North Australian FISH FINDER forums

Hi there,

Today I went fishing to East Point, trying to catch a Barramundi, before the big rains that should arrive very soon.
At first when I rocked up to the spot, I didn't like my chances of getting any fish very much.
The water was dirty, and not very flat.
Here is an image of what the water looked like:


Dirty waters at East Point.

Now, I do know that Barramundi love colour changes and sometime dark waters. But for the fishing that I like doing at this spot, the conditions were not really auspicious. I usually prefer when the water is very clear, and when I can see my lure swimming underwater. Also because I can then see the Barramundi attacking the lure, and it always give me a kick.
But today, the water was dirty, at the sky overcast.
Oh well, I was there, after much deliberation at home, looking at the radar picture on my mobile phone, trying to see if it was going to rain or not?
Would it be worth getting out of bed on a weekend day?
Well as I said, I was there, with nothing to loose then.
So I started to cast my lure.
Wondering why I had been optimistic and even left home?
The tide was not where I wanted it to be, the wind was flying my light lure to the side of where I wanted it to be...
This looked like it was going to get a great day, with no fish and a chance of rain...
Oh well...
You are here now my boy, so cast your lure over there past these rocks...

After less than a dozen casts, as I was retrieving my lure, and thinking that it must now have been out of the strike zone, I glanced at the sky, wondering how long it would be before the heavens open, and I would get drenched by the rain?
Rod's tip down, flicking without even thinking about it during the retrieve, and it all happened...
Boom I was on!
A pretty sharp hit, and the line flying out of my reel.
A flash of silver in the muddy water, yes it is a Barramundi and not a cod!
It heads straight for some rock on the right, turn left for some other rock, jump in front of me, and go even more to the left. You Beauty I think, there is a little grove in the rocks there I will be able to pick you up, as soon as I get you there.
But no, it had other ideas and swam quickly back to the right and is finally at my feet, but in front of a step rock.
I really don't want to loose this fish, and I am maybe just a bit more excited than I should be.
Well ok, I am totally lost in the action, way more excited than I would like to admit it.
And this is when and why I make a rookie mistake.
I high stick to lift the fish out of the water and onto the rocks.
Just as the fish is above the rocks, I hear a dry kind of noise, and the fish felt flat on the rocks at my feet.
I nudge it further on the rocks with my foot and look in disbelief at my rod.
It is broken in two, and this is not the first time that I did that...


Broken fishing rod.

This was the oldest of my baitcaster rods, I had it for nearly ten years, so some would say that it had made its time. Still I was a bit disappointed.
I could not help to think that in such a short time, less than twelve casts and I had this fish. So many other might have been around, and I was not going to catch them now...
And the fish? What did it look like?
The fish that broke my rod:


My fish of the day.

Yes, it was no monster but at 70cm, it was in my book, still a cool fish to get land based. And in any way, better than what I got in a long time, so I was still very happy with that.

Now, with a fish in my bag, and no more fishing rod, I decided to go home.
And just as I got in the car, it started raining. Not for very long, but still pretty hard.
If I hadn't broken my rod, i would still have been on the beach, and would be well and truely wet by now. So in the end breaking this rod, still had a positive side to it.

And this is it for now.

Have a good day,
Pecheur

Great story as always and a nice fish from the rocks, sorry to hear about you rod

Excellent fish from the rocks. Sucks about the rod though, we have all been there and lifted the fish with the rod when we shouldn't have.

Great report mate, well done.

You can get that extra Christmas pressy now Pech, oooh a New Rod

A 70 mate very nice from East Point , that's one I won't be bringing home.
It's a great spot and often produces fish in messy conditions .

Great tale Pech,

Makes me feel guilty I'm just sitting on my couch!

Cheers

That is the water colour you should be fishing. You get much larger fish. only smaller fish in the clearer waters.

Love the story, pity about the rod but a new one beckons.

I Wish wrote:That is the water colour you should be fishing. You get much larger fish. only smaller fish in the clearer waters.

I second that. Not too often you find big fish in shallow clear water. Barra can feed at night in brown water. There lateral line senses are unbelievable. One session a couple years ago it was a new moon, half a meter sea and a 8m tide. We were casting up current and winding so slow that the lures barely moved through the water if at all. Barra were boofing the lure as they floated out with the tide. How they sensed any thing was there I will never know but we caught 13 barra over 90cm for 3 days and lost a fair few as well due to not having a lot of tension on the lure during the hit. I got curious as to what they were feeding on and observed the bait was all floating out with the tide and hiding under leaves ect. A true learning curve and a new technique was developed. And I guess I should thank a old member of the forum "sheeby" for being crazy enough to work it out even if it did come from having a birds nest in the first place and the lure getting hit.

Great read as always mate and a beaut baz.

nice work! what lure you using...one of Blinky's mullets would go ace along those rocks.

In thirty plus years I've broken 3 gl3 loomis 10-17 lb models on barra 2 on 50-60 cm fish trying to skid them onto the bank them like a d..kead and one on a 102 that ripped the tip into small over hanging branch didn't notice until i went to unhook it and saw my rods top 2 eyelets hanging out of its mouth ....

Drink less n pay more attention i guess

Hi there,

Thanks for the kind replies, about the rod.
But in the end, it is just a fishing rod and I am still very happy to have got this fish.
And just between us, it tasted very good, thank you very much...


The lure used was a KO Tackle Tailbaitz.
A yellow one.

Yes I was told that bigger Barra would be found in darker water, but I still really like seeing them, even if smaller ones, taking the lure.

And in regards to Sheeby, well what can I say, the guy is a pretty good fisherman, despite the bird nest...



Have a good day,
Pecheur

good read and nice barra, well done.

Good story