Barra Impoundment- what gear do you require?

[NAGG]

yep, thats about it.
It then leads on to the multiple outfits in the boat thing, each one rigged with a differant presentation to suit whatever situation you may have in front of you. A typical day on the water can take in shallow points and edges in the morning, medium divers in the sticks dureing the day, snag bashing, deep trolling, a number of scenarios. Haveing a outfit ready at hand to pick up and use to suit whats in front of you is a time saver, and adds on to what Steve was saying about more time in the water equals.....

Multiple outfits rock ...... & I couldn't agree more about rapid changes in presentations
A point with a weed edge ...... which drops into deep water .......... can call for multiple presentations ......... plastics , surface , divers & shallow runners - having the ability to throw all of these in succession may just turn a result ...... + lets face it...... we are less likely to change 4 or 5 lures in 15 mins >>> So much easier to pick up another rod.
Unfortunately ...... now we are talking serious expenditure

Chris

[NAGG]

poor bloke never used it , got it for our trip to awoonga last year, got crook and didnt come,,sat in his shed ever since, i was lookin at gettin a second baitcaster outfit before the muster, but didnt have the coin to get a decent one,and wasnt willing to get a cheepie,,so borrowed it..yea good buy..

I'm with you on the not going the cheapie ...... better off saving the coin & buying later .......... Also look for specials or run outs ( picked up a runout Pflueger President 7Ft 8-10kg spin rod...... Sic guides , nice cork - pull stumps with it ..... a fraction heavy because of the guides ............ $99 Will do me - matched with my Certate 3000

Chris

[DEANO68]

I'm with you on the not going the cheapie ...... better off saving the coin & buying later .......... Also look for specials or run outs ( picked up a runout Pflueger President 7Ft 8-10kg spin rod...... Sic guides , nice cork - pull stumps with it ..... a fraction heavy because of the guides ............ $99 Will do me - matched with my Certate 3000

Chris

yea looked at them in september at foxies think they were a tad shorter, for 99bucks good cheep rod, i got an ATC hardstik 10kg for 120 last year had never heard of them before,6"4...put a 3000 curado with it, luv casting it,and it got me over the metre mark...

[NAGG]

yea looked at them in september at foxies think they were a tad shorter, for 99bucks good cheep rod, i got an ATC hardstik 10kg for 120 last year had never heard of them before,6"4...put a 3000 curado with it, luv casting it,and it got me over the metre mark...

I saw the ones at Foxies ...... mine is a bit different (longer) & running the MNSG fuji guides ...... Gotta be $100+ of guides

I'm not huge fan of spin rods for barra ....... but this gives me a better option for lightweight plastics though

Chris

[Tropicaltrout]

Yeah well there seem to be by my observations of the dams when I am up there two types of Barra fisherman, Brian will probably back me on this type 1... THE TROLLER the guy who drives the dam edges in a circular motion on the intent of catching a barra with minimal effort. normally in a boat that goes to the outer reef or with P&O written on the side. For this you will need nothing more than a cheap bit of gear my little girl uses a el cheapo rod with a cheap barrel reel with 30lb bionic braid and 80lb leader... the drag is set loose for her size and weight and she does mannage well with metre fish.

Type 2 The flicker, these fellas seem to be more of a enthusisit, padantic, suffering the hard deep feeling of critical IBD he spends alot of time worring about his gear, making sure everything is in top working order and the average price of a rod in between $100 to $500, then the reel nothing but the best to his budget $200 to $500 again Braid 50lb bionic or what ever they consddier the best $60 to $120 for a 300 yard spool, leader well this is a really tough one for the avid IBD sufferer, do i twist use clips well oh no were do I turn.... 60lb 80lb 100lb jinki, black magic, penn... the list goes on $30 to $50 for a leader spool. Then the boat electric motors, casting decks and the list goes on.

To be honest use the gear that your budget allows Barra are a fantastic fish and different methods like trolling and casting will catch them and as you get the conferdence with the style of fishing you use then I say up grade your gear to what you want dont break the bank on a trip and get up there get a donut and never return. Best bet try and keep it as simple as you can till the conferdance grows.


Nath

[BR65]

Hey Nath, every time I think of trolling I remember that trip in Feb, or was it early March, where we ran into each other on the basin that arvo, what a circus.
As a self confessed flicker, am I pedantic or masochistic.

