Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Species-How-to-Catch-on-Lures » How to Catch Impoundment Barramundi on Lures

How to Catch Impoundment Barramundi on Lures

Each year many southern anglers make the pilgrimage north to fish their favourite barramundi impoundments, while local anglers continue their search for barra and ready their gear for the warmer months, when the bite is more aggressive and the fish feed more actively.

Impoundment barramundi can be challenging when the bite is tough, however if you find yourself on a hot bite, the memories will last a lifetime, with the potential for explosive surface and sub-surface strikes, acrobatic aerial antics as barra leap from the water and shake their heads aggressively in an attempt to dislodge the lure. Then there's the fact that many more fish over a metre are being landed these days, with 120cm now not uncommon for some impoundments, 130's landed and images floating around of a 140cm+ fish... how big will they grow!

When & Where

A search for barramundi impoundments will soon reveal that there are many more than just Fred Haigh Dam (Lake Monduran), Lake Awoonga, Kinchant Dam and Peter Faust Dam (Lake Proserpine), that receive most of the coverage. There are a stack of impoundments / lakes / weirs that hold barramundi, including several weirs around Townsville, Burdekin Dam, Callide Dam, Eungella Dam, Lake Lenthalls, Temmburra Dam, Tinaroo Dam and more... and this is just in Queensland. Other options include Manton Dam in the NT and Lake Kununurra in WA. It's worth spending a bit of time on the internet and social media to suss out which impoundments are firing and fishable, based on water levels, weed, etc., prior to setting out on a journey to fish them.

Gearing Up

When gearing up for impoundment barramundi it's all about keeping them out of the weed, trees, lilies and other structure, based on the impoundment being fished, while also ensuring you have a leader capable of handle those raspy jaws. Anglers will commonly fish 30-50lb braided line and 80lb leader when chasing barramundi, especially when fishing an impoundment that is loaded with both structure and big barra.

Both spin and baitcast gear is popular, with baitcast often preferred for accurate casts around tight structure and spin preferred for longer casts on more open flats and bays. Here's a few combos that would have you ready to take on impoundment barra.

Baitcast

Good

Okuma Ceymar C-C-661H 6'6" 5-8kg baitcast rod and Okuma Ceymar baitcast reel.

Better

Okuma Cerros CER-C-661H 6'6" 5-12kg baitcast rod and Okuma Cerros baitcast reel.

Best

Okuma Komodo KM-C-661H 6'6" 8-15kg or Komodo KM-C-661XH 6'6" 8-20kg baitcast rod and Okuma Komodo baitcast reel.

Spin

Good

Okuma Competition CM-S-702H 7' 10-20lb spinning rod and Okuma Cerros C-40 spinning reel.

Better

Okuma Cerros CER-S-701H 7' 5-12kg spinning rod and Okuma Epixor EPXT-40 spinning reel.

Best

Okuma Cerros CER-S-701H 7' 5-12kg spinning rod and Okuma Helios HSX-40 spinning reel.

Lure Selection

For some anglers chasing impoundment barra is all about trolling, be it hardcore sounder watching, marking fish and structure, such as old river edges, submerged points, timber, humps and holes in the bottom, or for others it's more about turning on the cricket, kicking back and having a gasbag while waiting for a barra to eat your lure. When it comes to trolling most anglers tie on a hard body diving lure, with the Bagley Rumble B 11 and Monster Shad both proven performers.

When trolling keep an eye on the sounder for schools of fish, bait and structure such as submerged trees, snag piles, points, drop offs, weed bed edges and any original rivers and creeks that existed prior to any dam wall developments, creating a rapid change in water depth or ledge. If you don't have a sounder the local kiosk or tackle store should give you some tips on where to start, along with any online articles or maps. Again keep an eye out for structure and make note of the landscape as points and the lay of the land often continues under the water, providing you some idea of basic structure and depth.

Surface or topwater fishing is another option and one that will result in some explosive surface strikes from barramundi. A couple of go-to topwater lures include the Bagley Rattlin' Finger Mullet and the ZMan FrogZ.

Bagley Rattlin' Finger Mullet are a 'walk the dog' style surface lure, so by punching the rod tip down toward the surface in short punches, while winding the reel, you can make the lure walk from side to side, mimicking an injured or cruising baitfish. The Rattlin' Finger Mullet is balanced to cast long, be easily walked making it great for those wanting to have a crack at this style of fishing and it has a low click when walked that draws fish to the lure. Prime times to fish surface are low light periods, such as early morning and late afternoon, into the night.

