Lake Awoonga Guided Barra Fishing Charters

Typical spring weather made dawn an ideal time to fish- for reasons more than one; visually satisfying as well.

September came and went in what seemed like a hurry. In reality no longer or shorter than always, but spring brings a change in scenery and habits of many fish species. We chartered a mixture of areas and caught numerous fish types including barra, queenfish, spanish mackerel, king salmon, fingermark and black jew fish.

Metre plus barra were the reward for anglers who could cast well and put the lure in the right zone.

A happy angler with a 116cm fish captured in a saltwater estuary- this fish was an x-Awoonga fish, captured and released again.

Altering your chosen approach to each day is important. This big barra fell to the '5 casts and leave' method. It was captured on the 1st cast at a new location- purposely looking for the hungry one. It paid off.

The barra turned it on during September and some XOS fish including big salties and x lake fish hit the decks. Some of these x lake fish nudged 80 pounds ( 37.3kg), with the best wild caught fish measuring 119cm, around 19-20kg.

At 119cm, this barra was captured by an American angler who relished in the moment. Big salties are strong fish- this was a river fish taken to the north of Glasdstone on 20lb braid. This was his first Australian Barramundi capture.

Just look at the dimensions of this x lake fish that stayed in a local estuary after the flood event; incredible. While most got thinner, this beast retained it's weight. Sadly death took its toll on a number of fish in the region- a parasite affecting the eyes of some of these lake fish in the salty regions. Look at its eyes and tail- signs of ill health are clear.

As is so typical with barra, finding the right lure to suit the given situation that lay before us on the day was important; one day of ugly west to south westerly winds in the 25-35kn range producing two fish at 116 and 118cm and another around the 100cm mark with only one lure producing strikes. In any condition, it always pays to go fishing as the positive mental attitude goes a long way in finding success. If you stay home, you are bound to catch nothing.

No matter how many barra rest before you in any stretch of water, patterns still have to be found to get the best out of the situation. This one fell to small ripple shad lure fished dead slow.

Queenfish, great fishing fun, but don't be fooled into thinking these ones are easy to catch. To get the best out the situation requires a bit of nous- many local recreational anglers go fishless.

Clients also enjoyed the large queenfish that frequent our local waters with 96 being caught for the month of September averaging over 100cm long.

Double Trouble

I’m yet to take an angler who has not been gobsmacked by the styles we use or the size of the fish.

A bait casting outfit gets a work out on an early morning coastal queeny.

They are great fun and release well. Double and triple hook-ups kept everyone on their toes, and learning the art of fish control helped in keeping a tangle free situation with 7-12kg fish scooting around the boat.

Big fish, great 40th birthday presents.

Husband and wife,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and she wins by a mile, so she reckons.

We also engaged in a few close to shore spanish trips, the maroon barra boat pushing the boundaries of its survey limits. Spanish to 17 kilos were landed.

Spinning and trolling for spanish is great fun- an awesome fish to eat.

Also during late September, our Gladstone Harbour was closed for 3 weeks due to an issue with diseased fish forcing my business to change locations and fish 100km north in the Fitzroy River delta system. We targeted barramundi and caught fish over 100cm, with one charter trip landing 10 fish averaging 86cm with the smallest one measuring 73cm.  Fingermark to 5 kg were also caught in the region along with black jewfish and king salmon.

Salties are hard pulling, 90-100cm fish often pull the best.

This was the smallest fish ( 73cm) landed during a 2 day trip to the Fitzroy River delta. Multiple year classes from the one above to 15kg fish were hooked or landed.

A grey cloud hangs over Gladstone's waterways like a threatening storm- the future, questionable.

Since the harbour closure I have been forced to withdraw from chartering until everything pans out- so I have become a full time skipper engaging in research operations in varied eco sciences.

Isolated sand bars offer ideal roosting spots for shore birds,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,until the tide rises further. Fantastic data on roosts and feeding areas is obtained via studies on various tidal ranges.

The work is refreshing and involves covering many miles from Rodd’s Bay in the south to Keppel Sands in the north.

This is just one of the interesting vessels and craft used with eco studies. This one was used for traversing mud flats to take mud samples.

Also a larger work boat is being built to incorporate guiding work and science all in one. The vessel will be around 6 metres in length and will become available for coastal charters including remote locations chasing pelagics and deepwater jig fishing ………..for everything.

I will continue to explore our vast coastlines and learn more and discover new aspects associated with our environments. My camera gear has also been serviced and I am ready to start filming again. Pigs and scrub bulls are to be filmed this coming week.

Stay tuned. Cheers, Johnny Mitchell

'My trade', a lifetime of playing on boats and the land, and anything associated and in between; experience you cannot buy.

