Saturday Night Specials
Had a nice night on the Lower Ord last Saturday. Spent some time collecting bait and waiting for the afternoon traffic to disappear. ;)
Eventually settled in to a favourite spot, just on dusk. After an hour of swatting mozzies with only one silver cobbler (shitehouse catfish) to show for the effort, the call was made to move around a bit to try and locate the fish.
5 minutes after re-positioning the boat, the first barra was hooked. Turned out to be a nice fish at 80+cm which was successfully released after a few pics.
30 minutes the second fish turned up. This would have to be one of the fattest barra I've encountered, it was almost goldfish like! Released this one into the icebox.
Finally, right on 9.00pm the fish of the night turned up. After a great tussle on 14lb braid a solid 90+cm fish graced the deck. Took a couple of quick pics and then released it with a big smile on the face. After that we let the remaining bait in the bucket go and headed for home dodging the odd tree branch and bugs flying over the river.
Saw a few crocs but only small, and they were happy doing their own things.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
wopjrb
Posts: 1407
Date Joined: 05/03/09
nice fish mate
sounds like a great night
Man Overboard
Posts: 957
Date Joined: 16/01/10
Fantastic colours there big
Fantastic colours there big fella, sounds like a top little session.
Wrassassin
Posts: 102
Date Joined: 01/03/09
Nice looking fish mate well
Nice looking fish mate well done
they look dark in the pics, is it because it's night or have they been in the fresh water
big john
Posts: 8751
Date Joined: 20/07/06
Freshwater
Fair way upstream where its freshwater.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18043
Date Joined: 11/03/08
well done John. sounds like
well done John. sounds like your settling right in up there . great fish
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
deepwater
Posts: 1921
Date Joined: 09/05/07
Nice barra
well done and great looking fish
jeff
Andy Mac
Posts: 4778
Date Joined: 03/02/06
Top fishing BJ
Love your work mate.
Cheers
Andy Mac (Fishwrecked Reeltime Editor & Forum Moderator)
Youngest member of the Fishwrecked Old Farts Club
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Top session BJ and great
Top session BJ and great pics.
Cheers Pete
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
well done mate good
well done mate good captures.
Ive got a couple questions re: Barra
Over recent year there has been a huge emphisis on catch a release for barra.
Has the numbers increased in peoples opinions??
No stab big john, if it were me, i'd keep one too (Never caught or eaten fresh barra.
But im just curious. Seems quite a few more reports and people catching them too!!
Cheers
big john
Posts: 8751
Date Joined: 20/07/06
The Ord
The Ord is pretty much legislated as a catch and release barra fishery.
There is a bag limit of one fish per angler, with that fish having to fit into a slot size of 550-800mm. These freshwater fish are unlike billabong fish in that they are swimming in crystal clear rain water. You can actually drink the water your fishing in most of the time.
Very nice on the tooth, and I find the 700mm size fish perfect for the table. You get two good family meals off the one fish.
Great feeling watching the big fish swim away, and regardless of a slot limit, the majority of anglers release these bigger fish.
WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.
Jigs available online in my web store!
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
thanks for the
thanks for the explination.
Ive not looked too much into targeting Barra, so actually didnt know there was a slot limit. interest to know tho.
At what size do they change sex?
I bet it would be a great feeling seeing a big female swim away, much like a dig female dhu, i wouldnt be able to bring myself to killing one anyway!
poddyfish
Posts: 986
Date Joined: 01/05/07
deep fish!
crikey big john that is one deep fat fish there! wat was guess on weight mate? id say a normal 700mm barra would go between 4-6kg but that thing looks very weighty! nice session dude
bodie i rekon since the closure of netting in alot of places the numbers have improved.. cant speak of the ord or nothing there just my experiances in the pilbara. the majority of ppl do the right thing no days aswell which certainly helps.. when u get a big girl and you see the size of her gut fulllllll of eggs its gotta be a positive move to release them for the future fisherie.. the big ones taste like sh*t anyhow and are much more fun to catch and release. but a nice fillet of s 650mm fresh saltie barra does go down nicely tho with a few beers thats for sure!
Fear The Spear............!
Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
Looks like you have settled in nicely up there John
Some great fish there mate.
Moderator. Proud member of the Fishwrecked "Old Farts". Make sure your subscribed to Fishwrecked Reeltime http://fishwrecked-reeltime.com/
damo6230
Posts: 2029
Date Joined: 07/06/08
great work John
counting the days down mate.
got me some nice barra combo's and plenty of gear.......
hope the rains come in and flood the plains.........
Sean8
Posts: 55
Date Joined: 13/07/09
Well done mate, those are
Well done mate, those are some good looking Barra!
DazSamFishing
Posts: 1518
Date Joined: 19/08/09
good on ya mate. Good fish
good on ya mate. Good fish