Halco Monduran 2×5

The Halco Lake Monduran 2×5 BARRA event lived up to the tough fishery that gives Monduran its nick name of “Lake Misery’ with a total of 12 fish landed by 12 individual anglers in a 74 strong field.

The tournament winner Dean Silvester landing the event’s big barra of 116cm taking the honours over Kerrin Taylor by a mere centimentre.
Silvester’s outfit consisted of a Megabass Renlli 300 reel spooled with 35lb Unitika braid and 60lb Unitika leader matched to a Samurai 502 rod.

His money bait was a Squidgy 110 Slick Rig in evil minnow with the tail dipped in chartreuse Spike It. Using a pair of customised forks heated on a butane burner, he adds scutes to the tail of the Squidgy soft plastic for extra tail action. The key to this bait is the custom made jig head by Silvester himself. Using a Gamakatsu 7/0 heavy wire hook he attaches a wire stinger with Gamakatsu Treble 14, size 4. Then using a Do-It mould darter head pours a 1/2oz lead jighead encasing the stinger hook connection to the hook within the lead for extra strength. Finally a plastic rattle is attached to the shank of the hook for extra under water resonation.

Travelling in the Frogley Offshore I-Class Skeeter, Silvester was able to cruise to his location near the mouth of the Kolan Creek ahead of the other competitors. He had identified a weed point in the prefish that had the wind blowing on it and holding plenty of bait.

“Using the Humminbird 998 side scan function, I was able to identify barra swimming past the point, holding close to the bottom and amongst the weed,” he said.

Anchoring in 11ft and throwing to the point in approximately 4ft Silvester used long wind assisted casts to reach the weed edges.

“I would begin to wind straight away near the weed then slow roll the retrieve so that the plastic travelled close to the bottom,” he explained.

Losing a good fish on day one around a stump in the weed and his partner Dave Robinson landing a 91cm specimen, Silvester hoped that day 2 would be kind to him.

At around 1.40pm after an 11.30am start Silvester hooked the 116cm event winning big barra.

“At first it jumped and we thought it was in the nineties so I went hard on it, only backing the drag off when it moved into deeper water,” he said.

This Monduran beast scoring him first place over runner up Kerrin Taylor by a centimetre, showing you are only one cast away from winning a tournament.

Taylor caught his 115cm barramundi on day one in a 4m deep bay which had scattered timber and a drop off to deeper water close by on a floating Rapala X-Rap in purple/albino colour retro fitted with Owner size 4 ST66 trebles.

“I like these lures for fishing around the timber because they dive shallow and float up slowly in the water. When the lure is retrieved into a submerged snag I pause the retrieve and let it float up over the obstruction before gently starting the retrieve again to make sure the lure has cleared the snag,” said Taylor.

“The location was challenging to fish as the submerged scattered timber in the area required accurate casting. We had to aim for any tight gaps between the trees that we could see to get a good cast in. There were a few lures lost by getting snagged on the timber but it all proved worthwhile after the 115cm barramundi was caught,” he continued.

The outfit used was a Millerods Salty Barra rod matched to a Shimano Chronarch reel with 30lb Fins braid and 80lb Black Magic leader.

With his second place finish at Monduran and a first and second place in the two Awoonga events Taylor proved he was the angler to beat claiming the Southern and Overall AOY honours.

The Halco sponsored event proved to be a hit with every team scoring a new Halco Hamma barramundi lure and Tim Carter representing Halco all the way from WA gave the anglers the insight into the lures tough design features.

The final presentation on Saturday night at the Gin Gin Hotel was well attended and a chance for anglers to relax after a tough and testing tour. Local Bundaberg Regional Council representatives attended and addressed the crowd with their support for the town and fishery that seems to be so popular.

With the 2010 Daiwa BARRA Tour now completed we look forward to the Grand Final to be held in February. For more information visit www.australianbarra.com.au or ph ABT on 07 3387 0888.