A client once asked if I had a ‘trade’; I answered by saying, “Yes, my life long love with the sea and the land has been where I have spent my study years.”

Snub-fin dolphin research

As a cross over from guiding, I have also spent some of my time this year with Australian research groups conducting and communicating on various studies including cetacean studies (dugongs and dolphins).  Bird surveys and projects including turtle capture and recovery work has formed some of the interesting jobs conducted so far. 

A young turtle captured and ready to be sent to QWPS for health tests.

Transferring a live turtle to the QPWS in Gladstone.

Meeting more biologists, ecologists and marine scientists has been exciting and it has given me a third dimension when it comes to working with professionals in their field.

Dive studies in offshore waters.

Underwater vehicles

Spending eight days with Australian and American operators in Shoalwater Bay’s military training area (mid Talisman Sabre 2011 exercise) was a highlight and fulfilling experience. Members from the DSTO (Defence Science and Technologies Organisation) were trialling and experimenting with submersible and automated underwater vehicles, (self propelled and gliding types). These sneaky vehicles were used to collect data on water properties, it’s characteristics as well as mapping bottom contours via multi-beam sonar and side imaging sonar. Underwater acoustics were also recorded; the information then relayed via satellite back to naval bases in the U.S. and to war ships mid oceans.

Slocum Gliders ready for deployment.

These pieces of equipment were either set sail from a vessel launched off an open beach, or set sail by hand from the shore break.

Beach deployment of the auv's , aka the 'fish'.

WIFI and Irridium communications were used as part of the project to control the AUV's.

They were controlled by computer software, the directions given by an operator and a lap top computer. Exciting stuff- all done from the safety and security of a tent while live rounds were being fired to the north of our base camp. The earth shook over 200 times during our stay as large artillery did its thing.

US Navy LCAC

 Click on this youtube LCAC link for a bit of a buzz!!

Visits from an LCAC ( Landing Craft Air Cushion- hovercraft) from sea to shore and Black hawk helicopter from the skies above kept us on edge for the trip. Numerous military and naval personnel stopped in for a quick social chat while others kept busy, guns in hand. 

Army Blackhawk Helicopter

Search and Recovery using Side Imaging sonar.

A recovered boat trailer lost in flood waters.

 The use of side imaging sonar is fast becoming a tool of the trade with research work for detailed sea floor mapping or for use in recovering lost items, or simply used to find specialist equipment purposefully deployed on the bottom in busy areas- to hide it from public view.

Expensive equipment can be deployed and recovered at a much later date via the use of side imaging sonar.

With a mix of classy boat handling, a good operator will be able to pin-point an item and immediately engage equipment to quickly recover the target. I think I’ll find myself doing more of this type of work as the year progresses.

Launching a 6 m boat directly into the sea via the sand is a bit of a challenge, especially when the vehicle isn't yours!!

Interesting, to say no more.

Johnny Mitchell

Woman Catches Massive Barra

A tight drag setting, a lightly built female angler, a heavy fish and a fast flowing, flooded Boyne River was not quite a perfect match.  Reducing the drag pressure was the only answer to find a balance and the keep the lady on board. Watch the video clip- not a bad solo effort when you think about it, given the circumstances. Congrats to Dianne for the top effort in landing the 125cm fish on 20 lb line.

I just enjoyed the company of Australian Defence Force personnel and keen angler, Phil Bevan on a three day barra charter. Phil was keen to explore the region further and to gain some extra knowledge on barra, their habits and catch methods.  The weather was a constant 25-30 knots from the south east with the occassional rain squall to keep us on our toes – not the greatest weather, but positive minds will catch fish in any conditions.

Multiple barra were landed every session (averaging about a metre in length), casting lures. We fished two completely different river systems where the water temperature varied up to 11 degrees F due to local influences.

In 65 degree F (18 deg. C) water ( yesterday, 30th June) Phil landed the biggest fish of the trip (pictured below) as well as hooking two more fish around the metre mark for our short time in this river. He’d landed barra on the same day in another system as well.

Phil Bevan with a honker of a barra from the Boyne River. Phil worked with the conditions at hand and applied the basic, but important lure fishing principles to tempt this fish from its cold water slumber. Once landed, the cold temperature of the fish was noticeable on deck, its body temperature around 18 degrees Celsius.

The cool water slowed the fish, but smart lure presentation made it only a matter of time before barra would be hooked and landed. Changing seasons mean anglers need to diversify with the situation, something that plenty of anglers don’t do- leaving a river bare from boats and avid anglers. Barramundi captures are available all 12 months of a year. What is important is the mental frame of the angler/s who tempt to lure a barra. Positive people then need to train themselves to focus on every cast and retrieve and be ready to react appropriately to hook the barra that strike. Being positive is only half the challenge; allowing your mind to be sharp and having reflexes honed is another- missing the hook up will occur if the angler’s reaction is slow or unsuitable.

