Studying the impoundment barra circle or lake barra industry from internally and externally takes time; some facets are blatantly obvious, others are a little more than skin deep. As a big group of Australian impoundment barra anglers where do we really stand in our ability to outwit our target species the barramundi? Where are we on an average; I mean, where do we sit as a collective group, on a scale of one to ten? Sadly, it is no where near ten. Read on if you wish, for an in depth look.

Have we ever stopped and questioned our own fishing techniques and tactics? Do we as anglers stop and dissect our own actions to locate the detail that we can work on to help us hook more fish, or de we just cast and hopefully catch; and when we do; pat ourselves on the back and think no further? We can probably all be categorised here at times when we become a bit laxed and frozen in the moment. We don't all fish for the same reasons but for those keen to learn we really need to analzye our every move, or every written word; mine included.

How good is our lure presentation, or for that matter, lure choice? Many anglers fall into the trap and follow promotion material that floods shelves in newsagents and gives a simple analysis on fish and lures that is often more basic than grade one schooling. It really is a bit dull. In simple form, in many fisheries, a clothes peg with a hook in it will catch a fish, so of course the advertised 'lure x' will do the same. Readers and viewers see 'lure x' catch a fish so they partly become believers that it is an awesome 'must have' lure; but here is the catch. If brand 'y' or brand 'z' was used in the same situation more fish could have been caught in many circumstances, but you don't get to see any real comparison; because that let's the cat out of the bag! You see one view, one simple tactic, and only when it works; they don't show the days where it catches nothing; the failed trips. You see one day out of 365. Have you ever wondered what happens on other 364?

Here is the point
My barra tackle boxes hold lures, none which are standard; all which have been modified to improve their catching ability. The two best/most successful/proven impoundment barramundi tournament anglers (twins) alter their favourite soft plastic lures so much that they can hardly be likened to the same lure that came out of the packet. In simple; the lures are now of their own design, galaxies away from the packet name brand, miles away from what is heavily advertised. They carefully fish these lures in ways never ever written about or described by any 'famed' author! In fact, most wouldn't know the principle of the act in play unless shown. These two young men are stand out anglers because of their advanced methods and thorough tactical play but it highlights the fact of how far from A-grade and underdeveloped about a high 90+% of our competition barra fisherman really are.

Sadly, Australian lake barra fishing standards are in an infancy, blocked by one way traffic. Where is the long list of advanced DVD's on lake barra fishing tactics? Name me one that shows us advanced, detailed, finesse lure presentation? Now name me one that shows simplistic approaches that proves fisheries with fish that often do more than the angler? Most of the material made available to the public is way behind the times. Anyone who thinks guides, magazine writers and comp anglers in the impoundment barra loop are all 'elitists in their field' needs a good bit of education on where all these fisherman (myself included) really are, or more to the point, "really aren't !" There is great separation amongst. Competitive, Aussie impoundment barra anglers are going to get a rude shock when more American or South African fisherman step onto barra boats and fish competitively against our leading, top ten Aussie comp anglers. Competition results have seen more than one American angler take a placing in both ABT and AFC events with limited barra experience. (Limited means- first time barra anglers.) Two seasons; more than two placings. In simple description, it is embarrassing to watch it happen. It shouldn't take place in our own backyards with our well fished iconic name fish, the barramundi; but it does. The 'yankees' (pardon the word) aren't light years ahead; we (as a whole) are actually light years behind where we should be. Considering most of our inland barra fisheries are over a decade or two old it shares the point of two young anglers who cared to listen to alternative material with just a few years barra experience, and with the will to seek further knowledge were able to climb to the top of the tournament tree and stay there; no questions asked, with what seems like no blood, sweat or tears. Why is it so, doesn't anyone ask themselves why? Teenagers shouldn't reach the top in a country where barra have been caught for about 100-200 years?! Most of the apparent top ten Aussie impoundment comp guys are flat out landing on average one barra each per session in competition rounds that even stretch up to 7 and 16hrs per session.

