Outrage in the Outback! |
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Outrage in the Outback!
There is nothing like the adrenaline rush from a huge crocodile charging right for your hooked barramundi. Your senses peak as the guide warns you to quickly move to the middle of the high-sided boat while instructing you to hit free-spool on your bait-casting rig – all of this while a 16-footer is barreling toward your frolicking fish just 10-feet from the net.“Let your barra run,” guide Paul Massey screamed as he moved toward the boat’s center and began banging the long handle of the net against the gunwale to stop the croc’s approach. His efforts did little to deter the estimated 1,600-pound saltwater reptile from gliding just feet from the edge of our boat. The croc just hovered there like a big immovable monster and smiled at us with its exposed craggy dentures. In the meantime, my fish had moved about 20-feet away before stopping. It seemed to just suspend in the current, waiting for the outcome of this confrontation. Our “stare-down” on the surface was not working either. The menacing croc didn’t want to move away. Paul, by now seeing this as a mundane routine, continued to bang his boat from a safe vantage point. He then took out his knife and quickly sliced a 12-pound barra that he had in his cooler and heaved the juicy carcass about 20-feet beyond our prehistoric guest. The determined croc didn’t fall for the trick. Paul then started his outboard motor and revved it up several times as the monstrous crocodile hovered there beside us without budging an inch. “We’re going to have to up-anchor and move,” he suggested. “Then we’ll try to land your fish downstream.” The plan was sound, but as a result of a quickly falling tide on the Mary River our anchor was stuck in the mud on a bar some 30-feet away. Since either of us wasn’t about to get out of the boat, we pulled on it with all of our might before putting the engine in reverse and finally yanking it free of the muck. By the time we got the anchor aboard, we were surrounded by four crocs. My guide cautiously maneuvered the boat between them as they separated – all the while I tried to keep control of my terrified fish. Paul motored away from the small feeder creek entrance where we “parked” so I could quickly reel in my rested 13-pound fish. All of a sudden, the barramundi sprung to life and began thrashing wildly at boat-side as three of the crocs headed toward us again. I pressured the barra into Paul’s waiting net. “I am going to keep this one,” he said before shouting that we had to move immediately. He put the boat on a plane and ran about a quarter of a mile before stopping and attending to the netted fish lying on the deck. The Northern Territory’sMary RiverSuch exciting fishing is not unusual in the Outback of Australia, especially in the Northern Territory. The rugged sights and potential dangers of the wild frame every adventure. While many other great fish swim in the waters along the Top End, the barramundi fishing is what attracts many anglers. The Top End territory is one of the last remaining genuine outback regions where you can fully experience the awesome grandeur of nature first hand. There are not many places left in the world that offer a magnificent, remote natural environment to wander and explore. The Top End is just what it says, the most northern part of the Northern Territory. It is lush, green and tropical - a total contrast to the harsh, arid beauty of The Red Centre.
We launched at Shady Camp Park, which is part of the Mary River system that borders the Kakadu National Park. Shady Camp includes both freshwater and saltwater areas, and a barrage set across the river to prevent saltwater from moving further upstream on an incoming tide. A boat ramp providing access to barramundi anglers stands on each side of the barrage, which is surrounded by floodplains. The Mary River is a recreational fishing-only area and the possession limit on barramundi in the river’s management zone is two fish. Afterwards, you may continue to catch and release using only barbless hooks. The fishing season is typically closed between October 1 and January 31 on the saltwater portion of the river below the Shady Camp barrage. Legendary barra waters include the Rockhole and Corroboree Billabong, Hardies Lagoon, Tommycut Creek and the S-Bends. The famous Corroboree is one of the most beautiful freshwater fishing spots in Australia. We caught several fish in the narrows section of the Mary, a hot-spot located some three-miles downstream from the Shady Camp boat ramp and about 20-miles upstream from Chambers Bay. Significant tidal fluctuation occurs on the Mary River, making the fishing even more challenging and interesting. Waters can drop 16-feet from high tide to low tide with an average drop of about three-feet per hour. On an outgoing tide, mullet and other small fish and prawns are pulled back into the main river channels. Barras feed on that outgoing tide and the crocs usually lie around on the bars and grab unsuspecting fish caught in the shrinking shallows. Timing the Mary River BiteThe prime barramundi fishing months are during Australia’s fall when the river is falling and cooling. In March, the water temperature will start off in the 80s and drop into the upper 60s by mid-May, as an armada of boats on the river chase “runoff” barra. During the dry season, which runs