Awoonga yesterday!!

[agnes_jack]

Headed out to Awoonga in the wee hours of yesterday morning, took my wife Sandi out for her first shot at a freshwater barra. Beautiful conditions, calm and moonlit (until the early cloud came up). Had an absolute ball, got my first meter plus freshwater mumma!! :D. Dropped a few fish, one other nice one got me by ploughing into the weeds, so deep I could not pull it out, ended up pulling the hooks :( We dropped afew small ones and managed about a half a dozen between about 65-70cm. Sandi got her first couple of freshwater fish, and was exstatic with the whole experience!!
Here are a few of the photos

[agnes_jack]

Fat mumma on a mat

[agnes_jack]

Sandi's first

[agnes_jack]

Sandi's second

[agnes_jack]

Another small one

[agnes_jack]

All fish where caught by casting toward structure and carefully released in the quickest time possible. The big girl was treated with the utmost care being very carefully supported under the body with no pressure to the head-neck at any time. Hopefully all will be available to be caught again at another time. ;)


Regards.............Tony :D :D :D

[black_sheep]

Top effort Tony. Very wise taking the mrs out and getting her hooked - endless fishing trips for you mate. Get her a metre fish though and it's worth gold.

Good to hear that you treating your fish well as I plan on hooking the metre one that you caught ;D in a few weeks time - with countless others. Spending a week up there.

It's all good mate.

[Smailesy]

:o they are great fish hope to fish that dam real soon great pics mate

[agnes_jill]

Black Sheep

Tony always has had the advantage of endless fishing trips. They are called "Research & development". :D :D

The only problem we have is being able to get out of the shop together for extented periods, but Josh came to the rescue this time. Hopefully he'll do it again soon as I'm keen as mustad to catch that metre one. I'll have to wait till my wrist stops aching though ;D ;D I've got casters ache at the moment. :D :D

Regards Sandi

[DECKA_@_NOOSA]

HI SANDY AND JACK HEADIND UP THERE NEXT MONTH DECIDING IF TO GO ON THE FULL MOON ANY CLUES ....NIGHT OR EARLY MORNING ....LURES OR PLASTICS...NEVER CAUGHT AN AWOONGA BARRA

REGARD DECKA

[Lucky_Phill]

I saw the full size pics today and the ones posted here don't do justice to the actual size ( fat/ girth ) of the big girl.

Top effort guys, ya gotta like it when a plan comes together and a very nice start to the season.

Phill

[Canoedle]

Nice one Tony and Sandi, great photos, cheers. :)

[chicken]

Holy crap that fish is fatter tham me! Congrats to the both of you all nice fish

[Smailesy]

Holy crap that fish is fatter tham me! Congrats to the both of you all nice fish

2 of them side by side would still be smaller than you you fat chook

[black_sheep]

Hey Sandi,

I know exactly how you feel. The barra cramp :'( Every trip we do is the same - after about the 4th day of casting heavy lures and violently twitchin 'em back, my wrists and forearms feel like the would drop off if I hooked another fish but somehow, the adrenalin kicks in and you manage to get a second wind - great fun.

I have actually been in training the few weeks trying to condition my hands to cope with the fatigue factor by casting in the pool at home and squeezing one of those hand grip things to strenthen my forearms - pretty sad hey.

Keep putting in the hours Sandi and I'm sure you'll get that metre fish and maybe even beat Tony's record :o

[bugman]

Congrats to both of you.

The big girl is awesome Tony. Must have been eating her head off. Great to see Sandi get amongst them. Nothing really like seeing the barra explode especially in structure.

How's the new boat going - was that christening her for Barra.

You'll just have to teach Phil how to do it now. ;D

Brett

[chicken]

Holy crap that fish is fatter tham me! Congrats to the both of you all nice fish

2 of them side by side would still be smaller than you you fat chook
Chickens have feelings too :'(
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[luskin]

Congratulations Tony and Sandi!!

Nothing like hookin 'em casting, ;)

Awesome indeed ;D ;D

See you late October

Cheers

Sy

[-Henno-]

A little birdy told me Tony was actually trolling...... :-X :-X :-X



;) ;D

[ele-phrez]

whats the s#&t........... I can not wait till I get on to barra that big.

[agnes_jack]

Mooks
You wish.... ;D ;D ;D
G'day Brett!!
We have had barra in the new boat before mate, but nothing over a meter!
Ya gota luv the anticipation of wiggling your lure in the snags, in the dark and just waiting for the smash!!!

See ya then Sy!!

Chicken
Sounds like you would make a good live bait for one of the big girls, they eat ducks!!! ;D ;D ;D

Decka
I'm no expert on these dam barra mate, only just starting to put it all together myself. From what I know, the full moon lead ups are best, but not the only times. Both late arvo and early mornings will increase your chances too!!


Regards, Tony

[gunna]

From most of the photos that I see of Awoonga it seems the better catches are all at night. Is that the case ??

[Awoonga]

Top effort both of you..... :D :D :D.......

[mylestom]

Top fish Sandi and Tony, he who laughs first will surely get done, isnt that rite Sandi.

