ROD & RIFLE TACKLEWORLD KATHERINE
- NAFA
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
By Steve Cooper
Katherine’s Rod & Rifle Tackleworld shop Owner/Manager, Trent De With, is positive about the coming 12 months after his shop experienced its highest-ever turnover.
“Business is booming, and we have lots of new products on the shelves after the AFTA event this year,” Trent said. Rod & Rifle Tackleworld is a go-to shop for locals and tourists and covers the gamut of outdoor activities: everything from firearms and camping to fishing.
Tourism numbers boomed and, along with the late Dry Season, combined to give the shop its biggest-ever turnover. To get some idea, consider this: a couple of years ago, in 2023, at the peak of the tourism season, the shop operated with nine staff and still struggled to keep pace with customer needs.
“We ordered in 400 of the new Panic Stations lures and sold them all within one week of their arrival”.
It is the fishing, and one special product, that has Trent enthusiastic about sales: “We ordered in 400 of the new Panic Stations lures and sold them all within one week of their arrival,” he said.
These soft plastic barra lures are designed by Darwin barra legend Shane Compain, and Trent explained the lures are ideal for anglers working forward-facing-sonar techniques.
“Panic Stations lures hover at about 1m below the surface, and they are really effective,” he said.
Quad Lock cases for iPhones are proving popular, while soft plastic lures continue to make a big dent in the market, including a new lure from Irukandji. It is a pre-rigged, seven-inch-long imitation prawn which works well straight out of the packet.
Two years ago, Rod & Rifle was given an interior makeover that resulted in a 30 per cent boost in shelving capacity, and the addition, at the front counter, of a pet crocodile called Dundee.
“Dundee is a new staff member and a big attraction,” Trent said. “At 55cm, the croc is just legal.” On a diet of fresh mice, there is no doubt the croc will soon outgrow its home.
Trent’s father, Warren, started the business but has since retired after handing over control to Trent, although Trent’s mother Debbie still works in the shop.
In 2023 and 2024, consecutive Wet Seasons boosted barramundi numbers in local waterways.
Established products like Yeti are well represented in-store, and Trent said the Yeti range was ever-evolving. Along with these are established products like Jabber rods and ABU Garcia reels. The store also caters for technologically-minded anglers with a range of scopes and sounders from Garmin and Humminbird.
There is more to Rod & Rifle Tackleworld than fishing. The store caters for outdoor enthusiasts regardless of preference. Campers and shooters are well catered for, and the shop has a range of smokers and associated products, as well as everyone’s favourite: the barbecue.
“We have doubled the number of firearms we have on sale to 150,” Trent said. Hunters in the area go after pigs, buffalo and donkeys.
“We have doubled the number of firearms we have on sale to 150,” Trent said. Hunters in the area go after pigs, buffalo and donkeys, and some of the popular firearms include the Rossi R95 .30.30 lever action, and the Australian-made Southern Cross Small Arm Taipan .223 pump-action rifle with a 10-shot magazine. A favourite among shotgun enthusiasts is the Templeton Straight Pull 12g T2000 button release.
Rod & Rifle has been trading for more than 45 years, and Trent, who bought the shop from his father Warren about 10 years ago, said there was a need to be prepared to adapt to ongoing changes. Smokers are a popular trend, and Trent said the store had an ever-expanding range of smokers. A later inclusion has been Grozny pizza ovens.
Rod & Rifle Tackleworld is situated in Giles Street, Katherine — a city at the crossroads for fishing in the Northern Territory, with three fabulous barra waters: the Daly, Roper and Victoria rivers, all under three hours away.
Check out the action using Panic Stations lures.