Angler Team Status F1  L1 F2 L2 TF TL Cash Prizes
Dean Silvester Gamakatsu Standard     1 116 1 116 $1,400 Daiwa Heartland rod & reel, Prize Pack, Big Barra Prize Pack (116cm)
Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro 1 115     1 115 $900 + $600 Pro Gary Howard rod & Prize Pack
Tyson Robertson Wilson Fishing Australia Standard 1 108     1 108 $700 Shimano Coriolis reel & Prize Pack
Daniel Grech Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard     1 103 1 103 $500 Spotters Sunglasses & Prize Pack
Jon Millard Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard     1 100 1 100 $400 Shimano Raider rod & Prize Pack
Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard 1 99     1 99 $300 Berkley Tacklebag & Prize Pack
Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 1 95     1 95 $200 Prize Pack
Boyd Read Young Guns Standard 1 94     1 94 $100 Prize Pack
David Robinson Gamakatsu Standard 1 91     1 91   Prize Pack
Matt McArthur McArthur Customs Standard     1 82 1 82   Prize Pack
Karl Rembacher Shitty Tinny Standard     1 80 1 80   Prize Pack
Simon Black I’m On Lures Standard 1 63     1 63   Prize Pack, Halco Big Barra Prize Pack (63cm)
Steven Bechly Active Angler/Egrell Rodz Standard         0 0    
Andy Chew Active Angler/Egrell Rodz Standard         0 0    
Steve Eldred Atomic Standard         0 0    
Chris Eldred Atomic Standard         0 0    
David Reynolds Bass to Barra Standard         0 0    
Matthew Mott Bass to Barra Standard         0 0    
Trevor Burgess Berkley Standard         0 0    
Tim Steenhuis Berkley Standard         0 0    
Matt Fraser Berkley Nitro R&D Standard         0 0    
Mark Lennox Berkley Nitro R&D Standard         0 0    
Ken Murray Blue Nitro Standard         0 0    
Ross Murray Blue Nitro Standard         0 0    
Rick Napier Bundyites Standard         0 0    
Michael Napier Bundyites Standard         0 0    
Greg Mitchell CJR Industries Standard         0 0    
Ben Vonpein CJR Industries Standard         0 0    
Mark Larsen Dairy Farmers Standard         0 0    
Cliff Brauer Dairy Farmers Standard         0 0    
Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO Standard         0 0    
Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO Standard         0 0    
Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard         0 0    
John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard         0 0    
Jason Ehrlich Halco  Standard         0 0    
Tim Carter Halco  Standard         0 0    
Lex Irwin I’m On Lures Standard         0 0    
Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs Standard         0 0    
Ian Miller Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard         0 0    
Carl Jocumsen Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard         0 0    
Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro         0 0    
Matt Anderson Quantum Pro         0 0    
Ashley Sims Quantum Pro         0 0    
Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team Standard         0 0    
Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team Standard         0 0    
Peter Jung Reidy’s B-52 Standard         0 0    
Nicholas Willet Reidy’s B-52 Standard         0 0    
Trevor Cassidy Rum Pigs Standard         0 0    
Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard         0 0    
Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard         0 0    
Patrick Morgan Sebile Standard         0 0    
Jarrod Dalton Sebile Standard         0 0    
Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec Standard         0 0    
Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         0 0    
Gavin Dunne Team Ecogear Standard         0 0    
Dean Thompson Team Ecogear Standard         0 0    
Rob Wood Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard         0 0    
Ben Durkin Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard         0 0    
Neville Parmenter Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
Rodney Milkins Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
Jason Medcalf Team Polycraft Standard         0 0    
Brad Cooper Team Polycraft Standard         0 0    
Matt Martin Team Predator Standard         0 0    
Matt Hazell Team Predator Standard         0 0    
Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
Gary Leather Team Rovex Standard         0 0    
Tim Mulhall Team Rovex Standard         0 0    
Phil Lyons The Likely Lads Standard         0 0    
Geoff Newby The Likely Lads Standard         0 0    
Grant Murray We Fish Pro         0 0    
Wayne Jones We Fish Pro         0 0    
Drew McGrath Wilson Fishing Australia Standard         0 0    
Dustin Sippell Young Guns Standard         0 0    
7 665 5 481 12 1146
95.5

Berkley Lake Awoonga 2×5 – Story and Results

Kerrin Taylor, 5/10, 515cm has taken out the Berkley Lake Awoonga Evening Championships. After finding the going tough in the first session with one fish for 96cm, Taylor bounced back with a 4/5, 419cm second session to overcome Jason Wilhelm by a mere 27cms.
“In session one our team traveled to a point close to the main boat ramp. Fishing in around five meters of water, using a Rapala X-Rap lure I caught one fish around twilight slowly rolling the lure back to the boat. Come the second session I knew I had to find fish to be in the hunt, so went out looking, as we do in a prefish, for a likely spot. We ended up finding a bay on the western side of the dam. It had a small island situated nearby, and the main feature of the bay was a gully extending out from the shoreline. The gully was around 4 meters in depth and on each side would rise up to around 2 meters in depth”.

“We had a look and could see fish on the sounder so decided to try our luck. We anchored about 60 meters from the bank and proceeded to cast into the area using 15cm Rapala X-Raps in gold colour retro fitted with Owner hooks. There was weed present on the bank and a slow roll of the lure got an almost instant response. The fish that we caught came early in the session before dark. After dark the bite shutdown, so ultimately it was an afternoon bite window”.

“The fish responded instantly when we arrived. After the initial catch the remainder were caught progressively till darkness set in. The wind was strong throughout the session and was blowing along the shoreline of our location. I am very pleased with the result and look forward to the last event of the tour at Lake Monduran. Due to the influx of water the dams are high. This in turn has made the prefish tough, as there is so much area to cover and find fish. Heading in to this event I am confident and looking forward to competing in this event”.

Taylor’s outfit consisted of a Millerods Salty Barra rod teamed with a Shimano Chronarch spooled with 30lb Fins braid in yellow with 80lb Black Magic leader.

Jason Wilhelm, 5/10, 488cm, finished in second place for the tournament. Fishing his location at Pelican Point over both sessions, Wilhelm added another top finish to his impressive tournament credentials.

“It was only on the day, based on web and on-site information that I decided to head to Pelican Point. The location is one that I have used guiding on the dam and I was confident I could find fish there. I anchored in 15 feet of water and fished to a weedbed. Using a Jazz Vibe retro fitted with Gamakatsu trebles, I would cast into around 30 foot of water. Using a hopping retrieve I would lift and wind the lure back to boat to attract any bites on offer. As it turned out it accounted for two fish in the first session”.

“On day two it was too windy to fish the Jazz Vibe. I switched to a Squidgy Slick Rig 130mm in lorikeet colour. This particular colour works well in overcast & night conditions as the colour silhouettes very well. This lure is matched to a custom TT jighead with a number of alterations and added acoustics. The technique was to cast, let the lure sink to the bottom, slow wind with a sequence of hops, burns and shakes. This combines multiple presentations in each retrieve”.

“Conditions were trying with waves and wind both challenging us throughout the session. We decided to stick to the plan and location and just work throughout the entire session. Due to weather variations there was defined bite periods. It was a matter of using the time effectively and working as a team”.

Wilhelm’s outfit consisted of a 702 Barra Flatspin Shimano T-Curve rod teamed with a Shimano Stradic CI4 4000 size reel spooled with 30lb PowerPro braid and 100lb Black Magic leader.

