Fishing Reports

Welcome to the Top End Dry Season- Barra, Reef Fish and Crabs !

After a very successful Run Off Season, where many of our clients experienced catching their first or their biggest Barramundi ever. It is such a pleasure witnessing the excitement and exuberation of hooking up and landing a monster barramundi.  Now, it is time to welcome the dry season to the Top End where the nights get cooler, the humidity drops and fishing become a lot more pleasant (physically).

In May we pull out of Shady Camp where we have been based since February, and generally only return to this iconic location when the tides offer a good days fishing, i.e. launching around 7am and retrieving at around 3pm.

For now we look forward to getting out and about in Darwin and the beautiful surrounds, which include Bynoe Harbour, Corroboree Billabong, Adelaide River, Dundee Beach and, of course, Darwin Harbour.

You may not know this, but Darwin Harbour is 3-4 times the size of Sydney Harbour, and has quite a lot to offer. It offers the ability to provide half day charters without big driving distances.  It offers the ability to catch barramundi all year round.  The harbour is full of rock and reef, so it offers very good reef fishing without having to go deep sea, which is great if you get sea sick. It has some very deep water over (30-40m) which is great for Black Jewfish.  Mackerel and Tuna can also be found in the harbour seasonally.

The harbour’s size allows you to get away from the crowds and sneak into some of the little creeks which are great for barra and crabs! Let me tell you about the mud crabs that you can catch in the harbour, they are HUGE! Their claws are bigger than a man’s fist.  The taste is different to the southern muddies, it is a bit more richer so it really enhances those Chilli Mud Crab or Crab Fettuccini dishes.

Day Fishing Escapes are available on Darwin Harbour as well at Bynoe Harbour, Dundee Beach, Adelaide River and Corroboree Billabong.  These are all about 1.5 hours from Darwin. Morning tea, lunch and snacks are provided on Day Escapes, as well as all the fishing gear, of course.

Corroboree Billabong is a must see destination for all visitors to the Top End.  When you hear ‘billabong’ you think of a large dam, perhaps.  The Billabong is an amazing 42km long and apart from fishing, the wildlife and birdlife is astounding.  Crocodiles are plentiful, the huge variety of birds leaves you speechless.

After the wet season, the young birds are brought to the billabong by their parents to learn to hunt and, more importantly, survive.  Large waterholes along the billabong provide bait fish for the young Black-necked Stork (Jabiru), Egrets, Herons, Pelicans and many other water birds. Living amongst these birds are large numbers of both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles.  Watching the circle of life right before your eyes is something you will never forget. The Mary River system, which Corroboree Billabong is part of, has the largest concentration of crocodiles in Australia.

Bynoe Harbour is a very pretty location, not as big as Darwin Harbour, but offers good barra fishing and good reef fishing just outside the harbour.

Multiple Day Fishing Escapes are available over 2-3 days, where you can fish a different location each day, for example, Corroboree Billabong on Day 1, Bynoe Harbour or Dundee Beach on Day 2 and finishing off with a Darwin Harbour Barra, Reef and Crabbing session on Day 3, tides permitting.

Our barra boat is a 6.1m Sea Adex Typhoon 6. We take a maximum of 4 people, plus the skipper.  Our Fishing Escapes are small and personalised. The skipper is Brian Hutchinson, the owner and operator.  We understand that coming to the Territory can be a once in a lifetime event, and we care about the quality of experience you receive on your fishing escape. We tailor your fishing escape to meet your expectations. You tell us what you want to do, and we plan the day at the best location likely to meet your expectations.

We hope to see you on board soon.

Come to the NT – where fishing dreams can come true!

Cheers

Hutcho and Di

0414 29 29 00

26 June 2023