Barra Tour Tournament Angler Guide 2018

abt

BARRA TOURTournament

FREE GUIDEBOOK

Guide

18

Australian Bass Tournaments A Peter Jung cover image

ABT.ORG.AU

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

2018 zerek barra tour calendar Welcome to the 2018 version of the BARRA Tournament Angler Guide or TAG as we like to call it in the office.

For the third straight year Zerek is the naming sponsor and for the third straight year it looks like they’ll have a range of baits that both the barra and the barra anglers will love.

Whether you’re throwing their Flat Shads, Fish Traps (in the small or new larger sizes) or the new Zerek large hard swimbaits, you will be covered in each of the lakes the BARRA Tour visits.

One of the highlights of last year’s BARRA Tour was watching tour newbie Dean Jackson tie on the Zerek Fish Trap he received

in his tour sample bag and land the biggest barra recorded at the Kinchant event. It was a great reward for a team who decided to give the BARRA Tour a go and tasted success in their very first event.

Each year the Zerek BARRA Tour is a mix

of seasoned veterans and aspiring newcomers. It doesn’t take the newbies long to get into the swing of things, the routine of fishing, driving, having a few refreshing ales and doing it all again not only accelerates your barra learning curve but also

forges great friendships.

The fact that Camp Kanga at Peter Faust Dam will be open again for this year’s tour only adds to the excitement and the social atmosphere.

We definitely missed this social gathering point in the 2017 tour.

Once again, we will be using the TrackMyFish powered ABT Tournament Series App to record catches. On lakes likes Kinchant, it allows ABT to deliver live scoreboards to those keen on following the results.

Inside this guide you will find calendars, how-to articles and stories from teams who have given it a go for the first time.

You’re all welcome! Just

DATE

LOCATION

EVENT

SPONSOR

SESSION TIMES

19 November

Kinchant Dam

BARRA Tour Round #1 (Evening Event)

Hobie Polarized

4pm - 12am

20 November

Teemburra Dam

BARRA Tour Round #2 (Evening Event)

Wilson Fishing

4pm - 12am

21 November

Peter Faust

BARRA Tour Round #3 (Night Championship)

Westin

4pm - 8am

23/24 November

Peter Faust

BARRA Tour Round #4 (Evening Event)

Lucky Craft

4pm - 12am

fill out the entries, make your travel plans and we will see you on the 2018 Zerek BARRA Tour.

You can download the entry forms, rules and event information at www. abt.org.au

Yes, More Brownie Points!

Distributors for:

Fishing is a great sport and a fun hobby, but as we all know it comes at a cost. Whether it’s buying a Hobie kayak, boat, fishing gear; paying for accommodation at events, and sundries (cough cough! you know what I mean).

The best way to earning good BROWNIE POINTS is saving money on your mortgage with loan restructuring!

As a madfisherman, director and mortgage strategist of Mortgage Corp, Neil Carstairs, together with his team, have helped many fishos around the country buy their dream homes or refinance home loans to purchase investment properties, with some saving $700 per month or more on repayments. Visit www.mortgagecorp.com.au for details.

Fishtec Solutions Central & North Queensland Sales: Craig Griffiths ......................................0418 879 882 General Sales: Trent Short ...........0439 677 770 Sales & Service: Roderick Walmsley ............................0434 035 733 OFFICE / WAREHOUSE:...............(02) 6682 8629 EMAIL: sales@fish-tecsolutions.com WEB: www.fish-tecsolutions.com 2

TAG 2018 abt

What would you do with extra $$$ a month? How does FISHING sound? :-

Chat with Neil today 1300 138 943!

www.mortgagecorp.com.au

bc ms

NEW W EBSITE

bn

bj

og

ofa

obt

For more information please visit

fb

mgf r

bb

bg

bj

mm

og

ogy

mm t

fab

fb

r

rt

WWW.WILSONFISHING.COM

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

Finding the ‘perfect funnel’ TNQ

Karim DeRidder

For the average angler, stepping into the tournament scene for the first time is a massive leap out of the comfort zone. For most, there is a high level of anticipation for that first dabble into competition, and every

current tournament angler has felt this at some stage. Tackle preparation, boat organisation and research into their likely destinations builds a solid level of excitement.

Anglers traveling to the Mackay area and sampling the delights of fishing talk around the Camp Kanga Dongas near Lake Proserpine will most likely hear plenty

of chatter about certain productive spots, key areas of the lake, and when the conditions are perfect, hordes of barramundi on their side imaging units each session.

While some anglers may pass on valuable information to help find those sweet spots, these areas are generally fairly close kept secrets for each angler, especially for the tournament angler

who will generally work extremely hard to find the ultimate spots, which may lead to tournament success.

The questions will develop in new anglers trying to take in all that key information that may lead to success on their part; a 1m+ barra hitting the deck. What do these areas generally look like? What characteristics do they share? What separates poor locations from good locations, and what makes great ones? The following explanation will hopefully enlighten the average barra angler and turn them on the right path towards finding their own ‘perfect funnel.’

The perfect barra funnel is a concept discussed to some extent in most victory speeches after an ABT BARRA round every year. The talk will cover techniques and tackle used and briefly describe a location on the lake where its physical characteristics and environmental conditions have ensured a consistent confluence of barramundi directed past the victorious angler’s boat. This is essential to any success during the barra tour and

Craig Griffiths with a solid deepwater daytime capture.

Large schools of barra can be targeted successfully in lakes when knowing where to look and what to throw. generally requires a level of understanding of what to look for, ensuring that you are maximising your time spent on the lake.

