Awonga...Am I forgetting anything?

[poddy mullet]

Well here goes.... Come Friday morning at 3.00AM us NSW westy's are heading to Awonga to see what we can encounter!:o :o :o

I am a first time "impoundment barra chaser", but I am fortunate enough to be heading up with a few lads who have fished the impoundment many a time, and caught some cracking fish. What I wanted to ask was is there somthing, maybe some crucial element, that I have overlooked in my preperation in my quest to land my first metery???

*The rods and lp baitcast reels are locked and loaded with 30lb for the cast, and 50lb for the troll (Bionic)

*40lb, 60lb and 80lb leader ready to be tied on (with knots well rehearsed)

*5 inch modified hollowbellies rigged with treble stinger in place/slick riggs/etc ready for action

*RMG's, Classic's and all the usual suspects in the lure box with trebles and split rings upgraded to owners

*MASSIVE Landing net borrowed and ready for wetting........

Is there an element on the fishing side that I have overlooked in my prep to visit Lake Awonga for the first time??? Cheers, Pod.

[robersl]

Yep your going 1 and half hours to far north nah just joking good luck i am heading to mondy

shane

[boys play]

I am also a mexican heading north in a few weeks for our third attempt at Awoonga. Good luck poddy mullett, don't be disallusioned if you end with a donut, it is the hardest fishing I have done for no result, but is very addictive.

Could someone advise if there is still plenty of concrete at the end of the ramp...I note the level is a bit lower than our last trip.

cheers
Ian

[tossie]

Poddy Mullet,

Sounds like you have got it pretty much covered with maybe the exception of a few frogs and tango dancers etc. I was out yesterday arvo and the only interest i could raise was on surface. 2 missed fish with a few other follows on frogs:( Also not sure why you went with 50 pound for trolling?

Ian,

Still concrete for a bit longer:D

Shane,

I think you need to do the extra hour and a half one day, it might just surprise you

Cheers Shaun

[robersl]

HI Shaun
I keep wanting to get there but it is a bit far for a weekend and last time i went for a week my intension was to do a days fishing up there but it is hard to leave fish to find fish so maybe september this year

shane

[rc@hinze]

Pod, if you intend to fish at night, make sure you well prepared for night fishing. Also take some supa glue for insurance on you knots. Don't forget plenty of patience! All the best - RC

[gav73]

Hey Poddy I would grab a map from Foxies on the way past .
Cheers Gav

[BR65]

Pod, if you intend to fish at night, make sure you well prepared for night fishing. Also take some supa glue for insurance on you knots. Don't forget plenty of patience! All the best - RC


Sounds like you got it covered mate, just pack your patience, sense of humour and some cold beer and happy days.
My one tip, dont glue your foot to the electric pedal like another barra fisho we all know::)

[NAGG]

Hey Poddy ..... how long are you heading up for ?

chris

[warrior]

a mate just arrived back and make sure you put in the frogs and tango dancers he said they had around 30 hookups in 3 days on them big fish too

[Steve B]

Sounds like you got it covered mate, just pack your patience, sense of humour and some cold beer and happy days.
My one tip, dont glue your foot to the electric pedal like another barra fisho we all know::)

oooy Brian...I still feel pain you know!!;D;)

I am thinking of heading up to Awoonga, maybe thurs arvo..interesting reports coming out. Looking forward to a different fishing dam! Sorry I cant hang around and catch up with ya poddy. would have been good.

Cheers Steve

[poddy mullet]

NAGG, will be there for a week. The full moon is scheduled for the 24th if I am right, so plenty of night fishing is on the cards.

A bloke told me the other day "Mate, they are just like big bass, just get in the frame of mind like you do for them and you will get one...."

Would you agree with this call???

[poddy mullet]

TOSSIE, Do you reckon the 50lb is to heavy for the troll???

[NAGG]

NAGG, will be there for a week. The full moon is scheduled for the 24th if I am right, so plenty of night fishing is on the cards.

