Barramundi,Lures and Angler's
Text from John Mitchell's Charter's...
Mood" and "Mode of Operation" of the Barramundi. Barramundi that swirl behind your lure, nip, follow and tap your lure are fish that are not 100% committed to your offering. A lure swap and technique swap will vastly improve the strike to land ratio on those days. I have never seen a day where 'moving' barramundi aren't catchable. It is the days when they don't move that we struggle to even get a nibble. Change and experiment, lure size can be a huge key. That all relates to digestion and metabolism. The mode of operation of the barramundi in the given environmental circumstance, and the actual mood of the individual fish itself is what needs to be considered during every fishing hour. Cut your favourite lures off and maybe explore new options. You need to expand on what lures you cast; too many people fall in the trap of using one brand of lure over and over. Tunnel vision is a limiting factor. Mental and physiological changes in each barramundi mean anglers need to adjust tactics to stay in the race.
Johnny
Self Command
Trolling V Casting V Basic Spear
Text from John Mitchell's Charter's...
Mood" and "Mode of Operation" of the Barramundi. Barramundi that swirl behind your lure, nip, follow and tap your lure are fish that are not 100% committed to your offering. A lure swap and technique swap will vastly improve the strike to land ratio on those days. I have never seen a day where 'moving' barramundi aren't catchable. It is the days when they don't move that we struggle to even get a nibble. Change and experiment, lure size can be a huge key. That all relates to digestion and metabolism. The mode of operation of the barramundi in the given environmental circumstance, and the actual mood of the individual fish itself is what needs to be considered during every fishing hour. Cut your favourite lures off and maybe explore new options. You need to expand on what lures you cast; too many people fall in the trap of using one brand of lure over and over. Tunnel vision is a limiting factor. Mental and physiological changes in each barramundi mean anglers need to adjust tactics to stay in the race.
Johnny
Self Command
*Cutting off a lure and tying on another takes about thirty seconds.
*Having ten casts with a new lure or style takes about 4 -6 minutes.
In any given day, regardless of what lake you're at, or mindset you are in, it doesn't take much to do this. What comes from doing this are huge connections that take anglers miles from the original mindset. Imagine an average two day weekend for a travelling keen angler; if they trial just one extra lure a day each visit it will mount up to valuable experience. Each clue picked up on, or each missed strike will give a burning confidence and a new chapter to think about on the way home. One step at a time, but taking the initial first step may be the tough one. Expand your bubble with different side tracks.
Johnny
Classification, Identifying Lure Basics *Having ten casts with a new lure or style takes about 4 -6 minutes.
In any given day, regardless of what lake you're at, or mindset you are in, it doesn't take much to do this. What comes from doing this are huge connections that take anglers miles from the original mindset. Imagine an average two day weekend for a travelling keen angler; if they trial just one extra lure a day each visit it will mount up to valuable experience. Each clue picked up on, or each missed strike will give a burning confidence and a new chapter to think about on the way home. One step at a time, but taking the initial first step may be the tough one. Expand your bubble with different side tracks.
Johnny
Grouping or classification of lure types into 'concept or principle' is the first step for any angler. Once anglers discover the principle or the concept, doors open. Understanding how lures work and why they work will carry anglers further along.
Try as many lure types as you can within your chosen 'concept' for a better arsenal of stimulation options. Seek and you shall find.
I had twenty casts yesterday working with a 'visual', silent concept and it scored a small barra.
Cheers
Johnny
On the lure topic, there is a similarity in many forms of lure fishing that I refer to as "Concept Fishing". I noticed a while back, just before you landed the other giant 125 cm barra that you mentioned learning about a new way to work lures. You now seem to have adopted a new lure brand which allows you to do this with success. I see Eric G just recently mentioned some finer details about tuning lures to suit and in this example lies a vital clue to getting the 'concept' to work for many other lure styles that can be twitched to tempt the same fish. I do not know of any lures on the shelf of any tackle store that do not need to be 'tuned' or 'altered' in order to turn them into better fish catching devices. Add angler skill into the equation and the results of 'concept fishing' rather than individual lure brand choice can be astounding. E.g. Paddle tail soft plastics like, Storm, Tsunami, Squidgy, Berkley and so on can attain awesome results when tuned, balanced and brought to life by smart angling skills. Some top name brand lure types don't make it to my 'go to' barra tackle box quite simply as there are often many similar lure types that will bring the same or better results. Think of concept, rather than lure brand.
