Last month was a very quiet time as far as fishing goes due to the weather change. It only fired up towards the end with some anglers catching plenty of salmon and barramundi.

Rob and Marie Setter came up from Longreach for the school holidays with their kids and friends to enjoy some nice fishing. Rob decided to try Normanton as things got quiet and his effort was rewarded with them catching some awesome barramundi up to 86cm. People tend to drive past Normanton on their way to Karumba without checking on it and as Rob showed it can be beneficial to stop for a look. The Norman river has plenty of rock bars that come out of the water at low tide so be careful when travelling in the river .

We can expect the wind to blow hard now and the temperature will be in the high 30s with over 90% humidity so have shade and drink plenty of water while you are fishing.

Black jew have turned up early this year and are great fun to catch so get out there and have a go. Look for the deep holes in the river. The best time to be there is two hours before low tide and up to two hours after. They love to get around when there is no run in the water so be patient . You will also catch catfish by the load as well. I use a running sinker rig with a 7/0 hook attached. Do not strike too early as you can lose them; they tend to mouth the bait before swimming away with it.

Mud crabs are in plentiful supply at the moment and they will take most baits. Please put the pots in enough water so that they will not end up dry at low tide. I personally saw three pots with dead crabs that had been left out of the water. Fish frames and roo tails are good bait but most things work.

I recently spent some time doing fish stock research with some friends and had a great trip. I would like to thank Andy who out fished everyone with a black jew 1.18m long on a lure. He took some time to pull it in with his offsider Sam helping out, but it was worth every minute.