What needs to go in here is a paragraph about the guiding situation. Your guide catches barra basically every time he fishes personally, ( 300-500 sessions per year), regardless of the season or weather conditions. He knows his fish, the water conditions and the cards at play that lay before him. Charters success rates have  averaged around the 95% range over the last 5 years and there has been one day in the last 5 months where barra were not landed (in only 2.5 hrs fishin), so it comes back to the client having faith in the guide, believing in the guide, listening and applying the information shared on the day. This works a treat with many anglers catching barra of sizes they only dreamed of or in places they thought not possible. Charter clients who believe in themselves, the guide, the concepts and the methods will have a greater chance of turning barra strikes into photographs.

Personal belief goes a long way in one’s own life.

Phil, amongst an assortment of images with winter barra captures from the saltwater. With fish of 100cm being a common average, it's worth the effort to concentrate on the job at hand. Enticing a strike, which is an art in itself, is only a portion of the charter or personal fishing game. CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR AN EXPANDED VIEW

Phil also captured a good sized queenfish which took a small lure cast from spin tackle. Queenfish are great to catch and they release well.

Just like big barra, queen fish have big mouths. Big mouthed fish eat big food items as well as small.

Another turtle was found dead, washed ashore at the Boyne River mouth, continuing the questions as to why a mysterious number of marine animals such as turtles, dugong and dolphins have been found dead in the Gladstone Harbour in the last three months. The finger cannot be pointed at one source, so research is continuing into the possible number of factors that have contributed to the situation. More will unfold as time moves on.

A large male turtle was found washed ashore on June 30th, 2011. Authorities collect the animal for further research. A purpose built sling is used to lift larger animals.

Alf Gudgeon with a 1165mm barra captured locally.

Alf fished a soft plastic lure deep in the water colum and came up tight to this large barramundi. One big fish is worth the effort.

121cm barramundi are a big handful for two kids. Flynn and Jake wrestled this fish on a spin rod for about 7 minutes. Catching barramundi is super good fun for kids of any age.

 If anyone is keen for a barramundi charter this winter, don’t hesitate to e-mail info@fishawoonga.com.au or phone 0429 723 757.

‘Operation Sunshine’, together with Australian cricketing ace Matthew (Haydos) Hayden are offering the chance to win some valuable prize packages. ‘Operation Sunshine’ has completed two legs in Queensland promoting tourism and helping Queenslanders back on their feet after the harsh weather events of summer. Haydos travelled Queensland and was a leading role in a film shoot that will air in July this year. He stopped in Gladstone and we met up for an afternoon crabbing and island hop before moving further north on a busy schedule. For more information check out the Operation Sunshine website and check out the link below on how to enter the competion.

Regards,

Johnny Mitchell

The weather gods continue to offer ideal mid year patterns for fishing. South westerly winds, cold nights and postcard blue skies set the scene for winter charters. Barramundi are on the bite, along with XOS queenfish, beautiful golden trevally and spanish mackerel- all in close to the coast or in the estuaries.

This last week we had clients hook queenfish to 13 kilos as well as barramundi to over 120cm. The variety available in winter allows us to diversify and offer mixed fishing sessions. In one day we can have clients chasing barra, goldens, queenfish and spanish mackerel or anglers can just focus on one species alone. Perfect weather makes for interesting times.

'CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR A BETTER LOOK' Ben and James enjoyed a day on the water. Top left- A golden trevally, taken jig fishing in the shallows. Top right- A large queenfish teased into striking and captured on a light spin rod. Bottom- barramundi to 113cm landed on cast and retrieve lures in 65 degreee F water temp, mid June 2011. Mixed fishing styles bring mixed results.

Strong fish, golden trevally are great fun on spin tackle and lures. Their vivid colouration, stripes and smooth appearance make them an attractive fish. Michael from Chinchilla took on the challenge. Barra, trevally and queenfish were taken on soft plastic lures.

Michael landed 3 barra and missed a few more during his afternoon on the water. His best fish was just short of the metre mark and the smallest was still 86cm- prime fish for any angler and a great way to kick start your barra career.

Evan snuck up to Gladstone for a quick trip and was rewarded with a top day of weather from Central Queensland. Evan landed big queenfish on spin tackle as well as having a go with an old school fishing method utilising a handline. The experience was great fun and he didn't want to give up the handline after landing other big queenfish. New experiences are hard to beat.

Evan also landed a nice barra on a 'reaction technique' catching a fish during a period where they seemed quiet. Using your brain and experimenting with lure choice always keeps anglers in the game, and fish on the edge of their seats. Reward can be from simply outwitting your oponent- a sleepy fish!