By David Russell:

During September I accompanied a group to the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Limmen Bite River, in search of barramundi and other tropical fishes.

After two days and nights of driving we arrived at Mataranka at 3am and dived into the hot springs for a soak before moving on. Unfortunately for a young couple who thought that they would have the springs to themselves at that hour, half a dozen travel weary fishos made quite a splash and spoiled their solitude.

Next morning we fuelled up and headed east down the Roper Highway. After a couple of hundred kilometres of bitumen and fairly good gravel we came to the Limmen Bite turn off, and the worst corrugations you could imagine. A hundred k's from camp we found ourselves parked on the side of the road surveying a pair of broken springs, new ones put on for the trip.

A few hours later some bush repairs saw the springs bolted back together. With excess weight removed from the boat we got back on the road and arrived safely at the Limmen Bite Fishing Camp. We set up camp in a couple of galvanised iron cabins fitted with air conditioning, comfortable beds, gas stove and fridge.

Next day we headed down river under the guidance of one of the group members who had been there the year before. It was then we discovered how enormous the river system was and just how much travelling in the boats we would do each day. I also found out how useful a GPS could be. I think one is an absolute necessity in that sort of an environment. We were able to navigate the river in all conditions confident that we would not hit any obstacles.

This trip saw us catch a few barramundi to 85cms in length. A quiet day as it turned out!

A couple of days later we were forced to have a day off while we replaced a propeller that was slipping on its shaft. This caused the boat to perform badly and use about twice the amount of fuel we expected. After cutting the old prop off and fitting a new one, which we were able to purchase, for $300, from Steve the owner of the camp, we were back in business and again running efficiently.

Over the next two and a half weeks, 13 of us caught in excess of 220 barramundi to 100cms and 12 kilos in weight. My best fish was a 96cms fish, which weighed 10.65kgs (see photo!). Some days we landed as many as eight fish each and lost twice that number. Other fish caught in the system were threadfin salmon, fingermark, small groper, mangrove jack and spanish mackerel. Most of these fish were caught trolling over low reef at the mouth of the North Arm.

As I said before, the Limmen Bite River system is huge. Down stream from the camp a few kilometres, the river breaks up into three large arms with open areas almost as large, and rough, as Corio Bay. These wend their way down to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Scattered throughout the system are mud banks, sand bars and rock bars. Water depth varied from less than half a metre to 30 metres. Crocodiles seemed to be scarce. The only one I saw was a 4-metre brute, which was caught in a trap, set a few hundred metres from the boat ramp. It had been stalking the locals for several months and finally met its demise. Other members of the group sighted a few and no one was tempted to go swimming.

The banks of the arms are lined with mangroves or dry scrub. Much of the lower sections are under water at high tide and have small creeks flowing across them.

To travel from the camp to the mouth took around an hour and meant that we travelled about 35 kilometres to get to the fish which seemed to be concentrated around the mouth of the North Arm. After trolling around all day and then heading back had us doing around 100 kilometres each day. Quite a distance when you are paying $1.40 a litre for fuel.

Just off the South Arm is Beatrice Island. Fishing this area produced spanish mackerel to 1.46 metes and 16.5kgs, coral trout, trevallies, sharks and queenfish.

West of the North Arm is a much smaller system called Spillen Creek. This narrow and shallow estuary produced some of the best fishing I have experienced. At times every pass produced a strike with captures into double figures and many more fish jumped off. In the shallow water the fish hit hard, ran fast and spent much of their time in the air. This made keeping them on the hook very difficult but made the fishing very exciting. The barramundi ranged in size from well below the legal 55cms to around 95cms. As always the really big ones of a metre plus got off.

Trolling lures was the main method used. A variety of lures were successful with medium to shallow runners in blues and greens being the pick. Some lures took strike after strike and were in heavy demand as we usually only had one of that type and color. There was always a scramble to see who managed to grab it first each day.

A stuff up by the owners of the camp meant that we all had to move out of the huts and camp at a powered site for the last few days of our stay. One of the crews decided to head off home at this time as they had split the hull of their boat and could not repair it.

Finally with the fishing slowing down as the tides fell off we decided that we too would head off home. After another two and a half days driving we arrived back to a much colder and wetter climate.

Fishing Limmen Bite was quite an experience. Great fishing was tempered by the remoteness and vastness of the system. Weather conditions were fine and hot. Strong winds came up each day making the run back to camp pretty rough at times.

Fishos need to be well prepared and organised to be able to take advantage of the splendid fishing on offer. Not a place to be taken lightly!

(20 November 2001)


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