. But for all that, there are certain times in the tides when you’ll see anglers trolling and hooking barra while scopers don’t.”

FOW is open seven days a week, and business is going well. Ronald said they had been able to maintain a good level of local staff—normally 15, including part-timers—although staff numbers were always under pressure due to the high demand for tradies, who are being paid “ridiculous amounts of money”.

Sourcing knowledgeable staff remains a challenge.

“Fishing and hunting is a religion in the Territory, and hunters and anglers are switched on, so we need staff who know what they’re talking about because bullshit doesn’t go far in this business,” Ronald said.

Product range is key to bringing customers through the doors, and FOW has everything anyone with fishing or hunting in mind could desire.

“Active Target fishing techniques have led to a shift in soft plastic preferences. Sicario, Shimmer, and Molix lures are popular.”

Product range is key to bringing customers through the doors, and FOW has everything anyone with fishing or hunting in mind could desire. Rods and reels from top brands like Shimano, Daiwa, and Dobyns line the shelves, along with walls of soft plastic lures from popular names, including Reidy’s, Daiwa, Berkley, and Molix.

Reflecting the move to big soft plastics, rod makers like Daiwa have caught onto the trend and designed a range of rods capable of casting heavier weights. “Where 12kg rods were once designed to cast 30g weights, they now cast 50g,” Ronald said.

Shimano has a great product range, while Daiwa baitcasters and rods have been making inroads into the market. Reel makers have also made significant changes, replacing metal bearings—susceptible to electrolysis—with thermoplastic bushes, allowing them to better withstand heavy saltwater use.

Yeti products remain as popular as ever, and Ronald is pleased the store got in early as a premium retailer of the expanding range.

On the hunting side, waterfowl like magpie geese and ducks are a favourite among local shooters, and the bag limit has increased over the years.

“When I started shooting in 1992, hunters were allowed 7 geese and 7 ducks, with limits on how many birds you could keep in the home freezer,” he said.

“These days, the limits have increased to 7 geese and 10 ducks, with an unlimited number allowed in the home freezer.”

 ‘We know people are likely to come back if they have a good experience.’

Ronald said people in the Territory were lucky to have politicians who recognise the value of hunting and fishing to the community.

“Shooting is still strong in the Territory, and for that, the government should be given a pat on the back,” Ronald said. “And both sides—government and opposition—are committed to restructuring the commercial barra industry.”

FOW’s business is built on return customers. “We know people are likely to come back if they have a good experience,” Ronald said.

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