[Tropicaltrout]

I hear you mate that was something else there were 45 boats in the basin and another 40 odd scatted in Bird bay and bass straight for those who are wondering what we are on about

Nath

[NAGG]

I hear you mate that was something else there were 45 boats in the basin and another 40 odd scatted in Bird bay and bass straight for those who are wondering what we are on about

Nath

Nath ..... was that just after the dam rose with the big dump of rain ........ ???

Lots of barra nailed near the dam wall of a night


Chris

[Steve B]

Nath, Love you summations mate!! Very good read..

I think you paint the good old trollers brigade a bit harshly I am a finatic flicker....but I like trolling too. In fact at times......dare I say it....here goes...I love trolling. Kickin back with a beer on sunset....trolling with a mate, havin a chat....

BUT....the secret is not trolling aimlessly. There is an artform to trolling. ie water depths, temps, the RIGHT part of the dam!....Some of my most memorable sessions are trolling both here and particularly at Awoonga.

Cheers Steve

PS notice I didnt mention 'theromclines'..they dont have them where I troll.

[NAGG]

Nath, Love you summations mate!! Very good read..

I think you paint the good old trollers brigade a bit harshly I am a finatic flicker....but I like trolling too. In fact at times......dare I say it....here goes...I love trolling. Kickin back with a beer on sunset....trolling with a mate, havin a chat....

BUT....the secret is not trolling aimlessly. There is an artform to trolling. ie water depths, temps, the RIGHT part of the dam!....Some of my most memorable sessions are trolling both here and particularly at Awoonga.

Cheers Steve

I'd be pissed by the end of a trolling session Steve !
Nah ..... After several years of Marlin & YFT fishin ..... i'm over the "T" thing

Sure we will leave a lure in the water when we move from one location to another while having lunch ...... yes relaxing for a little while - - - Maybe a troll while prospecting new water ............ But in the end , I love more active forms of fishing.
The last trip ..... never saw us troll & I think we trolled once back in March

Chris

[BR65]

Nath ..... was that just after the dam rose with the big dump of rain ........ ???

Lots of barra nailed near the dam wall of a night


Chris

Just after the big inflow Chris, all water from B up was cold and lifeles, but the basin was a degree or two warmer, and a better colour. The bite switched on late arvo, co-incideing with the moon rise, absolutely something to see, boats hooked up everywhere you looked, reminded me of trolling the mouth of Tommycutt in the NT dureing the run off on a tide change. Couple of pics of my brothers first impoundment barra hereabouts, caught trolling that trip.

Im not bagging the trollers, each to their own, I just like casting, feels a bit more like me against fish.

[Tropicaltrout]

Yeah Chris it was not a night thing thats for sure they were hooking them all throught the day one boat took 9 fish trolling from the boat ramp cross the dam wall and around in a day. It was amazing to see so much action in the biggest part of the lake.

Steve I hear you I do often have a small troll on the way in it is enjoyable with a cold drink. When the kids are in the boat they love it and I get a kick out seeing them holding the rod as tight as they can in antisapation of a leaping barra.

Nath

[darylive]

Nath, Love you summations mate!! Very good read..

I think you paint the good old trollers brigade a bit harshly I am a finatic flicker....but I like trolling too. In fact at times......dare I say it....here goes...I love trolling. Kickin back with a beer on sunset....trolling with a mate, havin a chat....

BUT....the secret is not trolling aimlessly. There is an artform to trolling. ie water depths, temps, the RIGHT part of the dam!....Some of my most memorable sessions are trolling both here and particularly at Awoonga.

Cheers Steve

PS notice I didnt mention 'theromclines'..they dont have them where I troll.

Some passionate argument there, Us 'n them, WHO BLOODY CARES

Steve I am happy to come trollin mate, especially after floggin the guts out of every thing else. Sit back and cruise, with a couple 'o quite ones if you want to get serious you can even take the rod from the holder and hang on to it.

As for what you need. Get the best you can afford! it's that simple.
You don't have to spend a fortune just speak to some one who knows and get the best you can with the money you have. Go for quality not quantity, quantity will come soon enough when you realise there is nothing more important to spend money on than fishing gear, but only if you enjoy the gear you have. Eg. Buy half a dozen good lures not 20 cheapies.

As has been said the good gear not only performs better it makes the whole experience more pleasurable. You soon get the s#its with stuff that buggers up and as for bait casters get a decent one or don't get one.

[mylestom]

All the gear, good, bad or indifferent means nothing if the fish don't want to cooperate.

The pro tournament here today and prefish yesterday. All the gear and not a lot of fish.

First find the fish that are active and then worry about the gear.

Lots of days in between?

Regards

Trev