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It's been a busy week with several billfish landed at a Nhulunbuy fishing competituion, and some metre-plus barramundi landed around the Darwin and Dundee foreshores.

Barramundi are biting well most days, but anglers must now realise that some areas are getting too warm - particularly shallow billabongs and tidal flats.

Some tidal flats experience periods where the water actually becomes hot.

The absence of bait and predatory fish is obvious in such "hotspots".

Shoal Bay was producing big barra last week, and golden snapper were on the chew at the mouth of the South Alligator.

Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West fished the 2005 Gove Game Classic last week, which ended with a record billfish haul.

"I think there were 19 billfish landed over the four days - they were mostly sailfish, with some small black marlin mixed in,'' he said.

"The winners were a local team who won points by catching a variety of different species on light tackle.

"Our team ended up fishing for mackerel - we trolled one pinnacle for four days and won third place.

"We raised a few marlin on the mackerel lures and even hooked one for a few seconds.

"There were a record number of entries for the comp, which was good to see."

Katherine Rod and Rifle's Warren de With said quality barramundi were caught at the Victoria River last week.

"There were barramundi to 91cm landed last week by anglers who were casting lures at snags in the top section of the river,'' he said.

"The Roper River has been fishing well in the lower tidal section - some big barra were landed by tourists at Port Roper, and also at the Limmen Bight River to the south - there are some nice barra being caught in that eastern gulf area - I am going to the McArthur River this week - it is expected to fish really well.

"A lot of the billabongs are getting too warm now and the fish are showing signs of distress, which is usual for this time of year.

Top End Fishing Supplies' Pip Clement said Manton Dam had been inconsistent, but the big fish were definitely there.

"Those fishing Manton Dam have been getting hits but they have not landed many fish,'' he said.

"I was getting a fish every second trip at one stage, which was about one fish for every four hours work, and then one night I might get four fish.

"You'll see fish appear on the sounder at night and bite for a while and then they will go away - there is also a midday bite out there - one customer I know was catching up to six fish a trip during the day just fishing from the bank.

"I have seen barra boofing out in the middle of the dam, so the fish do sometimes move on the surface and not just sit in the snags.

"The dam has loads of bony bream and speckled hardihead - there is clouds of baits there that keep the barra fed.

"When the dam starts flowing it fishes a bit like a river and the fish can be easier to find, but I don't think anyone has found a fullproof method of fishing the dam."

Pip, who recently resigned his post as a recreational fishing officer with the NT Government, said a survey of the newly stocked Mt Todd dam netted a barramundi of 58cm.

"That means the fish grew to 58cm in a year - we were absolutely stunned by this growth rate," he said.

In local news Pip said Darwin Harbour had been fishing well for barra, but Shoal Bay was better.

"There have also been some big cobia caught in Bynoe Harbour.

"The shop's charter boats have been catching golden snapper but these big fish seem to be breeding now so we are trying to leave them alone and catch other stuff.

"The billabongs have been fishing well but I reckon the first decent rain will knock them out, as usual."

Happy Micks' Charlie Chambers is extra-happy after landing a monster barramundi.

"I had a couple of friends from Perth out during the week, Brian and Barry. Neither had been fishing in the Top End before nor had they caught a barramundi,'' he said.

"I took them to Corroboree Billabong on Monday; a beautiful place to be in the early morning, but the fishing was tough and we only landed one barra. Still, it was their first taste of this great fighting fish.

"I figured with the tides the way they were, Dundee wide would be the go, but it was so rough the visitors were turning green around the gills. Things were not looking so good.

"The third day, early morning, last chance!

"Within spitting distance of Dundee boat ramp, on the first troll with one of my favourites, an RMG Scorpion red stripe in the shallow format, we had only gone a few metres when Brian yelled out "I'm snagged!"

"About 20 minutes later the snagged showed itself as a 120cm monster barra. I actually struggled to get it into the boat as it pitched in the wash from the rocks."

For more visit www.happymicks.com.au

Got One Craig Grosvenor said recent big incoming tides and high humidity fired up barramundi along the coastal rocks.

"The Fog Bay, Bynoe Harbour, Shoal Bay and Gunn Point areas have all fished well,'' he said.

"The Rock in Shoal Bay is producing barramundi to a metre and some big threadfin salmon.

"Bleeding roses Classics have been working well at The Rock.

"The mouth of the South Alligator River has been on fire with big barramundi congregating at creek mouths at the lower river.

"Between Barren and Field Islands there have been multiple reports of big golden snapper taking bonito, local squid and pilchard - heaps of people got their bag limits.

"River2Sea squid jigs have also been working really well.

"Barra are still fishing well in East and Middle Arm - the were a couple of 90cm fish caught in West Arm on shallow River2Sea minnows in gold and black colours, with some blue salmon mixed."