“Without the support of all my sponsors it would be difficult to compete in these tournaments, so I want to thank Shimano, Evinrude, Millerods, Minn Kota, Skeeter, Lowrance and Blue Eye sunglasses for their support”.

Michael Weick’s 124cm first session catch took out the event big barra. Caught off a point at Cormorant Bay near the end of the session, the fish fought hard before finally succumbing, much to the delight of the angler.

Weick explains the capture, “The location had a lot of dark, dirty water. There was a lot of bait in the area, predominately garfish. We were anchored in around 8 feet of water. I was using a 125mm Smith Saruna lure in sardine colour. The lure was retro fitted with number 2 Owner and number 6 Decoy trebles. Importantly these changes help to suspend the lure, which is something we try to do with all our lures. The lure mimicked the baitfish perfectly”.

“When hooked the barramundi put on an aerial show and took plenty of line on deep runs. Even when we were about to net the fish it made a final dash for freedom. When the fish was finally netted I was very relieved. When measured it was a personal best, and we quickly got the photos and made a successful release. The hooks were actually straightened in the net, so it almost was the one that got away”.

ABT now heads to the final event of the 2010 BARRA Tour, the Halco Lake Monduran Afternoon Championship, Nov 26th-27th. For more information check out www.australianbarra.com.au.  

Place Angler Team Status F1  L1 F2 L2 TF TL Cash Prizes
1 Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro 1 96 4 419 5 515 $1400 + $400 Pro Daiwa Heartland rod & Daiwa Luna reel & Prize Pack
2 Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 2 203 3 285 5 488 $900 Gary Howard G Force rod & Prize Pack
3 Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs Standard     5 486 5 486 $700 Shimano Curado & Prize Pack
4 Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 3 299 1 95 4 394 $500 Spotters sunglasses & Prize Pack
5 Carl Jocumsen Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard 2 204 2 190 4 394 $400 Shimano Catana rod & Prize Pack
6 Daniel Grech Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard 1 102 3 273 4 375 $200 Berkley Tacklebag & Prize Pack
7 Dean Silvester Gamakatsu Standard 1 98 2 203 3 301 $200 Prize Pack
8 Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 1 100 2 186 3 286   Prize Pack
9 Ian Miller Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard 2 207     2 207   Prize Pack
10 Adam Paskins Reel Smooth Standard 1 113 1 86 2 199   Prize Pack
11 Michael Weick Team Nerangatang Standard 1 124     1 124   Prize Pack, Berkley/Hollowbelly Big Barra Prize Pack (124cm)
12 Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard 1 112     1 112   Prize Pack
13 Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team Standard 1 108     1 108   Prize Pack
14 Tim Carter Halco  Standard 1 108     1 108   Prize Pack
15 Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec Standard     1 107 1 107   Prize Pack
16 Trent Short Sunline Standard 1 106     1 106    
17 Jason Medcalf Team Polycraft Standard 1 102     1 102    
18 Jon Millard Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard     1 100 1 100    
19 Brian Todd Sunline 2 Standard     1 99 1 99    
20 Matt McArthur McArthur Customs Standard     1 99 1 99    
21 Roderick Walmsley Sunline 2 Standard 1 96     1 96    
22 Rob Wood Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard 1 92     1 92    
23 Matthew Mott Bass to Barra Standard     1 92 1 92    
24 Trevor Burgess Berkley Standard 1 90     1 90    
25 Jason Ehrlich Halco  Standard 1 90     1 90    
26 David Reynolds Bass to Barra Standard 1 87     1 87    
27 Jarrod Dalton Sebile Standard     1 84 1 84    
28 Katsutoshi Furusawa Sunline Standard 1 82     1 82    
29 Steve Eldred Atomic Standard         0 0    
29 Dale Mullins Atomic Standard         0 0    
29 Peter Derksen Aussie Boat Loans Standard         0 0    
29 John Cinciano Aussie Boat Loans Standard         0 0    
29 Misty Burgess Berkley Standard         0 0    
29 Matt Fraser Berkley Nitro R&D Standard         0 0    
29 Mark Lennox Berkley Nitro R&D Standard         0 0    
29 Greg Mitchell CJR Industries Standard         0 0    
29 Ben Vonpein CJR Industries Standard         0 0    
29 Mark Larsen Dairy Farmers Standard         0 0    
29 Jason Jones Dairy Farmers Standard         0 0    
29 Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO Standard         0 0    
29 Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO Standard         0 0    
29 John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard         0 0    
29 Michael Starkey Gamakatsu Standard         0 0    
29 Simon Black I’m On Lures Standard         0 0    
29 Andrew Black I’m On Lures Standard         0 0    
29 Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro         0 0    
29 Matt Anderson Quantum Pro         0 0    
29 Kris George Quantum Pro         0 0    
29 Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team Standard         0 0    
29 Mick Jones Reel Smooth Standard         0 0    
29 Trevor Cassidy Rum Pigs Standard         0 0    
29 Cameron Golightly Rum Pigs Standard         0 0    
29 Patrick Morgan Sebile Standard         0 0    
29 Karl Rembacher Shitty Tinny Standard         0 0    
29 Jason Sizeland Shitty Tinny Standard         0 0    
29 Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         0 0    
29 Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         0 0    
29 Gavin Dunne Team Ecogear Standard         0 0    
29 Dean Thompson Team Ecogear Standard         0 0    
29 Ben Durkin Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard         0 0    
29 Neville Parmenter Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
29 Rodney Milkins Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
29 Glen Smith Team Nerangatang Standard         0 0    
29 Brad Cooper Team Polycraft Standard         0 0    
29 Matt Martin Team Predator Standard         0 0    
29 Matt Hazell Team Predator Standard         0 0    
29 Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
29 Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
29 Phil Lyons The Likely Lads Standard         0 0    
29 Geoff Newby The Likely Lads Standard         0 0    
29 Dustin Sippell Young Guns Standard         0 0    
29 Boyd Read Young Guns Standard         0 0    
26 2619 29 2804 55 5423
98.6

Sth AOY and Overall AOY

Kerrin Taylor finishes 2nd at Monduran to claim the Southern and Overall AOY Trophies.
 