Yeah I caught the first one over the metre and have caught a few now, but the best two in the boat were Paulines and she only has two over a metre. Just nice to catch n release the big girls.

Gunna,
Less traffic on the water of a night, but as usual the night throws up a few more challenges including boats on the water without lights.

Merv (Rebel One)
Yeah that includes me, one of those silly sucker lights jumped off the boat into the water. Have upgraded since, but thats life.

Have fished some nights for no results and gone out first thing in morning trolling into the sun with a silver lure and caught two Metre in 5 mins. No rhyme or reason, just thats fishing.
Regards Trev

[Big_Ren]

Top effort Tony and Sandi. Beautiful condition on the fish.

I can't wait to get up there with Black_Sheep (Navi), his brother Vin and another mate Gary in about 3 weeks. Unlike the casting marathons at Monduran earlier this year, we plan to give ourselves some respite and troll some of the time.

I'm sure you'll have the last laugh Sandi and top the old man's efforts soon enough ;D

Cheers and seriously, well done to both of you.
Paul

[DALEPRICE]

top stuff toni and sandi !!!!!!!!!!
looks like you hard yakka has paid off :)
that thing is flamin massssssssssssive. :o :o
congrats
dale

[straddy77]

great work. real keen to get up there soon

[the_baker]

Hey Tony and Sandi

Congratulations to you both on the fish caught. What a whoppa 1 metre plus, can't wait to get up there to have a go myself. To pop my cherry as i'm a barra virgin. See you soon counting the days. It seems that the tinnie is going well. ;D

Cheers Dave

[DNO40]

Good stuff Tony and Sandi


DNO

[agnes_jill]

Thanks guys
I'm definately converted (or crossed over) as they say. Even seeing barra snags in my sleep and aiming that lure right where i want it to go.
I've got a tough battle ahead though I have to try to outfish Tony and Josh. ;D ;D

All in all though its all for the thrill and fun of it and I love the look on the boys faces when they bring those big ones in :)

Awonga Rocks!!!

Cheers Sandi

[Awoonga]

Thats Two oos Jill :D ;D ;)

[agnes_jack]

Trev
She can't spell.....But she catches nice fish ;D :-X :-X :-X :-* :-*

Regards, Tony :)

[searaider]

Geday Sandi & Tony ,
I'm lost for words .
Awsooooooooooooome fish .

Catch up with you soon ;)
Peter
Searaider 2

[setthehook]

Gday Tony!!
Just letting you know im up here mate...finally and im planning a trip at the end of this month to 1770. Look forward to finally meeting you mate and will have to hit Awoonga with ya soon too!! can bring my boat 2 if yours is full.
Cheers Rob. oh and top fish too. Jealouse :-?

[agnes_jack]

Way to go Rob!!
Pm me with your phone number mate, we are planning another Awoonga attak as soon as the weather improves, hopefully around the new moon.

Regards, Tony ;)

[poor_mans_barra]

>:(Teasing b#%$@s Just keep tthinking 1 day...1 day.... 1 day :'(

[BeastMaster]

Well done mate that metre fish is a great fish , I'm coming up from Brisbane this coming Saturday , to spend a week at 1770 , I'll drop in and say hello , hopefully you can point the young fella and myself in the direction of a few reefies. I'm currently working on the missus , to spent the 2nd week of our holiday at Awoonga. Approx how long and far is the journey from 1770 to Awoonga, towing a 5.8 m Sportfish with a falcon ?
BeastMaster .

[BigChiefBarra]

1770 to Awoonga is around the 1 1/4hr mark. Big boat !!!, but have seen bigger trolling the dam, might find it hard working the shallows if the wind picks up..........

[BeastMaster]

Thanks Happy Rock - I persume that 1 1/4 hours is via Mt Tom on the Fingerboard /Baffle Creek/ Bindaree Roads- coming out at Miriam Vale - If so whats the road like ? ie is it sealed?

[Awoonga]

Yes all the Way......

[kilo11]

mmmm

[kilo11]

4days and im there if you are still there ill be the bloke stalking u, nice fish well done

[agnes_jack]

G'day Beastmaster!!
Yeah mate call in and we will point you at some reefies mate, no worries ;)
A few good pelagics starting to appear as well mate.
We are on the right about 2 km's before you get into town

See ya then...................Tony

[BeastMaster]

Thanks Tony , I'm looking forward to meeting up with you . I'll see you in a few days. I hope those Pelagics are long silver things with black stripes averaging about 15- 18 kg?
BeastMaster.

[sushi_fish01]

Beastmaster (just using my sons post)
I've been hearing of some big Spanish out wide (19-22kg) and over the last few days I hear the birds are working off 1770 headland. A good sign ;) Now is the time of year when the pelagics come right in close. At this time of year it is possible to catch heaps of different species off the rocks and trolling just off the headland. Cobia, schoolies, spotties, bluefin, spanish, gt's, etc etc. So long as the water clears up in close you should have a ball mate!!! Ohh, and the small blacks are still around too :D :D :D

Regards........Tony

PS... My son Josh and I are off to Awoonga tommorrow for another shot at the big girls :D :D :D