BARRA ... Run & Gun Vs Concentrated effort

[NAGG]

OK IBDers & Wannabes

I'm just interested to hear your thoughts on your approach to barra fishing.
When fishing is known to be tough ...... Do you

Fish constantly on the move & cast to any likely looking location ( or spot to spot)!

or

Look for an ideal location ..... Tie off & thoroughly flog that area to foam ( at least a couple of hours).

or

TROLL !

Why ??? & How successful have you been with either approach........ Plus your tips.

This may be a helpful topic for the Newby , travelers or when we do those short weekend trips

Cheers

Chris

[jimbamb]

The other option is to attack the bundy bottle..
Works for me!!!!!

[Big_Ren]

I think a combination of both would strike the right balance Chris.

Bit like playing Keno....do you keep the same numbers or do you chop and change until you strike gold?

The biggest impediment to success lies in our own mindset. It's a difficult thing to do to tell your brain you are not going to fish your favourite spots in your GPS library, because you caught fish there last month or last year.

What were the conditions like when you tasted sweet success at Spot X? If the conditions are different, the water quality, clarity and all of those other intangibles, why would you not look for better conditions elsewhere, or find those locations where those successful conditions are replicated.

I do think you need to spend some time in a chosen location to do it justice (at least 20-30 minutes). A variety of lure presentations, retrieve styles and speeds, and depths can all be processed and eliminated (or otherwise) during this time, before a move might be the better option.

Cheers
Paul

[chewy01]

Chris,
little has been mentioned about the use of sounders. when the fishing gets tough,i rely in the most part on it. I try and find a few things that attract fish i.e.Bait,warm water in winter.Wind etc but if i cant see fish on the sounder i wont waste too much time.I guess this comes from chasing the salty barra,Whereby i normally dont throw a lure out to troll till i mark a barra on the sounder(if im planning to troll not cast)Similar in the dam. i find and mark fish,several on a bank if i can then fish it and fish it then fish it some more.I think i may as well be fishing where i know there are fish,and just try and work out how to get them to hit. Just the way i fish.
chewy.

[Pete62]

Interesting Chris, what about the planning of trips, as a Newbie I was of the thought that any trips were planned around available time off, family commitments and for me at the moment my wifes buggered knee and the pending operation, or do we look at favorable weather patterns, moon phases and crowd factors, try and pick it then make a dash.

Back to you, Pete.

[anthony72]

Chris,

Lately I have been running around Awoonga like a mad man and trolling for mediocre results. Then I have just watched Johnny's new DVD then concerntrated on one point yesterday where there was two current lines hitting a point, landed 2 both at 80 cm first time boated two in a afternoon for a while. I am now a convert to working the one area with good current flow.


The only running I am doing is away from work to the dam

[NAGG]

Chris,
little has been mentioned about the use of sounders. when the fishing gets tough,i rely in the most part on it. I try and find a few things that attract fish i.e.Bait,warm water in winter.Wind etc but if i cant see fish on the sounder i wont waste too much time.I guess this comes from chasing the salty barra,Whereby i normally dont throw a lure out to troll till i mark a barra on the sounder(if im planning to troll not cast)Similar in the dam. i find and mark fish,several on a bank if i can then fish it and fish it then fish it some more.I think i may as well be fishing where i know there are fish,and just try and work out how to get them to hit. Just the way i fish.
chewy.

Thanks Chew ....... I'll get some pointers off you once I start targetting wild fish up the Mary R etc

no doubt a sounder is an important tool ....... probably after our own eyes. Unfortunately we often cant sound an area that we need to fish ....... structure / weed beds bankside lantana ........ so we just have to combine all the other things to make a decision whether we spend time there or move on.

Chris

[NAGG]

I think a combination of both would strike the right balance Chris.

Bit like playing Keno....do you keep the same numbers or do you chop and change until you strike gold?

The biggest impediment to success lies in our own mindset. It's a difficult thing to do to tell your brain you are not going to fish your favourite spots in your GPS library, because you caught fish there last month or last year.

What were the conditions like when you tasted sweet success at Spot X? If the conditions are different, the water quality, clarity and all of those other intangibles, why would you not look for better conditions elsewhere, or find those locations where those successful conditions are replicated.

