Goin' Fishing up North

peter wenden writes:
I am taking a bit of R&R and heading north for winter. I have never fished for barramundi or others up north. Can you suggest a good baitcaster outfit to use. Rod and reel. Any other tips would be useful. Best way of catching mud crabs etc.
Thanks

Harry replies:
Peter, first up, if you're heading north for winter and expect to do well with barramundi, don't get too excited. Barramundi fishing in North Queensland really starts to hot up around early September and gets better as it gets hotter. By about the end of May, they're a hard fish to find consistently.

For a good medium sized outfit, using 6-8 kg lines I'd be looking at an ABU 6500c or similar sized reel teamed up with something robust like a well matched Ugly Stick rod up to 6ft in length. If you're going to get a rod and reel specifically for this purpose, you may find it better to wait until you get up to say Townsville or Cairns and talk to the guys who specialize in this style of fishing. Fishing for barramundi, mangrove jacks, threadfin and bigscale or grunter can be hard on cheaper gear so buy something that will not let you down in years to come.

When you get to your destination, consider saving yourself endless hours of fishless angling by getting a good guide for a day early in your stay to show you the ropes and a few spots. Enjoy your trip.

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