POPULAR FISHING SPOTS

THE WHARF

Any punter has a good chance of landing Threadfin or Blue Salmon, Mulloway (Golden Grunter), the prized gook gook (Catfish), a variety of sharks and of course, the odd Barra from the jetty. A good strength handline and a couple of biceps to match are essential if you need to haul up a good catch at low tide (on the spring tides there is nearly a ten metre difference between high and low). Mudcrabs are quite often caught by drop pots and seem to feed more often on the incoming tide.

THE CUTTINGS

One of the most popular Barra and Salmon fishing spots for locals – located on Yeeda Station. You can get there by crossing the marsh (don’t do it during the wet!!!) or by heading down the Yeeda access track and past the station. Fishing is good at the mill and crossing the creeks (4WD essential) will allow you to access a multitude of fishing spots – but watch out for those spring tides. When the tide starts to hit, pack up and get back over those creeks quickly. For the inexperienced, Cuttings is a labyrinth of vehicle and cattle tracks. Always let someone know where you are going and when you will return. Luckily enough, MOST of the time you can get mobile reception out there! Oh, and TAKE YOUR RUBBISH HOME WITH YOU. Before you go contact Jack Burton at Yeeda on 9191 4766 or fax on 9191 7193, or Willare Bridge Roadhouse for access.

MAY RIVER

May River is a beautiful, but very rugged and muddy tidal river. The turn off is about 22kms up the Gibb River road, turn left and then it’s about another 12 kms in. When you get to the second gate, you can head left to the ‘Sandpit’ or right to ‘Meda Rocks’ and toward the mouth. There are some monster Barra out there and some monster crocs. The May is usually  better on the spring tides (the neaps don’t leave much water). Expect to work hard to catch live bait or better still, take some bait with you. Trawling the green pools in the May after the wet is a fruitful exercise for Barra. The sandpit is a great place to take the family for the day – plenty of clean and and shady trees to sit under, but don’t go cooling off in the water! Remember you are on Pastoral Property, so get permission before you go out there, and leave gates as you find then and bring your rubbish home.

THE MIGHTY KING SOUND

The King Sound is basically an extension of the mouth of the Fitzroy River. During the dry season the water is as flat as a tack and anyone with a small dinghy (10ft or bigger) can get to a multitude of creeks to fish for Barra, Salmon, Fingermark Perch, Mangrove Jack, Mulloway, Sharks, Catties and a heap of Mudcrabs. Some great spots include Black Rocks, Point Torment, Blue Holes, Airport (Hut) Creek, Alligator Creek, Doctor’s Creek, Mary Island. If you have a bigger boat, head up to Valentine Island, Dam Creek and Kimbolton Creek to the turquoise waters and you can get onto some Mangrove Jack, Black-spotted Tuskfish (Bluebone), Norwest Snapper, Cod and Trevally. In June and July, the Blue Salmon ‘go off’ at Valentine if you fish an oily burley trail and bait up with Mulies. A word of warning, always check the tides, otherwise you could be left high and dry and a long way from home. Also watch out for those Norwest winds that start to blow around October through to December. They come up in the afternoon and the water can get quite nasty, especially if you are returning from somewhere like Blue Holes!

THE FITZROY RIVER

Most of the spots along the Fitzroy are accessible via Pastoral Stations – mainly Yeeda, Get the relevant permission to enter these stations and keep everyone happy. Good spots include Telegraph, Langi Crossing, Tumblegoodire, Wilhems Pool, Snag and Sawfish Point. Contact Jack Burton at Yeeda on 9191 4766 or fax on 9191 7193 or Willare Bridge Roadhouse. There are no camping facilities in these areas; so long stays are not encouraged. Once again, take your rubbish with you and don’t leave your toilet paper out there – it doesn’t make a good decoration.

THE BUCCANEER ARCHIPELAGO

For those who have larger vessels (at least 16ft), the Archipelago is Heaven on Earth. It's amazing that Dampier didn’t park up, crack a tinny and give the exploring away when he ventured here way back in the 1600s. The fishing is fantastic and scenery is even better. For those of you who don’t have a boat, book a charter and get up there....now!
For further information on any fishing spots, see your local fishing tackle supplier.