rod-and-rifle

Katherine Barramundi Fishing

Tue, 24 May 2022 06:12:17 GMT

KATHERINE BARRAMUNDI FISHING

The Barramundi, “Barra”, is a prized fish for fishermen all over the world. The NT is an amazing place to go after that next ‘big one’, and we’re going to share with you our best tips for catching a Barra right here in Katherine, Northern Territory.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BARRAMUNDI

The Barramundi is the ultimate predator fish and is an expert hunter of smaller prey fish species. The Barra hunts through ambush tactics. When the smaller bait fish least expects it – the Barra strikes. Understanding how a Barramundi hunts is pivotal to catching one.

Barramundi sit next to fast flowing water, usually preferring a back eddy or area of less turbulence, and wait for their prey to arrive. Smaller bait fish get swept up by fast currents. When they try to escape to the calmer water, the Barra is sitting there waiting for them.

That’s where you need to be.

During the wet season months (December - March) you’ll find Barra feeding all day (depending on the water level). During the dry season, the fish are a lot less active and your best bet is to find them in the early morning and late afternoon.

BARRAMUNDI FISHING AND WATER LEVELS AROUND KATHERINE

In the wet season water levels are up and the Barra are plentiful. You just need to watch the water levels around town. If the river is above 3 meters many of the best Katherine fishing spots will be inaccessible due to water running too fast and structures well and truly below the water line.

Look for times when the river is below 3 meters and still has some good flow – that’s when you want to be out there.

WHAT TO CATCH?

In the Katherine River the two main targets are Black Brim and Barramundi. Black Brim are a bit simpler – just throw out a hook and sinker with a piece of red meat and you’re good to go.

The Barra put up more of a challenge.

HOW TO CATCH A BARRAMUNDI

Fly fishermen have a term – “matching the hatch”. Basically, it means that your fly needs to match the bugs and insects that are hatching at the time. If your fly is a different size, colour or shape than the current natural prey of the fish you have no chance of a catch. If you “match the hatch”, your chances increase greatly.

The exact same concept applies to fishing Barramundi. When fishing Barramundi, instead of matching bugs and insects, you need to match the bait fish the Barra are stalking.

You need to match the bait fish in the river. That means smaller soft plastics and smaller hard bodies. No bigger than 100mm. The best colours to start with are:

Gold
White
White with stripes

Catching Barramundi with live bait

Another great option is live bait. And, we mean LIVE bait - dead bait is generally no good.

Tip: Be careful that you aren’t using live baits and traps in a national park. This is illegal and can carry hefty fines.

You can catch smaller bait fish straight out of the river. The best way to do this is with a small hook (size 10 or 12) with a tiny bit of red meat. We quite often go down under the main high level bridge in town and catch 10 - 20 small bait fish in half an hour. These make great live bait for Barra fishing.

The two types of bait fish you generally want to go after are smaller Black Brim and Striped Grunter. Another tip here is to use a 7/0 Octopus Hook with a 2 inch float set about a meter above the hook.

Cherbin Nets

Knotts Crossing fishes best just after the wet season. The weir (old crossing) can produce plenty of big Barramundi on both the top and bottom side if the water is running over. If the water is running flat then the river is a bit too high, but don’t give up straight away – the river can drop rapidly over just a few hours and you may find yourself in a perfect spot in no time. If you are looking to fish this spot in the dry season (april - sept) then you will need to walk upstream and fish the snags along the bank. Use a little hard body lure and work it through the timber, if you don't have any luck switch to a soft plastic. Try a weedless plastic so you can really get it into the timber, the fish will be lazy this time of year so you'll really need to hit them on the head to get them to bite.

BEST SPOTS AND TIME OF YEAR TO CATCH BARRAMUNDI IN KATHERINE

Generally, during or just after the wet season is the best time to go after the Barra. Catching them in the dry season is still possible, you just need to go hunting for the right spot as the water isn’t as deep or flowing fast.

