Scouting barramundi in summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Sam Rowley

ABOVE: Cik Saba took a 101cm barramundi on a Jackall Hank Tune Squirrel 79.

Scouting barramundi in summer

It has been a tumultuous start to the barramundi season on Lake Monduran, with inconsistent weather through spring making the fishing quite tough generally.

Now, in the midst of the hottest months of the year, the barra start to spread out through deeper areas of the dam.

For the average angler, this can make them very hard to find.

Like any wild animal, barramundi are heavily influenced by the environment they live in.

Being a northern species, they are accustomed to a warmer temperature.

However, the landlocked nature of a lake enables the water temperature to get higher than that of a tidal waterway they have adapted to live in.

Micah Peters scored his 108cm barramundi on a 6” shad.

As the water temperature surpasses that of what they are comfortable with, they will naturally seek out a cooler and more stable alternative.

This in a way is the same reason you will often find barramundi sitting very close to the bottom, particularly as the surface water temperature rises and falls quickly.

Barra are always seeking stability and the deeper in the water column they go, the more stable the temperature.

The following areas are great places to start looking throughout summer, particularly as the water temperature surpasses about 29C in the morning.

Treetops

Any treetop in deep water can be a great place to start looking, particularly early morning in summer.

Generally, I’ve had luck fishing trees in the 6-12m range on the edge of creek beds.

You can use any crank bait or soft plastic for this scenario, but the key is to ensure your lure is getting down to the depth of the fish.

A good fish finder – such as the Humminbird Helix 12, which I use – is essential to knowing where and how deep these fish are sitting.

Taken on a Jackall Hank Tune Squirrell 79, Andy Booton was happy with a 103cm barramundi.

Shallow flats close to deep water

Though a bit harder to find now that the lake is over 100 percent capacity, these spots allow fish to move in quickly to feed and then retreat easily back to deeper water.

A good place to start looking for these areas is on the edge of the old creeks.

The main basin

It’s no secret to Lake Monduran regulars that plenty of fish gather through the main basin in summer.

They can be caught at all depths, with the key being to once again get your lure regularly down to the depth of the fish.

Heavily weighted soft plastics are the best option when casting but can also be very effective trolling, as can the wellknown big deep-diving hard-bodied lures.

A good sounder can help identify the depth and the position of fish.

If throwing, soft plastics allow your lure to sink before you retrieve and alternate speeds until you work out a pattern.

Matt Huntley captured a 109cm barramundi on a 120 Molix Shad.

Fish can be found in any deep water during the hottest parts of summer and can be targeted wherever you find them.

Though it is still possible to find fish in the shallow bays and points over the warm months, particularly early and late in the day.

Look for areas with lily pads, weed and grass that may provide the fish some refuge and feeding opportunities.

As always, having a quality sounder and electric motor is very important when locating and targeting these fish effectively.