Barra Guides, without making more than an instructional cast or two put first time anglers onto fish in 4-5 hrs, almost every day, without more than just words as guidance. This leads directly to another topic - noise- are many turning to boats too big and too loud for the species and our small Aussie waterways? Flash boats and 100-200hp outboards are becoming more popular for image purposes, but at the same time catch rates are dropping. One noisy boat an a lake is enough, but throw 20-50+ noisy boats on a lake in comp time, or pre- comp time and its like the race track speedway, hardly a hunting ground. Can I remind readers that fishing is a form of hunting and in most instances requires stealth and a lack of unwanted noise? Barra are susceptible to too much unwanted noise. Did I forget to mention that the number 1 and Number 2 rated barra comp anglers have a 40 hp tiller steer, small cheap dinghy? I'm not tearing the scene to shreds for the fun of it but laying forth where image and a certain southern control has taken our anglers. Down a dead end street called 'Hollywood', or more to the point, down many beaten tracks that go nowhere fast in teaching Aussies how to be way better barra fisherman. If the men and women of the angling world would like to succeed and catch up and overtake the Taylor world there needs to be a lot of work done in order to mix it with the best, because we aren't seeing anyone at their best; I can help tune the Taylors to much higher levels than where they are now, given further opportunity. It is time we started to see an advance in skill levels and a change in rolls of teaching material made available if we want to work at an optimum. Barramundi are now studied more in depth from various angles from biology to capture methods and together both forms of information offer exceptional value. Barramundi are many angler's bread and butter and have put the food on the table for hundreds of operators, commercially and through to tourism. Seasoned northerners from about Bundaberg, north, know their fish, or know a great deal.

(A reversed example) - How would the southern world of Murray Cod or Bass anglers like a gathering of northerners to try to educate them on a species in their own backyard, a species they have grown up with and studied for eternity? I'd bet money they would laugh at such a thing. Well, the barra world is no different, a solid chunk of the southern based fraternity has done its best to control/grasp an industry where they know very little on the subject of impoundment barra. The most material printed on lake barra and sold is done so by southern companies deeply connected to fishing advertising. Do these guys purposely and continuously source the highly skilled barra anglers of Australia to submit quality material- No - Why, becuase if the quality was shared it probably wouldn't get printed as it tells a far different story and different picture to what they want to paint- so why are we being held back? I have had plenty of opportunities with companies that wish to do film sessions on Awoonga and Monduran but they intend to only fish with their lures and film their lures in action telling me we cannot use anything else, not even the brand of rod/reel I offer and still expect to catch good fish. I was also once told to put a cloth cover on my Yamaha as the name wasn't to be seen on that particular show. I declined all offers to do any such thing. I don't hide anything, nor keep the truth from the public. The door's wide open with me- the whole story needs some air, not just tid bits that tempt the viewer. Who's being lured, the barra or the public? Ask yourself these questions- Why am I fishing the same areas as everyone else? eg, weed fringes. Do the Taylors win tournaments by doing the same as the rest of the field? NO. There is more to life than points and bays, two words that I hear way too often.
Do guides put clients onto fish in short sessions by doing the same as everyone else on the water? NO, they diversify- quickly. Why don't we target and fish the bottom in the areas below the surface about 20-60ft down; why do we only fish part of a lake? What's wrong with the rest? Who taught us to follow the wind, plenty of barra get caught on the opposite side of the lake! Why are many still hunting for the warmest water 24/7 while barra are being caught 20ft down trolling in water several degrees cooler? Why do we follow the moon phases so much,,,and why hasn't anyone really informed us in detail that we need to be understanding the weather and Mother Nature so much more than falling into traps about lure promotions and the list of simple words above? Why is anchoring so effective yet one of the last techniques for people to learn, and why are most simple lure techniques really inferior practices? Why does everyone rush onto a lake for dusk, is it as good as you think, and if it is good, what changes, you or the fish?