During pre-fish prior to the start of a tournament, it’s important to spend a significant amount of time sitting in front of the sounder to identify areas that are most likely to see movements of fish during critical times in a tournament session. A good starting point is to identify river beds and creek channels – areas of deep water that are the arteries of the lakes.

Their role in directing fish movements around the lakes is essential to

understand. The perfect funnels will generally be fed from these deep water areas, transferring fish to ideal feeding zones via these pathways and hopefully right to your interception point – an area where each cast has the highest probability of interacting with moving, feeding fish.

Structure such as tree lines and weed beds will determine these fish movements and act as physical steering mechanisms to direct them to feeding zones. Both Faust and Teemburra have vast amounts of standing timber including vivid

TOURNAMENT RODS FOR ALL ANGLERS TOURNAMENT TOURNAMENT RODS RODS FOR FOR ALL ALL ANGLERS ANGLERS The ideal location for the perfect barra funnel.

TOURNAMENT RODS FOR ALL ANGLERS

OURNAMENT RODS FOR ALL ANGLERS

m + 61 (0)411 (0)411 037 037 418 418 mm + +6161(0)411 037 418

61 (0)411 037 418 eve@duffrods.com.au stomfishingtools.com.au

4

e418 steve@duffrods.com.au m + 61 (0)411 037 steve@duffrods.com.au e ew steve@duffrods.com.au kustomfishingtools.com.au kustomfishingtools.com.au w wkustomfishingtools.com.au e steve@duffrods.com.au w kustomfishingtools.com.au

TAG 2018 abt

The ABT Faust round in 2015 required very specific boat positioning and identifying fish movements through vast, open water weed beds. When the perfect funnel was identified, this was the result: a 110cm class fish.

lines along creek channels and sparse flooded forests; both influence the barra movements in their own way.

It can be quite interesting to compare fish movement and behaviour in these structure-rich locations to the more open water areas; this movement and behaviour changes by the hour and it’s important to keep in touch to ensure you are casting to the most viable locations.

As Kinchant is mostly void of timber, the weed edges influence their movements in similar ways. Being a smaller lake, Kinchant is easier to work out than Faust and Teemburra. Both weed and timber are key structures in their own right, and both work together as perfect ingredients in

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au the development of the ultimate funnel.

As most ABT rounds are afternoon/evening sessions, it’s important to understand the movement of the barra as they relate to these particular times of the day, and generally their movement to feeding zones.

Gradual sloping ridges that enter the lake (commonly referred to as ‘points’) and wide extended flats are well known as reliable feeding zones, by identifying a close relationship to the deep waters as discussed previously, more knowledge is built towards identifying funnels to these areas. The perfect shallow areas will have significant ambush zones and, as discussed earlier, structure such as a

LURES TO USE Deep water creek channel to flat Transam 95, Madness Vibe Tree line of creek and at end of point Lucky Craft 100XD Pointer, Madness Vibe, Transam 95 Weed edge to boat position Lucky Craft 100 pointer (shallow), Rapala X-Rap XR14 or 12, any 130-250mm paddletail plastic such as Slick Rigs, Castaic Jerky J 5/7”, Berkley Hollow Belly Weed-edge and lantana towards water edge Same plastics as above, suspending hardbodies such as Lucky Craft 100 Pointer, X-Rap, glide baits.

weed bed, weed channels, significant snags or tree lines.

On most occasions the barra will feed close to these structures. The cover presents as the perfect ambush spot for an unsuspecting bony bream.

Faust has been well known to produce insane sessions when the lake was at capacity; places where masses of old lantana had long died off were ideal areas for barra to hunt and the no-holds-barred, hand-to-hand combat is still discussed by many barra anglers who experienced this type of fishing.

For relating those areas to specific bite times, the old saying, ‘make hay while the sun shines’ relates well to barra fishing. Interchange the sun with moon and you have a winner. The standard bite time that all lakes exhibit right on dark generally starts and fades quite quickly, however a gradual build of action usually progresses with the moonrise towards its upward extremity during most ABT events.

The last important aspect discussed here is the geographical location of the area and environmental factors, as these directly influence the amount of fish that will travel through these areas. As most successful tournament anglers are well aware, the weather patterns

The author with a dark coloured weed-dweller. A perfect funnel was identified on the point of a vast weedbed with high activity of moving barra observed. This fish bit as the lure broke free of the weed into clear water right on the point. and prevailing wind that drives the current in the lakes must be studied and adapted in the plan of attack.

Bulk barra movements will locate themselves in areas of the dam in significant numbers; a steady single or minimal variant direction of wind can develop these quickly. At the same time, the presence of a drastic change of stability influenced by wind direction

change and velocity can disperse them as quickly as they arrived. During your pre-fish, keep track of areas where a majority of barra are identified on your SI, where the winds have been pushing current and nutrients to certain areas of the lake.

Keep narrowing your focus until you are seeing mass movements of the fish into small specific areas.

These areas will be like a

convergence of footpaths to a multidirectional crossing, waiting for the green ‘walk’ light to illuminate. Identify your deep water/shallow relationships, locate your structure, pre-empt your bite time and stay flexible to your environmental factors; the lights will turn green and the restaurant doors will open.

Now you may read this and wonder what my To page 6

abt

TAG 2018

5

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

From page 5

ultimate funnel looks like – close your eyes and visualize the following: a gentle slopping ridge of land enters the lake, escaping from the hills behind. Sparse natural grasses meets a bare red soil shoreline influenced by the eroding rippling waves. A cluster of stumpy lantana bushes protrude from the lake not 6ft from the shoreline with approximately 2ft of water covering their roots. A narrow creek’s lily-

ridge. From underneath the cluster of lantana is a thin weed line, which builds as it approaches deeper water, presenting as a thick lush texture, dark blotches on the surface the only giveaway.

