It’s all about the tides.

That was the lesson from the Club Marine Barra Nationals 2014 on the Daly River.

During the pre-fish and the first two days of the event when the tides were at their biggest, the metre-plus barra were hunting mullet and those trolling the middle of the river were catching them.

Kane Dysart, who landed a stunning 118cm fish during the Nationals, said he caught three metre-long barra during the event’s pre-fish. Champion fisho Shane Compain had predicted that the Nationals would be won in the first two days, and he was right.

As the tides diminished to neaps later in the event, the barra caught were smaller and the bite was primarily in the morning. It will be interesting to see if organisers run the event on bigger tides in future.

The upcoming Barra Classic on the Daly will be held on building tides, so the big fish will likely show towards the end of the event.

Those fishing outside the Barra Nationals official hours found smaller barra were ravenous at night, an indication yet again that having many boats on the water during the day does put the fish down to some extent.

The question is, does the big tide rule extended to all big NT rivers? Some Top End rivers are quite different in habitat from the Daly.

The comp showed that there’s a good stock of fish in the Daly River this year, albeit not as many fish as the big flood years experienced in the Top End recently.

Fishos remember those years fondly, but they are not the norm. When the wet season rain starts in late November and doesn’t stop until April, the river barramundi fishing goes ballistic, often lasting all year, but more often than not the rainfall is not quite so co-operative and the fishing quality is average.

Average in the NT of course generally means very good fishing, and there’s always the bluewater fishing to fall back on – barra tend to distract from the NT’s excellent coastal sportfishing opportunities.

Barra Nationals 2014 results can be seen on this thread on the FFF fishing forums.

It has been a poor year for barramundi fishing thanks to last year’s terrible wet season, and that’s partly why there hasn’t been many posts from us on this site this year. The northern bluewater fishing has taken up the slack, with loads of spanish mackerel, as well as the usual trevally, queenfish, and reef fish.

However, another wet season is upon us and it has started well, with heavy rain as early as November. Visit www.fishingterritory.com for the latest barramundi fishing reports from fishos.

Meanwhile, if you are friends with a fishing family and they have had a new arrival, here’s something different for Christmas, “livebait shirts” … http://www.fishfinderbooks.com/index.php/cPath/76

We’ll be getting back to fishing posts soon as the North Australian wet season 2013/14 kicks off. Meanwhile, perhaps grab a copy of our latest mag, it has an 8-page Darwin Harbour fishing map, among other things … http://www.fishfinderbooks.com/product_info.php/cPath/41/products_id/626

North Australian Fishing and Outdoors Magazine

Lesley Mason from Sydney with a nice Corroboree Billabong barra, caught with Obsession Fishing Safaris

All fishos should visit Corroboree Billabong, a waterhole on the NT’s Mary River, at least once.

It is a beautiful and a prolific barramundi fishing spot, renowned for its wildlife, including big crocodiles.

Every year the fishing quality is quite different, depending on how big the wet season was.

This year there wasn’t a big flood, and saratoga and tarpon have been the main catch around the lilies.

There are plenty of smaller barramundi about, and the odd big fish to keep life interesting, such as this one, Lesley Mason from Sydney with a nice Corroboree Billabong barra, caught with Obsession Fishing Safaris.

Obsession’s Justin said: “We have been getting a lot more barra on the cast this year than the troll.

“With the late Wet, the lillies did not get a good flushing so there are a lot of old stems standing which fouls lures on the troll.

“So a change of game plan has done the job and casting weedless soft plastics to the weed beds and amongst the lily stems is the way to go, we are also catching a lot of ‘togas this year also.

“So away with the baitcasters and in with the spin sticks and the old faithful electric.

“We have been using one of Daiwa’s new mid-range spin rods the Swamp Donkey. which is a great all rounder.”

Other NT waterholes such as 2-Mile and 4-Mile Holes on the Wildman RIver, have produced the same quality of fishing this year.

Corroboree Billabong is a good place to fish weedless surface lures and flies. Nearby Hardies Lagoon and the Rockhole are also great spots. All are accessible off shirt dirt road sections from the sealed Arnhem Highway.