There’ve been mixed reports of late, with some anglers getting amongst the fish and plenty missing out.
Old mate Stuey Brisbane from Daly River Barra Resort said there were good fish to be caught in the river before the latest flush.
“One bloke I spoke to got lots of 70s about 10 days ago,” Stuey told me.
“I don’t think Bamboo Creek is running; in fact, I think the water’s running back into it.
“We had a Greek bloke staying here who was doing well at Bamboo off the bank on the springs, but then the flush came down and he’s catching nothing there now.
“I went upstream with clients and we had a good day, but again before the river rose again.
“The fish seemed to be in structure next to the creeks,” Stuey told me.
Ronald Voukolos at Fishing and Outdoor World said: “The barra went beserk at Shady mouth during the last neap tides, but only the blokes with Active Target who knew how to use it got amongst them.
“There were lots of big barra caught but they reckon it’s really weird because no one is talking; they’re all heads down looking at their sounder screens.
“The South Alligator fished okay downriver with fish up to 95cm getting caught sight casting around rocks.
“King Creek in Shoal Bay went well on the neaps too.
“In the harbor, both Blessers and Reichardt Creeks fished well but for small barra.
“There were 16 boats in Reichardt on Sunday, all chasing the double-prize $20,000 Million Dollar Fish over the weekend.
“Offshore, lots of good goldies are getting caught,” Ron told me.
It looks like the heavy rains are set to return thanks to monsoonal lows over both the Indian Ocean and the Coral Sea which are expected to move in and across northern Australia.
According to the Bureau of Metreology: “Monsoonal conditions which have recently been evident across the south-eastern Indian Ocean are expected to become established across northern Australia in the coming fortnight.
“In recent days a monsoon trough has also started to develop over the northern Coral Sea.
“Both these monsoonal areas have seen enhanced tropical weather and now have tropical lows and/or tropical cyclones embedded within the associated monsoon troughs.”
That’s all good news because we definitely need to see those rivers rising big time.
In the meantime, if you’re having a fish this weekend, the tides will be coming off their spring phase and slowly moving towards the neaps.
I prefer it the other way round, but there should be plenty of opportunities offshore – weather permitting – to catch some goldies or jew.
Both these reef fish seem to be abundant during the wet season.
There are quality golden snapper to be caught offshore at the moment – Anthony Merlin with a beauty.
That’s John Saint hidden away there, and he’s just caught a ripper giant trevally.
