Awoonga 22 -23 Dec

[matt fraser]

Awoonga Trip 22 – 23 Dec 07

Just before christmas I managed to get a leave pass to go and hit Awoonga for a third time in as many months. Yes I've got a bad case of barra fever at present, I thought I was cured for a few years, but its back! I invited along mates Ian (back from Baghdad and very keen to break the metre mark) and Ashley who hadn't been barra fishing before. One of the main objects of the trip was to test some protype lures and rigs I'd been working on.

We fished out of Ian's new Stacer with a 80hp Yamaha 4 stroke. The original plan was to dash up, fish four serious sessions and get back home for christmas eve. The weather was looking good and it was right on the moon, so I was feeling confident.

I logged all activity to keep track of hook up rates etc, here is a run down of events.

Session 1. Saturday arvo 22nd Dec
Started fishing on weed flats at about 1.30pm, depth 3 to 4 feet, weed growing right to the surface with pockets in between of one feet depth.
Lures - Berkey 5” Batwing Frogs rigged on weighted Gamakatsu 6/0 EWG HW hooks (weedless)
Outfits – 6 to 7 foot spin outfits, 30 lb braid, 60lb leader

2.18pm Ash got a surface strike on frog – no hook up
2.50 pm Matt hooked and landed an 81cm Barra on frog
3.12pm Ash got another strike on frog – no hook up.

3.30pm Changed to baitcast outfits 30lb/60lb utilising a variety or 4 to 5” soft plastic lures. Moved to an area of deeper weed flats, depth 10 to 13 feet weed growing up to 6 feet. No hits in this area

4pm moved to a reliable point to work the weed edges and points, depth 6 to 12 feet, with weed from 2 feet to 6 feet.
4.15pm Matt gets two solid hits on 130mm Slick rig in evil minnow, before a solid barra sticks his head out opens his mouth and spits the lure out.
4.50pm Matt gets a 75cm barra on a prototype 85mm soft lipless crankbait in gold.
5.30pm move to another point for no result then move into NZ gully working along the banks under electric power casting modified slick rigs and surface frogs
6.23pm Ian double tap on 110 slick rig
7pm moved back to shallow flats
7.40pm Ian bump on 130mm Slick Rig
8.30pm Ian harder bump on 130mm slick rig – still no hook up.

Fished on to 9.30pm with no more action
24 boat trailers still at the ramp when we came in.

Sunday 23rd
Started Fishing 5am at Reliable point – there was a bit of surface action in the weeds so we tried the surface frogs for a while before going back to the conventional plastics out wider on the point.
5.40am Matt 87cm barra on white 5” Berkley Mullet
6.10am Matt 98cm barra on same lure
6.35am Ian bump on same lure (gave him my outfit while I tried other lures)
7.01am Ash double hit on white mullet – no hook up
7.03am Matt hit on Gold 5”Mullet
7.15am Ian very solid hit on white mullet (gave the rib cage a tickle)
7.16am (next cast) Ian hooks and lands 110cm barra on white 5” mullet and is absolutely stoked.
7.30am Ash catfish!
7.36am Matt hooks small barra on 5” mullet in sand perch – but the lure is thrown on first jump.
Moving along the weedbeds to the next point.
8.03am Ash hooks decent barra on white Mullet, but the fish drops the lure after about 10 to 15 seconds – Ash devastated!
8.21am Ian tap on white mullet – on the drop
8.27am Matt 80cm barra on Mullet in Sand perch.

9am moved back to ultra shallow flats to try frogs
9.15am Matt gets a barra swipe at frog for no hook up.
No more action by 10am back to camp for Breaky. But saw heaps of barra in the shallows, just couldn't get them to bite.

Sunday arvo session start fishing 3.15pm on reliable point.
3.47pm Ash good hit on sand perch Mullet
3.55pm Ash hooks and lands 72cm barra! Caught on 5”mullet in sand perch.
4.30 starts drizzling
6.35 Ian bump on white mullet
Lightning started about 6pm at a distance by about 7.15 it was getting very close and fishing rods were buzzing from the electricity in the air – time to head in.
By the time we get the boat out its raining steadily. The rain increased through the night and was very serious in the early hours of the morning. By 5am it had eased, but still to wet to head out for a final morning session. There was quite a bit of local flooding evident as we departed the area.

Total stats
Bites/bumps/hits 23
Hookups 9
Fish landed 7
Hours fished 17hrs

For a very short trip ( only two and a half sessions really) The fishing was much better than my previous two trips. The sunday morning session was awesome when you look at how much action we had in a short period. For me it was great to put Ian onto his first metre plus and Ash onto his first ever barra! Its sensational to get away with mates and have a successful trip!

Ian's boat fished three-up really well, and I was very impressed with his Navman sounder/GPS. It was also excellent to catch fish on new lures and techniques such as the surface frogs and the lipless crankbait. But the most productive lures where definitely the Berkley 5" Mullets with a bit of weight taken out of the belly and a siwash stinger added for increased hook ups.

Can't wait to get back up there, but I've got to work on the brownie points or ways of convincing May to come with me!


Cheers,

Matt

[BR65]

Great report mate, what an awesome fish that one is in the first pic - great colour
cheers
brian

[bay_firey]

Matt, thats a great read
And some really good fish too
It's always a good feeling when something new works for you

[tiges]

Matt, very interesting and imformative report. Thanks for going into such detail.