I for one struggle to accept that basic fundamentals like water quality, water currents, water chemistry, water dynamics, fishing variables, barra behaviour, finesse luring techniques, rod angles and so on are not topics that are openly and commonly shared in ways that assist anglers. It is a rare day when a magazine article teaches me anything on barra, apart from some quality information written by biologists, or material sourced from biologists or poached from others and jazzed up to look the goods. Sadly, the good stuff produced by some of the older generation is outweighed by paragraphs or pages of rubbish from others across the board. ("Needle in a haystack".) There is too much logo and lure promotion rather than truly helpful barramundi teachings. It is within that list above where many answers lay that unlock hidden doors to new worlds of information that drive us to be better tuned to reading waterways and then catching fish. Glossy pages often just promote a guy, a lure, a product, a place, but they oh so often forget to share the 'good oil' that is needed to improve Australian standards to an up to date level, why- because they often don't have it to share, or if they do they feel at a loss if their 'pretend powers' were made equal to others. One only has to guide for a short period, or not even guide at all to realise that 'big name' lures are useless as tits on a bull on many many days and 'alternate' lure types need to be sourced to get results. When you need to save ya butt and get results- you use what works- not what ya want to work, and not what some heavily promote as like a product sent from god. Does the public often hear of these stories in mainstream- NO, because it interferes with product sales, to the point where closely mimicked products hit the shelves with a new brand name. Australia needs a wake up call to hear the full story before people finally realise they are walking in circles. The easy wheel has stopped rolling.

You can smell the rats
A few brave souls have had the guts to tell the truth on the internet or in magazines, yet many were branded trouble makers or writers of controversial material. Yea, controversy alright, upsetting the apple cart or tea party where the truth is not wanted to be aired publicly. To set the cat among the pigeons is so true- yet were they the messengers of truth in an industry full of half truths? These guys would shake the cage of the current barra scene in a heartbeat and flush more ferret holes than one would believe possible. Most of these men are not sponsored, free and able to tell the whole story. I've held back so often that I don't offend others, yet what does this do for Aussie barra standards? It does the worst thing possible, it leaves people with a false sense of security to be led around like horses to water or anglers to lure shops as a result. Pockets get filled with money and big names walk away from the scenes when the rush is over, leaving a scattered mess for someone to clean up. Sure, companies need to sell their own products, but they only teach you what they want you to hear, no more. You miss out on the best parts. I could have sat back and watched this for decades into the future, but I'm not going to. One only has to make phone calls to tackle stores around the country to discover our industry is not on the same wavelength with barramundi. Much information is up to ten years old and way behind times, not to mention stuff that is wrong and untrue, or the list of amazing laughable quotes that are shoved down the sponge-like public's necks, those who are keen to learn more..... the vulnerable- fragile ones! It is a sad fact. If we aren't all at the same simple base level then we will never ever advance to our full potential and Aussies will eat humble pie.

Why would I open a can of worms on this very topic when I could stay quiet, eat mudcrabs, hunt pigs, drink a beer, fish peacefully and enjoy other life pursuits? Why- because the wellbeing of fellow countrymen and women stand high on my priority list. Giving everyone a fair go at enjoying our iconic barra is important to me; I'd hate to die wondering, watching the circuit of barra go nowhere fast and watching self-made podium creations where certain anglers get pats on backs for no apparent reason apart from the chief money spinning games at play. Those that pat backs, haven't caught enough barra and aren't aware of true potential or what happens in the quiet world where higher skilled anglers along the coast catch thousands of barra, salties included, some of size that would blow the minds of most. Some people need to get out of the dark. If someone is writing an article like this there must be a stack of very good reasons why. No, I'm not getting paid to write this; it has been constructed free of charge for your benefit. I haven't spoken to many people at all that really see and understand where barra fishing can really go. There are a few, but they lack the time required to assist. ( I haven't met everyone either.) I've met more that understand what financial gain they can get from 'milking it' at the expense of advancement of taking learning's to higher levels. Sure, recreational fishing is a mega industry, but if control remains in the hands of big companies, their portrayed messages will keep buyers 'not thinking' and at a low down level, the level they need to keep them at to continue them buying new shiney tackle and lures. That's fine for companies, it's their bread and butter; but no so great for the skill levels of Australian anglers.

