So , How was (is) your barra season

[NAGG]

Hi all you barra fishoes ( & fellow I.B.D sufferers) ..

... As we approach winter & the more traditional end to the barra season ( Yes , some clued ups or desperadoes will still fish .... & succeed during winter )

I'm thinking ...... Time for a little stock taking , soul searching & review

How did you all go over the past 6-8 months ?
Was it good for you
Did those strong SE winds that seemed to have been blowing for months affect your results .... or keep you off the water
The big influx of fresh ...... How it changed your favorite locations!
The fish kills ..... Callide eg ...... Did you avoid going there?

Also ..... what did you learn? ,,,,, Tackle , tactics , techniques ..... Are the barra getting angler wise ?

& most importantly memories, big fish , funny moments , the one that got away!

Yeh .. , So I'm curious to hear your thoughts ( it also helps with my I.B.D)

Cheers

Nagg

[BR65]

Hi all you barra fishoes ( & fellow I.B.D sufferers) ..

... As we approach winter & the more traditional end to the barra season ( Yes , some clued ups or desperadoes will still fish .... & succeed during winter )

I'm thinking ...... Time for a little stock taking , soul searching & review

How did you all go over the past 6-8 months ?
Was it good for you
Did those strong SE winds that seemed to have been blowing for months affect your results .... or keep you off the water
The big influx of fresh ...... How it changed your favorite locations!
The fish kills ..... Callide eg ...... Did you avoid going there?

Also ..... what did you learn? ,,,,, Tackle , tactics , techniques ..... Are the barra getting angler wise ?

& most importantly memories, big fish , funny moments , the one that got away!

Yeh .. , So I'm curious to hear your thoughts ( it also helps with my I.B.D)

Cheers

Nagg

Cant complain I spose. I only fished Mondy this season, hopefully still a couple of trips to go before I put the gear away for a couple of months.
Its been interesting watching the dam change from 17% water level, red hot fishing in the sticks up at H back in October/November, to 38% after the rain, and a bit of a struggle to consistantly find fish.
I learnt that the weather report ISNT the be all and end all when it comes to impoundment barra, had some great fishing in really crap conditions, with only so so water temps.
All my lures are now sporting up-graded splits and owner trebles, and Ive gone to 80 leader, seems to have reduced the number of rub offs on structure and lost fish. Im rigging more and more HB's with only front and rear oversize trebles hanging off double splits, pretty happy with the way thats working out.
As a self confessed tackle rat, Ive brought some new toys this summer, a couple of flash Daiwa reels and an Egrell rod, still to be christened.
Memories, big fish, funny moments?? - great to fish with my mates, beers and laughs, loved putting my bro onto his first big girl, discovered flicking lures and getting smashed in the dark, spent a bit of time watching in amazement at some of the antics carried out by some people who obviously dont spend a lot of time on the water, nor respect the enviroment they are in, solo fishing, just me and my thoughts for company for a couple of days, really lets you appreciate how good it can be.
Yeah, cant complain I spose
regards
brian

[Gordie]

Hi NAGG hope you are feeling better.

I only had 2 trips to Monduran in the last 8 months. I saw the results of the big chill. Saw some sleeply fish in the shallows.

I still managed to get smashed a few times they were not all asleep.

Second trip I started getting smashed again ( I am a slow learner ) Back to the park and re-rigged down along the fence.

50 B with 80 leader. Started catching them them then. Some tossed the lures at me. I caught a catfish that would have touched 90 cm.

I like to pull in quitely and walk the shores or climb a hill and do a bit of spoting then cast the likely spots (no trees preferably). It will be interesting to see how I will land a fish through the weed.

That may not be a problem with the extra water level.

As I was packing up from the last camp a non fishing wife near by informed me her husband had caught 12 in the time I was there and in the latter part of his good run he took his 5 year old daughter out and she caught her first Barra.

Most of his haul came from right up top, I think that is H with out checking my maps.

