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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3516
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Barra season in the Top End
      #53897 - 02/04/06 04:44 PM

Tossed the boat in Bynoe Harbour yesterday, looking for salt-water barra around the mud-flats at the bottom of the tide. We only boated a few small ones, mine were 61 and 72 cm, along with the usual assortment of grunter, bream, cod etc on bait. A couple of opportunities for better fish were missed, we'll get them next time!



Yes, I am soaking-wet, it bucketed down most of the day, with several big storm-cells moving across the harbour. We also got involved in a bog-fest on the track out, not bogged personally but had to help extract two other vehicles which were blocking our way. The wet season shows no signs of having done with us yet!

Most of my friends have headed out to the big tidal rivers to fish the wet-season run-off, which the good wife and I will be doing over easter and following weekends, so I hope they did well. The word was that mainly 'green' freshwater fish were being caught, but that should have changed with more estuary fish moving upstream on the big tides.

This month is a very good time to be chasing barra in Australia's 'Top End', in both fresh-water and salt. Hopefully we'll get hooked-up to a few 'horses' on the easter long-weekend!


BTW, I tossed a recipe for 'barramundi sausages' up on the "Recipes...' forum, for those who are interested in aussie 'pioneer' culinary heritage!



--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member


Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #54657 - 13/04/06 12:02 AM

Tony,dont forget to get a feed of mud crabs but leave some for me .
Al

--------------------
"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3516
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: ALAN_MCKENZIE]
      #56592 - 07/05/06 05:42 PM

Well, so much for the famous Top End "run-off" barra season! We had been looking forward to fishing the big flood-plain rivers over the easter weekend, but there had been too much rain from the monsoon just prior, and the floodplains hadn't yet started to drain. We gave the Adelaide River a go on the Sunday, but loading up the animals two-by-two would have been a more logical use of a boat! Flood-water everywhere!

Just when it was starting to look promising, along came Cyclone Monica, which promptly turned into a rain depression over the Alligator Rivers region. The Arnhem Highway only just re-opened on Thursday, so we headed out for an exploratory trip to Nourlangie Creek yesterday.

There was still way too much water of course, and the fish haven't started moving yet. A bit worrying, since we have now had a week of fairly cool dry-season weather, and the general sentiment on the river is that the barra fishing may be over before it began.

I was lucky enough to make the day worthwhile with two keepers, one of which was a very good fish. Several anglers I spoke to on the water and at the ramp had been hard at it each day since the road opened, without boating a legal fish! All agreed that we need a few days of warm weather to get the barra biting again, but those big high-pressure systems moving across the southern part of the continent have probably put paid to that.

Here's my best fish yesterday, only 92cm but a whopping 26lbs. That's one fat mother of a barramundi! She still managed a couple of leaps completely clear of the water though. Spectacular!



Can't decide what to do on the big tides next weekend. Might have to dust off the mackerel gear!

Maybe I'll just go hunting instead...

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #56593 - 07/05/06 06:35 PM

Marrakai,
Bloody nice barra mate!!

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3516
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: ALAN_MCKENZIE]
      #56635 - 08/05/06 11:20 PM

Thanks 4seventy.

...and sorry Al, almost did forget!
Here's a quick reminder of what a real Territory Mud Crab looks like!
...though I'm sure you haven't forgotten!




...and a good feed from 3 hrs of working the pots in our 'secret creek' the other day:




We're trying to leave a few for you, but don't wait too long!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39414
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #56639 - 09/05/06 12:55 AM

Now everyone knows Marrakai has crabs.

When can I drop in for dinner mate! Looks delicious.

Marrakai,

April / May are meant to be the best months for barra aren't they?



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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tinker
.416 member


Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #56686 - 09/05/06 10:25 AM

Freakin god Marrakai -- those things are huge!

Are the waters in your stream radioactive?



Enjoy

--Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 39414
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: tinker]
      #56709 - 09/05/06 02:17 PM

Tinker

While the mudcrabs Marrakai are holding are glowing red and huge they are from coastal mud plains and mangrove swamps.

There IS radioactive country in the Kakadu area. When holidaying there two years ago we were told the Aboriginals used to refer to certain areas as "sickness country". Sounds like out of an old African Tarzan movie or really old Aussie bush movie where the debil-debils live. They were forbidden by tribal law to go to those areas. In modern times, uranium and similar minerals were found in those areas, so the traditional Aborigines were not supertitious or silly at all in regard to "sickness country".

Marrakai - damned nice fish you are holding up too.

--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

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EricD
.416 member


Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #57169 - 15/05/06 05:50 AM

Those giant yummy looking crabs make it tempting to visit Marrakai just to get to eat dinner at his place!

Do they taste any differant than other crabs?

Erik

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3516
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: EricD]
      #57187 - 15/05/06 12:55 PM

BETTER!

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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EricD
.416 member


Reged: 27/02/04
Posts: 4636
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #57207 - 15/05/06 11:19 PM

I'll be dropping in for dinner tonight then!

What's a short 24+ hour flight when it comes to pigging out on crabs like those!

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ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member


Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #57235 - 16/05/06 12:35 PM

Thanks MATE! ! ! !
Hell, you know how to convince a bloke that its time to head north again.


A couple of Mangrove Jack my brother inlaw caught at Onslow.(he lives there)
Al

--------------------
"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3516
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: ALAN_MCKENZIE]
      #57249 - 16/05/06 08:44 PM

Yeah, that's Onslow alright. I recognise it by all the trees!

Is Nikki's Restaurant still a goer? Haven't been there for years.

Bloody good jacks, BTW. We don't see them like that very often up here.

(....the barra ate them all!)

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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ALAN_MCKENZIE
.400 member


Reged: 24/03/04
Posts: 1214
Loc: Western Australia
Re: Barra season in the Top End [Re: Marrakai]
      #57365 - 19/05/06 11:22 AM

Gidday Tony,yes NIKKI'S is still going strong according to my brotherinlaw.
The jacks dont get fished much along that section of the coast.
I think it more likely that the Indo's are knocking your fish stocks down.
Al

--------------------
"Dogs always bark at their master"
Sir Seretse Khama.25th June 1949

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