There needs to be another voice- a stronger voice, the true barra voice. We watch image based TV competitions with anglers in colourful clothing doing their own thing with barra, and to be firm, " a strong percentage of the players" need to take a good look at themselves when it comes to knowing or applying impoundment barra knowledge. It isn't hard to note who is actually 'fishing' and who is just applying basic straight winding principles. The noteworthy high class anglers don't straight wind- they fish artistically- they also win! Is the collection of anglers the absolute best in the comp circuit?- No way- the scene gets shuffled to a certain degree so they put on whoever they want. Top name anglers sit on the bench. That particular TV series is about making money, not teaching people, so this needs to be taken into account when watching it, as it really portrays many oddities for learning anglers. A spongeant angler gets sidetracked fast. My very own dvd's get remarks and opinions formed and printed in magazines surrounding such, so I can't see why I cannot do likewise and have my say in an industry where literally thousands upon thousands of viewers and readers need to know what is going on to see a clear future track for learning. This will cause a stir no doubt, but who will say it and who is willing to cop it on the chin to improve the situation for others? There's no gain for me, it isn't about me, I can catch barra pretty dam well in the sea and in any lake - it is for the sake of everyone else who wants to be better at what they do. (Me, I'm just the messenger, someone has to stand proud and say it.)

What level of consistent fish catching can really be achieved? I believe many would rate some people at A-grade when in fact they would be C or D grade if rated by other lesser known, higher 'skilled' fisherman on barra lakes and rivers. The human mind has such potential. We can be grand masters at chess at the age of 10 or get to the Olympics at the age of 14. The mind and body has untapped potential in the barra fishing scene and this needs to be tapped into if we are to get anywhere near grand masters of high level fishing in our country. There are countless anglers with minimal, but growing lake barra experience, overbalanced with loads of natural fish nous that will come through the ranks, and/or, 'alternate fishing methods' will be forced to be put on show- because they work better- that will expand on the current simplistic material made available. There are lure brands and lure types and techniques that are dynamite, yet rarely written about or documented; learning anglers would know nothing of them- but would be assured better opportunities if they did. Times will change in the next two years; mark my words. There are guys within the general fishing industry that know only snippets about barra; just like the Americans, that will take placings rightly deserved by applying basic fishing fundamentals currently not utilised by the majority in Australian impoundment barra loops. A change in roll play will be a healthy one. This on it's own may just change reports, writing styles and media material in the future, otherwise people will be left behind, in the dark ages. (Our feet won't come off the accelerator.)
A quick question- has anyone ever taught you how to make a simple and effective weedguard for a soft plastic lure without having to change your entire rig design or hide your hook point? Most will say-No! This is very simple stuff most are missing out on and the catch rates from doing such can be increased! Where you can now fish your lure has been expanded upon already. A basic advancement that opens more doors to learning!

Where do we start to get better direction?
Back to the lures.
Those two shy Taylor twins need to alter their lures considerably to make them better fish catching tools; why? Years ago, barra in lakes like Tinaroo, Awoonga, Peter Faust, and Monduran were unpressured. Five to ten years ago they ate lures without even thinking about it. Instinct and curiosity from the barramundi helped create the strike. Almost any lure type caught fish and many very simple techniques also caught fish. At the time many anglers thought they had gun techniques and felt they understood barra inside out. In reality they didn't; the fish did more than its share of work, filling gaps with anglers who's techniques were often inferior. A lot of 'simple' (excuse the word choice) fish made a lot of people look good. There are plenty of short DVD snippets and photographs from previous years to back this up with lots of fish not even hooked in the mouth. (inferior hard body lure presentations and over committed silly fish). (We have a fish with a mammoth mouth that inhales its food; lures should at least go inside the mouth). Twenty and thirty kilo fish were caught with wayward techniques, that on most other days would go untouched. Who am I to judge or say this; well I look back on my own logged fishing research in many ways and come up with flaws in my own approach that needed re-alignment. I always analyze my own fishing as well as everyone else I can monitor, looking at ways to better the end result- for everyone. In the saltwater we often catch good numbers of metre plus barra in one session, sometimes over fifteen 100cm plus salties in one session of 2-3 hours in the CQ district, but on the simplest and most boring lure fishing techniques. Do I class this as A-grade lure fishing at its best - No. Do I rate my luring skills in these instances as exceptional - NO. Are the fish unpressured, hungry and untested - YES. What I do rate on top of the list is the/my ability to find fish and the groundwork I have put in over two decades to know where to be and when to be there. The rest lies in lure selection and lure presentation- this is where anglers need to do a lot of work in order to be in a position to up the rate of capture in tournaments. Anglers have to realise to learn how to catch the fish from the piece of water directly in front of them because other boats take position in many places that competitors also wish to fish but cannot due to 50+ boats all doing the same, so you can't jump from one hot spot to the next. Firstly, understand the species and its behaviours first, secondly, fine tune technique and lure selection. Watch what people teach and preach to you and then watch where they come in tournaments. There has been enough rounds now to see obvious trends emerge. I believe Aussie anglers have been taught in reverse instead of forwards from basics. The results show.

