But it's Australia's Top End - the Northern Territory - that offers the best barramundi fishing.

The Top End habitat is ideal with vast floodplain-fed rivers, hundreds of picturesque billabongs and thousands of kilometres of unspoilt coast.

The habitat may be wild but the infrastructure is excellent, with many sealed roads, graded tracks and boat ramps.

Some of the world's best professional fishing guides operate in the Territory, and there are probably more tackle stores per capita than anywhere else in Australia.

To top it off, Territory governments have seen the value of the barramundi as a tourism attraction and put in place stringent management regulations. Many rivers are closed to commercial netting.

This means more barra are available for anglers, with a very good chance of hooking a trophy fish.

Nowhere in the world is the chance of landing a 25 kg barra better than in the Northern Territory.

Methods

There's a few tricks to catching barramundi.

The fish is an aggressive predator. Its silver flanks are heavily muscled and protected by large, hard scales. While the fish has no large teeth, its gill covers and mouth are strong enough to tear hooks off all but the toughest lures.

Barramundi live in both fresh and salt water and can find a lure in the dirtiest water, and at night.

The fish finds its prey through sensing vibration, but it also has outstanding eyesight. Its eyes glow red under torchlight, just like crocodile eyes.

The barramundi's mouth is upturned, and the fish will readily take prey from on or near the surface.

The barramundi prefers live prey and only rarely is caught on flesh baits. Lures and livebait catch most of the fish.

The secret is to use quality tackle, as a big barra will soon find the weaknesses in sub-standard gear.

Nonetheless, many barramundi are caught each year on a simple but stout handline baited with a live fish or prawn.

Seasons

Understanding barramundi requires understanding the seasons and how they affect Top End waterways.

The Top End has two main seasons, the Dry, from about April to October, and the Wet, from November to March.

The Dry is characterised by blue skies, moderate to warm temperatures and no rain, while the Wet season features heavy rain and warm temperatures.

The other famous period is the Build-up, the period leading up to the Wet but before the monsoonal rain starts.

This period is most famous for its heat, but it is also a great time to catch barramundi.

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Here's the barramundi fishing year: