BARRA OPEN presented by
BARRA AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Team Tracker win Venom BARRA Australian Team Tracker, which consists of Biloela’s Kris Lassig and Calliope’s Anthony Pelling weighed six barramundi over three days to win the Venom Rods BARRA Australian Open on Gladstone’s Lake Awoonga. Taking the $5,000 winner’s purse and the perpetual trophy, this was their third year fishing the Open, with their levels of
Kris had just popped out of the weed that clued the boys into the pattern that yielded all of their catches. Anthony and Kris used both baitcast and spin tackle to put barra in the boat and points on the board. Anthony showed his baitcast rig, which consisted of a Lews reel on a Dobyns Champion 744 rod. He spooled it with 30lb Sufix 832 braid and a Sunline
Fastach clips. Although successful at the Open, this year isn’t the year that they’ll have a crack at the full BARRA Series. “It’s definitely on the cards in the future, but it won’t happen this year,” Kris concluded. GLADSTONE FLY AND SPORTFISHING SECOND Local guides and content creators are on a bit of
Anthony Pelling with a fat, Awoonga barra ready for release. All fish are photographed and measures on the official ruler snd released at the point of capture. a hiding to nothing when it comes to tournament fishing. If they win, everyone expects it and if they lose they risk their guiding credibility. So, a second place for Corey Gooch and Dean Silvester (Team Gladstone Fly and Sportfishing) was probably right in the sweet spot.
Leon Mittlwhouser’s Big Barra was a real showstopper. Measuring 124cm and with an allocated weight of 30.27kg, it was a great time to land a PB fish. It ate a Molix shad at the mouth of Futter creek. success varying as wildly as the moods of the barra they chase. “Our first Open was the one that was split between Monduran and Awoonga. We came to see what it was about and caught a few fish,” Kris said. The second year was a fizzer, with no barra being converted into points after biting. It was a donut for Team Tracker. But it was third time lucky for the duo – their 6/15 bag for 60.22kg, nearly 14kg clear of the rest of the field. “It’s a surreal feeling, but a good one, I’m still shaking,” said Kris after the presentation. The pair started the event fishing barra sitting around sunken trees, but a move to the weedy margins of Futter Creek and a barramundi eating a soft plastic bait that
FC100, 60lb fluorocarbon leader. The lure was a Shads Lures Hollowshads 7” in ayu that he rigged on a Barambah 7/0, 3/8oz jighead and a Decoy YS81 #2 stinger hook. Kris preferred a spin rod to pop the bait out of the weed and trigger the bites. Scan the QR code to see the Champion Team Tracker
He used a Dobyns Champion XP705 paired with a Daiwa Caldia and spooled with the same Sufix line and FC100 leader. His Shads bait was a 6” Hollowshad in silver flash. He added an extra Mustad swivel between the stinger hook and the eyelet. Both anglers used the Mustad
Team Samaki’s Tommy Wood and Josh Lowry went from last place to third on the final session with a 4-barra rally. Daily Big Barra winners were rewarded with a Venom rod.
RESULTS Place 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 110 MAY 2023
Their 4/15, 46.47kg was accumulated on the first and second day, finishing with a blank scorecard on day 3. Corey says that this is typical for Awoonga this year. “The fish seem to be always changing on this lake this year. You find
Team Tracker Gladstone Fly and Sportsfishing Samaki LJs Compleat Angler Gladstone Dobyns Rods Fish With Me Barra Bandits Barra Boys Blacklisted Samurai
Anglers Anthony Pelling/Kris Lassig Corey Gooch/Dean Silvester Tommy Wood/Josh Lowry Liam Jones/Leon Mittlehouser Mick Slade/Ben Wilcox Marc Edmonds/Matt Dow Moz Khan/Glen Smith Josh Towie/Thomas Ryan Adam Sharam/Frazer Ryan Rob March/Terry Allwood
Full results at abt.org.au
Fish 6/15 4/15 4/15 1/15 2/15 3/15 2/15 2/15 2/15 2/15
Weight (kg) 60.22kg 46.47kg 41.13kg 30.27kg 28.98kg 24.68kg 22.41kg 21.95kg 18.65kg 16.00kg
Payout $5,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 + $500 big barra $1000
