Free jumping barramundi : Northern Freshwater Fishing

ronje · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:50 pm Post subject: Free jumping barramundi

Hi

Went billabong fishing today.

Got some small yellow/bronze weed-dwellers up to 60cm.

Saw a free-jumping barra which reminded me that I've only seen it once before (ever) and that was in the same lagoon about 5 years ago.

So what's the score with free-jumping barra? Is it a common thing?

Also saw a 60cm or so barra in shallow water with dorsal fins sticking out of water and stomach on the bottom. Fish seemed to be shivering (for want of a better term) with water droplests jumping off the water. After 2-3 minutes (a relatively long time) it stopped and swam off into deeper water.

Anybody know what that signifies (apart from cold)?

BarraBase · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:00 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

looking for the NT border

itsinmeblood · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:47 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

i've seen em jumping a few times...one notable one was at Monduran dam a mate and I had gone all day for a doughnut and had just powered up for the run back to the ramp when a fairly big barra jumped at the bow and landed past the stern about a metre off the starboard side of the boat...swear to this day that it was attempting to grab its anal fin with its pectorals and moon us
Last week Turtle and I were trolling a little creek in the gulf and a splash got our attention..he was wearing his go pro camera filming and nabbed a little footage of a small chromie just making its re-entry
as to why...I've got nothing...cos they can maybe

JR77 · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:48 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

dont know much about it but a few years ago whilst traveling round aus saw 2 big barra over the meter mark free
jumping one was in the ord at mambi isl and the other was on the pilbara coast at cleverville.

my guess was they had eaten a spiky meal and were trying to shack it free..

Mr RiverBabe · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

See it at Sampan all the time.

maxpower · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:12 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Saw a few decent ones jumping out along the flats out the front of Shady in March. Couldn't catch the buggers tho!

Mr RiverBabe · Posted: Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:39 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

I have never caught any jumping either. After what we saw the other day landbased. Anyone that says Barra dont round up bait then smash it to pieces like Tuna Macks and so fourth are wrong. We saw them landbased rounding up smaller fish then smashing them. Threw heaps at them and got raped everytime. Could not keep a hold of any.

Mud · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 12:54 am Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Have llost barra before with a bust off and then seen them free jump untill they threw the lure....

Pecheur · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:02 am Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Hi there,

Was at East-Point one early morning, with just the tip of my feet in the water, when a very nice barra jumped well clear of the water, about one meter in the air, just a few feet from me.

In my simple mind, if this kind of fish was jumping so high, so close to me in a perfectly calm morning, it must have been because he had a big predator on it's tail.

So, not knowing if it could be a shark or a croc, I just took a few steps back on the rocks...

Maybe he was just playing, but I didn't want to take the chance.

Have a good day,
Pecheur

Lats · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 7:14 am Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Pecheur wrote:

it must have been because he had a big predator on it's tail.

This is a possibility but down south I know that big mullet jump all the time in the rivers. These fish are not being chased because it is a real slow
jump that is more vertical than flying through the air for horizontal distance. And they nearly always slap down on their sides. It happens more in
calm areas in the river which makes me think it might be something to do with breeding (but not sure). Certain species of sting rays jump down
south too. Maybe a shark is chasing them, I dont know.

Mud · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:38 am Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Ive watched an eagle ray jumping like mad over near mandorah Lats and sure enough a good sized bronze whaler hot on its tail.....

olfart · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Maybe it's the barra way of flippin us the bird.. :wink:

Morry · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

Saw a heap of Barra jumping at the Finniss late in the dry. they were all around the 40-45cm mark and were going everywhere. one practically jumped over my shoulder and almost landed in the boat.

Blinky · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 4:43 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

See "free ballers" all the time on the Daly, most occasions there's a shark right up their date.............

nikoniko · Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:21 pm Post subject: Re: Free jumping barramundi

I figured they could have an identity crisis :bricks:

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