The barramundi, or barra as it’s more commonly called, is possibly the single biggest draw card for places like Cape York and the Northern Territory, where they are more prolific than the pigs.

It is easy to see why the barra is such a sought-after species. It is an attractive fish that also happens to rate very highly on the table. To top it off, for the angler, they are very aggressive and fight like demons – leaping all over the place during a tussle on the line. To put it bluntly, it would be criminal for you to head north and to not go barra fishing at least once!

WHAT TO TAKE

So, now that I have convinced you to slip in a rod in your next adventure north, which rod is best for barra? Well, there are two basic options when it comes to outfits; a spin rod or a baitcaster. Of the two, a baitcaster is the better choice as it’s much lighter and more comfortable to use, as well as being much more accurate for casting. However, on the downside, a baitcaster is much more complicated to use and takes far longer to master. If you haven’t had any experience with baitcasters then your trip up north is certainly not the best place to start practicing.

If you are a novice angler then a spinning outfit can be a much better option. Sure, you won’t be able to cast quite as accurately as you would be with a baitcaster but a spinning outfit is far more user friendly so you will be able to fish tangle free, which is crucial if you want to have fun. Irrespective of which outfit you decide on it is imperative that it is well balanced and relatively light so that it is comfortable to cast or troll with all day long.

When it comes to line, there is only one choice and that is braid. With a thin diameter and low stretch it is perfect for trolling and lure casting. Best of all, the price has come right down so you no  longer need to take out a bank loan to spool up.

Barra is a highly aggressive species that will strike out at anything that swims past. As a result, lure fishing is absolutely deadly – not to mention a very exciting way to catch barra. There are thousands of lures on the market, most of which are aimed at catching fishermen not fish.

Despite myriad lures that decorate the tackle shops there is only a handful that anglers need to consider for their barra fishing kit: A couple of shallow running hard bodies like RMGs or Laser Pros. Next are the medium and deep divers like the ever-reliable Tilsan. Throw in a pile of plastics as well as some Halco poppers and Night Walkers are you are in action. When it comes to colour, it’s a personal choice but you can’t go past metallic gold, king brown or fluro green.

A leader is essential at the business end and will stop a barra’s razor sharp gill plates snapping you off as they launch skyward. A short length of monofilament between 20 and 30kg is ideal for most situations. On the subject of leaders, make sure you attach your lures with a loop knot, this will ensure they run correctly.

Although nowhere near as exciting as lure fishing, baitfishing with live baits like mullet or prawns can still be highly effective. Suicide and wide gape hooks are perfect in sizes 3/0 to 6/0. Keep in

mind that the size of the hook is not determined by the size of the fish you want to catch but by the size of bait you are using. Only minimal weight should be added to keep the bait near the bottom and a barrel swivel will minimise line twist. Whichever style you employ remember to keep it simple, don’t get complicated; this way you won’t get into trouble or have to spend too much.

BARRA COUNTRY

Barra are ambush hunters, which means they don’t actively search for prey, instead they lie in wait, darting out to nail baitfish that make the mistake of getting too close. What this means is that you need to focus your efforts around specific areas and not just cast about blindly hoping to catch a fish.

The best areas in which to find barra are around structure like drowned timber and rock bars. Pay particular attention to areas that are in the current. Barra hide in the structure and wait for the current to bring the bait to them. In essence, they are big lazy fish so you have to go and find them because they won’t come to you.

Another prime location is around creek mouths or gutters. Similar to the above scenario the creeks draining back into the main river push all the food with them. Barra are well aware of this fact and as a result congregate around the creek mouth to feed. It is like an aquatic drive-through.

There are two main ways you can fish with lures. The simplest way is to troll. Working some deep divers around drop offs, snags and rock bars is a sure way to get a bite from a barra. If you want to get really serious use a depth sounder to identify subsurface snags and fish and then use lures, which run at the same depth as where the fish are marking. Avoid just driving up and down the river, instead focus on specific fish holding areas for the best results.

The other option is to cast for barra, which is possibly the most exciting way to fish. As with trolling you need to get right into the snags to get the bites, which is where the accurate casting comes into play. Again, focus around creek mouths, colour changes, snags and rock bars for the best results. One trick that often works is to employ both techniques; firstly you troll upstream and then drift your way back down casting to all the likely spots as you go. So next time you are planning a trip north make sure you chuck your barra tackle in as well – I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Category: Unknown
Written: Wed 01 Oct 2014
Printed: October, 2014
Published By: