Here's the barramundi fishing year:

JANUARY: It's the wet season and the rivers are usually swollen with the first big monsoon. Many fishermen will be watching Jan/Feb rainfall to judge the run-off season ahead, from March to about May.

It's a case of the more rain the better, as this will keep the floodplains flowing back into the rivers for longer. During the wet season barramundi feed on frogs, tadpoles and other creepy crawlies that move around in the floodwaters.

With so much water about the fish can be hard to find, but anglers who fish the channels on the floodplains locate feeding fish near features such as channels, junctions or eddies. Anywhere where food is concentrated, barramundi will be close by.

FEBRUARY: February is usually the wettest month. The trick is to fish in between periods of monsoonal rain when the rivers are falling. During the Wet falling rivers are always better for fishing, as the floodplains are flushing food into the rivers.

When a river is rising, the opposite occurs, and the barramundi can become hard to find on the floodplains.

MARCH: The floodplains by now are flowing clear water through feeder creeks into the discoloured main rivers. This is the unofficial barramundi season, when fishing is at its best.

Barra can be found lurking at the floodplain creek mouths and near small floodplain run-offs, waiting for something tasty to fall in or pass by. The fish usually bite aggressively as the tide falls and the feeder creeks rush out.

Fishermen will be found casting lures and baits into the colour changes, where barra will wait in ambush for a passing tadpole, frog or fish. When its happening, run-off fishing can be very exciting, with two or three boats anchored on each feeder creek mouth.

APRIL: The river levels have dropped to near normal and the floodplain-fed feeder creeks will soon dry up.

MAY: Barramundi fishing starts moving to the snags, rockbars and eddies.
At this time of year fish become landlocked in billabongs, formed along the upper reaches of rivers.

These fish become creatures of ambush, waiting in the lilies and snags for a meal to pass close by.

Depending on the food supply, these landlocked barra will either become fat and lazy or quite lean and competing for whatever tucker is going. They can be caught by casting various lures, with morning and afternoons being the most productive times. Night fishing is also productive in billabongs.

In tidal waters many fish will travel up and down the river with the tide at this time of year, providing short but furious action for anglers as they pass by. Eddies at sharp river bends are known holding spots.

JUNE/JULY: This is the most pleasant time of year in the Top End, with clear blue skies, lower humidity and comfortable temperatures almost guaranteed. Ironically, it is the quietest time for the heat-loving barra, but the fish can still be caught.

Anglers turn to working the snags, rockbars and tidal run-offs. The most successful anglers are the ones that work the snags the hardest, losing lures but hooking more fish in the process.

A lure-retrieving tool is useful in these situations, as it will give you the confidence to fish the snags properly. Effective snag fishing requires that you get your lure down to the fish, and if you are trolling and feel the lure hitting bottom at times, you have got it about right.

Try experimenting with different lures that dive to different depths, and keep an eye on your sounder so you know what depth of water you are working.

Sinking lures, such as jigs, are handy when you want to drop a lure straight down the side of a submerged tree.

A popular method is to use single-hook, weighted soft plastic lures, which can be cast at a snag, let sink and jigged back. As they have only one hook they don't snag easily, although the hook-up rate can be low.

Deep-diving bibbed lures that float when at rest are excellent for working snags from a stationary boat.

You can retrieve them slowly and bump them over the snags. Barra fall for this all the time. Snags situated in river eddies (areas of still water) around the bends in a creek or river are usually the most productive.

AUGUST: This is the end of the Dry and the beginning of the Build-up. As the weather warms the barramundi becomes more aggressive.

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER and NOVEMBER: These are great months to fish if you don't mind the Build-up heat. The fish are feeding to bring them into spawning condition and can often be found feeding aggressively.

Flatsfishing is fun at this time of year, as the barra will push baitfish into the shallows on a rising tide.

Look for the feeding fish and cast very shallow-running lures in their path. A slow, twitchy retrieve often gets a reluctant barra to strike. Try casting your lure and let it sit for a second, then twitch it once. Barra will often smash it right then.

The billabongs fish well at this time.

Local anglers fish mornings, afternoons and night when it is cooler. The fish are also more aggressive at these times.

Regulations

Sponsored by NTTC

Rules and regulations are contained in a booklet available from the NT Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries. A handy tide book is also available.

The main rules are a minimum size limit of 55 cm and a bag limit of five fish per person in all waters except the Mary River, where a limit of two fish applies. There are seasonal closures on the Mary River below Shady Camp and the lower Daly River.

Kakadu National Park has added restrictions, with no fishing permitted in the West Alligator River.

While no official maximum size exists, it is an unofficial rule that fish over 100 cm are returned to the water, as these are valuable breeding females. Small barra are all males as the fish change sex as they grow.

Tackle

Lures and tackle matters are best discussed with your local tackle store staff. Essential items include a camera, a large, strong landing net and a lure retrieving tool. Make sure you have everything you need as shops in some remote areas sell on only basic items.

Tackle stores in Darwin and Katherine are superb, with smaller outlets in Jabiru and Nhulunbuy. Fishing tackle is usually available at service stations and general stores in remote areas.

Most importantly, always carry extra drinking water and fuel on NT waterways, and let someone know where you are going.

Guides

There is no better way to catch a barra than hiring a professional guide.
Guides operate by strict standards and know how to improve your chances.
Guides also have custom barra boats and equipment that make their fee well worthwhile.

Recipes

Barramundi are a superb eating fish, especially those caught in tidal water.
Most fish recipes can be used on barra, but the filleted flesh lends itself to the most simple of treatments, including being simply slapped on a BBQ plate with butter, salt and pepper. Voila!

References

Darwin is home to three excellent barramundi fishing publications.
One is called Fishing Territory, produced by the Northern Territory Tourist Commission. It can be ordered at www.fishingtheterritory.com

Another valuable reference is a book of fishing maps by Matt Flynn called North Australian Fish Finder. This book can be found at www.fishfinderbooks.com

The latest methods and products are outlined in Barra and Bass, a quarterly publication by Alex Julius. See it at www.fishingnorthaustralia.com

Regular fishing reports appear in all the local newspapers.