Water Temperature For Barra

[Awoonga]

Looking through the Freshwater reports section there is a fair bit of talk about water temperature....ie things like we tried to find the warmest water...Couldnt find water over 23c...Or when we found water that was one degree warmer than anywhere else we found Barra....So is it the general concensus of opinion that to find Barra.. or should that read .. Fish that will bite...in the months other than summer we should find water that is the warmest ??

[NAGG]

So why was that piece of water the warmest ????
Was it sun warmed , shallow or had the breeze blowing into it ?

Nagg

[Sniper]

My way of thinking is water temp is only a small part of the total equasion. I personally think that you need more than just water temp to be right. I mean, fish still need to eat no mater what the temp is. Look at last year with that cold snap that killed fish from the border to Mt Isa. The fish that survived had to eat at some stage to keep their energy levels up. Its just a mater of finding those more active fish, which would possibly be in those warmer areas. But those active fish aren't going to be in those warmer areas if bait wasn't present. Or it the water pressure that they are used to is not there or close by as well.
To me, what I look for, mainly with Bass moreso but would apply to any fish, is what depth of water are they sitting in and why? Is it food, pressure, the amount of oxgen in the water, is there any structure around, or water temp? I think most of the time its a combination of most or all of these things. If you were in an area that you felt like you were in danger, suffering from starvation because of lack of food and struggling to breath because there wasn't much oxygen in the air, as well as being freezing cold, would you stay there?
Thats my little ramble. I think there is more to the puzzle of consistantly cathing fish than just water temp. It helps, but its not the main part of the picture in my opionion
Bill

[BR65]

Looking through the Freshwater reports section there is a fair bit of talk about water temperature....ie things like we tried to find the warmest water...Couldnt find water over 23c...Or when we found water that was one degree warmer than anywhere else we found Barra....So is it the general concensus of opinion that to find Barra.. or should that read .. Fish that will bite...in the months other than summer we should find water that is the warmest ??


...nope...

[Whitto]

...nope... One of your best replys Brian....I was waiting for your comment on this question......didn't take me long to read it.........Good answer though.........Whitto:D

[BR65]

gday whitto, hope your well mate.
Problem with sounder temp readings is we are only seeing the temp of the very top of the water layer.
I reckon sniper is on the dollar mate, temp is important, I look for it, but other things come into the mix as well, just my thoughts on what Ive seen. The blokes and ladies with more time on the water, more fishys on the mat, would have a better idea than me.
Of course, what about the other way, when its middle of summer, surface water temps 3o +, do you try to fish deeper = cooler water?????
cheers
brian

[Whitto]

Your right Brian if you look at that logicly it makes sense, Sounder information for me is purely and simply whats generally happening between the surface and the bottom, water temp is surface as you said and nothing else........roll on September October Brian the IBD is undercontrol.......JUST.........C U Then.......Whitto Ps I think u caught a Barra or 2 not 2 mention 385 trips later, it would be safe to say you have a bit of an idea what your saying;D

[darylive]

I find I have caught most fish in the wet part of the dam at a time when i am fishing.

[Steve B]

...nope...

Brian, I read you reply several times, and I am trying to get my head around what your trying to say.

Is what your trying to say similar to "No"

stop being so cryptic Brian;)

But I agree. ............a year ago I would be said .........YEP!

[BR65]

Brian, I read you reply several times, and I am trying to get my head around what your trying to say.

Is what your trying to say similar to "No"

stop being so cryptic Brian;)

But I agree. ............a year ago I would be said .........YEP!


lol steve, I try not to comment to much on the theory side of it all cause Im not that knowledgeable re the ins and outs, basic nuts and bolts stuff is about my limit.

yeah, a little while ago I thought a trips success hinged on water temps, pfffft, not any more. lets have a quick squiz at the ingrediants in a barra cake shall we, in no particular order:
water temp, clarity, oxygen level, ph, depth, sudden inflow or decrease, lake currents, barometer, moon phase, wind direction and strength, light levels or cloud cover, bait activity, available structure or cover, fishing pressure, boat noise, lure choice includeing suitability to the conditions at hand, colour, depth, rattle or not, presentation and action, retrieve technique, angler ability and of course the biggy, are there even any bloody fish there to start with lol.
I reckon others could add a hundred more ingrediants into the mix, based on what they see on the water, or do to be successfull.
Some of the above I can see, feel, sniff, control, a lot I cant - yet, more time on the water equals more exposure to all the variables equalls a better ability to turn one fish into 10 on a quiet day. Thats where I wanna be when I grow up Mr Walker, able to turn one into 10.:o

Im thinkin of starting a post titled "Barra - am I obsessing?";D

[Tropicaltrout]

Whitto and I were only talking about how a sounders and temp and things last trip and the miss conception of hot water and the rest is right to a point but they should be a guide only today a maccy for instance two boats side by side two different temp by a degree. so yes they are a useful tool and temp is only part of the equation.


Hey Brian dont give our sothern mate Nagg any idea's on post, it will be up in a flash.

