Barra by boatload for some in Easter offering

AS EXPECTED, there was a mixed bag of reports from the Easter break.

Barra by boatload for some in Easter offering

As EXPECTED, there was a mixed bag of reports from the Easter break.

The Daly River dropped 5m over Easter, so the creeks really started gushing, and plenty of barra were caught.

Catches of 10-20 fish per boat were not uncommon, although the big ones from the week before were missing in action.

The exception was down around the mouth of the Daly, especially at the Reynolds River mouth where barra to 106cm were caught.

There were good reports from the South Alligator where one angler in particular had an amazing two days catching a 122cm barra at the mouth of Nourlangie Creek and following that up the next day with a 112cm barra at the same spot.

Considering how dirty the water would have been up the South, that’s pretty good going.

Tiffany Parsell and Grant Edwards with one of several barra in the 90cm range that they caught on an extended boating safari out from the South Alligator River.

Ron Voukolos from Fishing and Outdoor World reports excellent bluewater fishing down along the coast, especially off Dundee.

It seems both tuna and mackerel have moved in early this year.

Shady Camp also had its moments, mainly up the top near the old wreck where plenty of barra were caught.

Down the mouth of the Mary, it seems a salmon frenzy took place, with boats catching upwards of 30 big threadies in a session.

However, it’s high-tide-only launching and retrieving now at Shady.

If you’re thinking of going to Corroboree Billabong soon, then also think tarpon.

According to Roger Sinclair, the tarpon are in plague proportions at the famous lagoon. However, the proliferation of lilies with the poor Wet for the Mary make fishing for barra challenging to say the least.

Liam Mortimer’s 104cm barra is one of several metreys that have been pulled from the mouth of Nourlangie Creek recently.

According to the Bureau of Metreology, the odds of another monsoonal burst are low indeed.

It could happen but it’s a fair bet that the wet season is over for another year.

At this stage, that’s exactly what organisers of the Club Marine Insurance Barra Nationals are hoping.

Hosted by Palmerston Game Fishing Club, and scheduled to start on April 19, this will be the 20th anniversary of this great tournament.

“With the river running at about 3m over the crossing at the moment, and a set of neaps to come, hopefully the Daly will settle down nicely for the Nationals,” tournament co-­ordinator Grant Edwards told me.

As the tides move right into the neaps this weekend, water clarity will be enhanced just about anywhere you choose to fish.

Bring on the dry season.