For example- When I mention the flow direction of backwaters adjacent to main flow currents in the upper layers of barramundi lakes I would suggest many readers, not all, would have limited idea of what I really mean. In fact, I'd suggest most are not aware of the cycles of water movement and circulation in lakes or why temperature variations occur throughout the water spectrum that control fish behaviour. When we talk of insect hatches, the convergence of wind directions, current buffers, wind lanes, flat spots, mixing water or the structure variables of the water that barra live in I'm again sure that the bulk of anglers will still be open and wondering.
It would be like trying to be a farmer and grow amazing crops while knowing nothing of soil quality, its properties or water retention, not to mention the weather and its effects on crops. Sure, we can own rods, lures, boats, big motors, tractors, ploughs, and a shed full of seed, but we must know the basic running concepts of water and land before we try to master it. It is now time that the opportunity arises for anglers to take the next steps and learn of these simple principles in order to win in a game of ups and downs called 'lake barra fishing', or 'trying to tame nature'. Gone is the chapter where simple tactics got the desired results. Those tactics were never meant to work, but did, barra biting lures in ways that gave anglers false information. I caught barra on lures in Awoonga with no hooks- just to prove the point.

 (Documented in 2003, minnows wedged firmly across barras' mouths) It is now or never for everyone wanting to succeed. As a guide- last week for example, Feb 2009- I spent 76hrs between two barra fisheries, salt and freshwater. (Most people work 38 hours a week; double that and that is how much time I spent hunting barra last week.) With this type of time adding up over the years a switched on outdoorsmen will find the fine detail that makes any fishery or animal tick- And it's not lures!! Up to date, (not many), in tune advanced anglers are at a level where on many days on barra lakes can call the time slot within less than 15 seconds when an unseen barra is going to strike an unseen lure, just by reading the changes in environmental and weather conditions that control the fish's behaviour. I'm at level after 20 years with barra and watching nature. (I think it would only be a brave soul or a true professional to raise their hand in this case.) Are you at that level, confident to stand on my boat and show me you are? Finely honed anglers can pick one to three minute long openings, even in thirty knot wind forecasts where a lure needs to be presented right and often get a connection with a barra if in the right location. To throw another spanner in the works; one of nature's best times for metre plus barra to bite is often around midday, yes, high warm sun which leads to high water temps; yep, the time that years ago, industry taught us all to be back at camp waiting for the apparent sunset bite that doesn't always happen. In impoundments we are catching barra from the chills of cool water at 14.9 degrees Celsius up to approximately 35.0 degrees Celsius mid summer, so never again should people have to ask about the possibilities of catching barra in winter. They are everyday possibilities in salt and fresh, always have been for a hundred plus years. Go back to square 1 and look at the basics. There is a lot that has been overlooked, never shared or just plain and simply it might not be known or understood by many; the type of information required to make you a better angler. A bag full of lures won't do you a thing in the grand scheme of things. When you start to see the big picture you will change the way in which you think about lures; in fact it will be the last thing you think about and it will make the next fishing show you watch a bit bloody boring. I will attach interesting links at the end of this article, which will back up my research and hopefully get you thinking in ways that will improve your barra fishing.