From the sheer wall of weed at approximately 5ft deep, a large clear gap is present in front of the lantana, allowing a clear movement of bait and fish into just 2ft of water.

To the right of the point, a large fallen snag

A metre class fish landed after targeting the perfect funnel. lined channel turns its way into the lake, nearly touching the lantana bushes.

A clearing of approximately 40m meets sparse standing timber, illuminating the edge of the

lies perpendicular to the shoreline. From the 5ft front of the weed edge, a steady decline towards the end of the point makes way to approximately 15ft and thick trees dead ahead; these

are located a cast length off the edge of the weed.

Remnant waves continue from the consistent easterly winds that once hit square on, but has sheared slightly as an afternoon northeasterly builds its pressure and moves an earthy colour change past the lantana trunks.

The light changes from yellow to orange as the sun wanes. Minimal barra are seen on the SI where the boat is positioned at the treeline in front of the point.

A boat movement towards the creek channel verifies a solid stream of barra straight onto the weed edge. A steady flow of bites progress the afternoon to night and as the moon rises a steadily increasing number of barra are seen moving past the boat’s position inside the tree line.

A change of boat position out into the open water towards the point sees the Humminbird’s screen fill with barra shadows moving onto the point. My casts are pinpointed towards the little V in the weed between the lantana bushes. As the lure drops, I lift the rod and hop through the thick stuff, allowing it to contact clean bottom. A slow roll then bang! Another fish on.

The perfect barra funnel has been found!

abt.org.au

A large amount of fish moving past the right side of the stationary boat. This is positioned inside the treeline facing the point, just like the ‘Perfect Funnel’ illustration hereabouts.

A perfect point illustrated with help of AutoChart, showing deep water access on all sides, weed on top with scattered brush, and five fish positioned amongst the structure.

M A P I T. O W N I T. S H A R E I T. I can’t believe how good this map is I just downloaded free off the Quickdraw™ Community. Look at this structure, those drop offs. Never would have known about this lake without the community. It’s fun fishing new water. I’ve already caught two nice keepers. Of course, I’ve uploaded some pretty nice maps, too. Glad someone decided to share this one.

IT’S YOUR TIME

QUICKDRAW COMMUNITY ON GARMIN CONNECT™ Garmin.com ©2016 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries

6

TAG 2018 abt

> 100mm / 125mm > 18 lethal colours

> Decoy Y-S 81 trebles > Decoy EX Split rings

Durable by nature, attractive by design!

Samaki Vibelicious lures are created of the highest quality 10x SUPERSTRETCH material.

LENS TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

580G

LIGHTWAVEÂŽ GLASS Benefits of our most high-tech lenses: + 20% thinner and 22% lighter than average polarized glass + Encapsulated mirrors + 100% polarized to kill glare and reduce eye strain + 100% UV protected for maximum protection

580P POLYCARBONATE

Benefits of 580 plastic lenses with C-WALLÂŽ: + Lightweight and durable + Impact- and scratch-resistant + Outperform every other lens in the class + Available in mirrors + 100% polarized + 100% UV protected

costadelmar.com.au

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

The keys to Kinchant Dam TNQ

Peter Price

Kinchant Dam is so different to all the other barra impoundments on the ABT Tour, because it’s a small, shallow dam at approximately 920ha with an average depth of only 6.8m when full. Kinchant Dam requires filling by an inlet water channel from the nearby Pioneer River, due to the dam’s limited

like a salad bowl – the only fishable structures in the dam are weed beds and the lily-lined banks. There is a lack of standing timber and submerged structure.

The most daunting thing about Kinchant Dam is getting your head around fishing weed. Weed is no different to fishing any other structure. This structure provides the barra with protection, comfort, security, and a place to hunt and ambush food. It’s a home

This is how I go about finding fish-catching spots in all that weed. The most important fishing tool in your boat is your sounder. I will,

always about energy used for energy gained.

I prefer to use different icons on my sounder to mark different parts of the weed

The point near the ramp is worth a look.

The dam doesn’t have many points, but the ones it does have usually hold fish.

Wind blown points are excellent places to start looking. water catchment.

It has a ‘No-Fishing Exclusion Zone’ area of 100m all along the dam wall, spillway and pump station.

Kinchant Dam is more

to most of the bait in the dam. At first the weed all looks the same, but like any structure some parts will hold fish and be better than other sections.

for example, sound for five hours and only fish when I can see barra on my sounder.

You are only wasting your time if you stay fishing these no-fish areas.

I start by sounding the lilies, weed edges, and points that have wind blowing over them. This wind makes current and the current concentrates the bait in certain parts of the weed, making it easier for the barra to feed. Just remember with barra, it’s

CHASING BIG BARRA?

PROLUREAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

structure. I use one to mark along the weed edge every 10-15m. Then I will use the fish icon to mark a position where I want to cast to, and place a boat icon to mark where to anchor my boat.

I will place a GPS icon in other locations such as single clumps of weed, out from a point, holes or divots in the weed edges, and any gully in the weed that may allow the barra to move in and out freely.

Once I have identified and marked all these possible fish-holding locations, I will start my fishing session.

These are locations that I will investigate throughout the fishing session. I will give each spot a period of time to settle down and if no fish are present on the sounder after 20 minutes, I will move on to the next spot. I will frequent these locations at different times to check if and when fish are staging and feeding there.

When having to relocate at night, it’s a bonus having these areas marked on your sounder. It makes navigation so much quicker and easier and reduces wasted time by knowing where you are and where the structure is at all times. Kinchant Dam

barra are already pressured enough without you driving your boat over a location you may wish to fish. Possible bite windows are moonrise and moonset times, an hour either side of high tide and two hours either side of low tide times.

