Going Barramundi Fishing? You Need The Right Tackle and Lures
By Bob Ives
The Barramundi in Australia is a wonderful fish to catch because it
gives you plenty of fishing excitement. They get to be quite large,
they’re strong and can run hard, and they provide you with plenty of
visual pleasure with their acrobatic leaps. In Australia they generally
go by the shortened name of ‘Barra’.
So how does one have the good fortune of hooking up with one of these
angler’s delights? You must have the right fishing tackle and the right
fishing lures for Barramundi. It’s not that they are so very different
from other fish in Australia, but knowing what to put in your arsenal
will certainly help you land more of the monsters. The biggest secret to
catching Barra is to be in the correct place at the correct time, but
these tips should help you increase your chances.
Barramundi Fishing Tackle
The first thing you DON’T want to do when fishing for Barramundi is
to fish with light tackle. That dog won’t hunt for these babies because
they get very large so you need tackle with equal attitude. They can be
caught up to 40 pounds, so you need to be ready. Even a smaller one can
weigh in at 20 pounds.
You are liable to hook up with one that is determined to challenge your
tackle and you need to have the right fishing gear for the occasion.
This is not a situation in which you want to practice finesse fishing.
You’re going to need a sturdy rod, a strong reel, strong leaders, XO
hooks, 6 to 8 inch lures and heavy line.
You can use a baitcaster or a spinning reel, but you need to make sure
it’s rigged with 6-8 kg line (13 to 17 pounds). You might even want to
go heavier and make sure you have a really good drag on your reel.
Barramundi Fishing Lures
Barra are not real picky about what they eat, so most soft baits,
hard baits and surface lures will do well, as long as they resemble
something similar to the forage that Barramundi are accustomed to; like
bait fish and minnows. You can also use live baits.
If you are night fishing, or fishing very early in the morning before
sunrise, good lures would be fizzers and noisy poppers. Fizzers are kind
of like a crank bait with a spinner blade on it, and poppers are lures
that have a concave face that moves water so when you ‘pop’ it, it makes
a bit of commotion in the water. They usually have feathery tails made
of hair or other fiber.
Color doesn’t seem to be a real issue when fishing for Barramundi in
Australia, however I would recommend if one is not working that you try
another. The main thing is you should use one with which you have
confidence or you won’t fish it as patiently. Good large lures to try
are Rapala Shad Rap diving lures in natural colors.
The main thing to remember when Barramundi fishing in Australia is when
you get a bite, hold on tight because they hit hard and a lot of fish
are lost at the initial hook up. |