I do think you need to spend some time in a chosen location to do it justice (at least 20-30 minutes). A variety of lure presentations, retrieve styles and speeds, and depths can all be processed and eliminated (or otherwise) during this time, before a move might be the better option.

Cheers
Paul

Hey Paul ........ We haven't even mentioned rises & falls in water levels or the growth of acquatic weed ......... Places that were prime productive areas last month - may be unfishable today
This stood out in Nov when we fished /pre fished the ABT ( places that were so productive in Sept ....... could not be fished or were not worth fishing 6 weeks later) ...... This was the first time I got to see a rapid change in lakeside dynamics....... rather than a change over 6 or 8 months

Chris

[chewy01]

Ah but chris we can find the fish mid afternoon waiting on the creek bed edges for the sun to drop and move in to terrorise the bait
LIke outside some of your favourite points

[Awoonga]

Chris,

Lately I have been running around Awoonga like a mad man and trolling for mediocre results. Then I have just watched Johnny's new DVD then concerntrated on one point yesterday where there was two current lines hitting a point, landed 2 both at 80 cm first time boated two in a afternoon for a while. I am now a convert to working the one area with good current flow.


The only running I am doing is away from work to the dam

Well there you go..... top marks my son.....

[rhycebullimore]

perfect example...last week water far too high to lure fish at the hinchinbrook area (3.5m) two passes at a trolling spot of mine for 5 mins and scored a a good hit and a wild caught meter plus 24lb barra...what else was i going to do knowing the water was too high to do anything else...waste fuel ? use you electric against massive run whilst flattening a battery or turn to the only option avaliable that i know constantly produces on those large tides. good fishos will know the correct answer.

[Dick Pasfield]

OK IBDers & Wannabes

Oddly enough I'm neither but if I was I might still do it the way I do it in the river

If I know where the fish are aggregated (not spawning as I'm talking about freshwater) I usually sit on them until they start to feed. As most of my fishing is done at night that'd mean an initial session of about an hour, then a kip for a couple of hours and another go for 30 minutes or so. One more in the wee small hour and another as first light appears to sunrise when it's time to go home. The reason for the kip is twofold, one is for the sake of sleep, the other is to get the lure out of the water for a while. Marvelous how often first or second cast after a lay off gets the fish.

If I'm not sure where fish are lurking I'll hit a spot for between 20 minutes and 30 minutes and if no response move. If I got a half hearted hit I'll try to get back to that spot an hour or two later to see if the fish are more interested. Sometimes I don't find fsh until the fith or sixth move.

[NAGG]

Oddly enough I'm neither but if I was I might still do it the way I do it in the river

If I know where the fish are aggregated (not spawning as I'm talking about freshwater) I usually sit on them until they start to feed. As most of my fishing is done at night that'd mean an initial session of about an hour, then a kip for a couple of hours and another go for 30 minutes or so. One more in the wee small hour and another as first light appears to sunrise when it's time to go home. The reason for the kip is twofold, one is for the sake of sleep, the other is to get the lure out of the water for a while. Marvelous how often first or second cast after a lay off gets the fish.

If I'm not sure where fish are lurking I'll hit a spot for between 20 minutes and 30 minutes and if no response move. If I got a half hearted hit I'll try to get back to that spot an hour or two later to see if the fish are more interested. Sometimes I don't find fsh until the fith or sixth move.

Dick ..... we all consider you an honorary IBDer & your comments are always appreciated.
I'm sure most will agree about the lure out of the water .......... just how often does a change in lure / plastic entice a strike first or second cast ......... you may have cast to that area for an hour! I'm sure they watch the lures go past & think ... "yep - seen that before!"

Good stuff

Chris

[BR65]

The biggest impediment to success lies in our own mindset. It's a difficult thing to do to tell your brain you are not going to fish your favourite spots in your GPS library, because you caught fish there last month or last year.


Paul

true words Paul, in a tuff bite period, our worst enemy is not the water temp, wind, weather or anything else, its our mindset. A positive attitude will eventually bring positive results, least thats what I keep telling myself, wonder when its going to kick in?

[Tropicaltrout]

Yeah as has been said, and we all know the many varibles and if we diddn't those who have seen the latest dvd will now now it..

The conferdence Factor...... I have seen conferdence drop along with catch rates even when at sea, the skipper just drops off and wammo the line is light, but he stays positive it tightens up... Why is this? maybe we too react with the moon and varibles?????