I look for areas in the bays that have water covering the weed beds. I will place my boat up on top of this weed and go prospecting using surface stickbaits, weedless soft plastics or even crankbaits, so long as I’m not getting weed-fouled trebles.

You have to be able

to fish the weed with different lures and different techniques, however it’s no good getting weed fouling on your line every cast – it’s just a waste of your cast and your fishing time.

I have three different lures set up on my rods ready to go. If the weed is patchy, I will cast a crankbait, or weedless soft plastic or a Reidy’s Weedies. If the weed has 10cm or more of water over it I will change to surface stickbaits or frogs.

All these types of lures are great search lures and the old saying is true, ‘you don’t leave fish to catch fish,’ so

Above: A good selection of vibes for Kinchant.

Below: Surface lures will work, particularly around the weed.

www.keitechaus.com C R E AT E , I N N O VAT E , D O M I N AT E

COMING TO AN ABT

EVENT NEAR YOU IN 2018

www.millerods.com 8

TAG 2018 abt

www.millerods.com.au

CUSTOM FISHING RODS

DEALER ENQUIRIES CONTACT BADEN ON 0408 802 987

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au once I find fish I sit on them.

In saying that, one tip I will share with you is this; I have found if a barra you catch is really dark in colour, it’s a loner fish and not a

One tip with surface lure fishing is not to strike until you feel the weight of the barra on your line. I know it’s not easy to tell yourself not to react with your rod when

Quarry Bay can hold barra at times. schooling fish, so move on.

If that barra is a real silvercoloured fish, more like a saltwater coloured fish, stay.

That fish is a schooling fish

that barra has just missed the lure and left a great hole in the water where your lure was. However, by keeping

your lure stationary, it will remain in the strike zone and after the ripple settles, start your retrieve again and sometimes that fish will return and engulf your lure on its second attempt.

While there is still some daylight left before evening falls, I will position my boat in the deeper water on the edge of the weed or weed point, ready for the night fishing session.

I always keep an eye on my sounder screen, set on side and down scan. What I am looking for is to see if the barra are just passing through on the outside of my boat, or up against the weed edge – basically where the barra are positioned in relationship to my boat.

If you are going to have a cast, it’s better to cast to

abt

COMPASS

KINCHANT DAM Locations to try • Ramp Bay • Camp Bay • Feeder Gully • Quarry Bay • South African Point (‘Safa Point’) • Rocks • Drain • Weed Bed • One Post Bay • Inlet

Above: South African Point is the most prominent point.

Below: Isolated weed islands litter the dam.

and there will be more fish there to catch.

When on top of the weed, these fish will spook easily. Keep any unnatural noise to a minimum. I like to use the wind to move my boat where possible and keep my Minn Kota electric motor usage to a minimum. Be sure to cast with the wind to maximise cast distance.

Above: Crankbaits are worth having onboard.

Below: Weedless paddle-tail soft plastics are a must.

fish, not just cast for casting sake. The barra will push the bait up against the face of the weed and feed on it.

Therefore, this is where you will need to cast towards the weed edge.

At this location I will cast soft plastic paddle-tail lures like Squidgy Slick Rigs, Reidy’s Rubbers, Castaic Jerky J Swims, ZMan SwimmerZ and Zerek Flat Shads in the 5-7” size range.

Cast right up on the weed then start your retrieve by rolling the lure back over the weed edge. Dead stick the lure at the weed edge and let it fall down that front weed face to the bottom. Most of the bites will happen as it is falling, so be ready to strike.

If there’s no strike, hop the plastic all the way back to the boat. Always pause at the boat before lifting the lure out of the water, because sometimes the barra will follow the lure all the way to the boat. I believe they think their food is getting away, so they will engulf To page 10

abt

TAG 2018

9

abt From page 9

your lure right at the boat.

Basically, it’s a good habit to pause before lifting your lure out of the water every time and after a while it becomes second nature.

Tournament Angler Guide multiple sharp lifts and then hopping the vibe all the way back to the boat.

With vibes you also need a fast retrieve reel, due to the fact that most of the barra bites will occur on the drop

and strength to allow you to cast further and have the ability to control and steer a large fish. I believe the longer you can have your lure in the water, the better, and the greater the chance of catching your barra.

If I hook a fish in the weed and feel that it is going to snag me up, I will drive the boat straight towards the fish and try to pull the barra straight up. If the barra get too much line out, there is

them, so it pays to have a swimbait rod rigged and ready to cast. I use a Venom 7.6ft swimbait 30-50lb bait caster rod.

Like I said at the start of this article, use your sounder.

I have that much confidence in my new Lowrance HDS Carbon 16” sounder that if I don’t see any fish on the sounder, I move on.

Barramundi are one of Australia’s most fickle native fish species and I think we

Camp Bay should never be overlooked, particularly if there’s wind blowing into it.

Also at this location, if I notice that the barra are feeding on the bottom, I will change to a vibe. With vibes you may need to change retrieve techniques to encourage the barra. The hard part is working out what that retrieve is. I always start by casting long to the weed, allowing the vibe to sink to the bottom before starting my retrieve.

I always mix my retrieves up, with slow single short lifts, right through to

10

TAG 2018 abt

as the vibe is falling back to the bottom. Once the barra inhales the vibe it will swim towards the surface to remove the lure from its mouth. A reel that can pick up slack line quickly is essential.

I like to use a 7ft 6kg Venom baitcaster rod and 7ft Venom 40-50lb spin rod. Both spooled with 30-50lb Sunline Braid and I use a 55lb Schneider leader and 60lb FC Rock Sunline fluorocarbon leader.