from May through September, the system is brackish and primarily saltwater below the barrage. According to my guide Paul, “The first of the incoming and the last of the outgoing tides are normally the best. When you are fishing upstream near the top of the river, you may want to fish through the outgoing tide. When the floodplains have drained is when the fish feed the hardest.” He further mentioned that on a big tide, it is best to fish the back of the creeks and on a small tide, fishing the creek’s mouth is the way to go. During the wet season from November through February, the entire river system is primarily fresh water. Daily rains keep the system full. The varying access and extreme water fluctuations are vital to the success of the barramundi spawning process in the Mary River. Paul added, “In the three months following the wet season when the runoff has peaked, the biggest barra and the best numbers are often taken.” Guide-Recommended TechniquesOn our trip, Paul and I landed close to two-dozen high-jumping barras each day – most over 10-pounds. The largest was a 23-pound trophy that the guide hooked while we slow-trolled six-inch Bombers along the Mary River’s grassy shorelines. Paul was twitching the chartreuse plug erratically into the tidal current along a four-foot deep drop-off ledge when the 40-inch barramundi crushed it. His technique of “popping” the rod to impart a darting action is what is often responsible for enticing giant barramundi. While the 31-year old guide’s largest personally caught barra was a 65-pound monster taken by casting near the mouth of the Mary River seven years ago, many of his giants have come from trolling. Utilizing this approach, several clients have had 40 fish days with many weighing an average of 15 to 20-pounds, with fish as large as 67-pounds taken on Paul’s charters. These giants sometimes congregate on the mangrove flats around the mouths of the tiny bay rivers at the end of the wet season. On one outstanding day, three clients caught 197 barra below a broken mud weir near the mouth of the Mary River. That’s spectacular barramundi fishing!
For those looking for an exciting and thrilling angling adventure, barramundi fishing in Australia’s Northern Territory more than delivers! With the better fishing often among savage crocodiles, the experience makes for a great competition between man and beast that is not for the faint of heart. Larry Larsen, an inductee in the Fishing Hall of Fame, has traveled the world in search of big fish for over 30 years. He’s written 21 books and is a frequent contributor with articles and photos to Destination Fish and other national publications. He is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), the Florida Outdoor Writer’s Association (FOWA) and the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). Bring Your CameraThe Outback is one of the greatest remaining wilderness areas on earth, and one needs to be aware of the dangers that this wilderness possesses. We noticed snakes on the roads including the very deadly and aggressive taipan. Of course, the large saltwater crocs are part of the adventure when fishing the tidal waters in the area. One day, we noticed two crocs getting too close to each other on the opposite bank. Then, all hell broke loose as “Wild Kingdom” unfolded before us. The two 12-footers wrestled on the bank and in the foot deep water before separating and sinking back into the main channel. A few minutes later, a 14-footer appeared at the surface and flipped a large barramundi in the air three times before positioning it headfirst in its snout. The croc, with a huge head and shoulders, pointed toward the sky above the water’s surface the entire time, then swallowed his catch and disappeared into the muddy water.
Where To Toss The BagsLike most visitors, I flew Qantas Airways into Sydney. My flight to the land down under was long, but the entertainment options are outstanding and their ‘Skybeds’ in Business Class were very comfortable. Qantas and American Airlines have code-share arrangements for ease of connections in major U.S. airports. Qantas Airlines After arrival in Australia and a commercial flight to Darwin in the Northern Territory, we stayed at the Sky City Darwin, a premium five-star boutique hotel and casino. Sky City Darwin Hotel Another nice resort on the Cobourg Peninsula in the country north of Darwin, is Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge. The various suites surrounded by the extensive foliage on the resort grounds are all comfortable. Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge
Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge For charters, Paul Massey can book trips to the Mary River and easily set up lodge/resort reservations both in Darwin and near the fishing. Paul’s Sport-fishing Safaris Other Notes of InterestAbout AustraliaFor more information visit: ww.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2698.htm |
The Mary River is the most famous for catching the Aussie’s favorite fish, as long as you can put up with the dangerous saltwater crocs that have no fear of man. The Mary River wetlands are part of a network of northern coastal wetlands that link eight major rivers in the Top End. This network is a rare and ecologically fragile, and was been recently proclaimed a National Park. The waters are about three hours east of Darwin, via the Arnhem Highway. 
