Hinchinbrook

Barra rest while other species put us to the test

HINCHINBROOK Ian Moody

info@ianmoodyfishing.com During the last month in October before the barra closure we seen the water temps creep up and the barra did start to respond to shallow hardbody lures fished on the flats, the drains and backwaters quite well. Most fish were in the 70-90cm range with an occasional metre-plus thrown in. After enduring one of the longest and coldest winters in a long time, we didn’t get to see the real red hot barra fishing last as long This 75cm threadfin salmon was caught off the headlands.

before the season ended.

Mangrove jack have also become a more regular

Glen Land with a fingermark. They are a great target during the barra closed season. capture during October as the water temperatures rose. They certainly thrive on those hot summer days and are a brilliant species to chase during the closed barramundi season, which runs from midnight 31 October 2022 until midnight 31 January 2023 in all tidal waters in Queensland.

Placing baits, like mullet, close into the snag or casting hardbodies/weedless plastics deep into timber or rocky outcrops is bound to get you into a fight with these delicious tasting fish that give you a run for your money. Quite often you will have to make sure they don’t peel too much line off you or you’re certain to lose a lot of tackle. There is generally a short distance for them to travel to dust you off! However, I have found that in the warmer months they will venture further from cover as I have caught them out on mud drop offs on the edges of mud flats.

Fingermark will be a target of mine during the barra closure in November. Picking out those tides after the moons that become quite neap will be your best bet at Hinchinbrook. Sourcing large greenback herring from around pylons and near structures is what I prefer for bait fishing. I will also be using a good supply of soft vibes in that 20-30g range in among the baits.

Threadfin salmon will be another fish that I will be chasing in November. By looking in junctions or deep holes in bends you can often find them holding up in numbers with a good side scanning sonar. Baits like mud herring placed on a dropper rig or soft vibes jigged at the right depth placed in front of them usually gets the results. On big tides, I often catch them on shallow rocky headlands in the fringing dirty water lines in Missionary Bay using shallow divers. But be careful as these critters frequent the same areas as barra do and an accidental capture of a barra is very much a possibility. It is best to just try and dehook them in the water if it’s safe to do so. In my opinion, threadfin salmon fight harder and taste far better on the plate than barra do, they are one of my favourite species to chase.

Sharks have been giving a lot of anglers a hiding during October with many reports that up to 60% of fish hooked producing some real nice plate size models of late according to a lot of close friends of mine who have been out there.

My new offshore charter vessel is still making progress and is getting closer to completion. It will accommodate up to five anglers and I will be offering it on a share charter basis. I’ll be disclosing further info on those

It’s jack time! They love hot summer days.

are being taken by them. Best practice has been to move on once one or two fish are taken at any given spot, but lately it seems just about impossible to escape them. November is also probably one of the last favourite months for coral trout. Areas around Otter Reef off Cardwell have been trips closer to completion. • Now is the time to get in and secure your spot for the 2023 barramundi season starting in February. To book a charter, you can email us at info@ianmoodysportfishing. com with your enquiry. Or alternatively call us on 0402 339 459.

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