These rods have the length

abt.org.au

Top: Paddle-tail soft plastics are another must have.

Above: Deep diving hardbodies can have their day.

Below: Swimbaits are a growing craze in Kinchant.

Lily and weed point are dynamite places for barra. a greater chance of getting your line tangled in the weed structure. Drive up on them and hold their head up.

If I view free-swimming barra on my sounder, I will throw a swimbait lure at

will never completely work them out. That’s why the reward of landing a barra after all the effort is special and keeps us coming back.

Enjoy our dam; it’s one of Australia’s best.

abt.org.au

Tournament Angler Guide

abt

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

Zerek Fish Trap scores TNQ

Nick Wells

When the Fish Trap touched down a few years back, it hit the ground running. Anglers were wanting something different, something innovative and cost effective – not just another generic vibe. The Fish Trap ticked all the boxes.

In an era where soft vibes have evolved as the go-to lure for targeting impoundment barra, the Zerek Fish Trap has cemented itself as a household name amongst impoundment barra anglers, racking up plenty of good bags across the field in recent ABT BARRA tours.

The Fish Trap boasts many key characteristics that all come together to make this one of the most successful vibes on the market. From its notorious patented curl tail right through to its attractive vibe factor, the Fish Trap is constructed from extra tough TPE and has through-wire connections between all tow points, which makes this lure virtually bulletproof.

SIZE AND WEIGHTS The Fish Trap is available

in 65mm/10g, 95mm/23g, 110mm/34g sizes in 15 colours, and Wilsons will soon be releasing a 160mm/58g and 78g size, with 10 colours in the range.

The all-new 160mm vibe

is the big brother of this great range and was recently released at the AFTA Tackle Trade Show. It’s going to be a massive hit.

For now, however, we prefer to use the

The ‘rip ‘n’ roll’ technique that we use has seen plenty of fish hit the deck on the Fish Traps. Night jigging the main basin is something that everyone needs to experience at least once.

When the Faust barra are on the chew you can expect to see plenty of lures getting completely inhaled.

Another victim of the notorious FAB 110mm Fish Trap.

NEW M

ass Cat Australia

• Supporting Carl Jocumsen in 2018

A U S T R A L I A

TAG 2018 abt

Lynx a Clas sic

Panter

CARL JOCUMSEN Running a Bass Cat Eyra in 2018

Proudly Partnering with • ABT • Garmin • Evinrude • HiTec Batteries

www.basscataustralia.com 12

ODELS FOR 2 018

M: 0410 173 060

Bass Cat Australia

110mm/34g size for chasing impoundment barra.

COLOUR SELECTION Every angler has that favourite colour that they can always throw with confidence, but to maximise your catch rates there are several factors to consider when deciding which colour to tie on. Water clarity, moon phases and the time of day or night are just a few of the things to take into account.

For example, on the build-up to the full moon we like to throw the white coloured Fish Traps. If the water is dirty we prefer to throw a brighter colour, such as FAB. At different times we’ve caught barra on pretty much every colour in the range, which can certainly make it hard to decide which one to tie on. Statistically speaking, when it comes to the numbers of barra caught the frontrunner is the FB (flying bear) colour in the 110mm model. It’s closely followed by FAB (fat Betty), BB (baby barra) and BG (barred grunter).

The fact that the flying bear colour catches plenty of fish isn’t the only reason it’s our favourite colour. FB has also been the saving grace when the fish just didn’t want to play the game.

RIGGING There are a few mods that we do to the Fish Traps just for that extra peace of mind. Impoundment barra can be brutally unforgiving and they do a pretty good job at finding any weak points in your gear. If you give them an inch they will take a mile.

For our beloved 110mm Fish Traps, we retrofit them with either size 2 Mustad Saltisms or Decoy YW-77s.

We’ve also been trialling the new Mustad TG-77 Jaw Lock Triple Grip trebles with great results.

People often ask us the reason for running the different treble arrangements. Our answer is that barra don’t always strike in the same way. They either hit hard, engulfing the

whole lure, or they swipe the lure fast during the retrieve.

When they engulf it you know they’re hungry, and feeding hard and fast.

When the barra are hungry like this, the strong Mustad Saltisms come into their own. During a hard strike, quite often the lure

don’t let go. This can be the difference between success and failure when the fish aren’t fully playing the game.

We generally run two of the same Fish Traps in our box, each rigged with the different trebles for the differing situations. It’s all these one percenters that add

Those frustrating taps and strikes can soon be turned into a fish in the net with the assistance of Decoy YW-77s. The Mustad TG-77s are also proving to be a big hit in tough situations. will get caught in both the bottom and top lips. The amount of pressure applied when a barra opens its mouth while hooked is massive.

Unlike a crocodile, which has the power advantage in closing its jaw, barra have the advantage when they’re opening their mouth. We’ve seen some brands of trebles completely straightened when fish became hooked like this.

On the other end of the scale, when barra head slap the lure you can barely feel the strike. This is where the YW-77 Decoys are great.

The short, curled, ultrasharp tips stick well and they

up in end.

When tying the lures to our leader we always use a loop knot. This allows the lure to perform to its maximum potential. We also remove the split ring on top and tie the loop knot straight to the tow point. By removing the split ring on top of the lure, you are eliminating another weak point.

TECHNIQUES With a lure as versatile as the Fish Trap, it can be as easy as tying one on and going your hardest. Still, there are a few techniques that we’ve had most of our success on. They’re location specific, and they aren’t

rocket science.