Lures and Catching Fish
In my eyes there are 3 main ways that fish respond to lures- all types of fish. Hunger, Instinct, Curiosity. In some species of fish there is also what they call aggression strikes. In my years of barra experience I do not believe aggression strikes exist, but there are many ways to stimulate the mind of a fish to make it open it's mouth and bite your lure. With the instinctive and curious nature of landlocked barra being tested severely over the years, it has forced many fish to think twice or instinctively refrain from striking lures in that form, so all of a sudden it leaves hunger as the main contributor to why they may eat your lure. But here is the tricky part. Millions of lures have been cast, trolled and jigged around our barra lakes. The fish have just about seen and heard all of the common lures and they certainly know they are fake or offer adverse experiences. What they also know is that most get worked or retrieved in the same mundane, simple way that simply does not fit in with the way that barramundi like their food items presented in the real world. So what is the catch? Do anglers ever stop and wonder how the barramundi's food items move about in a lake and what favoured ways barra like to see little fishies, shrimps, yabbies move? etc Has anyone swum with them to watch? Do we stop and take into account the physical set-up of the predator itself and understand what may be a suitable way to offer it dinner and do we even think about it's agility or lack of when we serve it a fake fish. Do we mimic common media too much? Oh hell yes, most do. Unfortunately, "monkey see, monkey do" is a dangerous catch phrase that fits so well.

What I am getting at is if we all just cast lures and work them in a straight plane back to the boat we are hoping for a fish to come forth and attack and intercept. What if it isn't in the mood to come forth and attack? How will you ever get that fish to respond? What about a fish tucked away under a snag or deep in a weed pocket or under some lillies, how will you get a lure closer to that fish in order to tempt it's mind?
The number of anglers that I see just throw and wind or throw and work lures so simply defies the wonders of nature and the real world within, especially in modern pressured barra lakes in the so called "modern world" of 2009. Sure, we can catch fish via the 'instinct and curiosity' clause as mentioned but in the scheme of things we should be trying to find trigger points in a retrieve that push a fish over the edge; we need buttons to press to make things happen. We need to be crafty. The Taylors are artist's there. I don't mean spy on the boys, which some do, but I mean fine tune yourself and self diagnose your fishing. Think Wisely. It is what they did; all done in their teenage years.
Watch what food items do naturally in a waterway. Do they swim in straight lines?- Not for very long distances. Do they continually swim and never stop? Food fish in barra lakes rarely stop for extensive periods, but they do stop, weave, about face, flutter, roll, rise, fall, pick at weed and structure and lah de dah dee dah. etc etc.
So, why do I make a fuss over simple retrieves?; quite simply because fish need to be fairly hungry and willing or unpressured to come forth and make aggravated attack on a lure presented this way. Trolling falls into this category as well as casting. What about the days when fish aren't so keen? Pauses in retrieves are mighty additions with soft and hard bodied lures. Now just have a think about what this may do to any soft or hard bodied lure tracking in a straight line. Taking buoyancy into account, it will most likely either see the lure rise or fall. Simply, the result is changed movement and vibration. In reality, how long an angler leaves a lure to stay motionless or in one spot, or allowed to free fall is restricted only by the operator's perception of what is normal, commonly done, or reasonable. How many anglers have hooked a good fish when they have either stopped to scratch their nose, adjust the motor, have a drink, etc etc etc? The clues within these occurrences are mighty. If ignored and laughed off as a funny occurrence we will never grasp the potential of our catching ability. The basis of this article is not to have you not think outside the square, but to jump outside the square and come up with your own answers. It seems that if we get handed good info on a silver platter that a lot of it gets ignored and overlooked because it is not mainstream or easily digestible. If you want simple explanations, you will never see the big picture, and to be blunt it will pretty much secure your place playing in lower grades compared to those with the drive, motivation and smarts who will give themselves the best chance to compete at a higher personal level and catch more fish. Those who want to learn will source extra information to help improve catch results, but I have given vital clues above and within that if taken into consideration will assist keen anglers to improve results.

