Be a Territory barramundi guide
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:50 am
Most keen fishos have considered working as a fishing guide.
After all, what better than to turn a sporting pursuit into a living?
If you like the idea of being Territory barramundi guide, there has never been a better opportunity.
Leading Territory guide Justin Jones (pictured below) is selling his business after almost 20 years fishing the Top End and Kimberley.
Not only is Justin good at catching fish, he is a good photographer.
His pictures have helped promote NT fishing tourism and made Obsession Fishing Safaris a household name among fishos.
Jonesy has also won multiple Barra Classic and Barra Nationals as a member of the Classic Warlocks team.
Obsession was started by Darwin real estate identity Braden Menzies, who also earned a good reputation as a guide.
Jonesy bought the business and took it to the next level, with his clients taking more than 400 metre-long barra over the past 20 years.
Jonesy himself has caught about 45 meteries. So the new owner has big shoes to fill.
Training is offered to whoever takes over.
Darwin-born Justin says the NT fishing scene has changed a lot during his life, even during his time as a professional guide.
He remembers splashing around on the banks of Browns Creek as a toddler, before the crocodile population rebounded.
"Things have changed greatly. When I bought the business from Braden in 2003, hardly anyone fished the Finniss River," Justin said.
"Now it is a very busy river at times.
"There was no one fishing Dundee much then either, and now there are lots of tourists and caravans during the dry season.
"And you would hardly see a boat at Marsh Creek in Chambers Bay."
He said Top End fishing was still superb.
"The commercial gill nets have mostly gone now and there are plenty of fish - barramundi fishing quality is all about the wet seasons now," he said.
"Big threadfin salmon have made a huge comeback since the nets were pulled out of Shady Camp."
While Jonesy still enjoys the Territory, he wants a change, and his wife Esther misses her home in New Zealand.
"Where I am going in New Zealand they have striped marlin, yellowtail kingfish, snapper, trout and more," he said.
"So I am looking forward to fishing there. I am going to have a break from guiding and enjoy fishing for myself.
"And if it doesn’t work out over there, I can always come back to the Territory."
What sort of lifestyle can a fishing guide expect?
"It is a great lifestyle, but you will never be rich from it," Jonesy said.
"It has pros and cons. The cons are when there are poor wet seasons and the fishing is tough.
"The pros are that you see unbelievable action when it all happens.
"Generally I start work at 5am for the city pickup, then there is a one or two-hour drive to the location.
"We fish until 3pm, then I drop the clients back at 5pm, then go home to clean the boat and car."
I asked him how he planned his clients' trips.
"I base my trips on what the tides are doing," he said.
"When tides are coming off new moons and full moons I go to billabongs, and then for neap tides I go to the Finniss River, and then on building tides I go to Bynoe Harbour."
Justin said that in 20 years his boat had never broken down.
"But I have had to tow a few home," he said.
Look Justin up on his Obsession Fishing Safaris website, or on Facebook.
After all, what better than to turn a sporting pursuit into a living?
If you like the idea of being Territory barramundi guide, there has never been a better opportunity.
Leading Territory guide Justin Jones (pictured below) is selling his business after almost 20 years fishing the Top End and Kimberley.
Not only is Justin good at catching fish, he is a good photographer.
His pictures have helped promote NT fishing tourism and made Obsession Fishing Safaris a household name among fishos.
Jonesy has also won multiple Barra Classic and Barra Nationals as a member of the Classic Warlocks team.
Obsession was started by Darwin real estate identity Braden Menzies, who also earned a good reputation as a guide.
Jonesy bought the business and took it to the next level, with his clients taking more than 400 metre-long barra over the past 20 years.
Jonesy himself has caught about 45 meteries. So the new owner has big shoes to fill.
Training is offered to whoever takes over.
Darwin-born Justin says the NT fishing scene has changed a lot during his life, even during his time as a professional guide.
He remembers splashing around on the banks of Browns Creek as a toddler, before the crocodile population rebounded.
"Things have changed greatly. When I bought the business from Braden in 2003, hardly anyone fished the Finniss River," Justin said.
"Now it is a very busy river at times.
"There was no one fishing Dundee much then either, and now there are lots of tourists and caravans during the dry season.
"And you would hardly see a boat at Marsh Creek in Chambers Bay."
He said Top End fishing was still superb.
"The commercial gill nets have mostly gone now and there are plenty of fish - barramundi fishing quality is all about the wet seasons now," he said.
"Big threadfin salmon have made a huge comeback since the nets were pulled out of Shady Camp."
While Jonesy still enjoys the Territory, he wants a change, and his wife Esther misses her home in New Zealand.
"Where I am going in New Zealand they have striped marlin, yellowtail kingfish, snapper, trout and more," he said.
"So I am looking forward to fishing there. I am going to have a break from guiding and enjoy fishing for myself.
"And if it doesn’t work out over there, I can always come back to the Territory."
What sort of lifestyle can a fishing guide expect?
"It is a great lifestyle, but you will never be rich from it," Jonesy said.
"It has pros and cons. The cons are when there are poor wet seasons and the fishing is tough.
"The pros are that you see unbelievable action when it all happens.
"Generally I start work at 5am for the city pickup, then there is a one or two-hour drive to the location.
"We fish until 3pm, then I drop the clients back at 5pm, then go home to clean the boat and car."
I asked him how he planned his clients' trips.
"I base my trips on what the tides are doing," he said.
"When tides are coming off new moons and full moons I go to billabongs, and then for neap tides I go to the Finniss River, and then on building tides I go to Bynoe Harbour."
Justin said that in 20 years his boat had never broken down.
"But I have had to tow a few home," he said.
Look Justin up on his Obsession Fishing Safaris website, or on Facebook.
