blueswimmer

Cape Leveque is a magic place and my favourite part of the trip we did from Broome to Darwin many years ago. We stayed in a hut on the beach and the scenery, water and fishing was amazing. Plenty of trevally and queenies from the shore on lures and a never ending supply of garfish from the rock/beach junction which we feasted on along the gibb river road. We also joined the flat bottomed boat that took campground guests out for a bottom bash and if you had your own gear you just pinned a livie on and there were quite a few big Spaniards caught or busting gear. One arm point further north was also a great looking spot with very deep water close near the trochus shell hatchery. We didn’t fish here but heard some great fishing stories and I would love to return here with a tinny one day. We hired a boab boat in Broome for a day, launched on the beach and had a magic day catching mackerel, tribally, a nice selection of reef fish, and big queenfish and also seeing a dugong. Highly recommend if the weather forecast is good. Found the Barra fishing hard work in the Kimberley in the middle of the dry, but did see plenty in the Pentecost on the start of the run in not far from Home Valley Station. We couldn’t tempt them on anything but had to keep a close eye on the crocs. Didn’t catch Barra until we got back into NT but did have limited chances with the young family to explore more likely spots. Overall an amazing part of Australia with great scenery and plenty of characters.

My favourite eating fish. I cut the heads off behind the pecs then gut them and gently scrub the black lining out with a tooth brush (use an old one or use someone else's). Put them in a plastic bag with some flour, shake around, dip them in egg, roll in bread crumbs and fry for around one minute if deep frying or say two minutes if shallow frying until breadcrumbs brown. When served, turn upside down and split the gut cavity down to the tail then gently grab the tail and pull it up and it brings the backbone with it. Any left over bones are small enough to melt in your mouth.

I was in Broome for 4 days last July and unfortunately agree with you about the tackle store. I loved the place though and I can highly recommend the Boab boat hire up there. We hired the centre cab for a day, they picked us up from our unit, drove us to the beach where we launched, and then were there on the beach to pick us up at the end of the day. They even rang us the day before to see if we still wanted to go out the next day as there were forecast 12 - 15 knot winds in the morning and they were willing to give us another day with a better forecast. Being from Sydney the wind was not an issue and by lunch we were fishing in mirror like conditions anyway. Plenty of mackeral, queenies, and a few different tasty bottom fish such as mangrove jack, stripeys, trout etc. It looks like you tried near the wharf. I would have loved to have had a session there as heard plenty of good stories, but the distance from where we were staying and my fishing "credit points" were getting low. If anyone heading up that way and has the time I also recommend making the trip further north to Cape Leveque (from memory 3 hour trip by 4WD). Magic place with great fishing and I would love to tow a boat there in the future.

Got a big one to the boat at Flint and Steel a few weeks ago when fishing for Jewies but it was just holding the live yellowtail and was not hooked.It grabbed the bait when it was being retrieved for a check up. They are quite a sight with their silver bodies and large teeth. Suspected we lost another one as well that we didn't get to see.