OMG!!!! BARRA SEASON IS OPEN

[al_neibling]

Please tell me I am not the only person in FNQ that layed awake in bed last night thinking about what it is going to be like catching my very first Barra.

I went to a seminar last night and would love to plug the people that put it on for FREE!! I took my son and his best mate (Both 13) and those boys sat there in the front row for over 2hours taking in every bit of barra fishing info like little sponges.

After the seminar the holders of it put on a free sausage sizzle, free smoked barra and free drinks (inc beer!!!) Through out the night they gave away lucky door prizes (again free) The only money we forked out was for a donation to the stocking assosciation and that is money worth spending in my books.

So thanks so much to THE FISHING WAREHOUSE on duckworth st Townsville and the boys from "I'll take ya" fishing and "One more cast" fishing guides.

This is my season to land that barra and it will be thanks to them for arming me with info I needed to target them.

I'M EXCITED ;D

Al

[thumps]

good onya Al

and yes..a few Barra lulled about in the ole dreams last night ::)

[roz]

Hi Al,

You are not alone there.

I was going out to Awoonga to fish with Trev over the next few weeks but he has told me things have been very quiet out there barra wise.

Yes, still waiting to catch the first one.

Good luck

Roz

[Hookem_Herby]

Lookout WORLD if Al and Roz ever get together for a fish!!! :o ;D
Seriously though, good to see you so keen and inspired Al, sounds like it was a top night. ;)
Win any of those lucky door prizes? How was the smoked barra? :-?

Cheers,
Herby

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Yea barra barra barra, always exciting to myself amongst the hords of others when Feb one arises. This year not so exciting in Gladstone amongst the horrid contamination of our harbour via a fuel oil spillage. So even though it is open season as of now, I am not jumpin' up like a jack in a box, but it is still an exciting time of year.

One main point I will bring up for all anglers, especially first time anglers is to stay positive, and to use a lure slow slow slow,,,,,,boringly slow.
simple terms with simple explanations won't confuse the angler. big lure, slow retrieve, positive mind, stay focused.
Don't fish 50 hrs straight or you will most likely become sick of it. Fish rocks, bund walls, snags, mud stained creek mouths and mud flats near deep water. There are great numbers of barra in almost all coastal locations from Bundaberg north to Cape York. Fish a few hours at a time. If no luck,,,,try tomorrow. Fish tidal changes, incoming tide etc. ask questions to experienced fishers. Everything helps, but certainly don't fall in the trap of using a small lure. Barra have huge mouths and even tiny barra will eat your big lure. Make sure all line and leader systems are up to top shelf standards.
just a few pointers.
johnny M
*Experienced Saltwater Barra Angler and Lake Awoonga Barra Fishing Guide!

## this is a recent pic of a nice saltwater barra captured January this year a few miles north of Gladstone. It was captured whilst casting and retrieving a 6 inch lure after 2 hours of continued casting. Persevere, the fish do exist and quality fish are very common.
I am only too happy to share many pointers to help a first timer land a barra. Never ask, never know!!

[al_neibling]

smoked barra was devine!! just got word the better half has the day off and the boat is going in! a Barra would be really nice but the blue water is calling with 5 to 15 knot winds forcast and to be honest I am not sure where to look for the barra outside the creeks maybe the last lovely gent who posted could give me some tips?? I will be heading out the bolhe about 730am (got to do my fishing in school times).... ;D

Herby you get any two girls together that love fishing and you had better look out :P love it like icecream!

oh and I am braking the al of the never never curse (hopefully) I WILL be weighing in this sunday!! ;)

cheers
Al

[juicyfruit]

Good on ya Al, wish you all the best in your Barra adventures. Infomation from Johnny will not lead you wrong, I credit my first Barra to him.

Cheers

Juicy

[baldyhead]

QUOTE from A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE "## this is a recent pic of a nice saltwater barra captured January this year a few miles north of Gladstone. It was captured whilst casting and retrieving a 6 inch lure after 2 hours of continued casting. Persevere, the fish do exist and quality fish are very common."

