Steve07

Hi raiders,just returned to sydney this morning after a long 19 hour drive home from lake Awoonga up near gladstone QLD,chasing those metre long barra the place is famous for. Two of us decided to do this trip with our own gear to see if we could crack that magic metre mark barra without the use of any local guide's. The 8 day trip involved the long 18 hour drive each way,6 days fishing which included both lure casting by day & a couple of lure trolling sessions by night among the full moon period. The awoonga park cabin lodge is a top place to stay which is pretty much booked out over the full moon period all year round,the boat which we used i must say is more suited to fishing both botany bay & offshore for snapper,kings,yellowfin & mahi mahi,than lure tossing for impoundment barra but we chose to take it up there anyway & give it a go. Our gear was both quality threadline tackle,which include 4000 size reels, graphite 15 to 20lb flick sticks with 30lb braid & also 50lb baitcast outfits with good graphite rods,using 200curado & 400calcutta reels. Lures for casting where both shad style plastics like 105mm slick rigs & storm suspending shads,plus an assortment of quality & proven hardbody lures mainly classics,B52's & Manns. We probably chose one of the worst weeks of the year to fish the lake as it was in the middle of cyclone hamish,so it was pretty tough conditions to fish in plus it put the barra off the bite as well with many locals & experienced fisho's saying it was the quietest they have seen it.This proved to be exactly that for us too as we continued to cast & work all area's of the lake for just the odd bite in the first 3 days.It was very frustrating to say the least as we tried snags,shallow weed banks,deep weed beds,drop offs & colour changes around the edge's using all lures & colours for no reward. Slowly over the week though as we became familiar with the area & picking the brains of everyone that caught big barra or looked like they know how to catch them,we started to concentrate on some sort of pattern that would give us the best chance to get one. On the 4th day out i finally came up solid with my first hookup after a suspending & slow sinking storm shad in clear colour was nailed off the edge of a weed bank the dropped off to 4m or 5m depth,the shimano reel was absolutely stopped in its tracks when a huge barra monstered the lure & then raised its massive head clear form the water,i was speechless,knees shakin badly & sweaty palms,the fish went hard & the 50lb braid just screamed from the reel as if a big kingy had powered off.The fight just took me by suprise big time,i watched video's & read up on all the articles but nothing was like this.The fight was just simply awesome power on the fishes behalf & it eventually done me over when it went into thick weeds,snagging me up & breaking the line.I just sat down quietly & took some time to get over it all,before calling it a day as the sun went down. Next day out while slow rolling a squidgy slick rig in evil colour on a deeper weed bed at the mouth of a creek i had the unmistakable sharp tap & again stike hard for another solid hookup.It was game on again as the 50lb braid exploded form the reel & off went another big barra on a scorching run,this time i let her just go & take the line,as i was heaps confident that this fish was in more open water without too many places to get snagged up.20 minutes later i had colour under the boat as the fish tired & rose towards the surface. My mate reached out to the fish & i pulled its big head towards the net,it was mine i thought then & yelled out with excitement,as loud as i could but then heartbreak as the fish was being lifted up over the side of the boat its heavy weight just broke straight through the net,the fish dropped back down with a massive splash & the barra was gone with the lure still attatched.Mate i just cried,even though it was pretty much captured & it was being released anyway,it hurt i couldnt get some photo's & meaure its length. Then about 20minuted later,around 5.30pm we decided to start a trolling session with hardbody lures in the area we lost that fish.Out went 2 barra cassics 10ft plus depth & off we went very slowly.Right on 6.30pm & in 10m of water my lure was absolutely smashed & line just moked off again,the fight was on but this time & finally after another unbeliveable fight on 50lb spin gear,i had this awesome & beautiful big barramundi at my feet,on the deck of my boat.It measured 102cm & around 13kg in weight,then released & swam away slowly into the darkness of the night.A moment i will never forget. Unfortunately though as the barra ended up being landed into the night after the hookup we never ended up getting any photo's of my personnal best barra,my friends camera that was on the boat at the time has some sort of problem with the flash so nothing came out,that's a bit how luck on this trip went for me. So the memory of this fish & admiring it for about 30 seconds before a rex hunt kiss & release will have to do,but that will stay with me for good. That was it,as it was our final night on the lake & it was packup for home next morning.It took until the last session on the last day to get that dream fish i came for,but for the experience & enjoyment of this whole trip it was definately worth it. Getting a bit tired now from the long drive home and need some good sleep,but i will later write a few facts that might help anyone thinking of this trip. cheers Steve