The best local Katherine spots include:

Knotts Crossing
Donkey Camp
Low Level Recreation Area
Galloping Jacks

We’ve detailed the best Katherine fishing spots to make your next trip out a successful one.

Happy fishing!

What do i need to catch a Barra!

Mon, 14 Mar 2022 09:12:34 GMT

WHAT TO I NEED TO CATCH A BARRA!

If you are new to fishing or just new to targeting Barramundi then this blog may help you decipher what you need! This blog will focus mainly on lure fishing because we all know that using live bait is cheating!

Firstly lets talk about your outfit, no I don’t mean your double pluggers and footy shorts you are probably sitting in, we are talking about your Rod & Reel combo. Or if you don’t have a Rod and Reel yet and are fresh to the game then pay attention!

There are 2 main types of Rod & Reel combo’s:

Firstly we have the Spinning Reel combo more commonly known as the Egg Beater. This Combo is something that most people find very easy to use, it rarely gets tangled and is something that you can pick and use without any trouble. It’s good for lure fishing and live baiting.

The Second one is known as the Bait caster or overhead. These can be a little bit tricky to master, they can easily end up in a mess (birds nest) if you are not using them correctly. Although they are harder to use, they are the preferred outfit used by most Territory fisho’s. They are lighter in your hand, and more accurate than a spinning combo. It’s primary use is for casting or Trolling lures. With the right information you can easily use of these reels without getting yourself into too much of a mess.

There are also 2 main types of Rods to go with your combo:

The first is a “Glass” rod. These are typically more durable, heavier, cheaper and are the preferred rod for someone who is just starting out.

The second is a “graphite” rod. These are more sensitive, you can cast further, more expensive, lighter and are all round a much better rod to use for fishing.

You might ask well why even bother with a “glass” rod. Well, the answer is durability and breakability! I always describe to customers that a glass rod can be dragged behind your Landcruiser then still used to land a 100cm barra! A “Graphite” rod on the other hand will break in the blink of an eye if not used correctly. A glass rod is something that can be transported with minimal protection so its ideal for people who are traveling.

Length and weight of the rod. We generally run anything from 5’6” to 7ft with a weight of about 8kg. It all depends on you and your preference, if you are new to fishing then we would discuss what would be the best option of you. You can also get the rods in sectional pieces (2 or 3 piece) to make it easier for traveling.

One thing we need to discuss is your budget and the costs of each style. The most expensive glass rod you can get is about $110, where as a graphite rod generally starts at $150. So, when you purchase a pre made combo in store anything under $200 will most likely be a glass rod or a composite (mix of glass and graphite). You must remember when buying fishing gear, it’s like anything – price determines longevity. The more you spend the longer it will last. So be sure to keep your expectations real, a $200 combo would last you maybe 2 years at most, maybe less if you used heavily in the salt, maybe longer if only used in fresh water. If you are traveling and want to spend as little as possible then you can easily pick up a combo for $100. Just remember you get what you pay for.

So lets sum all that up – these are the questions I would ask you if you entered our fishing store to determine what combo you would like:

Spinning or Bait cast? Glass or Graphite? Sectional rod? Budget?

After reading this hopefully you’ll be able to answer those and at least be a little bit informed about what you are purchasing and why.

Now that you have decided what rod and reel you are going to purchase, we need to discuss the line and tackle to go with it. For Barramundi we generally recommend a minimum of 20lb braid, ideally you would want 30lb braid with a 50 – 60lb monofilament leader.

This leads us into our next topic which is leader or wire trace? When you hook a Barramundi, the battle is generally that violent that they can get the line wrapped around their gills or a snag which would cut through braid very easily. So, to prevent this from happening we use a leader or wire trace between the braid and your lure. Wire traces come in a pack that are premade with a swivel on one end and a clip for your lure on the other. These are ideal for someone who doesn’t want to learn how to tie mono leader to braid. The other option is monofilament leader which is clear and needs to be tied to your braid with a special knot. We have a video here that will help you master that knot. We would recommend using the Mono leader as its clear and maybe the difference between a barra biting your lure or not. The wire trace is not ideal as it is obvious in front of the lure. When using a mono leader NO swivel is required. Its Braid to leader then leader direct to lure, you may want to use a clip so that when you want to change your lure quickly it can be done without having to cut the leader. If you change your lure often you will find that you will need to retie your leader a lot due to it getting shorter each time.