The art of successful angling in my eyes is not being able to fish like a machine, but by being able to identify the detail that makes us better fish catchers or hunters. All of this information lays before us, we must teach ourselves to pull out fine microscopes and pick up the clues and piece it together. If no one is searching for vital clues, no one is advancing and we'll be stuck with simple analogies from the industry. As a fishing guide, it is safe to say that what is learnt can be taught over time on deep topics likes lake barra, and everything else can be sourced- the internet is a great tool to start with.
Leading barra anglers fine tune their lures- a job that isn't done effectively in the manufacturing stage of a lot of product labels. Once the manufacturers take the next step and assist, angler skill levels will take a leap also. Fine tuning will still always take place and it is a special need for the average 'Joe Bloe' to do so at present when they take on the challenge of lake fishing; a job they really shouldn't have to do when they part with good dollars for apparent top products. Some plastic company representatives recommend alternate methods to get the lure to swim better because of inferior design or a not so savvy product packaging or manufacture material. Soft lures chucked in a bag and sold, as is, isn't a good start. In fact, it is bloody hopeless and useless to anyone. It is common to not even find one good lure in about ten out of a bag of soft plastics,,,"if ya lucky". Bent bodies and curled up tails are useless fish catchers even on the ' better than average' days. The average packet doesn't tell you to fix this problem. In my eyes, it's a big downfall for anglers wanting to try their luck. It's like selling broken beer bottles in a carton. It is a blatant disregard, in my eyes. Do anglers experiment by adding glass rattle chambers to their choice of soft plastics? When stimulation is the key to success, subtle variations in lure sound and frequency can prove to be deadly with desirable results. A simple improvement with little effort.

So, how far behind are we?
The truth is scary. I remember a handful of years ago when apparent myths were exploded in a DVD on Awoonga by catching barra in the daylight. It was treated as groundbreaking, even when only one barra was hooked in the mouth; the rest foulhooked. I couldn't believe where the industry really was; 20 years behind the times; possibly 40. More articles hit the shelves on daylight barra angling as if it was the latest discovery; now come on; expand your world! Guides like Dobe had been guiding for years in Faust in daylight hours, not to mention countless others doing the same and we only have to turn back the pages on barra to find truck loads, millions of daylight captures. At that time daylight barra was our specialty, we never fished nights in the fresh. We can't re-name what is already being done. It's called going backwards- fast. It wasn't that long ago, and it still is fairly common talk today about having to find the warmest water and fishing super shallow in winter. I call it the one day in 7 syndrome- It might work for one day in 7 in some instances- but what does everyone else do for the other 6 days? It doesn't work for 90 days outta 90 in winter!!
By watching a barra get landed on 'lure X, Y or Z' many many anglers get suckered into 'the world of simple thoughts', but I'm sorry to say this only takes you down that dead end road. A surface lure bonanza that sold truck loads has not created the desired results that the buyer wished for. Someone made good dollars but I'm still yet to read or see any information that tells the angler "when and why those lures worked when they did and why they haven't worked so well for the majority of buyers." In fact, they catch even better when rigged and fished in another way, another style that still isn't common knowledge and another chapter that isn't shared within the circuit.

Many lures will catch fish, be it bream, bass, barra, trevally or whatever. Some of these fish haven't seen too many lures before whilst others have seen literally thousands of offerings. The next TV show you watch that highlights how good a product is, do a quick test yourself and see whether they are fishing in pressured or unpressured fisheries. That will give you an idea on how smart or how uneducated the fish may be. If it is a pressured waterway watch the fine detail, if any, in lure presentation. Watch the weather conditions and any subtle weather changes for more clues. Every fishing snippet on TV or DVD is loaded with extra information that needs to be extracted by the viewer. Go back and watch your entire collection of DVD's on the next rainy days and look and listen for the clues overlooked or missed. You can even watch my FISHAWOONGA DVD or FISHING LAKE MONDURAN DVD and you will find hundreds of pieces that will assist you to improve, even if you think they contain very little. Those who think the material is of no use will battle to stay consistent with fishing results, especially when it gets harder. Listen to what is said, then, the next time you watch it, turn down the volume and just watch the images for an hour. Watching and learning are two different things. Write a list of new things you see or learn. Again, the top shelf Taylor brothers took pages of notes from FISHAWOONGA and expanded on those notes in the field to add thousands of tiny clues to their arsenal of knowledge. Try internet searches on any bizarre topic you think of. This is probably the simplest of places to start in understanding the big picture. Once we have a basic grasp of the dynamics of the waters we are fishing it is only then that we can advance to the next level. If we never start at the bottom, we will never make it to the top. A lot of anglers started half way up the ladder, missing the key connections from ground level in lakes with 20 kg fish that were super active and willing, and many of those believe they are on the top rungs- sadly this isn't the case- no one is up there- a lot of anglers are finding they 'quietly' need to go back to basics to keep filling the shoes they wear. Not many will admit it, but through internet forums with made up screen names and in the safety on their own lounge room, even the 'big ego' will silently delve into some of these topics below. You would be surprised who actually does come to these boards and read up on the latest up to date information. Many are silent ' big name' visitors who dare not post, others will only contribute if they feel an urge to defend turf. We are all on the same playing field in lakes- lots more to learn before Australia even masters its own backyard on lake barramundi, let alone before the teaching starts- but it's too late for that bit, some info should have been squashed years ago. If I had a million, I'd change the way. A re-design is way overdue.
I will add further links to this article with information for readers to view if they wish to pursue further learning's.

