arpie Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 (edited) Hi Guys Seriously!! This has been documented at the Fisheries office in Tuncurry (where the pic was taken by the Fisheries office) and also the Fishing Co-op where the 2nd pic was taken on the floor there! This brings a whole new meaning to the ABT!! Barra in Wallis Lake!! The hot news in Forster today is that a Fishing Pro who was prawning last night, found a Barramundi that was nearly a metre long ...... in his nets! Anyone wanting to see the chat regarding this Barramundi - PM me & I'll link you to the Facebook site that the pics are up (local tackle shop.) The pic with the Fisho is definitely in front of the Tuncurry Fisheries Office - I know it well! What is the likelihood of a barra making it over the dam wall up north & travelling down the coast to get here?? Imagine if they interbred with the Jewies!?? Personally - I thought that someone may have brought one home, frozen & for whatever reason ........ chucked it in the lake for a joke? THey are apparently going to take some tissue samples to see if they can tie it back to any specific impoundment lake that may have been stocked with the same strain. It will be VERY interesting to see how this pans out!!! AMAZINGRoberta Well ...... we HAVE been getting some pretty exotic fish here lately! Giant Herring in Wallis Lake, Mangrove Jacks off the Breakwall, Tuna in The Keys & 2 weeks ago, a Kingie in the Keys. I have seen BIG tuna busting up around the bridge at night ........ maybe a school of them headed down the coast?? Edited February 8, 2013 by Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Hi Roberta, That's awesome! Never know where they're going to pop up. The question is, was it put there or did it just get very lost? I'd be surprised if someone had put it there given the size of it... Either way, a bit of excitement. I know of another Meter barra from south of there last summer. The bloke who caught it kept it quiet... Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 That is absolutely nuts!!! I've always wanted to catch a barra, so if its true, I'm only 1 1/2 hrs drive. Wow, im staying tuned!! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 .........Either way, a bit of excitement. I know of another Meter barra from south of there last summer. The bloke who caught it kept it quiet....... Now THAT would be very interesting if you could get HIS story added to this thread (no need to identify himself as such), but pics of the fish would be good!! So he 'hooked, played & landed' one - he didn't find it floating somewhere? ......'South of here'...... So south of SYDNEY? I'd heard of the ones they reckon Bhuddists had thrown into the harbour, that they'd bought as live fish from Chinese Restaurants ....... his capture puts it into a whole new light!! Absolutely - it could very well be that the water IS warming up & they can migrate down. There are plenty of salt water barra up the Qld coast & I don't suppose all of them head up river to spawn? Maybe the currents were all mucked up with all the weird weather that we've been having recently! No word on whether the fish was alive or dead yet tho (the Forster one!) Bit of a shock tho, eh?? Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassboy888 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Wow, now that's amazing. I really hope the fisheries find a link to a dam up north, it would make this story outstanding! Would be harassing the bream, whiting and tailor population for sure not to mention the mullet and prawns! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 .........Either way, a bit of excitement. I know of another Meter barra from south of there last summer. The bloke who caught it kept it quiet....... Now THAT would be very interesting if you could get HIS story added to this thread (no need to identify himself as such), but pics of the fish would be good!! So he 'hooked, played & landed' one - he didn't find it floating somewhere? ......'South of here'...... So south of SYDNEY? I'd heard of the ones they reckon Bhuddists had thrown into the harbour, that they'd bought as live fish from Chinese Restaurants ....... his capture puts it into a whole new light!! Absolutely - it could very well be that the water IS warming up & they can migrate down. There are plenty of salt water barra up the Qld coast & I don't suppose all of them head up river to spawn? Maybe the currents were all mucked up with all the weird weather that we've been having recently! No word on whether the fish was alive or dead yet tho (the Forster one!) Bit of a shock tho, eh?? Roberta Yeah, on rod a reel. Don't have many details but it was just over a meter from memory. Don't have an exact location but in the vicinity of Newcastle. Never seen a pic but a friends mate caught it. Livebaiting. I reckon this time of year it's certainly possible for them to arrive down this way naturally, however, I don't think there'd be many coming down... You do get a few jacks down this way though. Winter would be a different story. There's no way they could survive in the cool water temps, unless they found a hot water outlet of some sort? Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Your mate could have sold his story to any of the fishing mags & made some $$$ from it, Tom!! As you say, it's not as if there is a stream of them coming down! Also he wouldn't have to point out exactly WHERE he got it!! See if your mate can produce some pics of his friend!! I bet the word spread pretty quickly, even if he tried to keep it quiet! Roberta How amazing would that be??? Catch a barra in local waters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Too true. Will find out from him. Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SargeRX8 Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Apparently they are in parramatta river too. I got excited when I heard it but after reading the facts on barramundi and their preferred environment, they will most likely die off in those really cold winter water temps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bombora Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 The barra found in the Parramatta River and in many other parts of Sydney Harbour have all been religious releases by buddhists (ironic in that they release store bought live barra to get karma for saving an animal from death in a restaurant kitchen, only for the barra to suffer a slow death as waters cool in autumn). nothing to do with currents and climate change. But every one of these Harbour/Parra barra have been classic plate sized fish you find in restaurants. This one is heaps bigger. My guess: either the lake is so full of tucker the released barra got bigger and fatter quickly, or someone really needed a lot of karma points!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 Another buddy (who grew up in Darwin and has seen them many times before) has reported seeing one on the weekend, in Coffs Harbour Marina!! Rounding up the bait fish! They are on the move!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassboy888 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Another buddy (who grew up in Darwin and has seen them many times before) has reported seeing one on the weekend, in Coffs Harbour Marina!! Rounding up the bait fish! They are on the move!! Well it would be awesome if we did see them venture south! Like Jacks and pelagics, might have to start calling the barra a pelagic if they start traveling like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bombora Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 FW saying most likely an escapee from a nearby fish farm after the recent floods. Bet that's the same for the coffs fish. Sorry but no reason to buy a barra outfit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 There's jacks In Sydney. Just not enough of them to target... A certain lagoon on the northern beaches used to be the exception to this. Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettmann86 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 That was manly lagoon, the rumours have been flying around for a long time about that, still never seen a photo to prove it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 That was manly lagoon, the rumours have been flying around for a long time about that, still never seen a photo to prove it Not only Queenscliff lagoon. Trust me, it's more than a rumour. Pretty wild about the barra Roberta! Cheers, Grant, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjc123 Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 That was manly lagoon, the rumours have been flying around for a long time about that, still never seen a photo to prove it I've seen plenty of pics mate. Not in recent times but take my word for it. It's no rumour Heard a report of one caught there in december but nothing to confirm it. Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 11, 2013 Author Share Posted February 11, 2013 ........pretty wild about the barra Roberta.... I KNOW!! Not FAIR!! How many miles & days of fishing to get to Mondo?? For ZIPPO!! SPEWING! Roberta No barra farms around here!! Definitely (ummmm, almost definite.......) not in the rivers that feed our lake - way too cold for them!! I would think the closest barra farm would be up the Qld border somewhere! Any ideas, Grant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzlar Posted February 11, 2013 Share Posted February 11, 2013 Bring on global warming lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 A couple more pics - of the Pro Fisho's son Jack Chapman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LungFai Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 There are farms in NSW, just none that are in our waterways. They are usually recirculation tanks and the Barra are usually bred to table size and sold. There was a farm down near the southern highlands which is up for sale at present due to high electricity cost. There is one up near Nelson's Bay i believe called cookabarra. Saw it on Sydney Weekender a while ago, not sure if they let you catch your fish for the cooks to cook it for you. There was another one somewhere up there also that allowed you to catch your own Barra from the pond, but you had to buy it per kilo once caught. Think this one closed down. Should go entice the natural hotspring operators and see if they are willing to set up a fishing farm as a side business using the heated water to keep the water temps at 28 degrees for them Barra's. I'd pay to fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 Thanks for that info, Lung Fai! Very interesting!!I fished a Barramundi Farm at Townsville a few years back & had HEAPS of fun! Hooked some 80-90cm barra & they still put up a good fight on light gear - I was using 4lb braid & 50lb leader on my Shimano Dropshot rod!! Initially I was only going to target the small barra pond, but I got really game & fished the Big Boy pond! Still heaps of fun! All good fun! How GOOD would it be if they became a more frequent visitor to Forster?? Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LungFai Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 You could make it possible. Get a few people to invest in a product called Suburban Farmer. It's a 3 x 3 meter home fish farm that also produces vegetables. Raise the Barra to a good size (doesn't take long considering their growth rate) and release into the waterway and pray that you are the one who hooks it a month later Something to think about for those who have a backyard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted February 12, 2013 Share Posted February 12, 2013 ........pretty wild about the barra Roberta.... Any ideas, Grant? Not a bloody clue! Getting one up here in the Tweed... maybe but highly doubtful. Getting one that big in Forster? I'm still shaking my head in disbelief!!! Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted February 12, 2013 Author Share Posted February 12, 2013 Just heard from the young bloke about the barra - it was still alive when they got to it in the net!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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