Standing chest-deep in the water to cast a line is rarely a good idea in the Top End.

Key points: A man has been photographed standing chest-deep in crocodile-infested water

A man has been photographed standing chest-deep in crocodile-infested water More than 20 per cent of all saltwater crocodiles caught this year in the NT were in Hope Inlet

More than 20 per cent of all saltwater crocodiles caught this year in the NT were in Hope Inlet A witness warned the man of the danger, and he "sort of shrugged his shoulders"

But Simon Bochow was "gobsmacked" when he saw a man doing just that at Shoal Bay's Hope Inlet, with a two-and-a-half-metre saltwater crocodile in a trap less than 40 metres away.

"It's not a big crocodile but it will still take a leg off," Mr Bochow said.

"And I've seen bigger ones in there."

This year, 59 crocodiles have been pulled out of Hope Inlet — 20 per cent of the 285 caught across the entire Northern Territory.

"Not only that but it's the start of the stinger season," Mr Bochow told Tales from the Tinny.

"And we're starting to see a lot of big box jellyfish floating round there as well."

As he went past in his boat, he warned the man of the nearby crocodile, and he "sort of shrugged his shoulders".

"We were gobsmacked. We [were] just, 'Alright, no worries'; we just kept going," he said.

"There was not a whole lot we could do.

"It was unbelievable."

The region is also known for its powerful tides and big channels.

While Mr Bochow said the tide that day was not the biggest, he still thought the man would have had to swim at least half the way to shore.

But the risk did not even appear to be paying off.

"We didn't see him catch a fish," Mr Bochow said.

Other fishermen said a crocodile trap, with a crocodile in it, was less than 40m away. ( Supplied )

'Pretty damn risky'

Crocodile expert Grahame Webb said he thought the move was "pretty damn risky", equating it to running a red light.

Simon Bochow and his friend Dan (pictured) were "gobsmacked" to see a man fishing in the crocodile-infested inlet. ( Supplied )

"The probability of getting attacked [in that area] is very low, relative to some of these other areas," he said.

"If you went swimming down the Adelaide River, there's a 100 per cent chance you're going to get taken.

"[But] it's a matter of whether it's going to be five minutes or 10 minutes or 15 minutes. I don't think you'd get beyond 15 minutes, no."

He said he often thought about why people took risks around crocodiles — saying he "gets a bit philosophical about it" — and believed in Australia it boiled down to misadventure rather than stupidity.

"Everyone up here is really pretty well educated about crocs," he said.

"I think people who get attacked often know something's dangerous but they decide to do it anyway, just on the spur of the moment.

"There's a million-dollar fish out there! You might be tempted to take some sort of risk you don't normally take, I don't know."

Public asked to report crocs in traps

Senior wildlife ranger with the Crocodile Management Unit Tom Nichols said he was "quite shocked" when he saw the photograph.

He said the risk of crocodile attacks was elevated at this time of year, because it is breeding season and the animals are more active.

"We get a large number of crocodiles out of the Hope Inlet, especially Howard River itself," he said.

"And the water's so dirty you can't see what's in there.

"For someone to be swimming and carrying on like that, it's a pretty big risk to take."

He said anyone who spotted a crocodile in a trap, or that could be a danger to the public, should report it by calling 0419 822 859 in Darwin or 0407 958 405 in Katherine.

'Croc bait'

Many people on Facebook were aghast at the photographs.

Fisheries Dept wants to employ them as croc bait! — Andrew Knox

More than 1/5 of the total crocs for 2018 have been pulled from Hope! — Blake Gilmore

There has to be a story to it.loss boat rising tide ????? Something to it and was having a sneak fish while crossing — Charmaine Burton

Natural selection at work … — Kylie June Hayes