Fishing In Darwin



by Paul Collery


Fishing in Darwin is a first class angling experience.

The tropical north of Australia has some of the world's best saltwater sport fishing in a wild and pristine wilderness habitat with a multitude of wildlife, bird and fish species. The pollution free, warm tropical waters and minimum commercial fishing pressure provide for very diverse and productive fishing.

Darwin is Australia's northern capitol and today she has grown into a cosmopolitan but still unique tropical outpost populated with over one hundred thousand people. The capitol is to be found on a tiny peninsula surrounded by the vast area of Darwin harbor and manyf beautiful coastal beaches and reefs.

Seasons

There are a couple of optimal times of the year to be fishing in Darwin the north of Australia The "build up" is late September to the end of December and at this time we see increasing air and seatemperatures and rising humidity as we build up to the onset of the tropical monsoon season This excites the fish into compulsive feeding as we approach the monsoon season. The "run off" period which will often be at the end of March, give or take a month. The monsoon season rains run off the flooded plains into the rivers and estuaries and the barramundi and other estuary species go on a feeding fever in the food filled waters.

Estuary Fishing

The best time of the year to be barramundi fishing and fishing for other estuary species around Darwin and the Top End is March to May and September to December. Barramundi are normally found in the slower waters of estuaries any where around the Kimberley, Top End and North Queensland. They are going to live in both salt and freshwater and will usually be found hiding under submerged structure such as overhangs, timber and rocks. Average catches are typically around 50-70cm but monsters over 1 meter are not unusual.

The Top End shore is normally quite flat and accordingly the streams that snake across these flats are slow and winding. In the wet season the rivers break their banks and spread inundate the flood plains. As the waters recede after the wet, many pools and inland waterways are made and are filled with freshwater. These are home to Barramundi, Saratoga and Threadfin Salmon.

Reef Fishing

In and around Darwin and the Top End reef fishing is best from April to around December. There are hundreds of reefs both artificial and in the seas around Darwin. A bunch of wrecks of all types were sunk in and around Darwin coastal regions by severe tropical weather and WW2 air raids. These will produce good catches of the sort after black jewfish as well as golden snapper, cod, trevally and coral trout just just to mention a few. A number of Darwin fishing charters accessing these areas.

Safety

In a word crocodiles!!

Our reptilian friends are everywhere across the north of Australia. We won't see them but they are here watching and waiting. The bigger ones being in excess of five meters long and be quite aggressive. Yet one more very sound reason to employ a local fishing guide with the proper knowledge and gear.

Fishing Lodges

Fishing Lodges




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