BLOG: Billabongs & bullfrogs

A LITTLE while back I took up a kind invitation from mate Glenn Hubble (aka "the Harbour Master") to join him aboard his boat the Black Pig for a spot of fishing on Corroboree Billabong, an hour or so drive south of Darwin.

These days I don't do much on the 'bongs so it was a welcome change knowing that we didn't have to worry about tides, sea breezes or coastal thunderstorms. Also the trip was going to be a good opportunity to watch Glenn in action fishing his wide array of soft plastics, and for me to try out some neat and innovative top-water lures sent up by the River2Sea lure company.

Coroboree Billabong south of Darwin. Pic: Peter Zeroni

Glenn picked me up nice and early and as usual on the drive down to Corroboree, we chatted on all manner of topics, most of which had nothing to do with fishing, as no doubt there'd be plenty of time for that once we hit the water. Despite our combined IQs reaching at least triple figures, we can't understand why on such drives we still haven't been able to come up with solutions to the big issues: global warming, the ongoing Middle-East crisis, or why someone like Kyle Sandilands ever had a radio career or got a gig on TV?

Once on the water Glenn fired up the motor and off we went with the first rays of morning light illuminating the way. Before long we were at his chosen spot and the four-stroke made way for his bow-mounted electric. For those who don't know Glenn he, along with Dave "the Mad Professor" Krantz, is one of Darwin's biggest lure rats. Once these Da Vinci code crackers have found a lure that works successfully, then they'll drop it quicker than a bride's nightie in favour of some newer and more exotic (read weird) lure that few of us have ever heard of. For these lads the challenge is about finding different ways to fool fish and they accomplish this by taking the least travelled path.

Well one look into Glenn's tackle trays that day said it all. There was more bizarre stuff in there than at a Scientology convention. But in amongst it all there were some shapes that I did recognise, including both prawn and frog imitations. Throughout the morning we chopped and changed our lures regularly and scored plenty of good saratogas fishing weedless rigs deep in the lilies, as well as nailing the odd barra, which for some reason that day weren't really on the chew.

Another feisty saratoga extracted from the lily pads. Pic: Peter Zeroni

In addition to spending quality time on the water with a mate, one of the other highlights was when I tied on one of River2Sea's impressively named Dahlberg Diver Frogs. In all my years fishing I have never seen a lure that so resembles both in shape and action a living creature like this diving frog does. I was so captivated by how it swam that I didn't even care whether or not I got a fish on it. But indeed it did catch fish and there are few sights better in freshwater angling than watching this weedless lure hop over or swim between lily pads and get repeatedly smashed by fired-up 'togas. If you want to see how one swims then view the video footage at: www.river2sea.com.au. I'm now hanging out to use this frog in next year's run-off when plenty of bigger barra come out to play.

Check-out the detail on this Dahlberg Diver Frog which fishes as good as it looks.
Pic: Peter Zeroni