Kakadu Klash 2017 shows run-off is a cracker

A cracker NT run-off barramundi caught by 'Theodosius' and posted on the www.fishingterritory.com forums

A cracker NT run-off barramundi caught by ‘Theodosius’, and posted on the www.fishingterritory.com forums

If you don’t already know, the Top End has had a cracker wet season after four dismal years.

Here’s a quote from BOM:

Darwin’s wet season stays wet – The wet season rainfall total to the end of March at Darwin Airport was 2299.6 mm, the 6th-highest wet season total at the site since records began in 1941. The official wet season continues until the end of April.

A big Wet brings barramundi into the rivers in droves, and they will likely be biting right through the dry season.

With Million Dollar Fish likely to be held again this year, and an El Nino mooted for next year, there has never been a better time to hit the Top End for some trophy barramundi fishing.

If you are heading north, be sure to grab the 2017/18 edition of North Australian FISH FINDER fishing maps and the NT GPS Data Card … both these products will save you a fortune in wasted time. They are both compiled by Sunday Territorian fishing editor Matt Flynn, who has 20+ years of NT fishing knowledge, and regularly interviews the NT’s best known and most successful fishermen.

For those of you who need hard data to get the barra mojo moving, here are the results from the Kakadu Klash 2017 on the South Alligator River.

Kakadu Klash 2017 results

Kakadu Klash 2017 results

Six of the 101 Million Dollar Fish caught in three weeks …

Million Dollar Fish

Million Dollar Fish

Kurt Baumann with just  one of his $10k Million Dollar Fish!

Kurt Baumann with just one of his $10k Million Dollar Fish!

There’s been some amazing things happening in Season 2 of Million Dollar Fish.

The event kicked off on October 1 and already there have been SIX of the $10,000 fish caught!

The event closes at the end of February 2017.

The most recent barramundi was a 77cm barra caught at the Daly River on Sunday October 16 by Nikita Jason from the Daly River.

Ms Jason’s partner Kurt Baumann is a previous winner who caught a $10,000 barra earlier this month in the family’s favourite spot, as well as a $10,000 barra in Season 1.

“I was overwhelmed when I saw the tag, I just couldn’t believe it,” Ms Jason told Tourism NT.

“I don’t go fishing regularly, but my partner Kurt fishes for our family every day.

“We were at our usual spot at Daly River crossing and we caught five barra on Sunday night. I use a black and white rubber lure and Kurt uses a special flick technique.”

When asked what her lucky charm was, Ms Jason said it was her children.

CrownBet CEO Matt Tripp said the regular return of Million Dollar Fish red tags was no surprise.

“How can we be surprised? It seems along with the best fishing locations in Australia the Northern Territory also has the best recreational anglers,” he said.

“Well done to Nikita, it looks like the Daly River is the place to be chasing red tagged Barramundi, given it’s the third to be caught in that location this year.”

In Season 2 of Million Dollar Fish, 101 barramundi were tagged and released across the Territory with 100 carrying $10,000 cash prize tags.

Don’t despair if you haven’t caught one as there are still 94 $10,000 barra out there and the prized million dollar fish is yet to be caught.

And you have until February 28, 2017.

Participants must register online at www.milliondollarfish.com.au.

NT Wet 2015/16 begins well

A low pressure rain system stopped over the western Top End and Daly River last week and just sat there. As I write this the Daly was fast reaching major flood level, possibly about to create an unprecedented flood event.

This could be great news for the upcoming barramundi fishing run-off season, and is highly unusual, because the Weather Bureau predicted a late, below-average Wet as a result of the near record El Nino that is in full swing.

El Ninos are maligned by barramundi fishos. But if this is El Nino weather for the NT, it bodes well for barra fishing!

However, it will take follow-up rain in January and February to lock in the benefits of the Christmas flood. The Top End’s Finniss and Victoria Rivers also got rain, while the Adelaide River is getting it as I write. The rain is slowly moving east towards the Mary River and Kadadu catchments.

Barramundi fishing in the NT’s rivers is all about rain, a long flood through to March can keep barra in the rivers for the rest of the dry season.

The NT has had several poor wet seasons and a good rain was needed.

tatistics show La Nina years follow El Ninos, and La Ninas have traditionally brought heaps of rain to the Top End. Here’s hoping for two great wet seasons, if it happens you should hit the NT for some mind-blowing barramundi fishing.

Add on top the Million Dollar Fish tagged barra promotion until February.

Meanwhile, our thoughts to the Daly River community who are now packing their bags in anticipation of the flood event that is about to happen, an unfortunate side effect of all this wonderful rain.

NT Barra Classic 2014 final results

The Daly River was in good condition for the event at the end of May, but carrying only average fish stocks after an average wet season.

The bumper year of 2010/11, when Daly catch records fell, was still on everyone’s minds.

Fishing was fairly slow, but some big barramundi were caught by Classic competitiors.

Just like the NT Barra Nationals earlier in the month, most of the big fish were caught on the bigger tides. During the neapest tides fishing was very slow.

Catch stats were interesting: there were 116 fish from 40-49cm, 224 from 50-59cm, 92 from 60-69cm, 11 from 70-79cm, five from 80-89cm, three from 90-99cm, and 14 at a metre or more.

This data and that from the Barra Nationals earlier in the month suggest the 80cm to 100cm class seems to be almost missing from the river. It is not unusual for year classes to vary in numbers, presumably because of seasonal events that affect young fish survival, and perhaps older fish mortality in billabongs some years.

Most Meritorious Fish: Josh Ker 120cm barra (pictured below).

There were 462 fish caught and tagged over the week of the competition.

Champion Team: Reel Easy – Skev Politis, Eddie Carroll, Neil Mellon
Runner Up Local Team: Top End Tackle World – Shane and Steve Compain, Terry Ryan
Runner Up Visiting Team: Fire Fin (WA) – Jay Wheelock, Damien Bode, Adam Falkenberg
Runner Up Mixed Team: Bigfish – Josh Ker, Tom McCullough, Richard Todd

Champion Angler: Steve Compain
Champion Lady Angler: Marion Washington

josh-kerr2

NT Barra Nationals 2014

It has been a reasonably good run-off this year on most Top End rivers. Although by no means close to some of the record rain years in the recent past, there was enough rain to keep the rivers up for long enough, and as I write this the popular greenwater season of trolling for barramundi is well under way.
One river was exceptional – the mighty Victoria River, which had extended rain, and turned on the best barra fishing it had for a long time.
The famous NT Barra Nationals event kicks off this week on the Daly River. The previous set of big tides saw the Daly produce barra up to a stunning 133cm, including a 126cm stonker from the bank. What will happen next week with the Barra Nats boats on the water?
It is impossible to say, but I suspect the big fish might come on again.
The Daly fished well this year, although delayed access to the public ramp slowed everyone right down.
While the Top End wet season was not as good as hoped, it was enough to get barra into most rivers and the fish are now there to be caught.
The Top End’s Shady Camp produced some great barra in March and April, and monster threadfin salmon are now a regular part of the catch along the coast out of Shady Camp since the gill nets were removed.
The Barra Nationals results will be posted as they come in at www.fishingterritory.com.

Darwin rain in late May …

Darwin radar May 23, 10.36pm

Darwin radar May 23, 10.36pm

You don’t usually see this sort of rain over Darwin in April, let alone the end of May.
Don’t get too excited, the run-off is done and dusted.
Everyone wants a dry season now, a nice cool one.
It turned out to be one of the Top End’s driest Wets on record.
Only a late, short flood saved it from being a complete “train wreck”.
But as always, the fish are still biting.