The first technique is one that we call ‘burn and pause’. Although the 110mm Fish Traps weigh 33g, you shouldn’t be afraid to throw them in the shallows. We love fishing them around shallow or weeded points in 3-4ft of water. As soon as the lure hits the water we crank them fast for a few metres, pause for a few seconds, then repeat. When a strike occurs it’s usually just after the pause.

Another technique of ours is the ‘rip and roll’. This can be used as a deep jigging technique or on a straight retrieve. It involves a sharp rip of the rod tip followed by a steady retrieve, either hopping off the bottom or

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

Matt with a Faust midnight metery taken on the BB 110mm Fish Trap. The white colours are great for fishing on the build-up to the full moon.

The authors’ favourite colours: BB (baby barra), BG (barred grunter), FAB (fat Betty) and FB (flying bear).

working down the face of a point or weed edge.

Having your drag set right for these techniques is paramount. Your lure being retrieved at a rate of knots and a barra swimming a hundred miles an hour can only end one way – pulled hooks. A heavy drag is not needed. You can always increase drag pressure after the hooks are set.

A popular technique in Peter Faust (Lake Proserpine) is deep jigging the main basin.

Fish Traps have proven to be deadly using this technique.

The most productive areas are

from the boat ramp along to the toilet block, and across the rope near the wall. A quality sounder is vital with this technique as you want to make sure every drop counts.

We like use our ‘rip and roll’ technique when deep jigging the Fish Traps.

Heavily timbered impoundments like Peter Faust are super productive.

The majority of the best timber-laden points in Faust are on the western side. We like to sit 20-30m out off a point in around 10-12ft of water in areas that look like

“

the timber has been cleared.

We refer to these as ‘arenas’.

We position the boat in the middle of the arena, turn on the side scan and wait for the fish to swim through. These arenas give us a 360° angle to rotate our casts around the boat. It doesn’t take long to figure out which side they’re feeding on. Sometimes we hop our Fish Traps back along the bottom, and at other times (depending on where they’re sitting in the water column) a straight retrieve is all that’s needed to get the bite.

The barra generally chill out in the deeper water through the day, and roll in with the help of the current in the afternoons, bashing up baitfish which they herd onto the points and into the bays. Generally you will intercept them on their way in, but sometimes

you will have to move in or out to catch their bite period.

That’s pretty straightforward with the assistance of a good quality sounder.

Kinchant is another highly productive dam with the Fish Traps, but it’s very different from Peter Faust. It’s like one big weed bowl. We like to find the edge of the weed (curtain), sit out a good casting distance in the clear open water, set the finder to 80-100ft and wait for the barra to swim through.

Sometimes they will come out of the weed and go back in, while at other times they follow the weed edge back and forth, herding the bait. Spin gear is good in Kinchant as you can achieve those longer casts, and hop them back all the way to the boat. The longer the lure is in the water, the better.

Top: 100mm Fish Trap rigged with Mustad TG-77s.

Middle: Rigged with Mustad Saltism size 2s.

Bottom: Rigged with Decoy YW-77s.

I demand the best quality leader on the market in driving my confidence for success during the multiple tournaments I fish every year. Sunline FC100 gives me this and more, the best balance of abrasion resistance and knotability on the market. A rampaging meter plus barramundi in heavy cover is the true test and it never lets me down.

”

Karim de Ridder

SUNLINE FC100 100% Fluorocarbon designed with an emphasis on suppleness to impart more action into your lure and abrasion resistance.

The Triple Resin Processing improves its smoothness, knot strength and abrasion resistance. The lighter line classes have boosted knot strength while the heavy line classes have a harder outer shell to protect against PE cutting the line.

Length: 30m or 100m Line classes: 16lb to 100lb Made in Japan

abt

TAG 2018

13

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au

The North Queensland dam barra experience TNQ

Jacko Davis

Queensland is littered with many freshwater impoundments that are regularly stocked with the iconic barramundi. For many years I had read, watched and dreamt of these North Queensland barra.

On one wet winter day last year, yet another article published about the consistent 1m+ barra in these impoundments had me on the phone to my fishing partner and cousin, Mark Donnelly.

We agreed that we’d both procrastinated too long about making the trip, and proceeded to pencil in some dates in November that we believed we could sneak past our bosses. Two weeks in early November was the goal, and after some last-minute hurdles, we set sail from Bathurst in Central West NSW on route to Mackay in Central QLD. The 22-hour haul in our LandCruiser with Skeeter in tow went smoothly as we

that Peter Faust would provide the best opportunity to connect with quality fish. Bullish about our chances, we jetted off into the unknown of the lake as an afternoon storm approached.

Scoping the layout of the dam and the structure options, we were soon concerned about the darkness of the clouds getting near. Without a cast thrown we were meet with a violent electrical storm with heavy rain. Bobbing around in the middle of the dam with waves coming over the front of the boat, it would have been evident to the local bystander that we were a couple of firsttime southerners that were still pondering the main use of sugar cane.

With most smart fishos retreating home, we endured mother nature’s first crack at us and pushed through into the night. As base camp was 20km away, we decided it would be a better option to have a little nap on the boat and wake up for another attempt early the following morning. With a saturated deck from the night before and only one towel

over the top of us and hit ‘spot lock’ on the electric motor.

Again, we rose early in the dark and began firing casts out into the unknown for nothing. Then, at around 7am in some dense timber, still half asleep, I received our first hit which resulted in a solid hook-up. I was still in shock as the fish came straight at the boat, almost jumping in.

I had a clear view – this fish was big! It took off again and snapped the petty 50lb leader I was running, and it was like a dagger in the heart. After many long hours of casting we finally got an opportunity, and blew it.

I may have let a little rod rage out on my way to the back of the boat where I sat down and questioned if that was going to be the only chance we would have. We headed back to camp deflated.

