Local Rivers

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:28 pm

I live in a small Aboriginal Community on a river and have been fishing it nonstop for the last 10 weeks for zero fish, when on the weekend I managed to find a way to put my boat in the water for the first time, which now I think I will be in there alot more now I know I can get it in.

The water is cristal clear, which I am not to sure how that will spook the fish, but anyway I tried more natural small lures and a pink predatek boomerang, which I have used for redfin down south successfully. It is also a magent for powertails.

Any way I fished it Friday night for 2 hours after work and a few hours sunday night and caught 1 sooty grunter ( my first ever ) and I caught 4 powertails and the wife caught 2 powertails.

My last power tail I thought was a barra as it put up a fight and then came towards the surface, but when it came to the surface the only thing left was a head, so it seems someone else wanted it more than me.

Anyone got any ideas on any lures that work well in cristal clear waters for barra or even sooty grunter.

Fishing in your boat trolling with the electric 100m from your house it does not get much better, even if it is for mostly powertails, but soon I hope I can snag a barra out of it????

Dingo

meter_seeker · Post by **meter_seeker** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:59 pm

try using more variety in colours/sizes and types until hopefully something breaks through and it will then persist on that. Sooty's are very aggressive and territorial of there home. try getting a snagless plastic right in the thick of there shelter the'll always have a go at what they think is food or an invader.sunrise and sunset best time for them slow during the day red meat for bait goes well.

Dick · Post by **Dick** » Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:58 pm

I use lures from 50 to 75rmm for sooties (though the odd one takes a 150 scorp every now and then) and as mentioned get the lure under the cover where the fish are lurking.

Jeno · Post by **Jeno** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:23 am

G'day mate, as mentioned try using the smallest lure possible for sooties, and don't worry as plenty of reasonable barra are caught on small lures. For sooties when using lures I have always had the most luck on suspending lures. In clear water like you mention, I will find a large submerged log/snag and cast up past it, work the lure to depth then twitch it past as close as I can to the snag, twitch twitch suspend etc...

Good fun, ok enjoy!

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:46 pm

Thanks for the info fellas, I will be away next week for a little while and will pick some lures, and I will post a report when ever I have some succes.

I really only thought of chasing barra in the water until i snagged a sooty, now it gives me something else i can target so that is a bonus. I have also seena few other fish as the water is clear, i have not worked out what they are yet, and i thought i saw some long tom.
They were long and skinny anyway.

Once again, Thanks, Dingo

John Whitegoods · Post by **John Whitegoods** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:01 pm

whats the water temp dingo?

like CB said it might be a matter of bumping your lures into the heads of barra until it gets a little warmwe and they get more active ...

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:37 pm

No worries their John Water temp has been between 23.9 and 24.5 degrees the 2 times I have been in the water. I realise that they will fire up more later in the year as the water gets warmer, I guess you have to really try and get amongst the structure at this time of year to give yourself a chance. I have chosen one section of about 800m with some good structure and just trooled over it repeatedly.

By the sounds of things I will be chucking lures for the sooties into the cover and trolling the snags to maybe entice a lazy barra.

As i lived in Alice area last year and mainly come up to fish the run off, June is quite different as the water is clear and fresh, there are more different species to chase.

Thnks for the advice John.

So I have heard that 27 dgrees is good for the barra, what are some of the coolest temps that people have caught barra in.

Dingo

bandit · Post by **bandit** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:07 pm

mate as said above small lures in the fresh, my fav up here is pink but could be different down there.
this time of year for the fresh i reckon arvos are the go....
should fire up sep-nov, thats when corroboree fires...

as far as coldest water temp for barra. ive got onto one of the best barra sessions of my life with meter seeker at the daly at the end of june.
water temp was between 17 in morning to 22 in arvo... the daly seems to be one of those spots the fishes best in the winter months tho if u ask me...

meter_seeker · Post by **meter_seeker** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 9:44 pm

ya not wrong about that CB, daly amazed me how active the barra remain during these cold temperatures guess its why it makes it such a renound fishing location for us and those poaching southerners. woops did i just say that

noundz · Post by **noundz** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 8:31 am

If the lures aren't working for you Dingo, throw in your pots and catch a dirty big prawn and send him down a heap of timber

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 7:38 am

I find it very hard to target anything but Barra, but anyhow my wife went into Kununurra and picked me up a red and black just under +1 classic lure, and I went out last night and targeted sooties. There is plenty of fallen timber and pandanus in the water and third cast I had one on. I fished for about an hour after work and caught 2 sooties and 2 archer fish, the biggest sooty was 31cm.

It is great fun targeting these little fish in the clear water as when the lure hit the water I could see the fish come out and either hit the lure or follow it in. I am hooked and will be back out tonight for a go before i head off on holidays tomorrow.

I did not take my camera, but I will update some pictures of the river when I get a chance.

Thanks, Dingo

meter_seeker · Post by **meter_seeker** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:08 pm

its good to hear ya now getting them dingo look forward to hearing about it in your next post

Dingo · Post by **Dingo** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:20 pm

Well, how different a month can be in fishing. Last month I discovered fishing for sooties and was having a ball chasing them. In the crystal clear water you could see the fish swimming around and coming out from the timber to either follow the lure or take it. Now I am not seeing many fish at all around, and have only managed 2 sooties in the last fortnight after thousands of casts. The water temp has dropped from 24 to 21.5 degrees which has obviously has played a part in shutting down the action, and the water has stopped flowing, which I am not to sure whether this will play too much in how the fishing goes. I probably now have a stretch of about 4km of boatable water, which is plenty. The water clarity is also sensational and I can clearly see the bottom to 3 meters, and after that it does get a bit dark.

It has been very interesting watching the bottom when it is so clear and last night I saw the most amazing thing. I was throwing lures at some overhanging pandanas when out of the dark shadows of the pandanus appeared a massive fish, I was in shock when it came towards the boat until it got scared off and I kid you not it was a barra at least a meter and more realistically 1.2 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ 1.3 meters.

My focus has now turned towards barra, and I figure if it is pooled in a stretch of river of 4km, and if I can throw and troll lures until the rain comes at the end of the year When the river opens up., I have got to catch him. DonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t I???????? well atleast I can DREAM.

Dingo

meter_seeker · Post by **meter_seeker** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:49 pm

Nice soot dingo, finally getting onto to buggers now the pressures off, you'll get more no worries

.
As for the barra mate bet it got the heart pumping, I remember talking to the bandit over the phone in townsville as i stopped flicking and started chatting a fish well over the meter came to the surface. Hung up and flicked crazy, but no luck

. Kept me going back to the same spot though.
Your obviously in a place with no tidal influence so it couldnt of gone far. So reducing 4km into that small area your in with a chance. Remember big lures big fish, but dont rub small ones off. All the best mate

, look forward to seeing a picture of it soon

scottmac · Post by **scottmac** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 9:15 pm

Jeez, I envy you mate!

I used to do some work on some outstations in Arhnem Land and loved nothing more than grabbing the flick stick and walking the banks of the creeks after work and getting spooked by buffalos

So relaxing! Gods country!

You sound mad keen. I reckon you will have it sussed by the build-up!

Good luck

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