Hey Mate, Hope that you weren't deliberately TARGETING Barra in the CLOSED SEASON ?????By the tone of your POST it certainly looks as if you WERE....and if this is the case IT'S JUST NOT BLOODY CRICKET M8

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

baldyhead,

Good point, Well absorbed,

......but unfortunately 'tone' cannot be felt from words on a page, unless directed directly, using firm descriptive and BOLD type etc etc. Too much is misinterperated in many posts that cause conjecture. It is totally different to having a conversation face to face. Body language and voice 'tone' helps transfer feeling, and vibes from this can help the recievers interperate messages from those who are dictating.
Gladstone harbour has a myriad of fish species from big black jew, mangrove jack, salmon, fingermark, cod, and yes plenty of barra that inhabit simlar areas at times. By-catch of fishing for either of the mentioned species are also members of the same list, or vice versa etc.
All species are caught using the same fishing method in our areas, and as mentioned in my previous post, the fish do exist and are available to one with less experience and less knowledge of the species. Perseverance with all fishing techniques with all species is required for repeat success. The major points of my post was to influence others and to give insight into the availability of barra in almost all coastal regions. Words are good teaching tools, pictures are better stimulators.
Stocked barra from freshwater lakes have reached our harbour over the years and at times they dominate our catch because of shear volumes of fish. Just because the season is closed, i won't stay home and waste 3 months of prime fishing time whilst other species also frequent this time period. The wild barra population is lessor than the stocked fish, so the majority of fish landed come from introduced fish. Spawn closures are there to minimise stresses on spwaning aggregations of barra, but all the same a whole pile of introduced barra, which isn't entirely a wise move, are not going to stop all fisherman from fishing for 3 months because barra incidently bite their lures.

Yes, the above posted pic was from a barra landed in January, as well as a few others of similar size. Two carried tags from stocked waterways and the information was handed in to the DPI, and recieved with interesting travel distances noted. The barra were caught amongst a series of mixed bag of mangrove jack, fingermark, cod, salmon, and a triple-tail.
The open season has just begun, and on the first day of opening a mate and I captured two quality barra which were given to the DPI Fisheries for analysis after the oil spill in our harbour. They are to be tested for any contaminents that may be residual in their system.
A coral trout and a salmon were also given to them on my behalf.

Over the last 10 years I have produced broodstock barramundi and mangrove jack for the Gladstone based barra hatchery and the fruits of these efforts are being felt by many visitors who frequent Awoonga and our local area.



Good fish are available to all, my posts and pics are designed to educate, motivate and to stimulate people to the wonders of our fishing, and to help fine tune anglers towards better and more favourable results. Smiles go for miles!!


**This pic is of my mate with the two barra given to the DPI for testing from the 1st of Feb.
We go a long way to help, baldyhead. No payment, just good natured caring anglers who forsee future issues well before they arise.
Cheers,
Johnny Mitchell
Gladstone.

[isaac]

Good fish are available to all, my posts and pics are designed to educate, motivate and to stimulate people to the wonders of our fishing, and to help fine tune anglers towards better and more favourable results. Smiles go for miles!!


And that they do, keep them up Johnny. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif] cheers isaac

[roz]

Hi Al,

I think we should show my friend Hookem_herby a thing or two about fishing!!!

Hey Herb......HOW MANY BARRA HAVE YOU CAUGHT LATELY?????

Also, Herby and I have this once a year fishing comp 'Girls v's Boys' if you are ever interested.

Cheers Roz

p.s. boys are one up (Herb would have pointed that out if I hadn't)

[manangatang]

keep it up johnny,cheers mick.

[baldyhead]

Without being antagonistic, NO amount of excuses or patting oneself on the back for good doings in the past or future for no fees etc will excuse ANYONE for actively targeting ANY fish in a closed season.
This type of activity no matter for what reasons sends the WRONG MESSAGE to the many many people who frequent this Forum.
Closed seasons whether you agree with them or not are here to stay and WE as so called responsible fisher folk should do all that we can to NOT TARGET the very fish that these protective measures are put in place to protect.
cheers baldy

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Baldyhead,
I feel you have misinterperated my post again, possibly if you re-read them, you will discover that specific and active targeting of barramundi during the closed season is not described in any of my writings.
Johnny M.

[baldyhead]

;)

[Kendall249]

I would certainly would suggest there was many people in the t'ville region that were experiencing restless nights leading up to barra season, as there was 13 boats at the mouth of teh bohle river on saturday the 4th.

[Krazi-kev]

Salt water Barra is my target..............

Suggest livies or slow luring??????

Still trying for a barra.