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Monster golden snapper were on the chew last week, and some big barramundi were taken in Shoal Bay during the neap tides.

Manton Dam went quiet however, and fishing in most billabongs has slowed a little, bar one good report from the Shady Camp freshwater.

River levels are fluctuating now, and as usual the best time to fish around the crossings is when the water level is falling.

Happy Micks' Charlie Chambers said Shoal Bay was producing monster barramundi.

"I was there on the weekend and only managed one hook-up but it was a big fish - it jumped and peeled about 20m of line and then I felt the line run over snags and it parted,'' he said.

"We landed a few blue salmon which were getting annoying with a hit or hook-up from them on every troll.

"Cliff and Bob from Shoal Bay Boat Hire were telling me that last Friday one boat landed three barramundi over a metre while trolling the mouth of King Creek.

"Another a customer said he was there on Thursday and landed four with the biggest going 25kg.

"The Rock is another spot and is still producing big barra and some jewies.

"A few throws of a cast net will produce a feed of nice prawns, and big crabs are on the move again with the bigger tides."

"Darwin Harbour has heaps of barramundi action on the right tides and there have also been reports of jewfish and good sized snapper.

"Charles Point has been one of the best spots for jewfish, with a customer telling me he landed five one night up to 17kg.

"Snapper are being caught pretty much all over the place from rockbars up the inlets to the wrecks with the Peary being a good pick for snapper to 4kg.

"Barramundi are still on the bite at the mouth of Hudson Creek. Some good queenfish and trevally have been caught of the rocks at East Point, Mandorah and Larrakeyah rock walls.

"Leaders Creek has had barra at the mouth along with jewfish. Blue salmon are still in numbers throughout the creek.

"Good-sized snapper are still being caught in the deep channel between the Vernon Islands and the mainland while out on the islands, mackerel are still around with a lot of queenfish and trevally."

Got One's Craig Grosvenor said it was a great week for bottom bouncing, with big golden snapper biting hard.

"Reports came in thick and fast this week ... the Vernon Islands turned it on big time, with golden snapper to 6kg from the deep holes and ledges on local squid baits, mixed together with some big sharks.

"Mackerel to 10kg were taken on chromies at the Vernons. A good number of queenfish were mixed in also and bag limits of snapper came within two hours for one crew.

"South Gutter went mad too with goldies to 5kg on baits, and big trevally smashing Gillies pilchard slices.

"Charles Point had some great mackerel action, with floating ganged pilchards in a berley trail working well.

"In Darwin Harbour, the shipping containers produced jewfish to 11.5kg on the first hour of run-in tide."

Top End Fishing Supplies Pip Clement said there were several metre-long barramundi caught on the recent neap tides.

"Shoal Bay was really good during the last neaps, out the front of King Creek,'' he said.

"Also, NT recreational fishing officer Phil Hall raised three sailfish out off Fenton Wide and put the hooks in one."

Top End Fishing Supplies' Steve Compain said every species of fish was biting on a Thursday charter including cobia, mackerel, snapper and trout.

"It was a good mixed bag from Loee Patches, and the fish were a good average size,'' he said.

"There was a heap of big mackerel and sharks working the mouth of Bynoe Harbour last week - they were 20kg in size - nothing small.

"They were chomping on anything that was dropped in the water.

"Manton Dam has slowed down a bit. My son Shane went there again and only caught one fish on his last trip.

"All the local estuary systems seem to be fishing well.

"Chris Rainbird fished the Wilshire Creeks on the Adelaide River last Sunday and caught 17 barramundi, although most were small.

"I haven't heard much from the Daly River, there have been a few people going down there.

"Someone caught 60 fish in a session in the Shady Camp freshwater, all around 60cm in length - that is good fishing."



Fishing and Outdoor World's Matt West confirmed reef fishing had been good last week.

He said John Jordan at Equinox Fishing Charters had reported that mainly golden snapper were biting well offshore, along with coral trout, and Charles Point had been working well.

"There has been some good snapper within the harbour too,'' West said.

"Shoal Bay had a lot of phosphorous in the water when I was there on Tuesday night and it was quiet with no fish and no fishermen either, except us - it hurts when you go somewhere after ongoing good reports and then you catch nothing.

"There have been a few fish caught own the Daly River as far as Elizabeth Creek.

"The Daly River has been going up and down and a little over the crossing.

"The top of Shady Camp was fishing well last week with lots of fish to 65cm."

Katherine Rod and Rifle Warren de With said the Katherine River had been fishing well following recent downpours.

"All the weirs have been fishing well whenever the river drops back after rain,'' he said.

"There have been barramundi to 85cm caught at the Donkey Camp weir.

"The Roper River has been fishing well with a 118cm fish the biggest reported from down at the mouth.

"The Victoria River has been patchy with reports mainly of jewfish."