Wife and I are going soon so we will put our report in.

Have you ever had a go for the Bass around Penrith. The boys at the Australian Bass Angler were very helpful to me. We were down there for family so not a lot of time to give it a go.

Regards Gordon

[BARRAkid]

Fished monduran for no fish fish local area around hervey bay for a dozen barra (so fare) they are stiill feeding well i got 1 about 75cm 4 days ago and lost 3 big ones 2 days ago.
not as good as last season yet i got 14 last season but only started fishing for them at the end of march.

[FNQCairns]

Last 4 months = 15 hours over 3 trips, pretty solid casting, results = one tap with flash from a saltwater rat.

Tis demoralising...

cheers fnq

[NAGG]

Hi NAGG hope you are feeling better.

I only had 2 trips to Monduran in the last 8 months. I saw the results of the big chill. Saw some sleeply fish in the shallows.

I still managed to get smashed a few times they were not all asleep.

Second trip I started getting smashed again ( I am a slow learner ) Back to the park and re-rigged down along the fence.

50 B with 80 leader. Started catching them them then. Some tossed the lures at me. I caught a catfish that would have touched 90 cm.

I like to pull in quitely and walk the shores or climb a hill and do a bit of spoting then cast the likely spots (no trees preferably). It will be interesting to see how I will land a fish through the weed.

That may not be a problem with the extra water level.

As I was packing up from the last camp a non fishing wife near by informed me her husband had caught 12 in the time I was there and in the latter part of his good run he took his 5 year old daughter out and she caught her first Barra.

Most of his haul came from right up top, I think that is H with out checking my maps.

Wife and I are going soon so we will put our report in.

Have you ever had a go for the Bass around Penrith. The boys at the Australian Bass Angler were very helpful to me. We were down there for family so not a lot of time to give it a go.

Regards Gordon

Gordon .... I'm a born & bred Penrith boy
I actually put up a report a few months ago ( Nepean River) ...... 16 hours on the water for 1 BAS ( I couldn't even give it the other S .... as it was so small )
but it is a nice stretch of water

Nagg

[NAGG]

Last 4 months = 15 hours over 3 trips, pretty solid casting, results = one tap with flash from a saltwater rat.

Tis demoralising...

cheers fnq

..... 15 hours! ..... Thats only 1 days fishin ...... Go to the blackboard & write 100 times ..... "I must try harder"

Nagg

[rc@hinze]

Well Nagg,I am not the most experienced barra fisher but here goes.

Started the season well at Awoonga in September but recent trip to Monduran not as succesful but learnt alot.In the daytime at Awoonga I found trolling deeper using a down rigger definatly helped in the main basin. I found I couldnt employ this tactic at Monduran due to all the submerged trees I lost lures on in normal trolling.

My new T-Curve 5-10kg was an excellent casting rod with my daiwa spinning reel -it was a great combo. My Revo baitcaster was a great reel for playing fish on.

Learnt the importance of using GPS for a more relaxing trip home in the dark and learnt that trolling at night definatly seemed to get more hits.

At both dams I learnt that you can get fish in southeasters.

One other really handy thing was that a red LED in my headlamp doesnt attack bugs in the trees at night at Monduran!

[Tropicaltrout]

I know the story gordon of the wife and the 5 year old girl too well???


It was a great season so far one more trip to go, The Meet and Greet. Next summer I have been prommissed double time, with a two weeker to kick off.

I met many a good bloke and met some from ausfish too I also made some life long friends aswell.

I did Fish Mondy this summer and passed the split trip to awoonga to focus on this fantastic dam.

I had some great success over the first 8 day trip with some real big fish coming boat side but what was becoming my addiction was simply hooking them, Its a that first hit and run when you dont have a bit of controll i reaped for it and thought that trip I was having a ripper.
I nailed my pb for aswell 115 cm


The highlight as was mention by gordon was my little girl getting her first barra and yep it was a metery.