Great day out at JB boys getting amongst the marlin,good report & top photo's too. Well done! Steve

Nice bag of fish mate,pretty good feed of flattie fillets too. Well done! Steve

Top bag of bream mate,well done. Steve

That's awesome fishing mate,great fish & some good photo's too, well done.

Nice day out with a few good fish,well done. Steve

Some boys at the tackle shop fishing the port stephens comp where saying JB was on fire,pity it wasnt the same up at the interclub.Hope the weather comes good for this weekend.

Very nice pic's mate,looks great on the dam. Any fish? Steve

Awesome fishing mate,that's a top bag of bream. Well done!! Steve

Well done on getting a couple of nice fish.Its always a great feeling when you put jewies in the boat. You gotta love fresh squid for bait...

Another top bag of fish from the beach, well done on getting some big whiting.

Definately have a look into a cuddy cabin style boat in the 5m range,it will get you fishing both in the bays & close offshore chasing reds & kings.It will keep you & your fishing gear alot dryer,plus gives a bit more room for when you have 3 people fishing from it.The boat i have now the 5.5m bluewater stessl is probably the best tinny i have owned,lots of room,wide & deep,plus a nice ride in most conditions.Quintrex,trailcraft & savage all make pretty good cuddy cabin aluminium boats & for probably less than $20,000 with a bit of bargaining these days,you should get yourself a pretty good deal in a boat only 2 or 3 years old. The outboard motor that comes with it is just as important if not even more than the boat,make sure it runs perfectly,has been looked after well & you just cant go past a 4 stroke these days. I have a 115kp Suzuki 4 stroke on mine & its just unreal,so quiet,economical & reliable. cheers Steve

Nice bag of mowies caught there mate, good feed of fish too. Steve

Nice little bag of fish from the shore,pity the flattie busted you off. Well done! Steve

Be very careful getting out between the heads at JB in the 25knot + winds & a big swell running, it gets very dangerous in the conditions we have at the moment.You might be able to sneak out for a fish on the southern side of the bay,but towards the northern side of the bay near the cliffs it will definately get way too rough.

Good effort getting out there in today's conditions & getting a couple of fish. Nice feed as well. Steve

The slick rig 100mm size in the white drop bear colour is a deadly plastic on barra up in the Northern Territory,if anyone is going up in the next couple of months to fish the runoff make sure you have some in your lure collection.Work best in the dirty water around small runoffs, colour changes & near barrages along the river systems. cheers Steve

Nice bag of bream in the crappy weather & well worth getting wet for, Good work boys! Steve

Well done on getting out there on the yak & giving it a go,in fishing you never stop learning something new so im sure things will get better for you with every trip out. Some nice bream captures for you as well. Steve

That's a top dollie there mate,great spot to spend a couple of weeks up at south west rocks.

Great Yellowfin capture by your wife,a fish like that makes the holiday even more unforgettable. Well done. Steve

You done well to get out there & catch yourself a nice flathead for your efforts, beats having to work. cheers Steve

Those little rats are great fun on light spin gear,but will still test you to the limit when it comes to your tackle & knots,plus the ability to wrap you around the nearest structure with ease. Always nice to get a few hookups,well done! Steve

Some Nice bream,well done on a good little session.

Well done on a top bag of snapper & mowies,nice feed of fish coming up!! Steve