Barra in marinas at night?

[kc]

Has anyone cracked the code? At present the marinas around Airlie are teeming with barra at night time, ranging from rats to meter plus and all highly visible in the jetty lights at night time. Easy to see up to 100 in 30 minutes just cruising around, head down in most cases and just not in feeding mode.

Have tried a range of lures and soft plastics, live mullet and strip baits along with flies from large to micro, surface lures. I've fished weightless, weighted, under floats and free swimming used heavy leader, Light leaders...really frustrating seeing them milling around. Have fished tide changes, top of tide, bottom of tide and most moon phases over the last few weeks...just about ready to break our the flying gaff (speargun;) ). Only thing I haven't been able to try yet is live prawn (as there are none around yet)...so...any suggestions?

KC

[Black_Rat]

Could be a bit noisy though :-?

[kc]

Not a bad idea but. Scale it, gut it and cook it all at the same time!

[Scott nthQld]

tried imation praws soft plastics?? Had the same trouble the other night at one of my barra spots, tied on one of the DOA prawns and first cast i'm in, didn't last long though, bricked me almost instantly. Tied on another this time second cast, for same result. Big barra just too quick, and leaving a bit of slack on the drop wasn't helping either

[kc]

Thanks Scotty,

I ran a rio prawn past a few last night but could only get pink and I wanted a natural. Will go shopping again and see if I can find a DOA... Do you need scent?

Exciting and frustrating at the same time to be seeing so many but the buggers are shut down.

KC

[Scott nthQld]

nah no scent needed. The DOA prawns are usually the ones to completely ignore and are sold individually, usually found on the counter at your tackle shops. i thing i would suggest doing is upgrading the hook to a stronger bait keeper style. They are pretty expensive compared to other plastics and have a hidden weight, the hook slides in and out on its own which you can change at will. Best prawn imitation on the market i reckon and have accounted for loads of fish for me. Come in a range of colours, but the one that does it for me is a clear one with like a pink glitter through it. Eyes are painted and reflect light brilliantly....just like a real prawn.

[tropicrows]

Damo, if you have a few of those spare bring them to 1770.

[Fish_gutz]

Ive watched them in the Hinchinbrook marina (before Yasi) and dropped all sorts of invitations right on there head alive and artificial,but they seem to go into a trance once the sun goes down. they just sit there tail dancing in lala land but as soon as the sun is ready to break or just about to set in the arvo you`ll get your rewards.

Once the sun goes down send out some mullet fillet crack a brew and wait for the jacks! Cheers Andrew

[Daintreeboy]

Live prawns KC, don't know why they only touch them in the marinas but they can't resist them. Otherwise the prawn imitations will have to do.
use a handline as well......

[kc]

Still no prawn around to try livies but I have some good prawn softies ready. Barra have gone with the moon but expect to start showing again after about Tuesdsay next week. Ran a prawn plastic around the lights last night and the Tarpon loved them. 1 Thumper must have been close to 3 kgs. Biggest one I have ever seen and went nuts. If the Tarpn grab the prawn plastic I'm hoping the barra will too. Had a look 20 minutes ago and all quiet in the lights at the new Marina. Have to go to work at about 4am so might have another sticky on the way. Should be just after the top of the tide.

& How are those Jacks in Hinchinbrook marina? I was there last May and watching the bloke feed them with catfood. Hundred of the buggers but don't know how they would be on the fang!! Taste like whiskers.

[greenie.77]

If it's not far from home why don't you go down there the same time EVERY night for a week or so and just throw out a heap of whatever bait it is you want to fish with, then after a week or so take your rod, do the same but hide a hook in one or two pieces. Maybe??????

[BigE]

Try grasshopper or frog

:)

BigE

[kc]

Went down this morning on the way to work, just before dawn. 2 doing laps around the light were big enough to chuck a backpacker at as a livey! Both 110 plus. Tried again with with rios prawns, prawn stars, bombers, skitter pops....:-?

Went an got 2 mullet ( nice 6 inch numbers)......:( Then filleted one and at least got one of the buggers to slide up and have a good sniff (I think that's what it was doing...but at least I now the the F$#in' things are not blind)...but alas....it's looking more and more like the "flying gaff" (speargun) will be the most productive answer;D ...just kidding....spearguns are for crays....blueies and a good excuse for a swim on a hot day.

I am still to try live prawns...just need to get my hands on some...knowing my luck the bloody things will turn up a few days after the barra bugger off.

& Greenie, the way tourism numbers have been lately.......I'd run out of backpackers before week was out;)

KC

[devocean]

Have you tried burleying up? It might be a case of getting them excited to feed. Also I would suggest burning lures past them. I have seen fish in the Dam come on the bite with this. Also if there heads are down trying high speed jigging from the bottom up.

[Pazz01]

Last time up the bush, I knew the barra were there, but not really on the chew, I threw a popper out and they just went nuts. They seemed to really like the noise and were smashing it and launching themselves out of the water. Only managed to land 1 but it was about 800mm and had another 6 or more hits after. The blokes next to me started catching them then on baits and lures.

Like devocean said, they might need something to get them excited. Worked for me.

Pazz

[nathank]

live squid work at cooktown when they sit on the jetties.. put one out of the light if ya can...

[Shagga]

I was under the impression that it was illegal to fish in marinas as they are deemed fish reserves. Can anyone tell me if that is correct or not? I have been chased out of a couple of marinas for that very reason.

[kc]

Hmm! have done a little bit of homework on this....having been hunted out by local pretent coppers. Seems that most marinas are actually seabed leases from Department of natural resources. While marina operators can legally exclude you from the structure of the marina they do not control the water itself. It is illegal to undertake any activity which impacts on a vessels ability to manuover...this is really only a daytime issue and DNR and fisheries do not have an issue with fishing in marinas during periods when it is not being used for boat traffic.

I do have a mate who had a yelling match with security guy recently (when he was in his boat, fishing around the pontoons) and the security guy called the coppers, who in turn did not really seem to know what to do when they turned up.

My reaction is now just to tell them to go back to bashing drunks and leave maritime law to people who know a bit about it.....they seem to leave me pretty much alone these days (nights).

Kev

[BigE]

Next time you see them doing laps throw some grasshoppers in. you will be suprised.

if there cruisin there lookin ..........just what me old man use to say.

BigE