NT Fishing Report

With Alex Julius             17 February

With no viable fishing options for at least the next few days, I thought this week I’d look at some of the barramundi fishing tackle you might consider checking out in anticipation of a bumper Run-off.

Let’s start with rod-and-reel combinations.

Although threadline outfits are gaining vogue as a second outfit, no serious barra fisho would be without a trusty baitcasting outfit.

The old adage that you pay for what you get is true enough when it comes to barra baitcasting outfits, and you’ll have to spend at least $400.

In my opinion, the most-important criterion for a barra rod is that it has a soft tip action.
Nowadays we all use braid line for barra fishing.

Braid, of course, has no stretch, which is a positive in many ways, including the ability to work lures with minimal rod action; but the one negative it has in respect of barra fishing is that the head-shaking, gill-flaring fight dynamics of a hooked barra place sudden extreme pressures on a connected hook.

Especially with treble hooks on hard-plastic lures, sizes rarely exceed No 1, so that’s not much gape on a big fish with a big mouth.

Hence the need for a soft-tip action, one that will cushion the extremes of a barra fight.
But the rod also needs a bit of backbone, both to heave lures over distance and to apply pressure when required during a fight.

Finally, weight is a paramount consideration; in the old days you could buy a hollow-fibreglass rod with a soft tip and some backbone, but it was tiring making 100s of casts over the course of a day.

Fortunately, the advent of high-modulus graphite has all but eliminated the weight factor.
For several years now, one of my regular rods has been a Shimano Raider Series Barra Raider rod.

It has the requisite soft tip, a bit of guts in the middle and is quite light…and you can pick one up for around $135.

The perfect match for this rod is a Shimano Curado 200 baitcasting reel. At a price tag under $300, the little Curado is a little pearler which casts beautifully and has a smooth drag…what more do you want?

Go for the E5 rather than the E7 as the former’s gear-retrieve ratio is more suited to barra fishing and more comfortable during prolonged fishing.

Perhaps the best barra rod on the market today is the G.Loomis CBR 756.
CBR stands for Crank Bait Braid Series.

It’s been around for yonks but, as far as barra fishing goes, the world’s number one rod builder, G.Loomis, has not been able to better it. It has a superb action from the butt to its forgiving tip.

With the right reel, it will hurl a typical barra lure a long, long way, and it has a beautifully-tapered shaft that exudes strength and finesse…now there’s a combo! The CBR 756 retails for about $425.

As far as the right reel goes, I made up my mind some time ago that there is only one: whatever model Shimano Chronarch 200 is on the market at the time. Currently, it is the Chronarch 100D7.

The first time I cast this reel, it was like I was throwing air; the lure just flew out there and I couldn’t feel the line leaving the spool. It was an amazing sensation and it’s so easy to cast without getting an over-run…incredible value at $450.

I won’t dwell on the line you need for one of these outfits as there is just so much to choose from. Go for 30lb breaking strain in a reputable brand.

You’ll also need some leader material in breaking strains 20kg to 30kg.

As far as lures go, you’ll need a selection of hard-body minnows and soft plastics. In the deeper divers, Classic 120s in 10+ and 15+ are a must, especially in Bobby Dazzler colour variations and the Guns ‘N Roses colour. Ditto for the Classic Manta Ray.

Other deeper divers definitely worth having in the tackle box are the larger Bandit 12+ and 20+ lures.

Just one medium-diver is enough: the Killalure Barra Bait 8+, especially in the fluoro yellow/orange colour.

Some shallower runners are also mandatory: Bomber 15A and 16A (especially the chartreuse colour); Reidy’s B52 and Big B52; Classic F18; and Rapala X-Rap Xtreme 10 and Xtreme 12.

Carry a few smaller hard bodies too – Killalure Terminators and Flatz Rats, as well as the new Warlocks in 68 and 80 sizes.

The world is definitely your oyster when it comes to soft plastics. Squidgy Slick Rigs in all sizes from 65mm to 130mm will cover most options. But make sure you have some of the Pro packs which come with S-Factor.

I also like the Storm Intense Shad and Wild Eye Swim Shad. A few Tsunamis won’t go astray either; the really big one has nailed some monster barra on the troll.

Finally, make sure you’re equipped to fish snagless soft plastics.

Frank Pearce caught this 97cm beauty last week downriver on the Daly.

Trevor Clark trapped himself a great feed of muddies prior to the blow.