Topwater Barra

[NAGG]

Anyone who has witnessed / experienced the strike of a barra on a topwater lure will all agree that its something that gets the juices flowing ..... Well it certainly it does for me.

Ok ..... We know that it is a technique that works ( frogs , walk the dog , blooping etc) but is it a technique that is overused / over rated as a truly successful means as catching barra ....... ( honest question) or is it in fact underutilised.

I'm interested in hearing your experiences with regard to this method ..... how many actually try it , how long do you persevere , do you use it at particular times of day / night , light levels , particular locations or are there other influences that will have you diving for a surface lure ( bait activity , boofing , insect activity , weather conditions)

or is it a case of with a reasonably poor hookup rate or lack of success you don't bother.

We saw last year the increase in interest on the back of the commercialisation of surface frogging - how many have continued to pursue that style with vigour or has it gone by the by.

Just a throw around topic to share ........ & maybe help others out

Chris

PS ..... I personally don't jump out of my skin to fish surface ( too many fruitless hours spent ) - I will do it when conditions feel right - maybe thats to my detriment

[ifishcq1]

Nagg
although I fish mostly salt I have the same dilemas
pretty well get 90%+ of my barras on very deep divers except for yesterday when I had hundreds of casts with divers and plastics for only a couple of baby taps
so I put on a surface walker and almost immediately onto a barra then another and lastly a little jack, a nice buzz seeing them smack a lure almost out of the water
as far as the big dams are concerned I use the same techniques and can have either very good days or very bad, but still learning
people only stop using lures or plastics that work when another something catches their attention, probably the old original ideas will still catch fish given the same effort

cheers

[leelee]

I always have a topwater lure rigged for any species.

For barra i toss it around when ever fishing depths less then 6-7foot. I just cycle through the lures and the topwater gets a run each and everyday if I find myself fishing those depths.

Normally I throw it around for about 30 mins each time I use it and possbily several times a day. Although I do prefer morning and afternoon topwater but will resort to topwater anytime if I feel its worth a shot.

Have not had a heap of impoundment barra experience but what i have experienced and learnt is they will come up to topwaters any time of the day if they feel the need

Cheers

Lee

[NAGG]

I always have a topwater lure rigged for any species.

For barra i toss it around when ever fishing depths less then 6-7foot. I just cycle through the lures and the topwater gets a run each and everyday if I find myself fishing those depths.

Normally I throw it around for about 30 mins each time I use it and possbily several times a day. Although I do prefer morning and afternoon topwater but will resort to topwater anytime if I feel its worth a shot.

Have not had a heap of impoundment barra experience but what i have experienced and learnt is they will come up to topwaters any time of the day if they feel the need

Cheers

Lee

Hi Lee

I noticed that you like your top water

Do you like it because of the effectiveness or like it because of the excitement / visual strike

Cheers

Chris

[Big_Ren]

Mostly fish topwaters at first light Chris. Great topic. Usually they will be with a dog turd (Cultiva Tango Dancer) or a Bill's Bug (Benny put me onto that one). The Bug is very interesting. Cast it further than a Russian Javelin thrower at the Moscow Olympics And then let it sit........sit some more.......keep sitting......sit, sit, sit until all those water ringlets disappear and do it all over again until she's back on your rod tip....a genuine 2-3 minute retrieve. The hardest part is just watching that bassard sit on the surface while you pause.

Cheers
Paul

[NAGG]

Mostly fish topwaters at first light Chris. Great topic. Usually they will be with a dog turd (Cultiva Tango Dancer) or a Bill's Bug (Benny put me onto that one). The Bug is very interesting. Cast it further than a Russian Javelin thrower at the Moscow Olympics And then let it sit........sit some more.......keep sitting......sit, sit, sit until all those water ringlets disappear and do it all over again until she's back on your rod tip....a genuine 2-3 minute retrieve. The hardest part is just watching that bassard sit on the surface while you pause.

Cheers
Paul

The bills bug with the prop Paul ????

