The second half of the dry season is usually when our Top End billabongs start to pick up the pace.
Water levels are getting lower and the barra begin to get fidgety as water temperatures increase.
This is especially so in Kakadu where landlocked waterways often offer spectacular tropical vistas and glimpses of a host of varied wildlife.
Our billabongs have been enthralling locals and visitors alike for many years.
The tactics used to fish the billabongs of Kakadu are not dissimilar to those employed on the likes of Corroboree or Hardies.
However, there are some other important considerations that need to be taken into account when fishing these local treasures for barramundi and saratoga: a worthy bycatch.
I’ve alluded to this many times but, unfortunately, the noxious floating weed, salvinia, is present in a number of Kakadu billabongs, so please be careful not to transport this invasive aquatic plant into other waterways by making sure your boat, trailer and gear are free from any clinging clumps or weed particles.
Billabongs such as Yellow Water, Home Billabong and Mardugal near Cooinda Resort are easily reached as they have sealed road access.
Salvinia is present in these beautiful waterways which is unfortunate as it creates dense floating mats covering areas that would normally be fishable.
Less accessible are the likes of Four Mile Hole, Two Mile Hole, Red Lily, Alligator and Bucket Billabongs, all of which require a solid trailer and tough four wheel drive to safely traverse their bone-shaking corrugated access tracks and makeshift launching sites.
On the upside, the fishing in these more remote spots often makes up for the arduous journey.
I’ll never forget one trip a few years ago that exemplifies the negatives and positives of visiting remote Kakadu waterways.
Interstate friends were visiting and we undertook an arduous drive to a billabong where we would fish for a few hours before driving out and heading for Yellow Water Lagoon at Cooinda.
We pulled up at the boat launching location only to discover a totally-shredded boat trailer tyre.
That was a dual-axle trailer which was why – given the horrible, corrugated, bumpy track in – I didn’t realise the tyre had blown.
I jacked up the trailer and ripped the dead wheel off, only to discover that the brake calipers had seized onto the inside of the wheel bearing case… what a nightmare!
Luckily I carry a big, fully-loaded tool box in the back of the Cruiser.
I had all the tools and problem-solving accessories, but I still spent three hours under the trailer getting it to the point that I could put the spare on.
By then, it was about 4pm and I’d had a gutful: all I wanted to do was get back to the highway well before dark in case I had another problem that needed fixing.
I explained that to my friends, Melanie Ottaway and Sian Cassidy, but they implored me to put the boat in, even for a brief session.
So that’s what we did, and blow me down if an hour later we didn’t have a handful of nice barra up to 93cm under our belt.
Given the circumstances, it was a monumental short session, and the biggest fish, which Mel caught, finished up on the cover of NAFA magazine.
Still on a positive note, we got back off that goat track unscathed.
Melanie Ottaway’s Kakadu billabong barra came during a brief session following a three hour boat trailer fix thanks to a horrible bush track.
Scott Adam enjoyed the easy barra fishing at Four Mile Hole.
