Mattfisho 0 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 Hi guysI am in the process of planning a trip of a lifetime. A trip to catch my first barra. I am looking at going next year, but i am unsure on many things.-Where really is the best place to go? the Northern Territory, WA or Queensland? -Is it worth doing it off my own back, or should i book in with a tour or lodge type?-What is the best time of year?Im not sure if any of you will be able to help me, but i thought i would ask for some guidance. Hopefully some people have had some experiences.Thanks in advance for your helpMatt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
southie THE BANGA 2,304 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 I am also looking at doing this aswell, just cant find anyone that wants to go lol.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Piranha 76 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 I hear the best time for fishing up there is the runoff, late may to late june, but it's also the time that everyone else goes up there so it's like fishing on burke street.I'm heading up far north QLD prob in september this year fishing with a mate who goes up every year, If I where you I'de look for a guide that can take you out and show you a few tricks before going it alone NT would be the pick of the states with the most water and barra Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wahoo 146 Posted May 12, 2013 Report Share Posted May 12, 2013 As Piranha said, NT is the place to go & the runoff is the prime time for numbers. So if it's Barra only then that's the time to go. however, later in the dry they can still be caught, the conditions aren't as oppressive and the offshore fishing is better if you want a trip with everything. Went to Darwin for a conference in late August 3 years ago and a bunch of us organised some guides and filled 3 boats for a half day at Shady Camp, my first Barra came in at 86cm, the guide said it's all downhill from there. Only got a few between the 3 boats but the biggest went 89cm and I dropped one a good 90cm+ at the boat :sick: so they're still around just not in the large numbers you get in the runoff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rockfish 0 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 I've only fished for them in the Northern Territories, but what the others say is right... If you are solely going for catching monster barra, then the run-off is your best bet.We went up there in October (!), though, starting in Darwin and going down South, first to Katherine (because the missus wanted to go to Katherine... why, you ask? I have no :c ing idea). Fishing down there only resulted in archer fish. Big whoop. We then headed back to the coast and due west, fishing the Daly River (3 days). While it is INFESTED with crocs, and I mean that in a "Let's rent a tinny......not" sense, it offers awesome fishing.After overcoming my fear of being torn to shreds by saltwater crocs and renting a boat, we were right onto them. Threadfins, shark and barra were all abundant (even in October) and once we had sorted out the best way of fishing (unweighted cherabin), we were on fire.We had started jigging with limited success, then trawled SPs again with limited success and rigged up the first cherabin. Drop it in the water, let it sink to depth, WHAM. Barra on. We got 12 Barramundi between the two of us in about 3 hours, ranging from 50cm to 82cm.I can only recommend the Daly River. There's a caravan park there, located on a mango plantation (the name escapes me, but it's right at the river) that offers boat rental, had a set of pontoons you can fish off of and a useful, albeit tiny, store that sells basic foods, some tackle and consumables (e.g. batteries). I'll try to find the name of it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rockfish 0 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 http://www.mangofarm.com.au/BarraFishingNT/Welcome.htmlthis is it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wahoo 146 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 What rockfish says about the swamp lizards is spot on. Launching into the freshwater side of the barrage at Shady Camp we counted over 20 crocs around the ramp, basically its all clients get in the boat for launching scenario. While fishing it was just wall to wall crocs, the banks are just lined with them, not helped by the guide spraying the deckwash on the water to attract some of the larger ones boatside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rockfish 0 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 What rockfish says about the swamp lizards is spot on. Launching into the freshwater side of the barrage at Shady Camp we counted over 20 crocs around the ramp' date=' basically its all clients get in the boat for launching scenario. While fishing it was just wall to wall crocs, the banks are just lined with them, not helped by the guide spraying the deckwash on the water to attract some of the larger ones boatside.[/quote']Yeah, I try to be super careful with them. My biggest concern in the Daly (which is extremely heavily influenced by tides) is that, come the tide turn toward high, the water gets murky as hell from re-suspended sediment. At times it was like fishing in green milk - who the hell knows where the nearest croc lies in ambush? And a 12 foot tinny isn't all that confidence-instilling when there's crocs longer than that about, haha.The missus actually hooked a freshy on an archer fish she was holding at bay while I was drilling a barra. Was quite entertaining, but reinforcing the carvan park owner's advice of "don't get too close to the water".We wound up releasing fish "at a distance", because neither of us felt the need of holding their hand(s) too close to the water Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crusher 18 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 pretty interested in this topic as well, currently trying to decide between Phillip Island MotoGP and a Trip to NT to go fishing. Any help on the fishing up there would be great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rockfish 0 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 pretty interested in this topic as well' date=' currently trying to decide between Phillip Island MotoGP and a Trip to NT to go fishing. Any help on the fishing up there would be great.[/quote']Does "Screw MotoGP, catch a barra!" qualify as help? :whistle: I can only tell you that the fishing is flatout amazing. So many species (especially if you do fresh and saltwater fishing) that are not necessarily easy, but a ton of fun to catch, amazing environments and lots to see.The only fishing in Australia I've done that comes even close to that is fly fishing in Tasmania, and boy, did I love my fly fishing in Tasmania Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fridge 6 Posted May 13, 2013 Report Share Posted May 13, 2013 pretty interested in this topic as well' date=' currently trying to decide between Phillip Island MotoGP and a Trip to NT to go fishing. Any help on the fishing up there would be great.[/quote']mix it in with hidden valley works for me v8 emoticongonna get to melville island one day Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crusher 18 Posted May 14, 2013 Report Share Posted May 14, 2013 Not a fan of V8's.. Sorry.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nickmav 0 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Hi mate,I went to Queensland last may to fish in those stocked damns ( forget their names, but the famous one) with jonny, the bees knees of barra gurus. Had a great time, booked the boat for 2 days, called it quits after a day and a half , not a bite!Too cold was Johnny's reason, damn barra are a different beast to river barra.So..... Don't go to qld in winter .Nick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brenton 637 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 I can't help with locations but if anyone is looking for Barra lures i came across a bargain on the lure front today,all lures are barra specific and i can get them for a fantastic price approx 5 bucks each or less.These are Bombers/Nilsmasters etc and there isn't a cent in it for me....there is also a Chronarch and matching rod on offer. PM me if interested and i'll put you in touch,actually i might start a new thread tomorrow so be quick if interested. cheers brenton Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Piranha 76 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Hi mate' date='I went to Queensland last may to fish in those stocked damns ( forget their names, but the famous one) with jonny, the bees knees of barra gurus. Had a great time, booked the boat for 2 days, called it quits after a day and a half , not a bite!Too cold was Johnny's reason, damn barra are a different beast to river barra.So..... Don't go to qld in winter .Nick[/quote']A couple of those dams overflowed in the floods before you went up there, aparently they lost the majority of large barra over the wall and out to sea, could explain why they where quiet? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fridge 6 Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 johnnys still more than likely correctcooroboree shut down in last years dry,if the top end seasons are alike being that low over night temps were experienced,inland barra wont hunt in cooler water,something from memory was about digestion.google it its out there Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nickmav 0 Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Yeah, something about their metabolism. It was awoonga. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fridge 6 Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 used to fish next to/in the white water from the argyle diversion dam gates,temperature never seemed to bother em,fish the ord not a chance Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Piranha 76 Posted May 17, 2013 Report Share Posted May 17, 2013 Found the fish kill I mentioned, happened at awonga on 20-12-2010 most of the large cod 90cm+ went over the wall and littered the banks with thousands of them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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