We are having a very small wet season this year and that means the big barramundi will be working their way up and down the rivers now.

The Karumba area is one of the best places to be as many metre plus fish are caught and released at this time of year, every year. Our favourite pastime of catching them off the road will have to wait until next year but the road access means everyone can come up and join the party.

I love to troll for the big barramundi with hard body lures and have had great success with Lance Butler lures. This year I have invested in a new set up for flicking soft plastics that, after field testing, I can safely say it’s awesome. My outfit is a Shimano Calias reel attached to a Nitro Undertaker 2 piece 4-6kg rod. This rod plays way outside its class and I think it should be rated 4-10kg. I can cast soft plastics a long way towards structure with pinpoint precision and have plenty of power to get the fish out of trouble when attached.

I would like to thank Lance Butler for his help in selecting the rod as his years on the water allowed me to make a great decision. My advice for anyone flicking lures is to try this rod and I also wish to point out I paid hard earned cash for this magic wand.

Start at the mouth of the system and troll upstream until you locate where the fish are holding. This can be time consuming but the rewards can be amazing. Please note that you need to work over likely looking spots before moving on.

Once connected you should get the boat to the middle of the river to keep the barramundi away from trouble. Handling them after capture is important so if returning them to the water so never lift them by the gills. Always support them under the belly near the anal fin and swim them to get oxygen back in their lungs before release.

The Karumba Anglers Community Classic is on again on the Weekend of March 31 and it is expected to be a hit. The tagged barramundi capture prise is now $6000. This fish was caught last year the day before the competition so it is achievable. The total prize pool is over $20,000 so get up here and have some fun.

During the wet season we are always well supported by a group of people who get supplies to Karumba and I would like to thank VMR, Croc and Crab, DPI and Fisheries, Raptis and Son, Bradley Hawkins Transport, Wells Plant Hire, MMG, SES, Skytrans Airlines, Tremain-Hill Helicopters, and everyone else that helped.

Please check with the Carpentaria Council on 07 47452200 to get confirmation that the roads are open before venturing up here.