Looking back: NT fishing report from September 1999

Post by **Matt Flynn** » Fri Jul 09, 2021 5:41 pm

Matt Flynn's weekly fishing column, September 27, 1999

Corroboree has been fishing as well as it ever has in the past 20 years, says one long-time local.

That's a tall statement to make, but it seems to be shared by a lot of people who have been fishing the billabong of late.

And the results of the last Barracade by the Primary Industry and Fisheries Department may demonstrate why.

The Barracade, where fisheries staff net part of the lagoon to see how many barra are present, showed a population of very healthy fish of a larger average size than last year.

Assistant director of aquatic resources management Nick Rayns said the unofficial tally was a little under 400 barra, down on last year in numbers, but the average size of the fish was a lot higher.

Nick said on Friday: "The average fish this year was 45cm to 55cm, with quite a few big ones to 70cm and 80cm.

"They were in very good condition and there was also most no red spot (a fish disease that affects mainly young fish) that we saw last year, and we were very pleased.

"There were a lot of saratoga this year, more than usual. They were really nice looking fish."

The Barracade nets are in the water 24 hours for five days.

Interestingly, Nick said most of the fish were caught just after dark, suggesting this is the time of maximum fish movement.

"We got most between 6pm and 9pm. But the mozzies were absolutely horrendous."

Nick said barra researcher Roland Griffin said the average size this year was in keeping with a pattern noted over the past decade in terms of annual rainfall and recruitment.

All the barra caught were tagged, as was the case with the recent Operation Flying Fish where trapped barra (in a drying waterhole) were moved from Carmor Creek to open water.

Anglers who catch a tagged fish are asked to return the tag after measuring the fish and noting where it was caught.

The information gathered helps in management of the fishery.

Meanwhile, the old-timer who reports historic fishing Corroboree says it's as much to do with the lack of underwater vegetation caused by last year's wet season as anything else.

Less cover means the fish are forced out in the open water, the theory goes.

The best method is still to troll the lily edges and water weed edges with shallow-running lures.

Early morning and evening are the proven times, with fewer mozzies in the morning.