Water Temperature For Barra

[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