LURING BARRAMUNDI The Barramundi is arguably Australia's most popular sport fish, as they are spectacular fighters and lure takers. You will need a cast in the strike zone to hook one. Barra lures are generally 5cm - 15cm in length and are minnow shaped and generally have a shallow diving depth to simulate the naturally occurring baitfish. They have smaller and more inclined bibs than deep divers. Lures in the 5cm - 10cm range catch Barra of all sizes and are cheaper & easier to cast than a 15cm lure. However, a lot of big Barramundi are caught with 10 - 15cm lures. When treking north in the hope to bag a good Barra, make sure that you have plenty of lure colours, as the fish can be quite fickle from the water levels & colour flunctuating with tidal influences. This also makes the running depth of the lure important, as a snag may only be 1 metre below the surface at low tide and several metres below at high tide. With the right lure and swimming depth, it is possible to catch Barra at this snag throughout a whole tide cycle. The tropical north of Australia has varying fishing conditions. Lure colour is extremely important, as the fish should see the lure either as food or as a sign of aggression. Saltwater Barra will attack red lures, while freshwater barra tend to ignore them. When barra are in clear water they are extremely hard to catch and require different tactics. It means rising early before the sun hits the water and casting fluoro or blue/silver lures. Then casting fluoro lures in the evening when the sun has set and if the moon is high try dark coloured lures. The rivers and creeks are mostly a dark green colour, which at first appears dirty, but can be surprisingly clear. Conditions dictate colour - on a bright day use bright lures, on a dull day use dark lures or fluoro patterns. Before you plan any trip to the Barra country, get the latest information or enquiries from Warren at Rod & Rifle N.T.
