THE Gulf of Carpentaria – It’s defined as the west coast of Cape York Peninsula before swooping west through to Karumba and Burketown before following a northwest course until it hits Port Roper where it then heads NNE running up to Nhulunbuy and the famous Wessel Islands.
This area encompasses so many fish rich waters and attracts anglers to The Gulf every year in search of some fantastic fishing.
Weipa is well frequented by many anglers every year and offers boat angling, shore angling and charter operations.
Aboriginal land takes in a good part of the west coast of Cape York, so you need to get permits to fish and camp in many locations.
Karumba is a destination many anglers have on their bucket list, it offers many opportunities for the angler, both boat based as well as shore based.
Boat anglers will find it strange to be many kms out to sea from Karumba and still be fishing in only a few metres of water.
Upstream of Karumba is Normanton, the river here is still big enough for a boat and fishing from the bank for barra and other species is immensely popular.
Normanton has on display a replica of a saltwater crocodile that was shot by Krystina Pawlowski in 1957 and measures 8.63 metres, the largest crocodile ever caught in Australia.
Burketown which is situated about 30kms inland from the coast offers excellent fishing with many creeks, mangroves and drains running in from the vast salt plain flats that are inundated during the wet season.
Crossing the border into the Northern Territory and most of the property fronting the waters of The Gulf is controlled by huge cattle stations and you will now need to get permission to access through their holdings.
The Savannah Way crosses some good rivers as you travel across the bottom of The Gulf. These can fish well for barra, sooty grunter and a few other species.
Close to Borroloola is the property Manangoora, a pay property where the fishing can be brilliant. Also, access to the Gulf waters is made easy by boat and a trip along the coast by boat can get you in to some creeks that rarely sees angling pressure.
Black jews, barra, mangrove jacks and golden snapper are a few of
the common catches around here.
King Ash Bay is a mecca for locals as well as visiting anglers and the boating, fishing, and crabbing here can be brilliant depending on the seasons.
Bank anglers can be found right at Borroloola fishing from the bridge over the McArthur River and the locals certainly know how to catch a fish from the bank with just a handline and a mullet bait.
Further along the Savannah Way brings you to the turn off to Lorella Springs, another pay to stay property that gives you access to kilometres of pandanus lined creeks as well as the Rosie River,
this is a huge property and well worth the visit when its open to the public.
The next easily accessible area for the public is the Limmen National Park. This one is a favourite of mine.
The Savannah Way crosses the close to where there still is a tidal influence. The Limmen Bight River is one of these, on a big tide the concrete river crossing may have water flooding over it pushing water upstream.
This crossing can provide exceptional fishing as the water starts pushing upstream. Barra lay in wait as water floods through the narrow rock channel bring the bait fish with it. I have had some good sessions here on the right tide.
Further along you will find the Coxs River, Towns River and then the Roper River. Here you will follow the Roper up to Roper Bar crossing so have numerous opportunities to access the Roper River as well as the Gulf via Port Roper.
Arnhem Land is now to the north and requires permits to fish such legendary locations such as Groote Eylandt, Blue Mud Bay, Nhulunbuy and the Wessels.
