Stupid Barra question

[Leigh77]

I am heading to Monduran (FIRST BARRA TRIP) for a weeks worth of casting soon and one thing has me a little concerned..this may sound like a stupid question but I dont want to run out while I am there...

so...

how many lures is enough (seriously). What is the expected lure loss rate?

I have about 15 lures that I would feel confident in chucking for a barra....is that enough? or would you take more?

15 lures works out to 2 lures lost a day and I am out #>:( #(worse case scenerio)

I will casting in amongst the sticks too.

[blaze]

get yourself a handful of those squidgy sliders or what ever they call them as a cheap alternative also may give you another option. How many is enough? If you take a bucket full you will lose non, if you take 10 you will need 11. Easy eh.
cheers
blaze.

[still_water]

Leigh, I would lose on average 2 lures a week to the Barra Gods if they are lucky, Trolling on the other hand , as with casting , have a good tackle back handy.
Good quality leader of 80lb , Doubles if you can make them , but not that necessary.
I have on a really good day lost over 40 lures. #
Have a good look up the trees and on the Banks and you may come home with more than you went with, found 5 the other day, all brand new. ;D One still had scales on last 2 sets of trebles.
Be prepared to put your boat through some rough stuff once connected as some fish just dont play fair.
Brett.

[Mak579]

First Barra Trip - your in for an awesome adventure!

Firstly, you can go barra fishing, catch plenty of barra and not lose a lure!
A bit of homework, planning and preparation will be required to achieve this.

To not lose a lure, have quality braid, a good abrasive resistant leader and be confident in your knots, from mainline to leader to lure. Your rod and reel should also be well maintained with a smooth drag.If your fishing timber or trolling, as Brett mentioned, invest in a tackle back, mine has paid for itself 10 times over!

As for the quantity of lures, I have hundreds, and on any given day probably only use 2 or 3!

It’s wise to have a selection of lures that can cover different sections of the water column, especially if you not familiar with, or haven’t fished a spot for a period of time and are not quite sure where the fish are holding. By this I mean a couple of surface lures, shallow divers, medium divers and possibly deep divers for trolling. Neutrally buoyant lures worked on a slow retrieve are irresistible to barra!

Ensure your lures are ‘barra quality’ by upgrading trebles and split rings.
After putting in the hard effort, the last thing you want is to lose a trophy fish by the boat!

The squidgy slick rigs that Blaze mention are a great alternative to hard bodies, they’re cheap, easy to use, can fish the whole water column and have accounted for many barra over the past few months!

There is also a wealth of information on this forum, I guarantee if you spend an hour or so searching through the barra topics and reports you’ll be well armed for your trip.

Look forward to seeing your report and pics, best of luck!


Brett #‘……really good day lost over 40 lures’ #:o!!!!

Hot bite, big fish??? Tell me more!

Regards
Matt C

PS and in my books, the only silly question is the one that isn't asked!


Some inspiration

[still_water]

Matt , had my neighbour with me who's biggest fish was an elbow slapping whiting, We were on a rekky trip looking for new spots. We looked and they found us. No matter what we done or where we went ,we were smashed up everywhere, I get a day like this almost every year where no matter where you go, they are ready. Unfortunatley this was an expensive outcome , our worst day prior to that was 12 lost. #

I still say it was a bad batch of Braid , not just our bad luck. Anyhow he had the time of his life and I had an expensive refill before next Charter. The fish we did land ranged from 85 cm to 115cm. There was nothing massive about them it was just fast and furious action for the whole day.

[Mak579]

No doubt an awesome experience and one you won't forget in a hurry.
(I concur with your thoughts questioning the braid quality)

The most I've lost at one time would be around 6 or 7 in tight timber at Peter Faust, similar situation where every cast was hit by a horse, straightening extra strong hooks was common and lures were lost when they bricked themselves in the timber - my bloods pumping and my knees are jelly again just thinking about it!

Thanks for sharing, might see you down Monduran in a couple of weeks.

Cheers
Matt C

[Leigh77]

Thanks for the replies guys...I will try and pick up a few more before we go, just to broaden the choice of actions, colours and depths.

[Roo]

The kiosk at the recreation area has a good supply of lures. they generaly only keep the lures that work. They are a little more expensive, but not as bad as you'd expect with a captive market. average about 15 -17 each. only a dollar or 2 dearer than your average tackle shop. although I've recenlty visited one of the big boys only to find their prices dearer than those at the kiosk >:(.
Get some slick rigs too!

cheers, roo.

[Peter4]

This is not a stupid question at all! Having recently completed my first Monduran trip chasing barra I can give you good news and bad news.

The good news is that the place is full of great fishing spots all of which look like they are holding fish. Some great looking spots are 5 mins from the boat ramp. A lovely place to fish.

The bad news is that the first time you go there it will probably be a learning experience and possibly not a successful one.

We threw lures and soft plastics around likely looking snags and other structures for three days and lost only two lures. Unfortunately the only barra we saw was one that jumped clear of the water while we were trolling. We did score bass to 46cm and catfish of all sizes.

Don't worry, we're headed back there in February to break our barra duck!