Place Angler Team R1 Teemburra R2 Faust R3 Awoonga R4 Awoonga R5 Monduran Nth AOY Sth AOY Overall AOY
1 Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude 0 93 99 100 99 93 298 298
2 Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec 93 99 96 99 94 192 289 294
3 Dean Silvester Megabass/Mako 89 96 97 94 100 185 291 293
4 Daniel Grech Rapala/ JT Reel Repairs 99 80 72 95 97 179 264 291
5 Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec 94 97 94 86 78 191 258 285
6 Jon Millard Rapala/ JT Reel Repairs 74 94 91 83 96 168 270 281
7 Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team 100 87 72 88 78 187 238 275
8 Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods 74 86 90 97 78 160 265 273
9 Matt McArthur McArthur Customs 74 89 72 81 91 163 244 261
10 Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO 74 90 92 62 78 164 232 260
11 Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods 74 65 87 93 78 139 258 258
12 Rodney Milkins Team Maverick 74 85 95 62 78 159 235 258
13 Michael Weick Neranga Tangs 74 74 93 90 0 148 183 257
14 Matthew Mott Bass to Barra 0 0 98 78 78 0 254 254
15 Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies 74 84 72 62 95 158 229 253
16 Rob Wood  Gin Gin Hotel 95 54 72 79 78 149 229 252
17 Geoff Newby The Likely Lads 86 88 72 62 78 174 212 252
18 Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO 91 83 72 62 78 174 212 252
19 Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs 74 75 72 98 78 149 248 251
20 Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude 0 100 72 62 78 100 212 250
21 Tim Carter Halco  0 0 84 87 78 0 249 249
22 Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines 74 81 72 89 78 155 239 248
23 Jarrod Dalton Sebile 96 54 72 74 78 150 224 248
24 Carl Jocumsen Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits 0 0 72 96 78 0 246 246
25 Matt Hazell Team Predator 90 77 72 62 78 167 212 245
26 Phil Lyons The Likely Lads 74 92 72 62 78 166 212 244
27 Trevor Burgess Berkley 0 0 88 77 78 0 243 243
28 Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine 74 91 72 62 78 165 212 243
29 Ian Miller Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits 0 0 72 92 78 0 242 242
30 Matt Martin Team Predator 92 67 72 62 78 159 212 242
31 Jason Ehrlich Halco  0 0 85 76 78 0 239 239
32 Simon Black I’m On Lures 74 72 72 62 89 146 223 235
33 Jason Medcalf Team Polycraft 0 0 72 84 78 0 234 234
34 John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines 74 82 72 62 78 156 212 234
35 Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine 74 78 72 62 78 152 212 230
36 Boyd Read Young Guns 0 0 72 62 93 0 227 227
37 Greg Mitchell CJR Industries 0 0 86 62 78 0 226 226
38 David Reynolds Bass to Barra 0 0 72 75 78 0 225 225
39 Karl Rembacher Shitty Tinny 0 0 72 62 90 0 224 224
40 Ben Durkin Gin Gin Hotel 74 54 72 62 78 128 212 224
41 Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team 74 64 72 62 78 138 212 224
42 Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies 74 66 72 62 78 140 212 224
43 Neville Parmenter Team Maverick 74 69 72 62 78 143 212 224
44 Matt Fraser Berkley Nitro R&D 0 0 83 62 78 0 223 223
45 Glen Smith Neranga Tangs 74 70 72 62 0 144 134 216
46 Ben Vonpein CJR Industries 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
47 Dean Thompson Team Ecogear 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
48 Dustin Sippel Young Guns 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
49 Gavin Dunne Team Ecogear 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
50 Mark Larsen Dairy Farmers 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
51 Mark Lennox Berkley Nitro R&D 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
52 Matt Anderson Quantum 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
53 Patrick Morgan Sebile 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
54 Steve Eldred Atomic 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
55 Trevor Cassidy Rum Pigs 0 0 72 62 78 0 212 212
56 Donovan Power Power 97 80 0 0 0 177 0 177
57 Matt Coleman Team of Two 74 98 0 0 0 172 0 172
58 Roderick Walmsley Sunline 2 0 0 89 80 0 0 169 169
59 Trent Power Power 74 95 0 0 0 169 0 169
60 Kris George Quantum 0 0 100 62 0 0 162 162
61 Trent Short Sunline 0 0 72 85 0 0 157 157
62 Brian Todd Sunline 2 0 0 72 82 0 0 154 154
63 Issac Toivanen DC 98 54 0 0 0 152 0 152
64 Michael Napier Bundyites 0 0 72 0 78 0 150 150
65 Rick Napier Bundyites 0 0 72 0 78 0 150 150
66 Geoff Busbridge Megabass/Mako 74 76 0 0 0 150 0 150
67 Katsutoshi Furusawa Sunline 0 0 72 73 0 0 145 145
68 Matt Black I’m On Lures 74 71 0 0 0 145 0 145
69 Nathan Chapman Dingos 74 68 0 0 0 142 0 142
70 Brad Cooper Team Polycraft 0 0 0 62 78 0 140 140
71 Andrew Black I’m On Lures 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
72 Cameron Golightly Rum Pigs 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
73 Dale Mullins Atomic 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
74 Jason Jones Dairy Farmers 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
75 Jason Sizeland Shitty Tinny 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
76 John Cinciano Aussie Boat Loans 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
77 Michael Starkey Gamakatsu 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
78 Misty Burgess Berkley 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
79 Peter Derksen Aussie Boat Loans 0 0 72 62 0 0 134 134
80 Cameron Pratt DC 74 54 0 0 0 128 0 128
81 Daryl Pead Dingos 74 54 0 0 0 128 0 128
82 David Purdy Sebile 74 54 0 0 0 128 0 128
83 Jeff Eales Team of Two 74 54 0 0 0 128 0 128
84 Tyson Robertson Wilson Fishing Australia 0 0 0 0 98 0 98 98
85 David Robinson Gamakatsu 0 0 0 0 92 0 92 92
86 Adam Paskins Reel Smooth 0 0 0 91 0 0 91 91
87 Nicholas Moore Ulua Boys 88 0 0 0 0 88 0 88
88 Frank Ohl Reidy’s Lures 87 0 0 0 0 87 0 87
89 Peter Price Reidy’s Lures 85 0 0 0 0 85 0 85
90 Brook Ebzery Teaser 84 0 0 0 0 84 0 84
91 Andy Chew Active Angler/Egrell Rodz 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
92 Ashley Sims Quantum 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
93 Chris Eldred Atomic 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
94 Cliff Brauer Dairy Farmers 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
95 Drew McGrath Wilson Fishing Australia 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
96 Gary Leather Team Rovex 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
97 Grant Murray We Fish 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
98 Ken Murray Blue Nitro 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
99 Lex Irwin I’m On Lures 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
100 Nicholas Willet Reidy’s B-52 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
101 Peter Jung Reidy’s B-52 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
102 Ross Murray Blue Nitro 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
103 Steven Bechly Active Angler/Egrell Rodz 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
104 Tim Mulhall Team Rovex 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
105 Tim Steenhuis Berkley 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
106 Wayne Jones We Fish 0 0 0 0 78 0 78 78
107 Arthur Grace Amzing Grace Two Crew 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
108 Craig Birkett INDT 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
109 Greg Birkett INDT 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
110 Paul McFarlane Amzing Grace Two Crew 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
111 Peter Behrens Ulua Boys 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
112 Robert Ebzery Teaser 74 0 0 0 0 74 0 74
113 Lindsay Dobe Quantum Fishing Team  0 73 0 0 0 73 0 73
114 Colin Brett Lethal Lures 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
115 Dale Nolan Jagem 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
116 Ken Berry Orion Lures 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
117 Ken Best Orion Lures 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
118 Nathan Anderson Sofishticated 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
119 Paul Habijanec Team Polycraft 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
120 Quintin Maclean Sofishticated 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
121 Ryan Fennell Jagem 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
122 Stephen Lill Lethal Lures 0 0 72 0 0 0 72 72
123 Mick Jones Reel Smooth 0 0 0 62 0 0 62 62
124 Jack Erskine Quantum Fishing Team  0 54 0 0 0 54 0 54

