Gear for NT Barra Run Off

[BR65]

Hi all,
have recieved an invite to fish the run off in the Mary River in the NT next year and being a Brissie boy I havent had much experience with big barra.
Any ideas on rods, reels, line class, lures, leaders etc would be greatly appreciated.
I am thinking about buying a 6-8 kg stick with bait caster reel and spooling up with 10kg fireline and 40lb leader. Most fishing is lure casting, with some trolling.
We will be based on the river in a mother ship for the duration of the trip, so if i get it wrong in the gear or tackle department i will be doing it tough.
All advice would help
Regards
Brian

[robersl]

you may me able to see the rod short carbon fibre rod ad a good baitcaster trolled lures and flicked plastics supplied by the charter operater i am heading back to south alligator next year $2,500 five days meals and accom included 2-6 april still a spare seat if ant one is interested


shane

[al-straddie]

My mate runs a charter on the Daly, which I was fortunate to visit for 5 days in mid June.

Judging by his gear and the fish I caught, 10kg braid is too light for the bigger fish. With the bigger fish, it's a no holes barred knock em down and drag em out fight or you'll end up in the timber every time.

Might be a bit pricy but his personal gear was 6-8 kg live fibre, calcutta 400 and 50lb Tuff line braid and 80lb flurocarbon leader.

chater rods were 6-8kg silstar with calcutta 200 or 400 or a currado all with 50 lb braid.

I thought the gear might be a bit heavy at first, but after a few fish, realised that it was just right for the job. All the set-ups I used cast quite well too.

good luck

cheers al...

[BR65]

Thanks Al
any clues on lures or SP,s?

[Matthias]

My fav lures include - Leads hijackers, halco scorpions, classic barra & F18's, gold bombers and skitter pops or bills bug fizzers for top water.
For Sp's, slowly rolling squidgy shads and lightly weighted 4-5" Minnows jerked through snags are my pick.

IMO 50lb braid is too heavy. I would be happy with 30lb braid and 50lb leader.

Pete.

[mjc85]

My mate runs a charter on the Daly, which I was fortunate to visit for 5 days in mid June.

Judging by his gear and the fish I caught, 10kg braid is too light for the bigger fish. With the bigger fish, it's a no holes barred knock em down and drag em out fight or you'll end up in the timber every time.

Might be a bit pricy but his personal gear was 6-8 kg live fibre, calcutta 400 and 50lb Tuff line braid and 80lb flurocarbon leader.

chater rods were 6-8kg silstar with calcutta 200 or 400 or a currado all with 50 lb braid.

I thought the gear might be a bit heavy at first, but after a few fish, realised that it was just right for the job. All the set-ups I used cast quite well too.

good luck

cheers al...

Hey mate, how do they manage to get the full or part potential of 50lb braid over a 6-8kg rod? obviously you can have like 8kg drag with 50lb line but no way these rods will handle that.

[BrandonH]

If using a graphite rod you have to keep the rod under a 90Deg bend. I use a uglystick 8kg baitcaster with an abu 6500c-4 for barra, its got 50lb braid also but i dont have to stop when the rod gets to 90deg Drag set to max and thumb used on most of the fish i hooked last year at Faust. was dam good fun!! We mainly used the Classic barra lures mate, I would think they would work well for you up there too.

Cheers
Brandon..

Ps: if they are real big barra 1+mtrs upgrade the hooks and splitrings on your lures too!!!!

[BR65]

Thanks boys,
am hopeing for the magic one meter club.
Can i use the gear i buy for the Nt trip for Awonga?

[jim_farrell]

Same as awoonga gear. As bh said, lower your rod tip and double thumb the spool and hang on. Obviously this is only necessary in the snags.
Best of luck mate, trip of a lifetime.
Jim

[robersl]

mate they go hard up there some rivers are narrow and they head straight for the mangrove roots and cut you straight off you have to stick your your finger on the braid and jam the reel and bull dog them out i think we used 40 or 50lb braid they use heavy gear up there to pull them out the snags i lost 5 to the groves by not being quick enough and a 1.20 plus out of the net as it was being lifted in just to big for the net

shane

[BR65]

Bring it on