We didn’t get much rain in December and early January so we may end up with only a small wet. This will mean a minimal closure of the road to Normanton, which is good for business.

However, this scenario happened last year then we received a huge amount of water that closed the road until April.

The opening of the barramundi season is an awesome time to be up here as you can catch barra off the road. I use soft plastics that can be purchased from the Point garage and Ron will help you with the colour. You can actually see the fish as they move through the shallows and a cast to within a foot of them. But it pays to practise your casting skills, as if your lure is not in the zone the barra will not play. This will only happen if the road closes, so you will need to fly in unless you live here.

My outfit consists of a Nitro Undertaker two-piece rod in a 4kg baitcaster. This rod will cast the plastics a mile and is very accurate and I use a good quality reel with 30lb Scheider Braid and use 55lb Schneider leader to the lure. The two-piece rod is very easy to carry in the twin cab.

Our beach will fire for king salmon and barramundi but you will need to locate the bait to find the fish. Look for Phil, he comes up before the closure of the road and is set up and ready to go on the first of February. He has red hair and is always willing to help so don't be a stranger.

King salmon will bite on the incoming tide and the barramundi will play on the outgoing tide. Live bait is the best way to go and there will be plenty when the fish are on.

I love to travel up the coast and will be keen for the opening day. You feel as if you are the only one in the world and the fishing is good too. Make sure you have plenty of water and the weather is fine as the bigger tides can send you well away from the coast on the way home. The Gulf is a very shallow place and if the tide is out you can be 4km out and be in 4ft of water, if not less. The fish will be around the mouth and again live bait is the best option.

There are plenty of mud crabs about and they will be along the front. Please do not touch other people’s pots and make sure you have correctly labelled them.

Always contact the Police at Normanton on 07 4745 1133 or the Council on 07 4745 2200 for road information before travelling as we can be cut off for up to four weeks if the rain comes.