Country's biggest barra fishing comp under way, with some reporting more crocs

Australia's biggest barramundi fishing festival is held each year at the Northern Territory's Daly River. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

The country's biggest annual barramundi fishing competition is under way on the Northern Territory's Daly River.

The competition, which has drawn in more than 150 competitors, was delayed by six weeks this year due to extensive flooding in the region.

It's Australia's biggest annual barramundi fishing competition, and it's happening on a remote river in the Northern Territory.

The Barra Nationals have been drawing anglers from across the country to the same stretch of the Daly River, south of Darwin, for 30 years.

The Barra Nationals is under way on the Daly River this week. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

The rules are simple. Teams are made up of three anglers, they have a week to fish a 50-kilometre stretch of the river, and they're scored on the total length of their top five fish of each day — taking a photo of their catch next to a ruler before throwing it back in the water

The team with the highest score at the end of the week are crowned the winners.

Over the first three days of the competition alone, 1,419 fish were caught, with a total length of nearly 830 metres and a combined weight over 3.9 tonnes.

Teams are scored on the total length of their top five fish each day. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

About 150 competitors from 50 teams have travelled from around Australia to the remote river this year, with one keen group bringing their boat from Tasmania.

Participant Tracy Chelepy, who is competing with her team the Bamboo Pandas. said she had been travelling to the event from Rockhampton in Queensland for six years.

"We travel for three days [to get here] — you drive in and you're like 'let's bring it, it's the Barra Nationals'," she said.

Tracy Chelepy (middle) and her team travelled three days to make it to the 2026 Barra Nationals. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

The community of Daly River / Nauiyu experienced its worst flood on record earlier this year.

At the flood's peak, houses were submerged up to their roofs in the community, which sits on the banks of the Daly River.

Less than five kilometres downstream of the community is the Banyan Farm Tourist Park, which hosts the Barra Nationals every year, transforming into a hub of fishing and live entertainment.

Three months ago, a video of a tinny driving through the park's flooded outdoor dining hall went viral on social media.

Kerri Draper, who owns the tourist park with her husband and has hosted the Barra Nationals at the park since 1998, said it was a wh