A bloke told me the other day "Mate, they are just like big bass, just get in the frame of mind like you do for them and you will get one...."

Would you agree with this call???

No ! ........ Though at a place like Mondy you can encounter bass in the same locations. .... ( I certainly dont fish for bass like I do for barra)

I was going to suggest calling into Mondy for a couple of days ......... very different to Awoonga & if the conditions are bad ( big winds) Mondy can offer some cover.

Awoonga is a great place ....... Spend half a day just looking around ( troll if you like..... learn the lay of the land)

Use the conditions / wind ...... main basin points & bays ..... are good starting places ( take a good sand anchor with you ....... the winds can really get up at Awoonga) ....... If you see areas where the wind is really pushing onto and you have deeper water shoaling with a weed or hard bank ........ Anchor ( well off) & cast away ..... close to the shore / weed ....... be patient

Trolling is popular too ........ so dont discount it

Chris

[darylive]

TOSSIE, Do you reckon the 50lb is to heavy for the troll???


Pod the 50 is to battle the trees more so than the fish if you are trolling open water you could use lighter leader ;).

[BigChiefBarra]

Also remember to rig some of those Hollowbellies weedless. Get right up in the weedbeds around Eagles Nest and work close to the bank. Fished the dam last night from 7.30 till midnight. Most actioned heard in amoungst the weeedbeds with some huge boofs, open bays had very little action - bait was even thin.

2 huge smash-ups, one missed hook-up and one massive bust off. DAMN.

Gaz

[tossie]

TOSSIE, Do you reckon the 50lb is to heavy for the troll???


Only my opinion, Poddy. When i first started to fish awoonga it was with 2 abu's spooled with 15 pound mono. Never lost a fish, all fights in open water;D Got the casting bug and it's a completely different story, lost a lot more than i have landed but it gets those knees shakin8-)

Cheers Shaun

[stevo]

How did you go as i'm heading up this weekend?? Might end up a little wet though.

stevo

[poddy mullet]

G'Day Lads, well..... we had a ball! Thanks to one and all who gave us westy's a helping hand and a bit of advice on how to get onto a few barra.

Fishing at night on the full moon was the go, with all fish coming at night between 7 and midnight under a huge glowing moon and a massive brilliant body of stars. Between us we managed about 8 barra between 88cm and 101cm. Trolling Oar Gee Barra lures in purple/red and gold chrome RMG poltergeits produced the bulk of the fish. Casting these lures also caught a couple.

When the Australia day boat traffic dwindled away the fish became alot more active, with regular follows on cast hollowbellies.

Thanks to all t Ausfish who helped make our trip a success!!!1 We'll be back for sure!!!

Kind Regards, Pod

[BR65]

Good stuff Pod, congrats mate.

[NAGG]

Well done Poddy ...... Great to see that you had Awoonga success

I reckon those yellas & cod might take a bit of a back seat now ;)

Chris

[poddy mullet]

Yes NAGG, agreed..... They pull hard, jump high and just really play up like unregistered dogs!
My mates and I are already working out a plan to install a state of the art water heating system in our local impoundment so we can introduce them down here..... So far it has been suggested that Standard household hotwater systems at regular intervals around the dam could be the go- our calculations (after about 6 stubbies) estimate tht we will need only about 54, 827 of them..... Wonder if we could get a rebate??
Pod.

[NAGG]

Yes NAGG, agreed..... They pull hard, jump high and just really play up like unregistered dogs!
My mates and I are already working out a plan to install a state of the art water heating system in our local impoundment so we can introduce them down here..... So far it has been suggested that Standard household hotwater systems at regular intervals around the dam could be the go- our calculations (after about 6 stubbies) estimate tht we will need only about 54, 827 of them..... Wonder if we could get a rebate??
Pod.

We talk about IBD - Impoundment barra disorder ........ & now you know why.

I hear that there is a study going on to see if some lake in Victoria could be stocked:P.

Anyhow .... glad to see that you enjoyed your trip & had some success with some good fish landed

Chris