Cheers, I can't wait to see your next XOS barra.
Lure Colour, or Tactic? Try as many lure types as you can within your chosen 'concept' for a better arsenal of stimulation options. Seek and you shall find.
I had twenty casts yesterday working with a 'visual', silent concept and it scored a small barra.
Cheers
Johnny
On the lure topic, there is a similarity in many forms of lure fishing that I refer to as "Concept Fishing". I noticed a while back, just before you landed the other giant 125 cm barra that you mentioned learning about a new way to work lures. You now seem to have adopted a new lure brand which allows you to do this with success. I see Eric G just recently mentioned some finer details about tuning lures to suit and in this example lies a vital clue to getting the 'concept' to work for many other lure styles that can be twitched to tempt the same fish. I do not know of any lures on the shelf of any tackle store that do not need to be 'tuned' or 'altered' in order to turn them into better fish catching devices. Add angler skill into the equation and the results of 'concept fishing' rather than individual lure brand choice can be astounding. E.g. Paddle tail soft plastics like, Storm, Tsunami, Squidgy, Berkley and so on can attain awesome results when tuned, balanced and brought to life by smart angling skills. Some top name brand lure types don't make it to my 'go to' barra tackle box quite simply as there are often many similar lure types that will bring the same or better results. Think of concept, rather than lure brand.
Cheers, I can't wait to see your next XOS barra.
I also notice colour being mentioned once again in a few posts, yet it always amazes me how ten different guys mention their one or two favourite colours which quite often results in fifteen or twenty different colours being mentioned in total. Doesn't that spell a good trend? Does colour really matter, or is it an angler’s mental issue that drives confident fishing? After 21 yrs of barra fishing I cannot sit here and say that I have ever noticed lure colour out fishing other colours with barra. Not once. That's a lot of miles and a lot of fish and mega experience over time to see how other traits override colour. Anglers often mention lure type and lure colour, but often the train of thought never expands onto technique and how the lure actually attracts fish. Rapala X-Raps for example have unique movement and unique rattles. Clickity click..... Tick tick,,!!??!?? Expanding beyond what a lure looks like quite often tells us why the barra strikes it. It is rare for many great barra lures to even resemble any life form in a lake or ocean.
Favourite Lures So many lures catch barra that I actually don't have a favourite. The way that you approach and address a different fishing scenario, in my opinion is far stronger than actual lure selection itself. Barra constantly move in impoundments, and different areas require slightly varying methods to entice a barra strike. The fishing ranges from 2 feet to 50 feet at varying times of the year; so not one lure can cover all aspects. Lures that dive 1 m or less, 2 m, 3 m, 4 m, 6 m, 9 metres etc cover most barra fishing scenarios in Awoonga. There is a lot more to barra fishing than lure selection. The right lures in the wrong places will bring sad results. Poor lure selection in the right places will bring similar results. Every lure has its place in an ever changing fishery, hence the reason why we own 50 million lures each, but in reality, half a dozen can give you a good head start.
Tips for Monduran Anglers In time the place will become a changed fishery which in turn will mean you will also become changed anglers. In a few years time you will probably look back and say "WOW",, I wish I knew about that technique or this idea years ago when the fish were easier. If they (the barra) change first and you follow you will always be behind the progression of the fishery. If you spread your wings now and stay two steps ahead by learning and thinking, you will always be in the right place to deliver. Arm yourself with a wide array of catch techniques. If this means catching a few less fish for a few trips to learn a few more ideas or gain a few new options, then you will thank only yourself for the small but gainful sacrifice in time to come. To think of all those 115-125cm fish in that lake begging to be hooked ticks away at me like a time bomb. For Monduran anglers, the clock ticks away until you start.
Lake Monduran- Soft Plastics I'm not convinced with the soft plastic stories from Monduran. I hear that they are not that good. How could that be so? They are a style of triggering method that carries vibration and movement in a constantly moving lure. That's how they work. It is the same principle with straight trolling in Monduran's basin with a rod in a holder or one worked slightly with a hand. Plenty of barra get caught that way in Monduran so why wouldn't it be feasible to apply straight winding, vibrating and moving offerings in varying sizes in a rubber body instead of a hard plastic or timber body? Are they not that good or are they not really used that much? My lady has fished Monduran once; it was a fairly hard day. She used a soft plastic, had 4 bites, missed two and landed a 114cm fish. These are good signs to me.
What do all you Monduran regulars think? I think they would be spot on, just like in any other barramundi lake.