That midday was spent preparing lures again, and doing some solid Google Earthing. Peter Faust offers a range of structure. The western bank is littered with trees, thousands of them,

This was the best fish of the trip. Although not a monster for Peter Faust standards, it was a very respectable 105cm. travelled through the centre of NSW and QLD, popping out in Rockhampton. The last few hours of the drive were hampered however, as Mark insisted on buying shares in every tackle shop between Rockhampton and Airlie Beach. He seemed to think that if we filled the craft with enough tackle the fish would magically jump in the boat, but we were soon short of space, having soft plastics stuffed in every nook and cranny.

Still, all this new tackle provided us with plenty of entertainment as we sat around the boat and ‘pimped’ our lures in an array of configurations. A caravan park in Prosperpine was our base camp, and with rods rigged and the boat packed we were ready for our first afternoon on Peter Faust Dam (Lake Proserpine).

PETER FAUST DAM Our prior research into the area gave us the impression 14

TAG 2018 abt

on board, Mark slept across the bench seat of the Skeeter whilst I was relegated into the rod locker.

The next morning, we rose at 4am wet, cold and I was stiff from a night in the rod locker. Fishing to no avail until mid-morning, the harsh North QLD sun had us packing back to base camp. Without a touch from the previous night session or the morning, we were a little baffled but still confident we could succeed the following session. After spending the middle of the day resting and tweaking more lures, we were eager for the afternoon and night ahead. However, with a similar storm front smashing us again right on dark, the wind was taken out of our sails. We fished through until 11:30pm without even a sniff, and it was becoming clear this impoundment barra fishing isn’t a walk in the park.

Being a little more prepared we rolled out a fresh tarp over the wet carpet, threw a blanket

which can make navigating tough at night. Faust Point is a well-known shallow point that spans out to the middle of the main basin. We’d fished both these areas relentlessly and it was time for a new plan. With a few extra pointers from a couple of fellow fishos at the caravan park, we had a plot to target two prominent points on the north side of the dam.

As sun set that afternoon we had a distinctive hit, followed by a fish. A lovely mid 70cm barra was netted, and what a relief that was.

After a few celebratory cold ones, we headed back to base camp as a proper night’s sleep was well overdue.

With renewed confidence due to cracking a small pattern, we took the morning off and focused on the afternoon/night session. The two points we fished were shallow and thick with weed, however there were channels throughout that were clear. Using structure scan on our sounder, we were

A lovely high 90s chrome barra caught just as the last light was disappearing. able to see the barra travelling through these channels, which really boosted our confidence.

That afternoon we went out early and spent some time sounding and scoping the points. We found a prominent channel on one point, which ran parallel to the bank only a few metres off it. This channel was about 10m wide and around 2m deep. With sunset approaching, we positioned the boat at one end of the channel, securing the vessel by using both spot-lock on the electric and deploying dual power poles at the rear.

As it was quite windy, this technique allowed us to maintain a side-on position with the parallel channel. It didn’t take long to witness the barra start rolling through the channel on the sounder.

In groups of around 3-6 fish, it was like witnessing a car load roll through a McDonalds drive-thru as they picked off bait on the way through. The sounder would light up every 10-15 minutes, and each time we would squeal like kids with excitement as a hit was almost always expected.

Over that night and the following night, we managed to land 17 barra to 105cm, all from that one channel.

We couldn’t believe it – after such a brutal first few days we managed to find the fish and put them in the boat.

With success ticked off at Peter Faust, the monkey was off our back and the swagger back in our step. We were no longer the lads at the boat ramp each morning looking like we’d been at the pub all night without sleep and no fish to boot. With limited time left, we made the call to pack up base camp and head south to check out another dam on our radar: Kinchant.

KINCHANT DAM After another re-stocking of lures at the tackle shops around Mackay, we made the 50km drive inland to Kinchant Dam or, as the locals may know it, ‘the bath tub’. Unlike Faust, we were able to set up camp right on the banks of the dam, which made things a lot easier. The Kinchant caravan park was clean, had good

amenities, green grass and most importantly, a pub. We had only two days left before we had to begin the voyage home, so we eased into a few schooners and rigged some tackle ready for the afternoon.

Starting at a prominent point with a solid weed edge, it didn’t take long for the sounder to begin lighting up.

After the learning curve at Faust, we were able to pick up where we left off, and fishing a very similar style we began catching fish.

For the two nights we fished Kinchant, it went off.

With barra consistently rolling through the one point, we managed to land 15 fish and lose countless others due to jump-offs. This didn’t really matter however, as it was an amazing couple of sessions on the water, with constant strikes on a range of lures including big swimbaits and surface lures.

The Kinchant barra we caught were all between 80-99cm and would have pulled Floyd Mayweather backwards. Kinchant, being a much smaller dam than Faust, seemed less daunting and a lot easier to navigate.

Our prior research as well as talking with local tackle staff made Kinchant stand out as the easiest location to catch an impoundment barra. However, we made an effort to learn our craft on Peter Faust and I believe if we didn’t have the lows and highs there, then we never would have achieved the instant success at Kinchant.

WHAT WE LEARNT The whole trip was a learning curve for both of us. Coming from a southern freshwater background, we really didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard many rumours amongst the fishing community that these impoundment barra don’t fight as hard as their saltwater counterparts. I can safely dismiss this from our experience, as well from talking to fellow fishos at the boat ramp. There was plenty of ‘geez they go hard’ chat getting thrown around. So, in saying this you’ll need the right gear.

We threw almost exclusively baitcast tackle and would definitely recommend using these. They allow you to fight the fish more aggressively, which is paramount in tight country.