Cheers
Tim

[eotbmg]

Congrats there Matt. It's a great feeling putting new fisher folk on to good fish. Especially after telling them how good its going to be!!!!!
Looks like you had some glassy conditions from the photos
Also interested on the frog lure in the first photo. Are they commercially available? I have had some success at Monduran on scum frogs and would also like to try something else
Cheers and well done again
Ben

[rossco]

Great in depth report.

cheer rossco

[matt fraser]

Thanks guys. That first fish caught on the frog was the most Golden barra I've seen. He was living in very shallow weed beds.

Ben, the frogs were Berkley 5" Batwing frogs which are samples I got from Berkley, they aren't available in the shops at the moment, but hopefully they will get them in very soon! They are the only type of lure that can be worked across the top of weed - apart from scum frogs, but scum frogs don't have the same action in the feet as these things do.

cheers,

Matt

[Ian Baker]

What a Christmas present, I'm blessed to have mates like Matt and Ash, it made the trip.

I have been wanting to break the metre mark in Barra for a long time and thanks to Matt, I was able to not just pass the magical metre but do it comfortably.

I went from a real low when I missed the big hit immediatley prior. Chances for a big fish don't happen all the time and I knew I had missed my chance.
I remembered the scence from the recent AFC barra round when with 1 minute left and they had just caught a barra, they cast back in to the same spot and BANG hooked up.

So I cast back into the same spot like they did on TV and sure enough BANG, the barra hit the lure again in the same spot I had just missed him. This time I was on and WOW didn't it put on a show. It lept about 2 - 3 ft out of the water, then started to peel off some serious line heading back into the shallow weed beds.

Thankfully the team plan we used on the boat was as soon as someone was hooked up, one would take over the electric and the other would be in charge of the landing net and camera. Matt had us moving pretty quick as the monster had started to bury itself in some thick weed. I was focused on not letting the fish get slack line on me as both Matt and Ash had lost fish prior, so I applied as much pressure on the fish as I dared. With Matts advice the line broke through the weed and the steam train was off again back out to the deeper water it came from. By this stage the big fellas was starting to tire and Ash managed to net the monster. A two man lift later and there were high fives all round.

Elated was an understatement, I had been chasing the metre mark for 8 years.


Some minor info: Boat: Stacer 470 Pro Tournament Elite, Yamaha F80, Minn Kota 55 Rt/AP, Garmin 498C Sounder/GPS Combo and Lowarance X125.
This was the first real test of the boat since I picked it up and it performed exceptionally well, the smaller rear live well held Ash's barra comfortably and all rods and gear were easily held below decks. Really happy with it. All but one fish was released to be caught again.


Once again thanks to Matt and Ash for a fantastic trip ( pitty about the storm, I've never heared fishing rods hum like power lines before ) and as soon as these trial lures become available from Berkley I'll definately be buying heaps.

Happy New Year

Ian

[MrWong]

Great stuff Matt and a Merry Xmas to you all..... Ian Welcome home!
MAY end up at Awonga veyr soon myself so a great read
Good to see you on Ausfish Ian, you need to get that Q monster of yours on here as well (starts with a D ends with a 'mans).
Theres plenty of Bream and squire left out in front of Redcliffe for ya! Good to see ya home

Regards
Norm
(2/14Q)

[Barraboss]

Great read Matt and thanks for the stats,especially weed depth etc. Looks like that rod in the first pic hasn't even had time to take the "new" plastic off the handle. I could be wrong but that would be a great way to christen a rod...

Cheers Matt

[Mike Delisser]

Good one Matt I'm green with envy, though I wouldn't push my luck heading up to Awoonga just before Xmas as I inevitably end up staying an extra day or two if the barra are cooperative.
Hope to see ya at one of the comps in the new year.
Cheers
Mike Del

[Big_Ren]

Great read Matt and congrats Ian on your first metrey It sounds like a top rig you've got mate...there's nothing worse than clutter on deck...perhaps I am OCD

Matt, will be interesting to hear more about the frogs. There is nothing more satisfying I imagine than tasting success with something new and different.

Cheers
Paul

[damobows]

Great report mate that was a real pleasure to read I'll be up there on the 28th can't wait!!

Cheers
Damo

[two fold]

I read in the latest qfm monthly jason whillelm won at awonga abt a few months back on surface fished frogs in weedy teeritory rigged weedless is that where you got the idea to fish frogs on the surface?
It says he fished in 2-3 feet with worm hooks and caught his barra in the day time on surface which I find hard to believe but it supposed to be true.
He also used the exact outfits threadline and 7ft rod and 30lb braid so I guess you read the same article as I did.
Good trip for you well done very informative.
Purcho

[SeekingBarradise]

Hi Matty excellent report mate - good to see the plastics development is coming along as they looked great when the Old Coote (Robert Tombs) and i saw them at Awoonga when we camped next to you guys in November Abt.

Great itemised report & the photo of the golden barra looks awesome. The others look in good nick too. It's always a great trip when you help people out e.g. getting their first Barra or first one over a Metre - a great Chrissy Present.

If you need more guys to test out those plastics let us now ha. We should be heading up on Australia Day so let us know if you are up there then.

Cheers Kel & Lyndon.