For the next trip the water had doubled and fishing would be a new game so to speak and with the last five fish taken over the magic meter I was reeling for it all over again, with the end tally of 7 fish in a row over the meter all flicking bar one.


The best part was the place, Monduran is a fantastic place once you hit the water and shoot up bass straight throught B you are totally drawn in by it tranquility, and reflections were just superb.

Monduran draws some wonderful people and the facilities provided at the camp is the beginning of many a tale and the begining of many a friendship, Greg, Bruce, Simon, Brian, Craig, Foxie and many more.

Cheers to the stocking groups that make it what it is for us

To next trip cheers Nath

[FNQCairns]

..... 15 hours! ..... Thats only 1 days fishin ...... Go to the blackboard & write 100 times ..... "I must try harder"

Nagg

LOL Yeah you are right, think I will now go stand in the corner.

cheers fnq

[Dan5]

Last 4 months = 15 hours over 3 trips, pretty solid casting, results = one tap with flash from a saltwater rat.

Tis demoralising...

cheers fnq

Yeah but the company was teriffic LOL,

Atleast you had a flash ,

Dan........

[FNQCairns]

Yeah but the company was teriffic LOL,

Atleast you had a flash ,

Dan........

Yes Dan, loads better than the fishing

and at least you caught one!

cheers fnq

[NAGG]

[quote=rc@hinze;800147]Well Nagg,I am not the most experienced barra fisher but here goes.

Started the season well at Awoonga in September but recent trip to Monduran not as succesful but learnt alot.In the daytime at Awoonga I found trolling deeper using a down rigger definatly helped in the main basin. I found I couldnt employ this tactic at Monduran due to all the submerged trees I lost lures on in normal trolling.

My new T-Curve 5-10kg was an excellent casting rod with my daiwa spinning reel -it was a great combo. My Revo baitcaster was a great reel for playing fish on.

Learnt the importance of using GPS for a more relaxing trip home in the dark and learnt that trolling at night definatly seemed to get more hits.

At both dams I learnt that you can get fish in southeasters.

One other really handy thing was that a red LED in my headlamp doesnt attack bugs in the trees at night at Monduran![/quote]


Go to the head of the class with that tip! ....... But can you actually see anything?

I tried a red LED on my boat ...... &

Nagg

[NAGG]

I know the story gordon of the wife and the 5 year old girl too well???


It was a great season so far one more trip to go, The Meet and Greet. Next summer I have been prommissed double time, with a two weeker to kick off.

I met many a good bloke and met some from ausfish too I also made some life long friends aswell.

I did Fish Mondy this summer and passed the split trip to awoonga to focus on this fantastic dam.

I had some great success over the first 8 day trip with some real big fish coming boat side but what was becoming my addiction was simply hooking them, Its a that first hit and run when you dont have a bit of controll i reaped for it and thought that trip I was having a ripper.
I nailed my pb for aswell 115 cm


The highlight as was mention by gordon was my little girl getting her first barra and yep it was a metery.

For the next trip the water had doubled and fishing would be a new game so to speak and with the last five fish taken over the magic meter I was reeling for it all over again, with the end tally of 7 fish in a row over the meter all flicking bar one.


The best part was the place, Monduran is a fantastic place once you hit the water and shoot up bass straight throught B you are totally drawn in by it tranquility, and reflections were just superb.

Monduran draws some wonderful people and the facilities provided at the camp is the beginning of many a tale and the begining of many a friendship, Greg, Bruce, Simon, Brian, Craig, Foxie and many more.

Cheers to the stocking groups that make it what it is for us

To next trip cheers Nath

I've gotto say ...... I enjoyed my 4 days that I spent at Mondy i'm certainly looking forward to time spent there later this year & 2009, 10 , 11 & 12

Cheers & thanks Nath

Nagg

[NAGG]

LOL Yeah you are right, think I will now go stand in the corner.

cheers fnq

At least you can admit it FNQ ...... Thats the first step to recovery!