Australia, we can be way better than where we are now. I'd like to see that. Imagine where we could have been, if in the last ten years, the quiet, more knowledgeable guys chose to have a stronger influence on an industry where a huge percentage of modern material shared is directly linked to a product or a host of sponsorship deals. You have to ask, are they helping you or helping themselves?
When you want more information on fish and water try the added quick list. Some of these topics will help you in the right direction with a different perspective on fishing and nature.

For more information click on the links below:

● Fishing and Nature 
Some of these topics will help you in the right direction with a different perspective on fishing and nature. Don't forget to click on and read the other topic headings on the bottom of the same page including- Distribution - Anatomy - Circulation - Respiration - Air Breathing Body Temperature - Water Balance - Swimming - Gas Bladder Lateral Line System - Evolution - Reproduction

● The Lake Environment  
Water currents and the circulation of water in a lake hold strong keys to finding barra. If you are not using or following the birth or follow on effects of water currents to advantage- you are not really in the game. This is just a simple paragraph to lead anglers in to learning more. It isn't Aussie based, but it applies to our waters as well.

● Effects of Destratification Circulation  
Water and oxygen, how it can be altered by man's interaction.

● Understanding Water
This one is from far afield but it highlights the very subject that we need to understand -water- so we can better follow the fish that live in it that we try to catch.) A long read for a willing angler.

● Lake Stratification
Take time to thoroughly read through any extra links on the page.

● Fish Biology
Fish biology- Don't forget to keep turning the pages with the right hand arrow- lots to read if you wish to know more about your target animals

● So, What Exactly is Water 
This is not directly linked to fishing, but it does highlight that water is way more than just a wet substance and we do need to understand what it is we are actually casting our lure into and whether or not our target will respond or operate effectively within it

● Learning the Weather
Try this site and you can read for hours on the one topic that has most control over animal and barramundi behaviour. Learn how the weather works first and then you can learn how this affects fish and why focusing on this will broaden your knowledge for all fishing, hunting and outdoor experiences.

● Article on Weather
Yea, I know this next one is again about sheep, but it shows how external factors influence behaviour and distribution. The same effects of weather play their roll in fish behaviour in lakes. When anglers care to take in all of their surroundings as one; their observation and problem solving will improve dramatically. Eventually anglers will discover that Mother Nature holds more clues and information than any article on how to catch a barramundi. When anglers master reading nature, they'll be way better off in understanding the big picture.

● Barra Fishing
You can try my website link for starters for those who have not sifted through the pages of information on barra fishing in lakes. The topic titles are in red writing. (Just click on them.) They won't instantly make you a better angler but they will give you a lot more to think about if you are keen to learn more and they will assist you when reading the other links below.

● Barra Champions
Also you can read the Taylor's contributions on my site in their own page.

● Making Soft Plastic Lures  
A pair of scissors and super glue is a great starting point for swapping tail shapes and trying new tail sizes for mixing up vibration and frequency of tailbeats and for discovering new designs that swim at slower speeds). A soft plastic that never stops swimming at super low speeds is a golden egg.) This is just a start in increasing angler awareness for the future. One step at a time, but lets go back to basics and look at what we missed or overlooked.

 "A small contribution to the long road ahead."

Regards,

Johnny Mitchell