You can be far more accurate with a baitcaster and they are more comfortable for casting over long hours.

The baitcast outfits we opted for were Daiwa Tatula HD reels and Tatula heavy rods, which performed faultlessly. Line selection is a page we completely missed in our preparation, and in turn cost us dearly as our first fish (which probably would have been the biggest of the trip) snapped my 50lb leader like a toothpick.

After some sharp re-adjustments, we fished 50lb Daiwa J-Braid mainline and 80lb extra abrasion resistant fluorocarbon leaders of around

Mark made a serious investment at the local tackle shops. It paid dividends in the end.

a rod length. Although you can land barra on much lighter lines, I recommend a leader of at least 60lb for these impoundment beasts.

Barra have crazy sharp gill rakers, and when a fish inhales your lure (which happens most of the time) they will shear through light leaders with ease. Therefore, having a heavy leader with added abrasion resistance is key to consistently landing these fish.

When it comes to lure selection, like any species there’s a million and one different ‘lollies’ to choose from. Mark dropped a small fortune in the local tackle shops and although you don’t need to spend an excessive amount, I’d definitely recommend purchasing your tackle from the locals. Barra Jacks in Rockhampton and Tackle World in Mackay were both stores that had all the gear we needed and helped steer us in the right direction with some generous local knowledge.

Keeping it simple was what payed dividends for us in the end. We fished an array of baits but the Squidgy Slick Rigs were the stand out lure. We added an upgraded main hook and treble underneath to increase hook-ups. These barra are pros at throwing a hook,

abt

Tournament Angler Guide

abt.org.au so having a treble for extra insurance was definitely necessary. There are plenty of videos on YouTube on how to rig these, and it’s quite enjoyable sitting down ‘tricking’ your lures ready for the next session.

Although the Slick Rigs were our confidence bait and caught the majority of fish at Faust, we played around with others at Kinchant. Swimbaits like the Westin Barry the Bass and the Jackall Gantia worked well and were a lot of fun.

We also caught fish on surface fizzers, DUO Realis hardbodies and a range of other soft plastic shads.

Choosing your time on the water wisely was also important.

North Queensland’s temperatures were a definite shock to the system, and fishing through the middle of the day was out of the question. Guys trolling the deeper banks will have success as the barra school at suitable depths, but for us, taking refugee during the heat of day and then hitting the water late in the afternoon was the key. As the last of the sun went out of view each day was when the fish started rolling into the shallower margins to feed.

We found a consistent bite window between 7-11pm each day, and when there

was a tide change in this period it was chaotic. The first time I heard of these freshwater barramundi feeding on a tide change I honestly thought the bloke was taking me for a fool, but he was far from lying.

Although these fish may be landlocked from the sea, they are still programmed to feed on these changes, therefore fishing hard around a tide change is vital.

PLANNING Giving yourself time would be the most important tip I could give. Heading north we were well aware of the challenges that lay ahead: a species we had little experience with, in an

environment we had never been before. If we had have planned a rushed trip and fished Peter Faust for just three days and then moved on, we would have caught nothing. So, when planning a trip, give yourself as much time as possible. With travel included you realistically need the best part of two weeks to give yourself the full experience these impoundment barra have to offer.

In terms of picking the right time of year, the warmer months are considered the best. From talking with a few notable fishos, November would have to be the pick of the months. However,

All systems go as the sun sets in the background! This proved to be the most productive period of the day.

October right through to April is considered prime fishing. Barra can still be caught throughout winter, but you’ll need to change your tactics, as they can be extra temperamental when the water is cooler.

If you can factor in the moon phase when planning a trip, definitely do. The week leading up to the full moon in considered the prime time.

We fished the week leading up and found the closer it got to the full moon, the better the fishing. It also makes it a little easier to navigate in the dark when a full moon is glowing down on the water.

Choosing your location is another obstacle. North Queensland has plenty of notable impoundment barramundi fisheries. Peter Faust, Kinchant, Teemburra, Monduran, Tinaroo and Awoonga are some of the more well known locations.

As we speak, Peter Faust appears to be the premier impoundment for catching metre barra. Kinchant is very consistent, with an abundance of quality fish, Tinaroo is further north but holds some crackers, while Monduran and Awoonga are both on the recovery after losing many big fish to floods in the past decade.

We only had the time to fish Faust and Kinchant, and

I recommend both highly.

We called to Teemburra to have a look on the trip home, but unfortunately had no time for a few casts. It looked unreal nonetheless.

GET IT DONE A trip like this takes a lot of planning and preparation, so there’s no better time to start than now. In this day and age most people are more concerned about making money than making life experiences, and that’s not sustainable. I can honestly say that spending that quality time on the water, catching the iconic barramundi and exploring new places, made this my most memorable fishing trip to date.

It was far from smooth sailing, and sleeping in a wet rod locker and going fishless for the best part of three days will test any keen fisher, but it’s these moments that make a trip. If we had gone and smacked a bucket load of barra from the start, the whole thing wouldn’t have been as rewarding. The fact we went through the failures, put the work in and finished with jubilant success was priceless.

For those readers who follow suit and make the trip north, I wish you the best of luck. I can guarantee you’ll learn a lot and bring home some great stories.

www.daiwafishing.com.au

abt

TAG 2018

15

A new era in

performance

Mercury 115-300hp Pro XS FourStroke Performance without compromise the Pro XS range are engineered for those who crave speed and acceleration. Mercury developed exclusive components and tuning to extract every ounce of performance from each Pro XS model. With large displacement and class leading power to weight ratio the Pro XS models transform every drop of fuel into performance to deliver excellent economy at cruising speed and wide-open throttle.

For more information visit mercurymarine.com.au