RapalaLake Awoonga 3×3 – Story and Results

Kris George, 3/9 330cm, has taken out the Rapala Lake Awoonga 3×3 Championships. George caught all his fish in a bumper first session, which included one upgrade of 114cm, which ultimately secured the event big barra prize. George, the 21 year old owner of Fish ‘n’ Bits, Toowoomba, identified his location during the prefish window and returned to the location each session. Whilst only the first session proved fruitful, it was enough to take victory in the tough, rainy conditions at the venue.
“The location was off the main basin. It was a bay of broken weed that had dirty water in the mix. We fished a point and edge in about 20 feet of water. I noticed a lot of anglers were targeting fish in the shallows. The area we fished was deeper, with the point going from 6 feet through to about 20 feet deep”.

  “The conditions were tough. It took us about an hour once we got to our location to anchor up and hold fast. In the end we had to deploy two anchors to hold position. The lure that did the damage was the original Squidgies Slick Rig 130mm in true blue colour. The lure had an Owner stinger hook (size 2) added. The stinger was wire crimped to the lure eye and would protrude through the last rib of the lure”.

 
“We were happy with our location. We could see that the fishing was tough, and as we had caught a fish in the same location during the prefish we ultimately decided to live and die on our area. Having only been to Awoonga twice my experience is more limited than some. But having been out on the waters with some good anglers has shown me what to look for. Other spots I perhaps was going to were being fished or had come under pressure so we made the decision to stay”.

 
“When we got a firm anchor we began fishing. We worked as a team with one angler working their retrieve fast and the other slow. When we got our first fish we both tailored our retrieve. About an hour later I had my second fish followed by the third after dark. The moon was sporadically coming out which aided visibility and seemed to bring the fish on the bite. Thirty minutes later I had my fourth fish which was an upgrade and ultimately took out the event big barra”.

 
The next session saw Gorge primed for a return to his location, but motor troubles intervened. In the end he was towed to and from the start location by another boat in order to fish the session. Unfortunately the fish did not want to co-operate and the team were unable to add to their catch sheet.

  “It took us about 40 minutes to get to the spot. Another angler was already there, but in a show of great sportsmanship moved on of their own accord. The wind had changed direction and the water temperature had dropped 4 degrees. The whole dynamics of the area had changed and as a consequence the fish weren’t active”.

