Fishing Darwin and the Tropical North
Fishing in Darwin is a top class fishing experience.
The northern coast of Australia has some of the country's best coastal and estuary in a wild and unspoiled outback environment with a great number of native wildlife. The pollution free, warm tropical waters and little commercial fishing pressure provide for extremely diverse and productive fishing.
Darwin is Australia's most notherly town and today she has evolved into a sophisticated but still character full tropical capitol populated with over 100 000 population. The town is located on a little cape encircled by the enormous area of Darwin harbor and a number of attractive ocean beaches and reefs.
Seasons
There are two best times of the year to be fishing in Darwin and the Top End. The "build up" is the end of September to Christmas and at this time we see rising sea and air temperatures and increasing humidity as we build up to the beginning of the wet season. This stimulates the fish into aggressive feeding as we approach the monsoon season. The "run off" period is from the end of the wet season that may generally be at the end of March, give or take a month. The wet season rains run off the flood plains into the branches and estuaries and the barramundi and other estuary species go on a feeding frenzy 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 the wet season. There are many hundreds of reefs both artificial and made by nature in the coastal waters aroundDarwin. A number of marine and aviation wrecks were sunk in and around Darwin Harbour by cyclones and WW2 air raids. These will produce good catches of the valued black jewfish as well as golden snapper, cod, trevally and coral trout just just to name a few. There's a number of Darwin fishing charters accessing these areas.
Safety
In a word crocodiles!!
Our reptilian mates are everywhere across the northern coast of Australia. We might not see them but be assured they are here watching and waiting. The older ones being bigger than five to six meters long and be quite aggressive. One more very good reason to consider hiring a local fishing guide with the appropriate
Fishing Lodges
Fishing Lodges
The northern coast of Australia has some of the country's best coastal and estuary in a wild and unspoiled outback environment with a great number of native wildlife. The pollution free, warm tropical waters and little commercial fishing pressure provide for extremely diverse and productive fishing.
Darwin is Australia's most notherly town and today she has evolved into a sophisticated but still character full tropical capitol populated with over 100 000 population. The town is located on a little cape encircled by the enormous area of Darwin harbor and a number of attractive ocean beaches and reefs.
Seasons
There are two best times of the year to be fishing in Darwin and the Top End. The "build up" is the end of September to Christmas and at this time we see rising sea and air temperatures and increasing humidity as we build up to the beginning of the wet season. This stimulates the fish into aggressive feeding as we approach the monsoon season. The "run off" period is from the end of the wet season that may generally be at the end of March, give or take a month. The wet season rains run off the flood plains into the branches and estuaries and the barramundi and other estuary species go on a feeding frenzy 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 the wet season. There are many hundreds of reefs both artificial and made by nature in the coastal waters aroundDarwin. A number of marine and aviation wrecks were sunk in and around Darwin Harbour by cyclones and WW2 air raids. These will produce good catches of the valued black jewfish as well as golden snapper, cod, trevally and coral trout just just to name a few. There's a number of Darwin fishing charters accessing these areas.
Safety
In a word crocodiles!!
Our reptilian mates are everywhere across the northern coast of Australia. We might not see them but be assured they are here watching and waiting. The older ones being bigger than five to six meters long and be quite aggressive. One more very good reason to consider hiring a local fishing guide with the appropriate
Fishing Lodges
Fishing Lodges
About the Author:
Paul Collery is a fishing fan, and travel writer based in Australia who has fished in many locations around the globe. He runs a company called Sports Fishing Adventures that is focused on guided Barramundi fishing safaris and other fishing adventures to unique and remote locations around Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.