Impoundment Barra – Freshwater Hunters

Impoundment barramundi have taken the spotlight in Queensland's freshwater fishing. Other species such as Australian bass, sooty grunter & yellowbelly were once the primary target of impoundment fisherman.

Now, with barramundi at consistent sizes of 110cm and over in some lakes, their looks and ability to jump clear out of the water, it's easy to see why they are getting attention.

The look of a metre plus barramundi is amazing - they have solid silver scales, a chunky tail wrist, a large fan-like tail and a strangely shaped head that slopes down to form their mouth and eyes closely together.

Their eyes are positioned right near their mouth for accuracy when attacking bait - both of the eyes are on top of the head giving them the ability to see their prey on the surface easily.

Their mouth is teeth-less, so they have an abrasive sandpaper-like texture surrounding their mouth to grip bait and swallow it whole.

They have scutes around their gills which are extremely sharp and can cut mono lines very easily - it is unknown why these scutes actually exist.

They are known for attacking all types of small baitfish & crustaceans and particularly prey which hangs around on top of the water.

Their jawbones open up to an amazing size so they can swallow bait up to large sizes in one movement - without chewing!

Other amazing hunting features include a lateral line to detect vibrations from fish movement, amazing eyesight in both day and night, a swim bladder to rise and fall in the water, fins for body positioning and small nostrils to pick up any underwater scents.

These features are what makes them a unique & highly impressive underwater hunter.

Written by,
Cy and Kerrin Taylor.

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