            “We overcame the motor issues and returned to the same location in the final session. One catfish fell victim and we had a hookup that couldn’t be translated into a fish. Ultimately with the fishing being tough we wanted to be on a spot we had confidence in. With the bite windows sometimes being a short as 5 minutes, we wanted to maximize the opportunities at the chosen location. As such the decision was made to stick it out”.

  “The key was slowing the retrieve speed. Also I have experimented in the past with multiple hook sets. For some reason this technique was loosing more fish than I like, so I reverted to a single strike and just played each fish to tire them out. Using low rod angles I would keep the pressure on and as a consequence the fish would jump less. As it worked out the fish stuck and I was able to boat enough to take the win”.

  Georges out fit consisted of a 7’2″ rod teamed with a 3000 size reel spooled with 14lb Berkley Crystal Fireline and 60lb Pioneer invisible fluorocarbon leader.

  George notes, “The breaking strain of my mainline was above its stated. It stood up to fish and multiple snags without any problem. I even had some hooks come off second best”

 
“A big thank you to Carl Jocumsen and Ian Miller for their help and support throughout the tournament. To my Quantum partner, Matt Anderson, also a big thanks. And finally to Fish ‘N’ Bits at Toowoomba, I couldn’t do this without their support so thank you for making this possible”.

  Kerrin Taylor, 2/9, 217cm, took out second place. Taylor boated a fish in the first and third session, continuing to build on his consistent tournament performances.

  “We fished a weed edge on the western side of the dam near the quarry. It was a location identified in the prefish. As the fishing was tough we made the decision to return to this location. We were fishing shallow in 2-4 meters of water over the top of weed. It was tough with only one fish coming in the first session. We returned to the same location in session two, fished another spot nearby, but found no fish”.

  “In the final session we went back to the original location. It was fishing hard, so required a fair mount of persistence and patience. Eventually after dark we got a fish, but after that we didn’t get any more bites so finished with the single fish”.

  The lure of choice was a Rapala X-Rap 15cm in gold. The lure was retro fitted with Owner trebles. Taylor explains the technique, “I was working the lure over the top of shallow weed, perhaps 1-2 feet under the surface. It would be a matter of mixing up slow rolling with twitches. If the lure got caught up, a quick twitch to break it free kept the lure in the strikezone. The barra were deep in the weed, so it was a matter of getting them to react as the lure traveled through the area”.

  Taylor’s outfit consisted of a Millerods Salty Barra rod teamed with a Shimano Chronach reel spooled with 20lb Fins braid in yellow and 80lb Black Magic leader.

  Thanking all his sponsors including Shimano, Evinrude, Millerods, Plano, Lowrance and Rapala, Taylor was upbeat about the event and the tournaments to follow. With the southern BARRA AOY still in the mix, it is anyone’s game at this stage of the season.

  ABT now moves to the Berkley Lake Awoonga Evening Championship, 2×5, 22nd-23rd Nov. Check out www.australianbarra.com.au for more information.
 

Place Angler Team Status F1  L1 F2 L2 F3 L3 TF TL Cash Prizes
1 Kris George Quantum Pro 3 330         3 330 $1500 + $400 Pro Daiwa Heartland rod & Daiwa Luna reel & Prize Pack, Berkley/Rapala Big Barra Prize Pack (114cm)
2 Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro 1 111     1 106 2 217 $1,000 Millerod Twitchin Stick rod, Shimano Coriolis reel & Prize Pack
3 Matthew Mott Bass to Barra Standard 1 101 1 103     2 204 $700 G.Loomis CBR756 rod & Prize Pack
4 Dean Silvester Gamakatsu Standard 1 98 1 100     2 198 $500 Spotters sunglasses & Prize Pack
5 Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 1 91     1 92 2 183 $400 Shimano Catana rod & Prize Pack
6 Rodney Milkins Team Maverick Standard         1 111 1 111 $300 Berkley Tacklebag & Prize Pack
7 Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 1 105         1 105 $200 Prize Pack
8 Michael Weick Team Nerangatang Standard 1 103         1 103 $200 Prize Pack
9 Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO Standard     1 99     1 99   Prize Pack
10 Jon Millard Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard 1 98         1 98   Prize Pack
11 Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 1 97         1 97   Prize Pack
12 Roderick Walmsley Sunline 2 Standard         1 97 1 97   Prize Pack
13 Trevor Burgess Berkley Standard 1 96         1 96   Prize Pack
14 Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 1 96         1 96   Prize Pack
15 Greg Mitchell CJR Industries Standard 1 91         1 91   Prize Pack
16 Jason Ehrlich Halco  Standard         1 91 1 91    
17 Tim Carter Halco  Standard         1 89 1 89    
18 Matt Fraser Berkley Nitro R&D Standard 1 88         1 88    
19 Andrew Black I’m On Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Ben Durkin Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard             0 0    
19 Ben Vonpein CJR Industries Standard             0 0    
19 Boyd Read Young Guns Standard             0 0    
19 Brian Todd Sunline 2 Standard             0 0    
19 Cameron Golightly Rum Pigs Standard             0 0    
19 Carl Jocumsen Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard             0 0    
19 Colin Brett Lethal Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team Standard             0 0    
19 Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro             0 0    
19 Dale Mullins Atomic Standard             0 0    
19 Dale Nolan Jagem Standard             0 0    
19 Daniel Grech Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard             0 0    
19 Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team Standard             0 0    
19 David Reynolds Bass to Barra Standard             0 0    
19 Dean Thompson Team Ecogear Standard             0 0    
19 Dustin Sippel Young Guns Standard             0 0    
19 Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard             0 0    
19 Gavin Dunne Team Ecogear Standard             0 0    
19 Geoff Newby The Likely Lads Standard             0 0    
19 Glen Smith Team Nerangatang Standard             0 0    
19 Ian Miller Millerods/ Fish N’ Bits Standard             0 0    
19 Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard             0 0    
19 Jarrod Dalton Sebile Standard             0 0    
19 Jason Jones Dairy Farmers Standard             0 0    
19 Jason Medcalf Team Polycraft Standard             0 0    
19 Jason Sizeland Shitty Tinny Standard             0 0    
19 John Cinciano Aussie Boat Loans Standard             0 0    
19 John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard             0 0    
19 Karl Rembacher Shitty Tinny Standard             0 0    
19 Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard             0 0    
19 Katsutoshi Furusawa Sunline Standard             0 0    
19 Ken Berry Orion Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Ken Best Orion Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO Standard             0 0    
19 Mark Larsen Dairy Farmers Standard             0 0    
19 Mark Lennox Berkley Nitro R&D Standard             0 0    
19 Matt Anderson Quantum Pro             0 0    
19 Matt Hazell Team Predator Standard             0 0    
19 Matt Martin Team Predator Standard             0 0    
19 Matt McArthur McArthur Customs Standard             0 0    
19 Michael Napier Bundyites Standard             0 0    
19 Michael Starkey Gamakatsu Standard             0 0    
19 Misty Burgess Berkley Standard             0 0    
19 Nathan Anderson Sofishticated Standard             0 0    
19 Neville Parmenter Team Maverick Standard             0 0    
19 Patrick Morgan Sebile Standard             0 0    
19 Paul Habijanec Team Polycraft Standard             0 0    
19 Peter Derksen Aussie Boat Loans Standard             0 0    
19 Phil Lyons The Likely Lads Standard             0 0    
19 Quintin Maclean Sofishticated Standard             0 0    
19 Rick Napier Bundyites Standard             0 0    
19 Rob Wood Team Gin Gin Hotel Standard             0 0    
19 Ryan Fennell Jagem Standard             0 0    
19 Simon Black I’m On Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs Standard             0 0    
19 Stephen Lill Lethal Lures Standard             0 0    
19 Steve Eldred Atomic Standard             0 0    
19 Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard             0 0    
19 Trent Short Sunline Standard             0 0    
19 Trevor Cassidy Rum Pigs Standard             0 0    
19 Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard             0 0    

