Our first Barramundi for 2021

The wet season started early for The Kimberley, all the rivers have been in full flood, making it impossible to fish most of our favourite places.  Then the rain stopped, and the build up started again!  Making it incredibly hot and humid for our whole 2 weeks off work.  But we braved the heat and possibility of sudden storms, to get out on the water.

Warning sign at the Derby boat ramp, advising you are entering a low tide area.  Derby has the largest tidal movement in the Southern Hemisphere, timing is very important, or you can be left stranded high and dry somewhere.  We had to leave early in the morning, before the tide went out, making it impossible to use the boat ramp....no water there on low tide.

Once out on the water we had plenty of time to explore and play around while the tide was going out.

Heading south from the Derby jetty, you find the remains of the SS Colac, visible at low tide only, she is under water when the tide comes in again.

The SS Colac is at the mouth of Airport creek, our planned fishing destination for the day.  Also regularly seen at the mouth of Airport creek is a beautiful big old Saltwater Crocodile.

From past experience we knew fishing on the out going tide is not as good as the incoming.  So we had LOTS of time to catch a bit of live bait and just Wait-a-while.   Waiting in the Kimberley heat is hard work! Our small boat gets even smaller as the hours go by I am sure.  We seem to have so much stuff, all very important stuff, but so much of it.

We had taken a couple of crab pots, they take up a lot of space, so we put them over the side of the boat, ever hopeful we might attract a hungry mud crab over. To keep our freshly caught live bait healthy, that bucket was also over the side of the boat.  The umbrellas went up to save us from over heating, and protection from the sun.  Anchored at the mouth of the creek, we were READY when the tide turned, water, bait and barramundi all started moving up the creek. 

Both our GoPro's were over heating, I can not express enough to people who have not experienced the heat of a wet season in the North of Australia, it's just so dam HOT!!  I missed the start of the action, when Johnno's Barramundi first started running, but thankful started recording when the craziness started.  The fish had swum around our boat, picking up both crab pots, the bait bucket and Johnno's other fishing line, in it's attempt to get off John's hook.  It didn't work.  I grab the net as Johnno guided the fish up and in.  Once safe in the net, no escaping, we were able to work out the tangled mess.

In Wester Australia the legal keeping size for Barramundi is 55 to 80cm's.  This perfectly sized 75cm Barramundi went in the eski for dinner later.

Click on the YouTube link above to go to our Positive Fishing channel, and watch the crazy HOT Barramundi action.

Check out our on line store also above, to get yourself a Positive Fishing Brag Mat.  Remember you can entre the competition to win $300 or a PF SHIRT every time you send us a photo of ANY fish on this mat.

Email: positivesteps@live.com.au