I managed to get some time away from work to try and catch a Barra before the season end. I invited my Dad along to once again see if he could break his lean run of luck and finally catch a legal Barra. The plan was to fish the Hinchinbrook area at the Herbert River end for 2.5 days.

Due to our late start the wind was already well up and the channel itself was fairly rough. We lost several good baits and Dad dropped a very nice Barra right beside the boat as it swam back at him with a big head shake. It was very disappointing because that would have been the perfect celebration on his birthday.

Thursday morning saw us on the water a lot earlier. We went over to the rocks on the island side to throw some lures for the turn of the high tide. While drifting along throwing lures at the shallows I noticed some good arches on the sounder out deeper. We made a quick change and tried dragging a couple of deeper lures through where the fish appeared to be holding. We made several passes, changing lure colors every couple of times. The first pass with an Elton John lure got slammed and I was onto a nice fish. After an initial jump it fought down deep and I wasn’t totally sure of what I had hooked. When I finally got color it turned out to be a big Barra. Dad did a good job with a net and we had our first fish in the boat. She measured 102cm and was my first 1m+ saltwater Barra. Felt bl..dy good!! We made a few more passes and I managed another 65cm Barra before they vanished from the rock bar. We headed off to get some bait. Once again it was scarce and we didn’t get a lot. We headed off to fish one of my locations out of the wind. I caught an 80cm Barra and Dad broke the drought with a 73cm specimen. All in all a very successful day, I broke the 1m barrier and Dad broke his run of ducks! We headed home early with Barra on ice, called into the pub to celebrate with a couple of coldies.

The next day we tried to repeat the same thing. Unfortunately the fish were not holding at the same spot and the wind came up a lot earlier. We tried bait fishing again for a while but there was nothing happening. It was a complete change to the previous day. I think the lack of tide flow on Friday was the reason. There were no color changes at all and the water was crystal clear.

All in all it was a great trip thanks to the action on Thursday. Dad and I will plan to go back again next year.

Congrate's to you and ya dad Speccy looking scenery in the background, mountains and rainforest would make a nice change from the mangroves and mudflats most of us get to fish.

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WOW! I didn't know it fished so well. ONYA!

Well done guys. Great catch.

Sounds like a great trip out with your dad.

Nice one gammo, gotta love Hinchinbrook, even if the whole world fishes there some weekends

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Great work mate, congrats on the meter fish
Surely a great looking place to catch barra , i use to suss it out
on the charts when i worked up and down the east coast.
Its a massive system on the inside of hitchinbrook island,
would be easy to get lost without a GPS, definitly wanna fish it myself
one day, that and further north in the escape and jackey jackey rivers.

Ditto MS. I've read so much about the place and some of the scenary is just fantastic. Some great barra boys. Keep the Hinchin reports coming. Pics too.

Richie

Great report mate I bet it was a buzz to get your old man a nice barra and in such beautifull country as well and well done on your metery.

Nice work gammo42,

The Hinchinbrook Channel is the most pristine and visually beautiful barra fishing spot on the East coast. Catching a barra just adds to the pleasure.

In the second photo is that the mouth of deluge creek behind you?

It has been a long time since my last visit, I still have vivid memories of fishing the channel, in particular flicking lures around deluge creek and trolling the submerged bolders on the Western side of Aycock island.

cheers,

dno

Thanks for the comments guys.

Yes the Hinchinbrook Channel is a beautiful place. We chose to go there before the season shut because at least there is a bit of water between each boat most of the time. Final week before Barra season ends is very hectic closer to Townsville.

DNO, it isn't the mouth of Deluge, its closer to the mouth of the Seymour River. A nice little spot that will be kept as quiet as can be!!!!

I know this is a late post (as I am new to this forum) but Nice Barra's.
The best part is that you got your Dad onto one.
I had my Dad over from Perth and come hell or high water I could not get him to stay connected

Again nice couple of Barra mate

Knighty

nice fish there mate