Using Surface Fizzers, Poppers and Surface Walkers What do all you Monduran regulars think? I think they would be spot on, just like in any other barramundi lake.
The point about slack line is very important, and also very easy to do with a fizzer or popper. The visual aspect of being able to see the floating lure makes the whole concept about creating slack a whole lot easier to understand. Free moving bait fish aren't restricted by any connecting force. A floating surface lure should be presented in a similar, free floating mode that on the strike can be inhaled without the restriction of the adjoining line! Missed strikes, or Foul hooked fish; oh so true with a tight line. Include slack for better results.
Finesse Lure Presentation When we talk lure presentation most individuals think of what they normally do each trip to try to catch fish. What I mean by finesse lure presentation is what is done by the highly tuned in angler that achieves much more than anglers who adopt reasonably straight forward- cast, wind, jiggle techniques, especially with soft plastics. When the 'finesse' word is examined and matched to the finely tuned lures that the Taylor's use to win these competitions there becomes a new level that separates the simple talk on what Harry, Jack, Joe or Jim do with their technique or rigging system. Taking into consideration that they have a very particular standard of what they call a 'tuned lure' compared to what 99% of anglers use. It's off track to comment on the finesse of angling until it really is understood on the grounds of higher skill level. In this situation where a 'fine delivery of a lure' is essential in creating the strike in conditions where a massive portion of the field struggle to even land one fish, one must realise that the purpose of single strand leaders is by far a superior delivery tool than a twisted leader with the lure choice for Cy and Kerrin. Subtle differences make all the difference.
It really is only in competition time or when times are tough when the subtleties stand well clear of 'normal, basic and common techniques.
In my opinion, if you are fishing with a twisted leader you are suppressing your ability to produce better results on the average day on a highly pressured barra dam.
Johnny
It really is only in competition time or when times are tough when the subtleties stand well clear of 'normal, basic and common techniques.
In my opinion, if you are fishing with a twisted leader you are suppressing your ability to produce better results on the average day on a highly pressured barra dam.
Johnny
Trolling V Casting V Basic Spear
Lyndon's words in our latest book------ goes something along the lines of--------an aboriginal with a spear sneaking up on foot in stealth mode in a crafty way to spear a barramundi in a lagoon- that makes the argument of troll versus cast look like a squashed grape on the bitumen. In seconds to that- both my new updated website and the book contains the same article on why cast and troll tactics are equally important in any fishery, barra, salt or fresh. As a guide who focuses on cast and retrieve, I do know the times where casting and jig fishing is inferior to troll fishing at 'select' periods.
To rate any type of cast or troll tactic as easy, simple, ho hum type can be true for all forms. To me- many cast captures are dead easy- no real skill required. The same argument applies to both. Read the article if anyone is interested..
Staying positive, and outfits with secrets!After the responses, it shows how much is involved in staying focused and getting results in your favour. When I have two charter clients fishing, one usually out fishes the other. Firstly, different lures are tried to find the best option. Usually, one angler catches one or two fish before the other, and a bit of time elapses before I discover what lure swap needs to be undertaken. By this stage, one angler is pumped, the other is edgy. This usually carries on, as the confident angler often gets a third fish before the other fisher gets the first. Our minds are powerful tools. Secondly, once we lay all variables together, fish confidently, fish smartly, swap rods with friends and so on, we discover how useless some outfits really are. Don't overlook the fact on this very topic, as I have done charters where a female client's own rod landed nothing in 4.5 hrs whilst I watched barra feed all around us. I was stumped as to why it was happening, but when I clicked as to what was occurring, we swapped her rod for one of mine laying idle on deck and the first two casts produced two fish over a metre and she hooked 7 more in the next hour. I have dozens of stories like this, and it would blow your mind. I have even fished with bad combos to try to make the end results better but fail to even come close to matching the results of a well tuned rod, reel, lure, line and so on.
But, here it gets deeper,,,,,,,,,,,,,the next time you fish a lake, the conditions may just change enough to make a different combo of lure, line, rod and reel produce better than the next. I've many examples written in my advanced book to keep you occupied and thinking. Ever wondered why some anglers prefer a different lure sized soft lure like a 110mm lure versus a 140mm lure, or vice versa? Ever wondered why anglers have favourite rods for certain jobs? I also ask myself why I use the rods and lines on my boat, and why not something else,,,,,,,,answer- because they work so well. I have a few rods downstairs leaning on the wall, doing nothing, because they are hopeless for lake lure fishing.