You certainly can have a retrieve that goes for a long time ....... & I certainly feel that the pause is a big part of it

Chris

[WestOzDesertFisher]

Interesting... I'm currently pursuing my first ever saltwater barra up here in the Kimberley of WA. Hopefully this info will put me on to a fish. All info appreciated.

[birko]

Dont be afraid to go surface any time of the day.

That area of lay down that you know holds fish....just because you can feel it should...but you cant raise a strike. Hit it with a few casts with a basic popper or fizzer then back in with sub surface.

Your not gunna eat your weatbix unless your awake and know that they are in the pantry are you.

Craig

[Big_Ren]

The bills bug with the prop Paul ????

You certainly can have a retrieve that goes for a long time ....... & I certainly feel that the pause is a big part of it

Chris

Spot on Chris. That's the one. I don't know how the old bugger did it, but FrankOO got a great action pic of one of Ben's fish taking his Bug on the strike. Very impressive. It has been on AF before...don't know how to find it though.

Cheers
Paul

[NAGG]

Interesting... I'm currently pursuing my first ever saltwater barra up here in the Kimberley of WA. Hopefully this info will put me on to a fish. All info appreciated.

Now you've got me jealous ......... let us all know how you go

Chris

[NAGG]

Spot on Chris. That's the one. I don't know how the old bugger did it, but FrankOO got a great action pic of one of Ben's fish taking his Bug on the strike. Very impressive. It has been on AF before...don't know how to find it though.

Cheers
Paul

I've got a couple too ....... I haven't used them much though

chris

[NAGG]

Dont be afraid to go surface any time of the day.

That area of lay down that you know holds fish....just because you can feel it should...but you cant raise a strike. Hit it with a few casts with a basic popper or fizzer then back in with sub surface.

Your not gunna eat your weatbix unless your awake and know that they are in the pantry are you.

Craig

Good one Craig !

How successful have you been when using topwater during the day ?

With the exception of a salty session over some flats up near Cardwell ..... My efforts have been pretty fruitless
I've gotta say though ...... I reckon places like your locals ( Teemburra & Kinchant) would be much more conducive to daytime topwater ..... due to either their expansive weedbeds or shaded areas.

Cheers

Chris

[Pete62]

Firstly, I can only imagine what a proper surface Barra strike would be like, must be like someone throwing a fridge in the water

I guess knowing that Barra and Bass have different food sources it would differ but other than dawn and dusk the next best time to get surface action on Bass is when it starts to rain.

Perhaps there is more insects etc on the surface being washed off trees and the like.

Pete.

[NAGG]

Firstly, I can only imagine what a proper surface Barra strike would be like, must be like someone throwing a fridge in the water

I guess knowing that Barra and Bass have different food sources it would differ but other than dawn and dusk the next best time to get surface action on Bass is when it starts to rain.

Perhaps there is more insects etc on the surface being washed off trees and the like.

Pete.

Something like throwing a fridge !

I had a hit at the back of the boat in March ( night time) scared the crap out of Whitey & I + absolutely drenched us - a real WTF moment !

low light levels ...... for sure
i've also heard of great daytime sessions during a rise in water levels casting into the newly flooded areas Or fishing areas of floating debris - I reckon the Tinaroo boys would have a ball with what amounts to runoff type fishing during the wet season

Chris

[birko]

How successful have you been when using topwater during the day ?

Chris

Will happily chuck a popper any time of the day, I rarely leave an area that I think holds fish without throwing a bit of surface work at it. You really can work a lot of areas with a popper that you cant with a hrd of soft lure unless you go weedless and sacrifice the hook up rate. Those area with 5 or 6 inches of water over weed beds with pockets are prime.

At teemburra I find tango props and bubble pops work very well. I have tried frogs such as the zooms etc but with no fish put in the boat, although I didnt really spend that much time on it.

As far as pauses and retrieves go, it is the same as any method, vary the retrieve until you find what works. But the next fish I catch on plastic first cast after a bit of surface work in the same area wont be the first.

Craig