Its time to rethink the metery!

[eotbmg]

I was pondering my trip and Steve B's fantastic effort when it dawned on me, I dont think a metery is a metery any more. By this i mean ok your in the metery gang but it just doesnt have the exclusiveness that it once did. Maybe once upon a time a before the massive success of Impoundment barra and their phenomenal growth rates, when we could only dream about a meter salt water barra [which i still do], but since that tens of thousands of fish have surpassed the 100cm mark and i am thinking of a new bench mark. My pb is 110cm, so i am hunting somewhere above that, but am thinking that 130 cm or 140cm becomes the new metery. The way we are headed, we may see more fish than we think over the next year or so surpassing that.
I was chatting to Navi today about the tackle we are going to be using to chase these bigger brutes, and you start thinking of Papuan Bass gear. Seriously !!!!!
All thoughts appreciated
Ben

[Steve B]

Ben, I have to agree. I think 120cm is a good safe benchmark these days IMHO. It has been my aim for a few years now. The biggest fish before this was 118cm in 2006. I caught three 118cm in a row, within an hour at Awoonga. Just couldnt crack 120cm.!!!

130cm + is a monster, and REAL evidence of such fish is rare. They are in all the dams, just landing the fish is the difference.!!!

For the record, the 105cm fought much harder in running than the 125cm, however, the 125cm used its weight to hold down and run when required more towards the end of the fight. It also had a trebble in its eye, which would have pissed it off no end!!!!

cheers Steve!!!!!

[Dick Pasfield]

Perhaps it may apply to impoundment fish but in the river a metre is still a metre fish

[warrior]

i agree holey ,120cm sounds good for the bench mark i am yet to reach that mark 1130mm is my best and i am looking forward to join that club

[NAGG]

I was pondering my trip and Steve B's fantastic effort when it dawned on me, I dont think a metery is a metery any more. By this i mean ok your in the metery gang but it just doesnt have the exclusiveness that it once did. Maybe once upon a time a before the massive success of Impoundment barra and their phenomenal growth rates, when we could only dream about a meter salt water barra [which i still do], but since that tens of thousands of fish have surpassed the 100cm mark and i am thinking of a new bench mark. My pb is 110cm, so i am hunting somewhere above that, but am thinking that 130 cm or 140cm becomes the new metery. The way we are headed, we may see more fish than we think over the next year or so surpassing that.
I was chatting to Navi today about the tackle we are going to be using to chase these bigger brutes, and you start thinking of Papuan Bass gear. Seriously !!!!!
All thoughts appreciated
Ben

Can we Southerners keep 100cm as our target
Maybe you Queenslanders can limit your tackle ...... to bass grear

Nagg

[stuart db]

NOW NOW Ben.

Going and raising the bar before us beginers even get of the mark. And here I was thinking you were a nice bloke. Agree you hear more and more about the metre fish but I will still be happy to start with a metery and work my way up. Don't want to start to big don't think heart could handle the excitement.

Stuart DB

[the_matrix]

Perhaps it may apply to impoundment fish but in the river a metre is still a metre fish

Rodger THAT!
Jas

[eotbmg]

NOW NOW Ben.

Going and raising the bar before us beginers even get of the mark. And here I was thinking you were a nice bloke. Agree you hear more and more about the metre fish but I will still be happy to start with a metery and work my way up. Don't want to start to big don't think heart could handle the excitement.

Stuart DB

Stuart
That was Josh's first Metery, and he broke his previous old pb of 80 odd, the night before when we were you guys. Only his third serious barra trip
Ben

[ifishcq1]

I can't get a decent impoundment barra and by the time I do get a metrey you lot will be looking to raise the bar again then we will just have to try harder ... I used to think it was harder to get big barras in the salt but the structure in the dams levels the playing field a bit .... I take my hat off to the guys that catch them regularly

[eotbmg]

Rodger THAT!
Jas

Yes 100% agree that a saltwater metery is the jewel in the crown of barra angling, no dispute there!
Just talking about the impoundment mark.
Ben

[BR65]

have been kickin that around for a bit now mate, I reckon 120 is the new bench mark, certainly not un-achievable, but still something to aim for.

Plenty at Awoonga, so Im told

Just progression as the impoundment stocked fish mature, and maybe we as anglers increase our skills and knowledge on the big girls, useing the improved tackle, terminal gear, electronics and experiences of others to further the chase???
I remember reading a post ages ago "are you in the meter club yet?" on here and wishing I was. My first barra, at mid 50cm, was a milestone, for me, but just a mouse (not even a rat) for others more experienced.
I reckon theres still some personal satisfaction in how the big girls are caught though, drives me crazy when some one tells me they caught a metery trollin "out there some where cobber on somethin I just pulled out of the box, dont know what it was, some shiny kind of lure thingo" good luck to them, hey, got the big fish, but....., each to their own. Spose thats one of the reasons impoundments are stocked.

[stuart db]

Ben,

Now that Ive been once it won't matter how big you want them or how big I catch them I will just keep going back to look for one that is bigger than the last. Thats what I.B.D is isn't it. I think i've got it now.
Stuart

[BR65]

yep, go the salty meterey's, I want one of those, preferably from a mangrove river in the NT, stinkin hot, mozzies, plenty of crocs

[NAGG]

yeh .... i will always refer to wild or saltys ....... Usually taken on lighter gear
I.B.D is another thing again ( I certainly dont fish 14lb braid on a 6kg rod to target impoundment fish)

Nagg

[mikooh]

I agree that 120cm is now the IMPOUNDMENT benchmark. Even as part timers we sort of expect to catch meter+ fish on our 3-4 trips to Awoonga each year, and I can remember more than one sesson where meterys have been unhooked beside the boat in a hurry so we could try again for bigger fish, without even taking a photo!
My father inlaw is a seasoned NT fisherman and to him a meter barra is something very special. He shook his head in disbelief when I pulled a 108cm within an hour of arriving at Awoonga a few years back, but now sees that the stocked impoundment beasties are a different kettle of fish alltogether, each with its own place in the fishing world.
My PB at Awoonga stands at 117, and both my mates stand at 117 and 119 respectively, and it seems as if each time we beat our benchmark the bar has been raised again by someone else. Thats what keeps us coming back. Thats what keeps us hungry for our next adventure!
BTW congratulations to those in the 4ft club. You lucky bastards...