Weird, but true.
Lure Choice- Lure SizeBut, here it gets deeper,,,,,,,,,,,,,the next time you fish a lake, the conditions may just change enough to make a different combo of lure, line, rod and reel produce better than the next. I've many examples written in my advanced book to keep you occupied and thinking. Ever wondered why some anglers prefer a different lure sized soft lure like a 110mm lure versus a 140mm lure, or vice versa? Ever wondered why anglers have favourite rods for certain jobs? I also ask myself why I use the rods and lines on my boat, and why not something else,,,,,,,,answer- because they work so well. I have a few rods downstairs leaning on the wall, doing nothing, because they are hopeless for lake lure fishing.
Weird, but true.
There may be a correlation with lure size but there certainly is a technique that will produce more bigger barra in lakes than any other. My future in depth book will highlight that trend. It is something I have noticed over a fifteen year period from salt to fresh. In the lakes, lure size is critical in conditions where fish become fickle and on edge with prevailing weather conditions. Super small lures can bring a 120cm fish undone when water temps and weather conditions hover around levels that mess with constant metabolisms. When weather conditions vastly improve and barra decide that it is time to eat like mad and consume anything that moves while the going is good, bigger food items receive more interest. In freshwater lakes we have landed barra on the 25cm Nilsmaster invincible, which is a very heavy set lure. I'm sure you know it. It features in the FISHAWOONGA DVD. In the salt water, the same lure produces very big fish, quite simply because food in the salt is not always easy to come by and salt barra love big food items. In lakes, smaller food items are most common and there is a boundary where preferred food item size is reduced within a specific choice range which is somewhat related to natural selection that best serves the fish at the time.
A trend with bigger lures for bigger fish in lakes, on a whole , I believe, 'no', but at select times, 'yes'.
From past study documents, many fish species including barramundi will prey on a more profitable (energy gain versus energy expenditure) type and size of food if in abundance, yet will exploit a variety of dietary supplements in areas with mixed food offerings with less concentration of numbers of any one size. Running river and salty sea versus land locked lake are usually two different worlds. The salty will eat massive food items; catfish go missing in action, so too do small sharks, flathead and so on. I have live baited with flathead for barra as well as using medium sized milk fish among other fish and crab species. In our lakes in Qld, there are a number of medium sized species that exist. In Awoonga, Bully mullet (sea mullet) exist up to several kilos. When the mullet were small, like 6-8 inches long (many years ago), the barra would hunt them down on the flats, but now it is very rare to see a mature sized bully mullet being hunted by barramundi. In the salt, these big mullet would be my first selection for live bait, but in the lake scene they would be my last.
The spikey catfish being jammed in the throat or mouth of the barra is similar to how moderate sized bony bream get stuck as well. Their underside towards their throat is like a saw blade, hard and bony. Free jumping barra in salt or fresh is a sight to see.
If I wanted and eighty or ninety pounder from the salt, I'd spend my hours casting a 25-30 cm lure for certain, but with a few sprays from smaller offerings just in case. In the lake, on average, I'd be using a moderate sized lure.
A trend with bigger lures for bigger fish in lakes, on a whole , I believe, 'no', but at select times, 'yes'.
From past study documents, many fish species including barramundi will prey on a more profitable (energy gain versus energy expenditure) type and size of food if in abundance, yet will exploit a variety of dietary supplements in areas with mixed food offerings with less concentration of numbers of any one size. Running river and salty sea versus land locked lake are usually two different worlds. The salty will eat massive food items; catfish go missing in action, so too do small sharks, flathead and so on. I have live baited with flathead for barra as well as using medium sized milk fish among other fish and crab species. In our lakes in Qld, there are a number of medium sized species that exist. In Awoonga, Bully mullet (sea mullet) exist up to several kilos. When the mullet were small, like 6-8 inches long (many years ago), the barra would hunt them down on the flats, but now it is very rare to see a mature sized bully mullet being hunted by barramundi. In the salt, these big mullet would be my first selection for live bait, but in the lake scene they would be my last.
The spikey catfish being jammed in the throat or mouth of the barra is similar to how moderate sized bony bream get stuck as well. Their underside towards their throat is like a saw blade, hard and bony. Free jumping barra in salt or fresh is a sight to see.
If I wanted and eighty or ninety pounder from the salt, I'd spend my hours casting a 25-30 cm lure for certain, but with a few sprays from smaller offerings just in case. In the lake, on average, I'd be using a moderate sized lure.