ZMan 4" Hard Leg FrogZ are one of the most popular and easy to fish surface lures for barra because they can be rigged weedless, making them virtually impossible to snag, while also minimising fouling on weed and lilies. Rig the 4" Hard Leg FrogZ on a 6/0 TT Lures ChinlockZ or ChinlockZ SWS in a 1/8oz 6/0 or 1/6oz 6/0 if you require the additional weight on the belly of the hook for increased casting distance, especially in windy conditions.

Make a long cast, commence the retrieve as soon as the FrogZ lands and have the rod tip up so that the Hard Leg FrogZ swims across the surface with its feet kicking away. Your retrieve will be fairly quick and you will know when you hit the sweet spot, in terms of speed, as the legs and feet will create a bubbling, gurgling sound and leave a bubble trail. This fleeing plastic creates a reaction bite from cruising barramundi that can be absolutely brutal. Cast the Hard Leg FrogZ to the edges and buzz it back out, focussing around lilies, weed beds, timber, brushy snags and inlets. They are also deadly fished in all of the pockets of large weed flats and buzzed over weed beds that are just below the surface. Check out the 'Rigging Guides' section of www.tackletactics.com.au for tips on how to rig weedless.

So we have looked at trolling and surface fishing, probably the most popular way to target barramundi in the impoundments is casting sub-surface lures to structure. The Bagley Rumble B 11 and Monster Shad are again excellent hard body options, however it has been soft plastics, with their ability to be rigged weedless, that have dominated casting for barramundi in recent years.

Large paddle tail plastics are the preferred option including the ZMan 6" SwimmerZ and 8" Mag SwimZ, with the soon to be released 7" DieZel MinnowZ, a highly anticipated addition to the impoundment barra angler's kit (Due for release October 2019). These paddle tails represent the mullet and other baitfish that barra feed upon, their paddle tail creates plenty of vibration and water movement, and they have loads of action, even at the dead slow retrieve speeds that are often required when chasing barramundi.

The 6" SwimmerZ is commonly rigged on a 6/0 - 8/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jighead, 8/0 TT Lures SwimlockZ, 8/0 TT Lures War Head or 7/0 Big EyeZ jighead (Due Sep 2019), or weedless on an 8/0 TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS or SnakelockZ jighead. Depending on the depth, the SwimmerZ will be rigged on a 1/4oz, 3/8oz or 1/2oz for fishing over shallow weed and other structure, through to a 3/4oz and 1oz for anglers that are fishing deeper and faster, often referred to as 'power fishing'. SwimmerZ can also be slow trolled, with some monster barra being caught slow trolling the SwimmerZ at night behind a kayak, with weedless rigging allowing anglers to troll the heavy weed beds that often hold big barra.

The ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ is a large soft plastic paddle tail (swimbait) that features a long narrow tail shaft and under hooked tail that gives it a unique, exaggerated tail action, that again works at dead slow speeds that are often required for barra. It is generally rigged on a 10/0 TT Lures SwimlockZ jighead when fishing open water. The SwimlockZ jighead also features a separate attachment point under the head for attaching a treble or alternative stinger setup to increase the hook up rate as barra flare their gills and inhale the lure, along with a quantity or water, and will quickly exhale and reject the lure if something doesn't feel right. The stinger increases the chance of pinning the barra during this feeding process.

When retrieving your lure the slightest 'tick' or tap on your line can be a sign that a barra has inhaled your sub-surface lure, so remember 'strikes are free' and set the hook. Many a time a lure has been retrieved after a tap, to find a scuffed section six or eight inches up the leader... this is how far the lure was inside the barramundi's mouth before it was rejected. Cast again and be ready to set the hook.

When weedless rigging the 8" Mag SwimZ, the larger 10/0 and 12/0 TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS are required, to ensure clearance for the soft plastic to move away from the hook point when a fish strikes and maximise the chances of a hook set. The advantage of ZMan's 10X Tough ElaZtech plastics is that they are super-soft and flexible, increasing your chance of setting the hook when fishing weedless. The advantage of weedless rigging is that it allows you to fish areas that are virtually impossible with standard presentations and when the weedless hook is set it is generally locked into the jaw hinge of the fish, minimising the chances of the hook being dislodged during the fight and in turn increasing your chances of landing the fish.

The new ZMan 7" DieZel MinnowZ is set to be a game changer on impoundment barra, with its lifelike profile, lively action and large paddle tail. It too can be rigged on a 9/0 or 10/0 TT Lures SwimlockZ jighead or weedless on a 10/0 or 12/0 ChinlockZ SWS.

