Awoonga Trip

[Cloud_9]

Gaday all.
Back from the awoonga barra Comp.
well what can i say?
i still haven't got my first Barra :'(
but the other boys did. the learning curve was almost vertical.
first day we fished from 12 midday till 7pm then from about 7.30-8pm till midnight. for
1 Catty.
Day 2 we had a sleep in 8:30 am start needed sleep as we were up from 3am friday.
cast all day only to Donate 1 brand new Viper 150 to the Barra gods in the hookup that was over in a heart beat. Tony Devine from GCSFC scored a nice rat 50 casting to the weed beds. and Ian from Galeforce boats scored a tiny Spangled Perch casting the the weed edges.
then nothing for the remainder of the day.finished fishing at 6:30pm.
Day 3 much better for the other boys. first hookup for the day was a respectable 11.4 Kg Beastie.
which was caught on an Antique rod reel combo. 70's ABU overhead with a similar vintage butterwurth pistal grip baitcaster with S/S guides :o
the second fish for the day was a 2-3 Kg Catty and thge last fish for the day was a beaut.
18.7 Kg of fiesty Barra. caught on much more Hitech gear Calcutta 300Te and a 8Kg Pacific Compasites double biase rod.
it was good to Meet CQHORNET . sorry if i was a little preocupied getting gear retied for the arvo session.
i'll be back come Xmass.
there where a lot of great guys there and i think a good time was had by most people who attended.
i had a pretty good time too with the exception of the Close of the COMP.
ALL the Big fish caught for the comp where brought out for all to see.
this is the part that i thought was Shite. Not 1 of the winning fish was destine for the TABLE :'(
they where all for the OTTO BIN :-/
and there where 20 or so fish wieghed in DEAD.
they where put in the cold room till the end of the comp for the showing.
NO Gut and gilling or scaleing. staight in the fridge guts and all.
what a waste.
the WINNING fish a record for the Lake at 30.3 KG's caught on Day 1
second place was a 25.5 KG fish Caught day 2.
third place was a 21KG fish.
winning Junior was 19 odd kg's.
just for the record the winning fish was 9years old.
so it was from the second years fingerlings.
the growth rates for Impoundment Barra are a staggering 3.5 KG's per year
and they are released at 50mm and about 1gram in wieght.
so the potental of a 36KG fish are there. :o
there was a live section for the comp but it was the smallest live legal Barra.
it went 58.5 cm and 2.8kg's. to Niel schultz.
I was Just disapointed to see the wasted fish. :'(
any way heres the fish that won and the ones we caught THAT DID GET TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.

[Cloud_9]

second place.
nice fish for the girls.

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third place was a nice fish too.
but i didnt get a piccie.
heres the spangled perch caught by Ian.

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heres the rat 50cm

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this is Ian fighting the first fish which went 11.4 kgs

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and Tony Devines beaut 18.7 kg which was the heaviest live fish weighed in.

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it was just a point the mention.
ALL Fish where Caught on Lures made by ROD JONES from the Gold Coast.
aka JONESIES LURES.
heres a picie of one that was eaten!

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it was definatly an experience.
and ill be back come Xmass to try to get my first Barra.
i will not be fishing the comp again.
just cant see the point in the waste?
the fish just spoils if you dont dress it before you store it.( gut and gill/bleed)
i heard i bloke say the poeple involved in the dam want the big fish taken out so the smaller one have a chance!
but the Bait fish in the dam is astounding. Gar fish, sea mullet.boney bream and a range of other fishs that the big ones would eat first.
but that is the way it go's :-X
Cloud 9

[flattymattyb]

Hi Jamie,

some huge barra there pity they went to waste. Your not wrong about the amount of bait in the place been nearly 2 years since I was up there and I couldn't get over it, everywhere you pulled up you could see schools of some sort of bait fish, the barra certianly wouldn't have to work to hard for a feed. what time you looking at heading up at chrissie I am thinking of heading up from about the 12/01/06 for the few days around the full moon. The waters of Awoonga still owe me one too ;).

Cheers
Matty

[OODIES]

Yeh well done cloud 9

I like you don't see the need to kill fish for a pic If you look at my post "Awoonga fires mid oct"a page or 2 back now you will see a 20.7kg 110.5 fish that did swim away after plenty of good pics as did all five Barra I caught for the week...
We are booked on the houseboat for next OCT and can't bloody wait mate.what a top time was had by all and a bloody beautiful place to fish...I'm still smiling today...

CHEERS
Bingo

[Cloud_9]

MATTY
i'm booked in at the caravan park from the 1st jan to the 7th jan.
taking Cloud 9 up.
i intend to fish Monduran as well.
and mybe gladston harbour area. maybe a jack or 2 there for me?

Cheers cloud 9

[JB]

Top post Jamie, impoundment barra sure are wierd creatures. I went up there last yr and only managed a 47cm, but i was stoked just to get one. Your not the only bloke whos traveled up there for a week and come bak empty handed dont worry about that. Some good fish in your photos thou, really proves that they are there and with some luck and persistance (mostly luck i rekon) you can get a biggun.

Good luck in jan mate, look forward to another report.

Also if i were you and the barra were quiet, i'd tow down to 1770 or even to the estuary near there (name of it i cant dam well remember) supp be some good jacks about.

JB