Lower than expected visitor numbers across the Top End hasn’t affected Rod & Rifle TackleWorld Katherine. The shop is busy, local tourism is pumping and there are no complaints.
Standing behind his new front counter, store manager Trent De With, along with an interior facelift and 30 percent more shelving capacity, has added a pet crocodile.
“The croc is 55cm long, which makes it just legal length for barra,” Trent said.
Staff numbers are averaging about six at present, and Trent said retaining staff was a problem. This time last year, there were nine staff in the shop, and they were struggling to keep up with customer needs.
Trent is a strong supporter of the Million Dollar Fish promotion run by NT Major Events. This year, the marketing program came to fruition when, in late April, Katherine local Keegan Payne snagged the $1 million barra bounty early on a Sunday morning while out fishing with his mates and his sister on the Katherine River. It is the only time in the competition's nine-year history that a Territory angler has caught the prized tagged barramundi worth $1 million.
“Keegan is one of my neighbours,” Trent said. “He caught the barra in the heart of Katherine; you could see the streetlights from where he caught it.”
Trent pointed out that consecutive wet seasons boosted barramundi numbers in local waterways. “The Victoria River has experienced good consecutive wet seasons,” he said.
By way of showing how much better the fishing for barra is after good seasons, Trent highlighted the Katherine Game Fishing Club’s annual Big Horse Barra Classic: “In 2022, there were 120 barra caught, and in 2023 the number of caught barra rose to 200,” he said.
“But in 2024, more than 850 barra were caught along with another 150 barra captures that were disqualified.”
Among new or improved products in store, Trent said the Jabbers rod range was finding a growing acceptance and proved a game changer for travelling anglers, particularly those with limited space for luggage, or even boat storage.
“The Jabbers range of rods are amazing,” Trent said. “Jabbers are five-piece rods that you can store easily and yet, when put together, the joints don’t inhibit the action so the rod feels like a one-piece.” He said the variety of Jabbers was wide ranging, and there was a model available to suit every occasion.
Store Manager Trent De With, with a beautiful goldie caught caught using a Jabber Travel Rod and Jabbers Moxie Sparkle lure.
Soft plastic lures have made a big dent in the market and Trent said the Sicario soft plastics were proving popular. “These lures come in three different sizes and come pre-rigged,” he said. The paddletail lures have proven to stand up well on multiple fish captures. Trent said this is because the pre-rigged versions have top-quality hooks that withstand the rigours of fishing in northern rivers.
Established products like Yeti are well represented in store and Trent said the Yeti range was ever evolving, while a reel from Daiwa was high on his product choice.
“The Daiwa Tatula 150 is a baitcaster, but Daiwa has engineered it to be saltwater protected and to that end one of the major changes the company undertook was to replace the metal bearings with hard-wearing nylon bushes.”
The store caters for Outdoors enthusiasts regardless of preference.
There is more to Rod & Rifle Tackleworld than fishing. The store caters for Outdoor enthusiasts regardless of preference. Whether you’re a camper or a shooter, you’ll find what you need.
For those with epicurean tastes, the shop features a range of smokers, barbecue essentials and gourmet products.
Local shooting preferences include feral animals like pigs, buffalo and donkeys, while magpie geese are much sought after for their table qualities.
Top-selling firearms in the shop include the Howa 1500, 10-shot rifle in .223 and .308 calibres. The rifle includes a stainless steel barrel and a synthetic stock. Popular among shotgun enthusiasts is the Templeton Straight Pull 12g T2000 button release. There are several models and styles to suit pigs and birds.
Rod & Rifle TackleWorld has been trading for more than 44 years and Trent, who took over managing the shop from his father Warren about eight years ago, said there was a need to be prepared to adapt to ongoing changes. Some changes were dictated by trends, and a popular trend are smokers. Trent said the store had an ever-expanding range of smokers.
Trent, Warren and Debbie De With.
“American style rubs and sauces are becoming huge whether you smoke fish or meat, and we are on the leading edge of this,” he said.
Rod & Rifle TackleWorld is located on Giles Street in Katherine, a city at the heart of Northern Territory fishing with the Daly, Roper and Victoria Rivers – three fabulous barra waters –all within three hours drive.
With Katherine’s perfect location. people can travel only an hour or so out of town and be camping beside a river or billabong and soaking in all the Territory has to offer.