Pretty much that’s the basic of what you need before you tie your lure on.

The choices of lures are endless! We have a wall that’s 30 meters long with over 500 different lures on it! It can be overwhelming. But let me try and give you some direction on lures. In my opinion you can’t go wrong with a good old packet of 3inch or 4inch paddle tail soft plastics for $10. There’s usually about 6 in a pack so they are great value for money, and you aren’t heart broken when one of the kids throws it into a tree or you get snagged on the bottom and must break it off. Another essential to have with you is a gold bomber, if you said to me that I could only take 1 lure fishing with me wherever and whenever I went then I would choose the Gold Bomber. It’s one of the best Barra lures ever made, so be sure to have 1 in your kit. From there you can move into different length hard bodies and different depth hard bodies, but my advice would be to keep to the smaller hard bodies instead of going too big, a big barra will always eat a smaller lure but a little barra may shy away from a larger lure. So, keep it around the 10cm mark and you’ll open your bite size up to all fish in that river, unless you are Trolling one of the larger river systems from a boat then you can increase the size for sure.

Summary:

Price buys longevity and quality. Buy cheap expect cheap results. Anything under $200 will be a throw away job after a couple of years (which is fine if you are travelling – I’m not telling you to spend a heap on a rod & reel I’m just giving you some expectations).

Decide between Bait Cast or Spin and Glass or Graphite.

The Essentials: Gold Bomber, Packet of soft plastics maybe a couple of extra hard bodies for different depths.

Hope this has helped you increase your knowledge of what to use to catch a Barramundi. If you are in the area, Drop in and see us!

Best Katherine Fishing Spots

Tue, 10 Mar 2020 05:39:14 GMT

BEST KATHERINE LAND BASED FISHING SPOTS

It’s no secret our team here at Rod and Rifle Tackle World are mad fishos. We love getting out on the water, enjoying time with family and friends, and hoping to snag the next big Barramundi.

Katherine is home to a number of fish-rich waterways and is a must visit spot on any NT fishing trip. If you’re new to fishing in Katherine, here are our recommendations for top local fishing spots in the area.

Knotts Crossing
Donkey Camp
Low Level ("Lowey")
Galloping Jacks (Crystal Rapids)

The above spots are all within a 15km radius of Katherine, so access is relatively easy. The issue with most of these spots (except the lowey) is that they are not fully sign posted so finding them can sometimes be difficult. Below we will help guide you to make it easier to locate them.

ALWAYS BE CROC-WISE

Katherine waterways are a great place to fish, and the local crocodiles think so too. Whether you’re fishing from a boat or off the bank, always be conscious that you’re likely sharing the water with some of the largest and fiercest predators in the NT; saltwater crocodiles.

In years gone by crocodiles were hunted almost to extinction, but since hunting was outlawed in the 80's the crocodiles have made a fierce come back. Here's an example: The section of water between the High level bridge (the main bridge on the Stuart Hwy) and the Low level bridge (3kms west of the town) had not had a crocodile removed from it for almost 19 years, then in 2019 in the space of 1 month 2 saltwater crocs were trapped and removed.

When we were kids it was not uncommon for us to finish school jump in below the high level bridge and swim down the river to low level, these days I wouldn't even consider getting a stuck lure back from the water! It's just not worth the risk!

KNOTTS CROSSING

Once the site of the original Katherine township and busy (relatively) primary river crossing, Knotts Crossing is now a great area for easy-to-access fishing in Katherine. To locate Knotts Crossing, you'll need to drive towards the hospital, just after the hospital on the left there is turn off, you need to head down there, this will take you past the hospital (it will be on your left) stay on that road and it will take you straight down to the car park for Knotts crossing.

