Well its looks that there was no spawning (recruitment as its called) this year in the Fitzroy.

The prolonged and heavy flooding dramatically changed the salinity at the mouth of the Fitzroy. Hence no spawning on the big tides to push the eggs into the estuary and mangrove creeks.

With a season missing there'll be a noticeable hole in the sizes in 2-3 years.

Don't know yet if the same thing happened anywhere else.

Regards
Ronj

Fascinating to hear that, and very sad.

However it seems the big Wet has really turned on the fishing on much of the East Coast.

I've just talked to the Ingham and Innisfail boys and they said it's been the best barra fishing year ever.

At Proserpine, the river has been good, but not so good in the dam.

At Hinchinbrook, the contents of the barra farm went into the channel during Cyclone Yasi (I am told), and they caught double the usual catch at the latest barra comp.

I'm hoping the big Wet will have the opposite effect on recruitment in the Top End, but who knows? I don't think they check juvenile recruitment here.

Might be that an average Wet has the best overall recruitment. Those Fitzroy fish should be as well adapted as any to big flood events.

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could be a while till we see salt up in the town reaches for sure but how do know about the recruitment rates Ron??

be interested to be involved in the research/observation if possible. i thought with the big wet it would of suit the barra but obviously not??

crabs have made their way up to Gavial which i thought was pretty amazing considering the amount of fresh.

barra recruitment would still have to be high in places like corramen corio port alma etc??? or not?? have seen big barra schooling at coastal island near creek mouths very close to the river mouth,,, so that would be a good sign would'nt it??

have managed a few good barra in the river this year already but heading up to the daly to satisfy the "barra demons" in june. cant wait to really sus out the barra down here!!

Harmsey

Yes, it's tough to know. I am told barra eggs can be killed by freshwater, even though the small barra head upstream.

As for the crabs, same deal here, they must live in the salt water underneath the layer of fresh.

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There have been heaps of barra moving around in the Fitzroy particularly at Port Alma. Many good sized ones caught. But they're from previous spawnings.

Although regular flooding is normal here, this years was for an extended period and high level. The flood this year was the 3rd highest ever recorded here. There's a creek near my place called Moore's Ck (the upper reaches at Dean St culvert). Usually dry but runs with heavy rain in Jan/Feb for a week or so. It's been running since September last year ( 9 months) and still is. Never seen that before - ever.

The Fitzroy was flooding long before the media got hold of the story.

The barra certainly school up at the estuary mouths ready for the right conditions. At rocky headlands/bars near the mouth. A spearo friend of mine describes them as "squadrons" of big fish around the metre mark just sitting waiting. He does'nt shoot 'em preferring other species for eating.

With most of the Fitzroy's outpourings carried north along the coastline, there's probably been a similar effect up as far as Corio Bay (which had its own abnormal fresh water run from Waterpark Creek).

Barra research including recruitment is carried out by a local family business called Info-Fish services run by a fellow called Bill Saywnock and his wife. Bill would have to be one of the most knowledge fellows I know about barra. The company carries out research on grants and other commercial contracts. Bill's company was the one contracted by Macarthur River Mine up your way to reasearch before and after data relating to the changes made by the mine.

You've probably heard of him or know him. U can look him up on Google under InfoFish Services.

U back in Rocky Harmsey?

regards
Ron

The thing about abnormal years such as we just had is they do create opportunities you'd not normally find that can benefit some species in the long term. It's been hypothesised in papers that Barramundi most likely crossed the 200km channel between Timor and NW Australia (in periods of very low sea levels) on the leading edge of large flood plumes. The flood plumes can exist for long enough for the larvae to develop and carry a huge amount of nutrients as tucker.

It's possible that much of what may have spawned from the Fitzroy has ended up spread up the coast by the south easterlies that can move genetic material much further and faster on the QLD coast compared to the NT coast where the northerly winds tend to keep the flood plumes closer to the river mouths.

Apparently ol' mate flathead was originally endemic to Australia but is now distributed to our north. It's possible that it got the flood plume ride back the other way. Swapping flathead for barra, seems like we ended up with the better end of the stick

Damn it Dick, that's a good tip ... next time I am out at South Gutter and I see a flood plume, I'm pulling out the Judges and Warlocks!

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The snapper in Port Phillip Bay haven't had a successful breeding year this season as well. My fisho mate was just saying that none of the larvae survived this year making it two out of the last three.

This season the reasons are the same for the Barra in the Fitzroy, too much fresh water washed in from the rivers and the sewerage treatment plant. The previous lost season was because of the water temps being too high. There is still a lot that is not understood and probably never will be.

It hasn't stopped , what appears to be, a healthy population of a very special fish right on the door steps of a city of 3 mil plus from deminishing that much yet. Snapper grow a lot slower than Barra so it takes much longer for any breeding problems to filter through the population. They can obviously manage with the odd bad year but I wouldn't like to see it happen too many years in a row.


Better hope that both Snapper and Barra have a good year next season.

Bit of a larvae barra fishing specialist are you Matt

Maybe I'll use the trout gear then Dick

The accepted wisdom up here is that a big wet season is good for the young fish - long-term flooding gives them more places to hide from predators and more to eat, but I guess if there is enough fresh water to kill the eggs then the cycle does not even start. But I remember one fisheries scientist being adamant that good barra year classes in the Top End were tied to good Wets.

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U know
What u're saying about the wetter the better is echoed by Bill in a paper he wrote in the 90s about the effect of freshwater run-off in the Fitzroy.

My uncle (I used to barra fish with him in the late 50s in the Fitzroy both netting and whacko rods) used to say the say same thing so naturally I did too!

I've contacted Bill to see if there's any truth in the story. I should know better than repeat insted of research.

Will let u know shortly.

Ron

Good to know that even Ronge has an oracle he needs to consult at times, good on ya Ron good to see you on again. Only kidding, true.

G'day Andy

U know, even we oracles need to draw breath at times as we flutter around bestowing wisdom upon the great unwashed.

After all, a past president (and life member) of the International Society of Oracles had to have a rest on the seventh day after making the world.

regards
The Big "O" (and I can't sing.

At least you havent lost your sence of humor Ronge, take the rest its well earned.

yeah mate bought a block out at Tungamull, have to catch up for a fish