# Barramundi Fishing



## Thelittlefisher (Jan 24, 2008)

Awoonga Dam, Kayak fishing, would this prove to be a good setup?

Penn 850 Reel, 50 lb braid, and sixty pound 10x leader, and gold bombers, with beefed up hooks. 7 and 15k rod

This would be mainly for.....barramundi I suppose!

What are your thoughts on this tackle setup? Any faults? Any flaws?

Discuss


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

TLF: probably a little heavy for barra but it wont hurt, i use 30lb main line and 40lb leader

if you don't get bites go for a thinner leader impoundment barra get spooked easy

there is water flowing into awoonga atm and i hear it's over 30% now and rising.....

go get em young man


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

I think thats the line and leader is good setup for Awoonga, especially if you're right up in the weed (which is the advantages yaks have in dams like that). Also take some walk the dog, stickbait and popper style lures with rattles...work very very slow in behind the weed. Like reeaal slow, i'd cast and leave it for a minute or two with just a twitch every now and then.

(PS - be wary of my advice - this method caught one catfish in two trips...unlucky though I tells you! :shock: )


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2008)

A friend of mine fishs this dam a fair bit, he charters the guide on the dam, Johny Mitchell. All his rods are seven foot fitted with Daiwa Excelsor plus reels in 30 size. He only uses 20lb main line and 60lb leader. He only ever uses Squidgee drop bears, he hardly ever trolls. He sneaks into every fishing spot. If a boat rips past he moves on.

So if you can sneak in with your yak, be quite and fire casts onto every weed bank with drop bears you're a chance.

Cheers


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## Thelittlefisher (Jan 24, 2008)

I don't really understand a word about the tackle talk, I just listened to what dad was saying (whats a leader? hehe) and wanted to see how good it sounded, oh, and that must be really cool knowing Johny Mitchell, I think i was directed to his guide site.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

stealth is a major factor when hunting impoundment barra...i have barra follow the rudder on my OB only to spook with i turn around to look

no dropping things or making noise if you do move on.......when i approach a likely place i will build enough momentum to get me without pedeling and quietly drift in

as for what beefs said...yes definately fish the edges and shallows thats were i have caught 90% of my barra


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## Thelittlefisher (Jan 24, 2008)

oh, what are squidgee drop bears by the way?


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

soft plastic lures.....

work very well on barra, i have used squidgees and storms both with success

heres a report from awoonga

http://www.sweetwaterfishing.com.au/For ... 439.0.html


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## Gigantor (Jun 27, 2006)

TLF,

PCSolutionman (Lee) and a couple of his mates were up there fishing late last year in their yaks and got some nice barra. Suggest you drop him a line and see what worked for him. From memory they used Viper hardbody lures for the most part. He did submit a post in Trip Reports if you have a look.

Cheers, Pete


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2008)

Thelittlefisher said:


> I don't really understand a word about the tackle talk, whats a leader?


The leader is a stronger length of line attached to the end of the braid which is then attached to your lure or soft plastic. Usually the leader is no longer than the rod's length or can be shorter.

The leader absorbs the tension applied to the main line and also is resistant to the fish's weapons, gill plates, teeth etc.

Cheers


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## Guest (Feb 20, 2008)

Thelittlefisher said:


> oh, what are squidgee drop bears by the way?


Check this link out,

http://www.motackle.com.au/index.cfm?pr ... ct_id=1078

Cheers


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## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

What size barra are you expecting to catch? 50lb line is massively gross overkill, especially on a fish that pound for pound is a very weak fighter. To compare rigs, I use 6.5kg mono off my yak in the Top End rivers and only come unstuck if the fish goes around a snag and tangles itself up. I also use a foot of nylon coated wire to protect the line against the gill rakes, with 6' of 10kg mono leader. If I find the snag is repeatedly taking my fish, I'll up the size to 10kg breaking strain but only while the problem is there.

My view is that I rig for smaller fish, as most times that's what you catch and it's more sporting on the light gear. If big daddy gets on, then improvise with what you've got and see how you go. Again, barra are pretty lame fighters when compared to queenies, sooty grunter, jacks or trevally. With over 200 barra to my credit in the yak (SIK), only a few exceeded 90cm and to date none broke the magic metre (my goal later this year!).

Good luck!
Rick


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

murd said:


> only a few exceeded 90cm and to date none broke the magic metre (my goal later this year!).


i got that goal too.........


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

i think his line choices are pretty on the money actually. barra in awoonga routinely top a metre and in a yak it's not possible to put the brakes on like it is in a boat. with the flooded timber and even the odd red claw pot not to mention the leader damage barra do all by themselves a bit of strength in the leader is essential. and whoever said barra are a weak fighting fish?


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

pound for pound there are much harder fighting fish then the barra.....most pelagics will blow them away.......

barra have a mystque around them, don't get me wrong i love catching barra.....but that has been until recently on 6 - 8 kg mono, now i am on the 20 - 30lb braid...i have one reel loaded with 50lb but thats for peter faust and kinchant dams only (125cm monsters lurk)

the majority of barra you can get to the yak/boat within 5 mins...i have fought pelagics for over 30 mins that have been roughly the same size as the barra

what is important is to catch at least one of these aussie icons......


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## beefs (Jan 30, 2006)

When was the last pelagic you had that cut the leader on its gill rakers or threw the lure in repeated aerial jumps or that you had to find by casting to vicious snags or stalking weed beds. Other fish may go harder but the Barra has so much in its arsenal that their status is well deserved I feel. \

In a clean, open water fight I think 20lb line would be enough. I'll be leaving the 50lb on next time I go to Awoonga though!


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

beefs said:


> When was the last pelagic you had that cut the leader on its gill rakers or threw the lure in repeated aerial jumps or that you had to find by casting to vicious snags or stalking weed beds. Other fish may go harder but the Barra has so much in its arsenal that their status is well deserved I feel. \
> 
> In a clean, open water fight I think 20lb line would be enough. I'll be leaving the 50lb on next time I go to Awoonga though!


all true beefs and thats the reason i love barra fishing, i actually see it as more hunting and stalking then fishing as such.....

imagine hooking a queenie or kingie in the snags.....hehehehehe..........we would have no hope

as for the status of the barra....undisputed......


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## Gigantor (Jun 27, 2006)

Ya gotta have dreams!


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## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

Hey, I'm not bagging barra - I love catching and eating them and experiencing the amazing environment they live in, but you can't deny that pound for pound they are Nancy boys. I remember spinning up 95cm queenies in a river and their first run would often peel 70m of line from the reel. Barra on the other hand sort of dig themselves in with their broad tail but very soon flop around the yak exhausted.

They are an amazing thing to catch though, and I will admit they hit a trolled lure quite hard. I just wish they'd spend a little more time in the gym.


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