Daiwa BARRA Tour Nth AOY

Jason Wilhelm takes out the northern leg of the 2010 Daiwa BARRA Tour by one point over team mate Alan McNamara. Read more for full results.

Place Angler R1 Teemburra R2 Faust Nth AOY
1 Jason Wilhelm 93 99 192
2 Alan McNamara 94 97 191
3 Craig Griffiths 100 87 187
4 Dean Silvester 89 96 185
5 Daniel Grech 99 80 179
6 Donovan Power 97 80 177
7 Geoff Newby 86 88 174
8 Leon Parmenter 91 83 174
9 Matt Coleman 74 98 172
10 Trent Power 74 95 169
11 Jon Millard 74 94 168
12 Matt Hazell 90 77 167
13 Phil Lyons 74 92 166
14 Wayne Cox 74 91 165
15 Mike Connolly 74 90 164
16 Matt McArthur 74 89 163
17 Simon Barkhuizen 74 86 160
18 Rodney Milkins 74 85 159
19 Matt Martin 92 67 159
20 Elaine Sanderson 74 84 158
21 John Schwerin 74 82 156
22 Jake Schwerin 74 81 155
23 Issac Toivanen 98 54 152
24 Steven Wright 74 78 152
25 Geoff Busbridge 74 76 150
26 Jarrod Dalton 96 54 150
27 Spencer Troxell 74 75 149
28 Rob Wood  95 54 149
29 Michael Weick 74 74 148
30 Simon Black 74 72 146
31 Matt Black 74 71 145
32 Glen Smith 74 70 144
33 Neville Parmenter 74 69 143
34 Nathan Chapman 74 68 142
35 Katie Sanderson 74 66 140
36 Glyn Barkhuizen 74 65 139
37 Daniel Roth 74 64 138
38 Ben Durkin 74 54 128
38 Cameron Pratt 74 54 128
38 Daryl Pead 74 54 128
38 David Purdy 74 54 128
38 Jeff Eales 74 54 128
43 Cy Taylor 0 100 100
44 Kerrin Taylor 0 93 93
45 Nicholas Moore 88 0 88
46 Frank Ohl 87 0 87
47 Peter Price 85 0 85
48 Brook Ebzery 84 0 84
49 Arthur Grace 74 0 74
49 Craig Birkett 74 0 74
49 Greg Birkett 74 0 74
49 Paul McFarlane 74 0 74
49 Peter Behrens 74 0 74
49 Robert Ebzery 74 0 74
55 Lindsay Dobe 0 73 73
56 Jack Erskine 0 54 54

Sunline Peter Faust 3×3 Championship- Final Results & Story

Taylor Triumphs on Faust

The weather improved and so did the fishing from Teemburra two days earlier with anglers nailing improved quantity and Faust’s famous quality at the Sunline Peter Faust 3 x 3 Championship, 16/17th November.

For event winner Cy Taylor it was a continuation of his form from 2009 with the AFC barra gun compiling a 9/9, 746cm three session limit to secure the win. The only angler to catch his full limit for the tournament, Taylor outgunned a talented field of anglers including event runner-up Jason Wilhelm (7/9, 627cm) and fellow AFC anglers Matt Coleman (3rd) and Allan McNamara (4th).
Fishing the western side of the lake Taylor fished and rotated two specific spots. A large wind laden bay and a small submerged island fringed by weed.  

The first of his two tournament winning spots, the bay, featured about three metres of water leading up to a prominent weed lined edge.  

