Advice on Awoonga dam

[mariner_22]

Hey guys

I was just wondering if anyone knows how awoonga fishes during the winter does it shut down like our Brissy dams or is the fishing still good. Do the techniques differ for fishing for the barra in the winter compared to summer.

Thanks

Mariner 22

[Awoonga]

Last winter fishing Awoonga was real good SPs worked well... Maybe because we didnt have a winter if you get my drift. The fish where down deeper so lures and SPs that get down a bit are the G.O.. Saying that the tide is still on the way out we need rain things may change ... have to suck it and see

[the_matrix]

mariner_22
Barra are available to be caught every month of the year, including the winter months.
Last year's fishing at Awoonga during winter was nothing short of sensational.
Contrary to what Awoonga says (no disregard Trevor) I found big numbers of 110cm plus fish in VERY shallow water. That shallow that at times you could see their backs sticking out of the water.
I caught more meter plus specimens on the cast over that period than I did combining the last two summers.
The fish were lazy, but with the right effort very easy to catch.
I did not miss out once, and I fished at least four times a week, every week.

You do need to do your homework, and the fish are not in places you would expect.
I would also add that with the level dropping as quick as it is, they mightn not be in the same places. Barra certainly are creatures of habit, and they return to areas again for obvious reasons. But with water levels changing, I'd say they will probably be in different areas, seeking the same things they looked for last year.
Even if we get a cold winter, fish will be available. They are not like bears, who eat like mad during the warmer months then hibernate for winter
Dont expect it to be easy, there's a few of us guys up here who do the hard yards to work this stuff out. Plenty of people I saw at the ramp and locally did it tuff big time.
So no..........it doesnt "shut' down.
Good luck if you come up.
Jas

[Awoonga]

mariner_22 well there you go ..... plenty of options in winter

[DNO40]

Winter ? In Gladstone ......?



DNO

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

DNO,,winter in Gladstone.......good call!! hasn't been cold here for years has it??!?!?,,,not that it ever got really cold anyways,,,


everyone,
but that 'winter period' that we call june-july has certainly been a bit dodgey in the last few years. bring on the cold South Westerly weather pattern that can haunt us at times and that will certainly change the fishing in Awoonga. The last 2 yrs in Awoonga in winter have been very mild and fantastic stable weather patterns carried over during this period. Barra fishing in this time was not difficult, but considering our air temps in june-july, and therfore water temps hovering around acceptable levels, it is not that hard to find a willing fish.
but,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,send a cool change, one after another after another for example and that will change the fishing altogether. Winter is winter, summer is summer. 10 months in awoonga are easy fishing. june and july are solely weather dependant and seasonally adjusted to make it either easier or much more difficult. To those who think winter is piss-easy,,,,,,,,,,,,,,just wait til we actually have a super winter like we once had. Weather patterns are obviously changing over time, so it is possible to find warmer winter periods from here on in making fishing even easier in this time frame of 2 months,,,,! I aint no weather man, but a warm winter and a cold winter are like chalk and cheese!
Barra won't stop feeding, but their metabolic rates slow, therefore feeding rates slow. fish do school, and this gives you a slight advantage in that time period, but match a slow feed rate with cold water and cooling water temps and the story is a total different ball game!!

Johnny M
Fishing Guide
Lake Awoonga

[still_water]

Johnny ,
I found the same at home here in the past so called Winter, water temps were nothing like they have been and we scored Barra for the whole year. The prior season saw temps low and made it extremely hard work to track a willing Barra down.

[McCod]

Things have changed a lot over the last few years ….. The Barra have not changed but the anglers have as we a getting better and learning new stuff and some of us make up our own rules and are ignorant to what we were told by the so called gurus of Impoundment Barra fishing. I was told that you needed 25 deg c water temps to get some action on Barra. Who would have thought you could catch Barra with water temps of 17 deg c or less on lures. The bass fishing in the south during winter was believed to be a non event in the winter around 16 years ago…. But due to the non believers it is now some of the best bass fishing around. But there a still some people that will tell you that they shut down for the winter .

Cheers Les

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

roger that brett,
every year is different hey!?
Les, barra angling is going through some fast paces at present. even 12 months from now will see mass change. its all really just beginning.
i see your point with the bass episode, and certainly a northern tropical species, (barra) in lakes towards more southern locations will see its ups and downs, in the peaks of cold temps. each lake will work differently. some easier than others considering climate and topography. some days it will be easy, other days will be have us score a big fat zero. try 3 weeks straight of 25 knot SW, mixed with a bit of winter rains. that'll be the tough scenario. when the goings good, all is good, when the going gets tough it will get really interesting.
fallin asleep this end. been fishin all night and all yesterday arvo.
later.