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Australia's Barramundi & Threadfin Capital?
By Matt Spyve
In case you hadn't heard, the new barramundi and threadfin salmon capital of Australia is right here in Central Queensland. Now that the net free zones are in place, since November 2015, the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton should be a must stop for anyone wanting to catch/target these fish.
The 2018 season was spectacular, with great numbers of fish caught and their size and condition is getting better each year. The new laws have allowed the fish population to increase phenomenally. In just 3 years, prior to the ban on netting, almost 5000 tonnes of saltwater barramundi and king threadfin were caught, and kept, by commercial fisherman, leaving minimal fish in the system for recreational anglers.
Since 2015, increased numbers, and sizes of fish caught, have proven that the system is starting to make a comeback and replenish its numbers. Visitors are able to wet a line from the bank or by boat, with great local charters offering local knowledge and current hotspots. It may be your chance to catch a whopper - that magic PB barra or threadfin salmon - catch of a lifetime.
Throughout the 2018 season, between myself, the old man and two good mates, we have landed and released over 85 barra from my boat, with fish ranging from 125cm all the way down to 21cm. The majority of the fish were caught within the town reaches, literally a stones' throw from the main city centre.
As the river has such a large catchment area, most years in the wet season it will get a flow of fresh water that will dirty the system for a while. With changing conditions in the river at times getting barra to bite can be difficult, so finding the right presentation and colour lure is key to getting bites, then converting that bite into a fish. Common types of bait available are mullet, bony bream and when it gets really salty, prawns.
I'll try to give you a quick rundown on the gear and lures that work for us!
When the water is dirty I find ZMan 4" DieZel minnowZ in dark colours work best. I like to fish these on TT Lures HeadlockZ HD or TT Lures SnakelockZ weedless jig heads.
Midway through last years' season prawns were abundant and the barra and threadfin salmon really took a liking to them, making them reluctant to touch any fish style presentations. The lure that stood out over the season was the ZMan 3.5" EZ shrimpZ, with our go-to colours being Laguna Shrimp and Sexy Penny. Don't let this small plastic fool you, it is a big fish magnet and tough as nails. I have used the same one for over a weekend, catching up to a dozen barramundi before replacing it. Just try and achieve that with any other plastic on the market. When using these we also found that adding a smear of Pro-Cure Super Gel scent could be the difference between getting a bite and not.
The Fitzroy River barrage is on the upstream side of town and it holds the town's fresh water supply. There is no fishing within 400 metres of the barrage. This also tends to restrict tidal movement somewhat, so lighter weight jig heads can be used for a more natural presentation.
The town reaches consist of mainly rocks, with mud and sand areas between them. The fish are quite pressured, being in the middle of town, so when the water starts to clear up lighter leaders are the go and sometimes I will drop down to 16lb. Some may say that this is too light but I only use this when running a weedless hook (SnakelockZ) and ninety-nine percent of your hooksets will be in the hinge of the jaw. Dad on the other hand likes to stick to minimum 30lb leader when using them.
The rocks in this area are not covered in oysters or barnacles, so it's not often that we get busted off on the rocks. Obviously if using hard bodies or the TT Lures Switchblades, then a heavier leader is the go as the fish tend to swallow these more often.
My weapon of choice lately has been the Okuma Epixor XT 20 spinning reel, matched to an Okuma Cerros rod. I was running 5lb braid, with 16lb leader and my best fish on this outfit was a 101cm barra. For a small reel it packs plenty of punch and has a silky smooth drag that you need for running that light line.
When using the EZ ShrimpZ the key we find is to use as light a jig weight as possible to find the bottom and when it does get there, use small rod tip movements to keep that ShrimpZ in the strike zone. When I say small, I mean as if you were cold and you were shivering while holding your rod.
When you get a bite from these fish, sometimes they can hit you as your plastic is slowly sinking to the bottom, almost ripping the rod from your hands, however most of the time it will be that one solid tap and it is then that you need to strike to hook them.
At times it can be hard to find the fish on the sounder, with the amount of rocks in the area, and sometimes it is easier to find passages and slow flowing water between rocks where you can work the plastic back to the boat with the current. With only small movements of the rod the EZ ShrimpZ slowly works its way along the bottom, into holes and ledges where the barra sit out of the run ready to ambush bait. Don't be scared to fish shallow or deep, there are deep drop offs everywhere and you never know where the fish are sitting.
On occasions, in the final weeks of the barra season, the fish really started to fire. With water temps exceeding 28'C and sometimes into the 30's, this made the fish very hungry and full of energy. On the second last weekend of the barra season dad and I were fishing a steep drop off in the very top reaches of town and constantly watching barra go through on the sounder. We repositioned the boat, to cast into the path the majority of the fish that were moving through. Within less than half a dozen casts dad got slammed on the drop, immediately watching a low 80's fish go berzerk on the surface. Once getting her initial burst of energy out, she stayed down low most of the fight, before dad played it out and into the net. A perfect hook up in the corner of the mouth on the TT lures SnakelockZ weedless jig head.
We like to tag the majority of our fish for research for Suntag and after a few photos this one swam away strongly, sporting its new tag. Careful handling of these fish is vital, with minimal time out of the water and supporting their body when lifting and moving them is extremely important.
We persisted until dark on these fish, fooling two more fish around the 70cm mark into tasting the ShrimpZ. Don't ever be too scared to fish just after dark as this is prime time. My favourite for this time of day is the ZMan 6" SwimmerZ and dad landed a donkey 125cm fish on one just on dark in a previous session. Just be croc wise as there are regular sightings right along the river. Well I hope this helps a bit and gets you keen as, there is no better time to visit us in Rockhampton and fish the mighty Fitzroy River.