HINCHINBROOK BARRAMUNDI FISHING
 


Hinchinbrook channelBarramundi fishing is the single most popular fishing activity in tropical and sub tropical Australia.
Hinchinbrook is renound for its vast mangrove wilderness and fine barramundi fishing.
Located midway between Townsville and Cairns on the Coast from Ingham the Hinchinbrook shire is a great place to spend a little time barra fishing.
Hinchinbrook channel has had no commercial barramundi harvesting for some five years now resulting in many more breeding stock in the channel for future enhancement.
Restocking has also been taking place for many years now by the Hinchinbrook Restocking Group and supported by the local Ingham Rod and Reel fishing club.

Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures conducting Barramundi fishing holidays and day tours from Lucinda at the southern end of hinchinbrook channel for ten years.
Your guide Al Goodwin along with partner Larraine have lived at Lucinda and fished the hinchinbrook area for around 20 years.
Weather it be lure casting or fly fishing visitors have the opportunity to experience some of the best wild stock barra fishing in the north.
Fishing for and catching wild Barramundi is the ultimate angling experence, barra in the wild are wirily, cautious, and hard fighting.
 
                                                                
                                                                        Barramundi Life Cycle
 
                                                    Barramundi Life Cycle. Image courtesy of the University of Maryland, Centre for Environmental Science. 
       
The Barramundi produce eggs between the months of September and March with the build up period from October to December being the most important.
Barramundi eggs and larvae require salt water and spawning normally takes place in Marine bays and river mouths 
Juvenile Barramundi [now200-300mm] migrate up the rivers and ito freshwater wetlands.
If the young do not have access to freshwater they will probably remain in coastal and estuarine areas to mature 
After three to five years most of the freshwater Barramundi migrate back to the ocean to spawn 
 
How to tell the age of Barramundi.
 
Length to age relationship are:
 
*  1-Year-old 30-40cm long,
*  2-Years-old 50-60cm long,
*  3-Years-old 60-80cm long,
*  8-Years-old 1 Metre long                                            
 
When do Barramundi change sex?
 
Barramundi change sex from male to female.
The size of the Barramundi can be a good indicator of the sex of the fish.
Most Barramundi mature as males [about50-60cm] and start to change sex to females at around 90cm but only if they live
in saltwater.
 
What do Barra eat?
 
Barra are fairly lazy opportunistic feeders they eat just about anything that lives in or around the water including prawns
small crabs and eaven each other.
The size of the prey is largly determined by the size of the Barra.
A larger Barramundi's diet consists of 60%fish and 40% crustaceans [mainly prawns],smaller barra eat mainly prawns.
This will vary according to where the fish is living.
 
How do Barra feed in dirty water?
 
Vision is probably limited in dirty water.
Barramundi utilise what is called a lateral line,which is a sensory organ that runs down both sides of the body.
The lateral line enables fish to detect vibrations in the water and so be able to locate prey and avoid predators.
 
The question of weather it is the colour or action of the lure that attracts the fish is difficult to answer,however it is probaly
a combination of both.
 
Barra Facts
 
*  Barramundi have been recorded up to 150cm long and with weights in excess of 40kg.
*  Barramundi are thought to live to around 20years of age.
*  Large female Barramundi can produce 32 million eggs in a single season.
*  Barramundi inhabit areas where the water temperature ranges between 20 to 35 degrees Celsius.
*  Barramundi can travel great distances in their life; one fish was recaptured 600 kilometres away.