Category Archives: TIDES – On The Water

Lots of work, one small barra

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Well, well. Looking at the tides I thought the harbour would be good, but ended up hitting shoal bay instead. Lots of work for this trip! Apart from the 8 hours of solid fishing for one undersized barra, other fun included:
– Motor constantly getting blocked with mud
– Electric motor problems, culminating with the foot pedal starting to smoke
– Someone’s crab pot rope wrapped around the prop
– A constant battle to keep the main battery charged (I had a back up battery for the trip home, but I wouldn’t lekkie from it)

Wasn’t all bad. I learnt a lot from the experience, shoal bay and buffalo creek boat ramp is a nice spot, and the boat handled the small chop really well. I’m sure I’ll get some results soon, though that electric motor is critical to how I fish.

Got:
Me: 1 undersized barra
Mud: Nothing

Story of the trip:
Some guys were battling a large barra. I think they were live baiting and it kept taking it and jumping out of the water. I really wanted to go over and start flicking at it, but that would have been majorly uncool. I don’t think they ever landed it, but they hooked it a few times.

Boat problems:
Need a new foot pedal. No more electric motor until I get one. And at this time of the year…

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A crock getting stuck on a float

Mary River Houseboats

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Mary River houseboats is one of the best things you can do in Darwin. See the wetlands, fish a little, crocs, birds, have a few drinks, it is fantastic. It is one of those trips that you always take visitors on but never gets old.

Make sure you don’t use any lights! Finish dinner and clean up well before sunset. Wetlands is another name for a swamp, getting every single mozzie and midgee in your boat is what will happen if you leave the light on.

Life is a bit easier if you have a small boat with it. Easy to tow, but you don’t have to worry about getting stuck against the wind, as you can just tow yourself out.

A single night really is enough to see everything, more is good, but it isn’t necessary.

Lots of life, no fish

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So this was my theory, I wanted to do more quick fishing trips. If I don’t have time for a full day, I would just put the boat in Dinah Beach Boat Ramp (10 mins away) and spend a few hours in the water, (plus an extra 2 packing up). Well I had to work Saturday so I figured I might as well give it a shot, and everything went great, except no fish.

Things are doing really well elsewhere so next weekend I need to put in the miles.

Got:
Me: 1 small, 1 medium catfish
Tameka: Nothing

Story of the trip:
Went down to Reichart’s and there was life everywhere. A few boofs, fish jumping, it all looked pretty good. Yet nothing was biting, apart from a couple of catfish. So much life for nothing. At one point I could see a fish (thought it was a barra, but a closer inspection now thinking maybe a shark) and I swam a lure past its face a few times, once I dragged the lure into its body, it just lazily continued swimming along without a care in the world.

Boat problems:
The battery ran out, I think I did too much on the minnkota, and not enough on the engine. I started it on the second one and managed to charge it a bit on the drive home. Started on battery 1 for the engine flush so I think it is okay.

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Lost in the photobucket episode of 2017