North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Manton Dam is going to be worth a look in the next few weeks as it gets warmer, anyone had a look lately?

How does it compare with some of the stocked impoundments over queensland way matt?

There's some big fish in there Jay, but only a few people have been lucky enough to catch them. This build-up might see some thumpers landed as the stocking program has improved over the years with larger fingerlings, and these fish should now be getting quite big.

A mate of mine was fishing there one night and said a fish boofed near his boat that had mouth like a bucket.

Jay Burgess wrote:How does it compare with some of the stocked impoundments over queensland way matt?

G'day Jay, my son lives in Darwin and regularly fishes Manton, yet has to catch a metre+ barra. He came down to Mackay on summer leave, went to Kinchant, landed 18; only 2 under the metre on his first trip there.

Crikey bobj you got it sussed over there!

As much as I'm keen to give the impoundment fishing a go, there's still a lot to be said about cathing wild barra in tidal systems.

I notice a few people fish manton at night, don't they lock the gate no more or are you stuck in there once they close the gate?

BEAR

I notice a few people fish manton at night, don't they lock the gate no more or are you stuck in there once they close the gate?

I fish it a fair bit at night, I have never gone to leave and found the gate locked but.....I always take the skeleton key with me just in case.

na its not locked anymore,Ive heard a few stories where manton fishes a lot better than people are letting on

I think you might be on the money there Max, there's an awful lot of activity out there but info highway is not forthcoming!

There's a couple of blokes I know through work that fish it a few times a week all moons, all weather....getting info out of them is like getting blood from a stone!

It's strange that the fishos won't let on about their Manton success seeing it's catch and release out there - who would want to eat those green frog barra? Some fishermen take the secrecy thing a bit far. All my fishing spots are in the Fish Finder book and I still catch plenty of fish at these spots.

My opinion is that there are some very good fish at Manton but the fishing is very hit and miss. It should be good this build-up because the stocking program was bolstered in the past two or three years with larger fingerlings but unfortunately the wall barrier net also has a big hole in it and I think some fish went over the wall during Cyclone Monica.

Interestingly a study showed no oxygen in the water at Manton below a certain depth which means all the fish would be in the shallower water. I wish I knew where that study was, if I find it I will post it.

Matt, I used to fish out there with a old darwin guide before the hype about it as a fishing spot began. We used to go wake boarding in the arvo and his missus used to drive home leaving us locked in all night. We trolled the far area on the left of the boat ramp, look on the sounder for the rise from 5 to 2mtrs in the banks, drop you 4metery down and troll along the ledge varying between the 4-5 and then a run along the 2-3m. Biggest in the boat would have been close to 50LB and averaged about 5 barra a trip from 70cm up, the intersting thing was the bigger barra were tinged pink like the impoundment barra in QLD. All of this happened at night time of course. This was 5 years ago now so I would say that it should be doing much better and no suprise if others are not talking. Its a strange feeling and a bit weird to be hooked on somthing big and to hear the line screeming off the reel into the dark when you have just been swimming around in the same water all day

Hello People,

I have been reading for the last six months and though it was time to join.

I used to fish manton often about 4 - 5 years ago, and on the odd occassion now, me and a couple of mates actually tagged ( fisheries gave us some after we told them we were catching a few) about 12 barra, all were between 59 - 64 cm, then ran out of tags and didn't go back for awhile, generally caught the fish in the early morning on the troll, to the left of the boat ramp on the far side only about 300m there is a rocky point which drops from about 2m to 5m, this used to be very productive with many double hook ups and the Barra fought harder than their saltwater friends. This spot has also produced at night, using rattling spots casting to the drop off. Also in the far laft hand corner where there are lots of drowned trees ( you can't go in there) but in front of the rope which blocks it off is another rocky point, very shallow and weedy, but we have caught a few on poppers in the middle of the day casting over the weed beds, it exciting because the water is generally pretty clean and you can see them coming up to the lures, may have just been luck though.

Like others i have also spent a few fishless nights out there but i allways keep a close eye on the sounder for structure.

I have also tried to find maps of the old watercourse through there before the dam was built but have had no luck so far, you always read about how in the QLD dams they fish over these areas and it seems to be the most productive, anyone with any ideas of where to find pre world war two maps of the area.

Biggest so far amongst the group of friends who have fished there is 90cm, and not a mark on them, sensational photos no digital images though, but Im thinking those tagged fish must be close to a Meter after 4-5 years of growing if they haven't gone over the wall!!

I hope this info helps the people who have not had much luck, and the people who no these spots i might see you there.

**On a side note, one NIGHT! a mate was fishing there and this bloke was fishing in one of those inflatable tubes unbelievable ??: , he started to get a bit jittery and finally asked if he could hop in my mates boat, he said it was like watching a car crash about to happen! I have seen salties (only two), in there before and they are about to start walking all over the place with the weather warming up and the bredding season about to start, i wouldn't be to sure of whats in their.

Blinky wrote:

I notice a few people fish manton at night, don't they lock the gate no more or are you stuck in there once they close the gate?

I fish it a fair bit at night, I have never gone to leave and found the gate locked but.....I always take the skeleton key with me just in case.

Blinky, I fish it at night a bit as well and am also in Marlows,, we should catch up and drop a line in there one night

There must be no moon as this hot topics gone off the bite!