When fishing sub-surface plastics some of the most effective applications include slow rolling (slow winding) over the top of submerged weed beds, points and submerged timber, hopping and rolling down the face of weed beds into deeper water, and casting to the edges, especially where there is structure, including lilies, weed and brushy snags. You may choose to run and gun (fish the area quickly) until you find bait and active fish, with anglers often spending more time in areas that look fishy, with bait and structure, or where they have caught fish before, making plenty of casts and varying their retrieves in an attempt to switch fish on or wait for a window when the fish feed.

Bays also often hold fish with many anglers targeting the windblown bays as the water is more turbulent and in turn more oxygenated which can attract and fire up the fish. It can often be less comfortable in these windblown bays, however time and again they have proven productive.

Remember your main keys are often structure and bait, so focussing on these two things is a good starting point. Keep your ears and eyes open for bait being harassed, fish movement and the 'boof' sound that barra create when feeding on or near the surface as this can give you a clue as to where the fish are feeding. Time on the water is the best teacher in terms of when and where the fish feed, the techniques and lures that work and also the best chance of getting connected to one of these iconic fish. Listen and learn when you have the chance to observe or talk to successful impoundment barra anglers, becoming a sponge and picking up any tips that you can. You can then share your knowledge and hopefully assist another angler to get hooked up to their first impoundment barramundi.

Lure Colour

When it comes to impoundment barramundi Pearl and Gold colours have always been standout colours. From here it's worth considering the theory of natural / light colours in clean water and bright days, with darker silhouette colours preferred in low light conditions and a few fluoro colours in the kit in case the others aren't firing.

Pearl / Gold - Pearl, Golden Boy, Gold Rush.
Natural Light Colours - Bad Shad, Smokey Shad, Shiner, Opening Night and Green Lantern.
Darker / Silhouette Colours - Gold Rush, Red Shad, AYU, Motor Oil and Redbone.
Fluoro Colours - Sexy Mullet

Standard Jigheads

When it comes to jigheads for barramundi it's all about extra heavy duty hooks and big hooks to maximise the chance of hooking up. We will break the jigheads into weedless and standard, starting with the standard options.

TT Lures HeadlockZ HD Jigheads - Built on brutally strong, Mustad black nickel chemically sharpened hooks, HeadlockZ HD jigheads are all about the balance between penetration and extreme stopping power. They feature a proven head design and 'head lock' grub keeper designed for easier rigging and to lock the soft plastic in place on the jighead. HeadlockZ HD jigheads are available in a comprehensive range of weights and hook sizes, with the 6/0, 7/0 and 8/0 sizes popular for impoundment barramundi.

TT Lures Big EyeZ jigheads - Built on the same brutally strong, quality Mustad hooks as the HeadlockZ HD and featuring the 'head lock' keeper, Big EyeZ feature minnow shaped heads and large 3D EyeZ that are designed as an additional strike trigger. Big EyeZ come in a variety of colours to match your favourite plastics or make your presentation pop. The Black and Silver / Black have glow eyes, the Chartreuse has red eyes and the Pink and Silver / Blue have silver eyes. The 3/4oz and 1oz 7/0 are ideal for rigging larger plastics for impoundment barramundi.

TT Lures SwimlockZ Jigheads - Built with impoundment barra in mind. As their name suggests, SwimlockZ combine the 'head lock' keeper that makes rigging easier and locks your soft plastic in place, with a tapered head design that has the weight shifted to the bottom of the head to assist in handling the torque of the tail on larger soft plastic swimbaits. These jigheads also feature an additional stainless steel attachment point below the head that is designed for attaching a stinger hook or spinning blade. SwimlockZ are available in an 8/0, 9/0 and 10/0 hook, in a selection of weights and are perfect for rigging the ZMan 8" Mag SwimZ, 7" DieZel MinnowZ  and other large plastics.

TT Lures War Head Jigheads - Built on 8/0 Mustad, black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks that feature a wider gape, for additional hook exposure, War Head jigheads were specifically designed with a grub keeper that locks into the head and belly slot of barra go-to the ZMan 6" SwimmerZ, while still being suitable for other plastics. The War Head is available in 1/4oz, 3/8oz and 1/2oz in an 8/0.