Highlighted in red is the road you need to take. Its a left turn after the hospital and just follow it down.

This is the left hand turn.

From the crossing, have a look at the water depth and decide whether to head up or down stream. Fish can be found all year round, but in the dry seasons you sometimes have to venture a little further to find deeper pools.

Fishing Knotts Crossing

Knotts Crossing fishes best just after the wet season. The weir (old crossing) can produce plenty of big Barramundi on both the top and bottom side if the water is running over.

If the water is running flat then the river is a bit too high, but don’t give up straight away – the river can drop rapidly over just a few hours and you may find yourself in a perfect spot in no time.

If you are looking to fish this spot in the dry season (april - sept) then you will need to walk upstream and fish the snags along the bank. Use a little hard body lure and work it through the timber, if you don't have any luck switch to a soft plastic. Try a weedless plastic so you can really get it into the timber, the fish will be lazy this time of year so you'll really need to hit them on the head to get them to bite.

Donkey Camp

Spanning across the Katherine River, the Donkey Camp weir is a great place to catch a Barramundi if you’re feeling a little adventurous.

To find Donkey camp you'll need to drive along the gorge road (also known as Giles street), Driving towards Nitmiluk and turning left at the white “Pandanus Farm” sign, you’ll find Donkey Camp. The Left hand turn is exactly 9.7kms from Rod & Rifle. So if you are having trouble finding it start at the front of our store and head straight for the gorge, this way you won't miss it.

This is the turn off you are looking for.

The weir - this is the perfect height to be fishing it!

Please drive slowly along this road and respect the people that live nearby, as they won't appreciate the dust if you are speeding down the dirt road.

If you’re fishing on foot be very careful walking out onto the weir (about a foot wide walkway that usually has water running over it) and cast down stream.

Be aware that large crocodiles have been pulled from this area.

The spill way gate in the middle of the wall can be a challenge to navigate sometimes, so take care when trying to traverse it. The best fishing is usually over the other side of the river.

Fishing Donkey Camp

The best height to fish Donkey Camp is when you can only just walk out on the weir without being washed away (get those monkey toes gripping). Our tip is to use socks, which help grip to the slimy wall.

At the right height, lots of Barra congregate here as they hunt for bait fish that have just been washed over the wall. Look for any fast flowing areas of water and you’ll find Barra right next to them – waiting to ambush their prey.

For best results, use shallow running lures as these will avoid the mesh covered rock wall just below the weir and stop you from getting snagged. Believe us, you don’t want to enter the water here to unhook a snagged lure (crocs).

If you’re struggling to catch a fish you need to change your lure, you can't expect to leave 1 lure on all day and hope to catch a fish, you need to spark an interest in a fish by changing colours, sizes and types. Try everything from small hard bodies to soft plastics.

This little fella caught March 2020 using a small hard body in gold colour.

LOW LEVEL RECREATION AREA (“LOWEY” TO THE LOCALS)

Accessed from Zimin Drive, Low Level Recreation Area is a top land-based fishing spot. The river includes shallow and deeper sections (depending on the time of year). From the recreation area car park head down onto the sandy banks and pick your spot.

Our tip, head down stream from the carpark. If others are enjoying the area, find a quiet spot down river from the main area. There are plenty of deeper pools to drop a line in.

Fishing Lowey

Fishing Lowey is very similar to Knotts Crossing. If the water is at the right height you’ll find Barra stalking bait fish that get washed over the weir. Again, if the water is flat over the weir you need to try a different spot.

Be careful in this area as it’s an active road crossing. Always stay off the road and use the designated path on the side of the bridge.

GALLOPING JACKS (CRYSTAL RAPIDS)

If you’ve got a 4WD or AWD vehicle you might want to venture down to Galloping Jacks. Most visitors to the area will end up at Crystal Rapids but if you keep driving down Cossack Road, past the Crystal Rapids gate, you’ll find another gate that enters into the lesser-known Galloping Jacks.

