Darwin trip

[2BNVS1]

Planning a trip to see some family in Darwin end of september start of October. I really wanna do a barra fishing tour. Anyone have any experience or recommend any particular group to go through?

Cheers
Ben

[robersl]

Yeh look at fishthetopend website and give mike a call he is a good bloke and will tell it like it is and will not bull crap you i have used him and recommend himto anybody he is a booking agent for a lot of the N/t Guides barra and bluewater charter operaters his number is 0419031805
September /October is getting towards the end of the billabong barra fishing season fishing normally shuts down after that for a while
Shane

[blackjew]

Gday 2BNVS1 yer mate as robers said not a real good time for Barra,I keep intouch with my family that live there,its still raining now and its suppose to be the run off ,so who can tell what will happen,but you will still get some good ones closer to the mouths of creeks around sept oct ,hire a boat and launch from buffalow creek good ramp 2wd friendly and go straight over to towards the mainland,you cant miss it there a bloody dirty great rock great Barra and jew spot ,or ring shoal bay boat hire ,do it on a rising high tide as the whole of shoal bay can dry and be tricky at a dropping tide great offshore fishing at that time of the year, thats the start of the Build up so calm days with the buid up storms on the horizon threataning.Try Arafura Blue charters ,as for the Barra Charter try a charter that does south alligator,or shady camp,if theres no Barra they head to the mouth for shallow water Black jew action.All the best .Cheers Rob

[Salad Fingers]

great time of the year for barra, I love the start of the build up.
Shoal bay is the go as blackjew has said at that time of year. A few guides fish it at that time of year.
The other option would be to go and see the BarraBase guys down at Dundee (not Darwins Barra Base, just Barra Base)

Good luck.

[NormC]

I live in NT, but 1,000 km from Darwin - at King Ash Bay on McArthur River (near Borroloola). Down here, the barra came back on the bite from around late August (varies by year) as the weather and water start to warm up. By October, November, the 'build up' is well under way and barra are generally around in numbers if you know where and how to look.

I'm not familiar with the Darwin area (for fishing), but I'd expect a good guide to be able to find plenty of barra on the bite at the time you are planning your trip.

For me, I actually prefer fishing for barra in the 'winter'. A lot of the barra a holed up in the snags conserving energy and waiting for warmer water. We spend these months flicking lures into the snags. Really tests your accuracy as you need to drop the lure fight on their nose. Often the first couple of hits are 'piss off' head smacks, but with persistence and accuracy, you can pick them up. I rate one barra in the winter as being the value (in enjoyment) of 10 in the warmer weather.

But I understand. If you are spending big money on the 'trip of a lifetime', you don't want to work all day for the chance of 1 or 2 barra.

Hope you get to make the trip.

Norm C