Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Fishing-Adventures-Destinations » Cahills Barramundi

Cahills Barramundi

By Josh Cooper

Cahills Crossing is one of the most well-known fishing spots in the NT and for good reason, it is an amazing spot with some incredible fish. Cahills is known for the large number of big barramundi that it produces in the wet season, however it is a great spot to fish all year round. When fishing Cahill's there are two main ways of fishing it.

Firstly, fishing from the land. This is a great option if you are on a holiday and don't have a boat, or you are just wanting to go for a quick fish. When fishing from the land at Cahills it is very important to look around before you cast as there are often a lot of people there and hooking someone is not ideal. Also watch out for boats fishing and take into consideration the area that they are fishing. Finally look around for other people's lines in the water. Every time that I fish Cahills there is at least one big tangle at some point. Also watch out for crocs because they are often very close to the bank, so it is best to fish from a metre or so back from the water.

Secondly, fishing from a boat. This is my favourite option when fishing Cahills because it can become quite crowded on the bank on occasions. When fishing from a boat though, one thing you have to watch out for is the lines from people fishing from the bank. They are often very hard to see and tangles happen quite often. Also you have to be aware about casting over crocodiles as when you do it may hurt the animal and you will likely lose your lure. Another thing that you must consider when fishing Cahills is which boat ramp you launch from, above Cahills or below. I have had great success fishing both sides, however my favourite side to fish is the top side.

Gear

When fishing Cahills I like to use the Okuma Cerros 7'0" 5-12kg rod and the Helios SX 40 reel. It is the perfect spinning outfit for fishing Cahills as it is light enough that it's still good for casting lighter weighted soft plastics, while being heavy enough to drag a barramundi away from the crocs. If you are more into baitcasters, then the Okuma Cerros 6'6" 5-12kg bait casting rod with the Okuma Cerros baitcaster reel is a great combo for barra fishing. It casts so smooth and is great for nice long casts, while being heavy enough to land the big fish. This combo proved itself for me when my brother Cody landed a 127cm barramundi at Cahills. It was a 30 minute fight, due to being foul hooked, however the rod and reel handled it no problem.

Lure

My favourite lure for fishing Cahills is a ZMan 6" SwimmerZ in Pearl colour, rigged with a TT Lures 1/2oz 6/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead. These two together have caught me many barra at Cahills and it is my first choice every time. My second choice, which is a very close second, is the ZMan 4" DieZel MinnowZ, again in Pearl colour, rigged with a TT Lures 1/2oz 5/0 HeadlockZ HD jighead. This is the lure that caught Cody his 127cm Cahills monster. Other options include the ZMan 3" MinnowZ, ZMan 4" SwimmerZ and the Bagley Rumble B diving hard body.

Tide

When fishing Cahills the tide is a very, very big factor. If you fish it at the wrong time, there will be no movement and very limited fish action. You want to get there about an hour before the high tide, so that you are fishing when the water first pushes over and until it stops pushing over, then begins to go back down. In the dry season it does not always push over Cahills, however when it does, that is the time to be there.

Technique

When fishing Cahills there are many different techniques for fishing it, however my favourite and the most successful in my opinion is to just make long casts and slow roll the plastic back. One thing that you must watch when doing this is to not let your lure sink very much because there is fishing line everywhere on the bottom and if your lure sinks it will most likely get snagged or stuck.

If you are ever up in Kakadu, Cahills is a must stop spot for any fisho. We have had many memorable fishing trips there and many memorable fish, including Cody's 127cm barra, along with incredible experiences with crocs and many 80cm and 90cm barra. It is a gem of Kakadu and a barra angler's paradise!

Cheers, Josh