The track is pretty easy going in a car with a bit of clearance and grunt if you stick to the top of the river. You can drive down to the river banks, but the track gets a bit steep and sandy. Go as far as you’re comfortable with and walk the rest of the way.

Galloping Jacks is a great spot because it produces fish all year round (we’ve been down in the middle of the dry season and still found fish).

Fishing Galloping Jacks

The rocky and narrow areas of the Katherine River at Galloping Jacks attract small bait fish. That means the Barra are not far behind.

During the wet season, when the river is more swollen than usual, look for faster flowing water that slows into deeper pools or areas that have a large back eddy beside them. This is where you’ll find the Barra.

Use small hard bodies and soft plastics. If you don’t hook one soon, keep changing your lure as this ensures you cover all sorts of colours and sizes that may attract fish.

During the dry season you’ll need to look a bit harder for the deeper water. Both up and down stream you may find deeper areas with some structure that could be holding Barra.

VENTURING FURTHER

Beyond these four local spots, Katherine can serve as your “home base” for larger fishing trips into some of the NT’s best fishing areas. Top spots accessible from Katherine are:

Victoria River region (west of Katherine)
Daly River (north-west of Katherine)
Kakadu (north-east of Katherine)
Roper River and Borroloola region (south-east of Katherine)

Rod & Rifle 2021 Sponsorship Program

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 05:42:36 GMT

ROD & RIFLE 2021 SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Here at Rod & Rifle we believe in giving back to the community, that's why we initiated our sausage sizzle sponsorship program in 2019. We helped 24 sporting groups/clubs/not for profits raise a total amount of around $12,000. We are looking to do the same in 2020. We are firm believers in groups/individuals working for their sponsorship money, we get hit up time and time again for cash sponsorship, instead of just handing it over we offer them the opportunity to come and earn that money. We provide everything they need to cook and cater a BBQ on Saturday mornings. There's no out of pocket expense.

HOW IT WORKS

Included is 100 sausages, BBQ, Gas, Bread, sauces, all utensils, gazebo, tables and a place at the front of Rod & Rifle to sell on a Saturday morning. All you have to do is set your price, turn up and cook. You get to keep what ever money is made on the morning. We can't promise you will be flat out busy, we can't promise that you'll sell all your snags but the more effort you put into advertising and promoting the BBQ the better you will do.

Whats not included: Onions, soft drinks (groups have sold these also in the past and done really well), eskies, & ice.

Start Time: We have everything set up for you to start cooking at about 8:15am. Obviously it is Saturday morning so it does take some time for people to get moving. So don't be disheartened if its slow start.

End Time: We start to pack everything up some time after 12:15pm, if you've already sold out then awesome!

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TAKINGS FOR THE DAY

Groups that put in the effort of advertising will see the most reward. If you turn up here on your Saturday and you haven't bothered to advertise why you are raising money then you will likely not see many people. If you utilize social media during the week to let people know where, when and why you are doing the BBQ then you will greatly increase your foot traffic. Another great way to increase your takings for the day is to do something different. Some groups last year brought along sweet treats like cakes, cup cakes, lolly bags and other items to sell rather than just a sausage sandwich. Keep in mind that you will have to pay for these extra items from your days takings so don't go overboard!

HOW TO APPLY FOR A SPOT

There's a couple of ways to apply, the easiest is to give us a call and speak to one of our staff to book in a date, the other is to shoot us an email to rodnrifle@bigpond.com with your details and we will give you a call.

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE 2019 GROUPS!

How to Clean a Mud Crab - The easy way!

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:05:24 GMT

HOW TO CLEAN A MUD CRAB - THE EASY WAY!

Want to clean a mud crab with out making a huge mess or Cracking the shell incorrectly? Then you need to watch this!

How to tie an Improved Albright Knot - Braid to Leader

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 05:59:42 GMT

HOW TO TIE AN IMPROVED ALBRIGHT KNOT - BRAID TO LEADER.

This is a great way to set up your Barra rig. This is strong knot, and when tied correctly will keep you attached to the fish of your dreams!