TT Lures RevlockZ Jigheads - An out of the box option that has proven a game changer at times, RevlockZ feature the 'head lock' keeper and are an underspin style jighead, with a spinning blade mounted under the jighead on a swivel to add flash and vibration to your soft plastic presentation. RevlockZ also feature a tapered head design to assist in keeling larger paddle tail soft plastics so that they run upright, rather than laying on their side. At times this added flash and vibration is all that's needed to unlock the jaws of the barra and get them to bite.

Weedless Jigheads

TT Lures ChinlockZ Jigheads - An unweighted worm hook with a 'chin lock' keeper designed to lock the soft plastic in place on the jighead. An ideal option for weedless rigging FrogZ to fish the surface, with the ability to fish through and over snags, including weed beds, lilies and timber. Available in hook sizes from a 2/0 to 12/0.

TT Lures ChinlockZ SWS Jigheads - A belly weighted version of the ChinlockZ, the ChinlockZ SWS is designed so that the belly weight creates a slow, horizontal sink, while also keeling the plastic on the retrieve, to handle the torque of the paddle tail and stop it from rolling on its side. Available in a selection of weights and hook sizes from 2/0 to 12/0, with the 8/0 popular for the ZMan 6" SwimmerZ and the 10/0 and 12/0 popular for use with the larger ZMan 7" DieZel MinnowZ and 8" Mag SwimZ.

TT Lures SnakelockZ Jigheads - The SnakelockZ features a ChinlockZ hook, with a detachable, free-swinging head weight that is interchangeable and connected with a sturdy stainless steel clip system that has been tested to 70lb. This allows you to mix and match head weights to suit your requirements, while the free-swinging front head weight allows maximum action. The 8/0 SnakelockZ has proven a go-to on big barra, especially when fishing the tested and proven ZMan 6" SwimmerZ.

Scent

With nicknames for impoundments like 'Lake Misery' and 'The Place of 1000 casts', you'd wonder why we spend time fishing these impoundments. When you hook a barra and the line zips across the water, the fish leaps in the air and the drag starts screaming though... it's worth every cast. You earn every fish when impoundment barra fishing, with the hot bites making up for the slow ones, and with this in mind I always scent up my lures to mask foreign scents and maximise my chances of attracting fish, triggering strikes, encouraging those strikes to be more aggressive and encouraging the fish to hold on longer so that I have more chance of setting the hooks.

Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent is super-sticky, so it stays on longer, and it combines real ground bait with laboratory science, including powerful amino acids, bite stimulants and UV enhancement. I apply scent every 30 or so casts and after landing a fish. Go-to flavours for barramundi include Mullet, Shrimp, Bloody Tuna and Pilchard / Sardine.

Land Based Tips

When fishing land based it is often about access to productive water, so you will need to do your research in terms of the internet and social media, Google Maps and getting out there on foot. Many a metre barra has been caught near the boat ramps that allow access onto these impoundments, so don't discount these as a starting point. From here you can explore, searching again for the structure discussed throughout this article, bait and signs that barra are moving or feeding in the area. If you can find good structure within close proximity to deeper water, that's a great starting point.

Remember safety first when trekking the banks for any species. It's a good idea to let someone know where you are headed and when you expect to return, ensure your phone is charged and carry an alternative means of communication such as a Personal Locator Beacon, a first aid kit to suit the number in your group and distance from assistance, snake bite kit if potentially required in your region, basic survival equipment and plenty of water, along with sunscreen and appropriate clothing for the adventure.

Landing & Handling

When it comes to barramundi you can grip their jaw with your hand and support their belly with the other hand while lifting them, however remember safety first if the lure is still in the fish. A large landing net is the preferred option and the lip grips and a supporting hand for a photo, if you wish to leave the lure in the mouth for a photo. Wet hands, a wet measure mat and wet cloth can make handling safer for the fish and avoid laying the fish on any hot or dry surfaces as this can damage their protective slime coat.

Remember these fish can be large and heavy, so handle them with care, to avoid injury to both yourself and the fish. Barra have spikes on the fins and take care around the gill rakers as they are capable of slicing both leaders and anglers. If the fish is to be released it can be held in the water by the jaw to assist its recovery and it will bite down on your thumb or fingers, or start to swim when it is ready to go. Even better, slowly drive the boat along holding the fish in the mouth by the jaw and allow the water to flow through the gills. The fish will again bite down or kick to let you know it's ready to go. I love watching these big fish swim away, knowing that they are going to eat someone else's lure and put the same smile on their face. Too good to catch just once...

All the best with your barra journey and remember 'do the miles get the smiles' when it comes to preparation, persistence and patience.

All the best with the fishing
Justin Willmer