Nath

[dirkpittau]

All great points guys. The only thing I see you have all missed is the assistance of the almighty fishing god and the luck factor. Many times I have fished in a boat where all fishos are doing the same things in the same water and only one lucky bugger is catching anything while the rest of us a questioning ourselves and our abilities and what the hell am I doing wrong.

Keep up the great info guys.

Regards

Ian8-)

[Whitto]

Brian, I read you reply several times, and I am trying to get my head around what your trying to say.

Is what your trying to say similar to "No"

stop being so cryptic Brian;)

But I agree. ............a year ago I would be said .........YEP!Look I have to agree with Steve B Brian I had to sit back with a cup of coffee and a smoke to think hard about that reply.....Do you think in the future with such a heavy reply you put a few diagrams up as well to help us understand........IBD dulls the senses apparently...how the hell was I able to learn from (nope).......Whitto::) PS Your going to hang one on me next time we meet I can see it:'(

[warrior]

great responses people ,i have looked a thousand times at that temp reading and try to ignore it but still see myself casting my arm off in those warmer areas and get results,but is that only because of the amount of casts i have put into that area and not in the others or the temp factor?i will keep trying to work it out and enjoy the experience

[BR65]

great responses people ,i have looked a thousand times at that temp reading and try to ignore it but still see myself casting my arm off in those warmer areas and get results,but is that only because of the amount of casts i have put into that area and not in the others or the temp factor?i will keep trying to work it out and enjoy the experience

theres another one for the barra cake mix, number of casts to annoy a fish into strikeing, whether it be a food related hit, a get out of my face hit or just a what the hell are you type hit.
how many times have you banged a dozen casts into a snag, or down a casting lane, with out a touch, then on the 13th, bango.
why is it the 12th cast can be a catty, but the 13th is a barra??
did a fish just happen to swim by - doubtfull IMHO
was the fish there all along? - probably IMHO
did the flash or noise of your presentation attract the fish from a distance - possibly IMHO
did the fish just get the sh*ts with you annoying it - more than likely IMHO
Im talkin about fixed structure,, heaps easier to read for this knucklehead with salt in his veins, Im still trying to get my head around workin over points or open water or path ways or submerged weed beds or wind lanes or etc etc etc

[vet]

I believe that water temperature only plays a role when it is changing temperature. ie a falling temperature makes it very hard, whereas a steady or rising temperature makes it easier. The absolute value of the temp is of very little significance. Last winter in awoonga once the temp stabilized around 16 degrees we could catch fish without much trouble but while it was falling to this temp it was hard. So as trev says, consistency in temp is the important thing.

[TinarooTriumph]

Yep... quick drops in water temp really stuff's you up... I have had many past trips do that. I have avoided using excuses like 'it was too cold', but when water temp drops quickly it has a big bearing on their mood that is for sure. Days I love are those when you have like 2 or 3 weeks of pure shit weather then 1 awesome hot day... get out there and they are like Winchesters being pointed in the water!

Im sick of talking about water temperature. LOL. It messes with ya head. When I first started Barra fishing I read every single bloody Magazine article, most at the time were on winter Barra with the hidden message to find 'the warmest water'. Though it wasn't a hidden message, Im sure I just like everyone else too it like that. So what did I revolve a lot of my trips around when we hit the water? Water temps! Did we do well? Nooo - Not really. We were just putting added pressure on ourselves and limiting our options in terms of locations and possible techniques (at the end of the day, we were limiting our catch!).

I think its important to rule out or disregard certain water that you know is too cold or has been unproductive in the past, but at the same time this is flirting with danger... very fine line. Use winter as an example... always have found here at Tinaroo that in the past there has always been limited spots to fish (totally the opposite to Summer! however those spots usually had lots of fish on offer. I was right, but I was wrong to have just a few spots to concentrate on. I was disregarding area's that I knew held fish but thought were too cold. Also, I didn't know when to fish them... hadn't identified when they fired best. Ha... few years later and now I do! Almost back to front Im game to say.

At the end of the day, If its comfortable enough for them (this is where you judgement comes into play yet again!) then keep it in mind. If its more then comfortable for them, start there.

Cheers

Theo

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Great stuff Theo. Man enough to admitt you changed tact and strong enough to say that some of your past trips were based on possibly wrong assumptions. Love ya words. It is great to sit down an analyse how we fish and where and why we fish to come up with a better picture. To turn around, come back down to earth and start again on a new thought concept is golden.
Cheers,
Johnny

[Dick Pasfield]

There's a number of significant changes to the environment that move fish away from or to a spot. Increased flows such as a running feeder creek in the wet, the creek flow stopping, river levels rising and falling and water temps increasing or decreasing by some margin (not just a degree or 2). So whilst the fish may eat all year round, they sometimes eat elsewhere to where they ate a month ago. The trick is to find the new dinner table.

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Dick,
I sense you and I are on similar wavelengths, hence why I hear you loud and clear with that last statement!! Just reading your posts spells, "EXPERIENCED".
Johnny