“The fish would hold and work along the weed edge enjoying the warm water and the food pushed towards them”, explained Taylor.  

Using a two lure approach Taylor alternated between a 110mm Squidgy Slick Rig in yakka colour and a purple and white floating 10cm Rapala X Rap. The retrieve for the Slick Rig was standard fair, a slow roll with the occasional twitch, while the X Rap was worked with a three twitch pause retrieve.  

The same techniques were used at Taylor’s number two spot, the flooded island, with the bite zone, the weed edge, featuring about two metres of water.  

“Getting the lure tight to the weed and keeping the lure in the strike zone as long as possible was important to get the bites”, explained Taylor.  

While the Slick Rig and X Rap approach delivered Taylor the fish he needed to win, it was a frustrating first session when he lost multiple fish that he thought things weren’t going to go his way.  

“It hurts to lose fish after fish, and you think are these the tournament winning fish that are jumping off. Thankfully though it was only the first session where it was hard to make them stick”, explained Taylor.  

The tackle he used to claimed his second Faust win in as many years included a 6’4″ Millerod Camofish Hi-Roller rod, Shimano Chronach reel, 20lb Power Pro & Fins braid, and 80lb Black Magic leader.  

The addition of a stinger hook on his Slick Rigs was one of the small additions Taylor made to his tackle, with the Faust champ adding a size 4 VMC treble for added assurity.  

Post event Taylor was philosophical about the win and the rest of the tour.  

“It was great to win this event for the second year, and while it was disappointing not to get a result at Teemburra, I know that if I fish hard the results will come”, concluded Taylor.  

With the southern BARRA Tour now on the radar Taylor will be keen to continue his hot form and add more wins to his tournament CV.  

For event runner-up Jason Wilhelm it was another solid performance on the northern leg of the Daiwa BARRA Tour, with the 37 year old Awoonga Fishing Guide claiming the northern AOY title with an 8th at Teemburra and a 2nd at Peter Faust.  

Fishing two locations to catch his fish, Wilhelm spent the bulk if his tournament fishing a weedline edge in the Proserpine River, before switching and hitting the main basin late in session three.  

“The Prossy River fished well until that final session when it suffered from strong winds and angling pressure”, explained Wilhelm.  

Up until then the location had produced a string of quality of fish, including two 100s, a 99, a 71 and an 80. Structural the location was comprised of a long constant weed edge with about 12 feet of water at the base, deep water near by, and active fishing moving through that could be seen with the sounder.  

“You could see the fish come through on the Lowrance HDS 10 LSS1, and if you saw them you’d were pretty confident that you’d get a bite”, explained Wilhelm.  

The bites were regular, with the barra hitting the lure in a range of different places. From tight to the weed to right back at the edge of the bites.  

“The bites would could come anytime during the retrieve so you needed to make sure you maintained the retrieve from the start right through to the end”, explained Wilhelm.  

The retrieve involved casting the lure tight to the weed edge, counting it down the bottom then slow rolling it back to the bottom. The lure used of course was Wilhelm’s much loved 130 Squidgy Slick Rig (slimey mackerel). It wasn’t a stock standard Slick Rig however, with Jason rigging the plastic on a 25gram, size 8/0 TT Headhunter jighead, and adding a size 12 Gamakatsu Treble 14 hook as a stinger.  

The approach and location delivered Wilhelm four fish in session one, two in session and unfortunately none in session.  

“It died in the last session, there were few bites and the fish that we had been seeing on the Lowrance disappeared so we changed tact completed and hit the suspended fish in the main basin”, explained Wilhelm.  

Hitting the basin just before dark Wilhelm and team mate Alan McNamara motored around with their eyes fixed on the sounder looking for active fish moving through in the deep water.  

“We found a spot in about 80 feet of water that had fish traveling through, so we dropped the electric, put the I-Pilot on Spot Lock and just fished there”, explained Wilhelm.  

With fish moving through at depths ranging from 10 feet through to 40 feet Wilhelm would make long downwind casts, sink the lure down to the desired depth then retrieve it back with a slow rolling retrieve.  

“The bites were soft and subtle, so as soon as you felt a touch you struck hard to set the hook”, explained Wilhelm.  

The approach was spot on with Wilhelm landing all the fish he hooked, including a 106 and a 71.  

“Chasing barra in deep water is rarely easy, you can often find the fish but getting them to bite can be hard to say the least. So to hit the basin late in the session and get stuck into a few was very satisfying, especially after struggling upriver early”, explained Jason.  

The tackle Wilhelm used to catch his fish included a Shimano T Curve 701 rod, Shimano Stradic C14 reel, 30lb Power Pro braid and 100lb Black Magic leader.  

Post event Wilhelm was ecstatic with his result and was looking forward to getting on his home water and tackling some Awoonga barra.  

“Faust was one of the events that I really wanted to do well at this year. I haven’t done well here in the past, so to come away with a second is fantastic. Let’s hope Awoonga fishes well and we get a taste of the action we got last year”, concluded Jason.  

The Big Barra Prize for the event changed hands many times throughout the tournament will Townsville angler Matt Coleman eventually claiming the Rapala Big Barra Pack with 120cm caught in the final session. Falling to a white 3″ Zoom Swimming Fluke rigged on a 3/4oz TT Revhead jighead, Coleman caught the fish in 40 feet of water on a slow rolled retrieve in the main basin.  

“The bites were slow and tentative so I kept the retrieve slow and methodical. The fish inhaled the lure on its first touch and had the lure so far down I had to stick my whole hand and part of my forearm into its mouth to get the lure out”, explained Coleman.  

The southern tour now beckons with anglers keen to experience slice of the action they had in 2009. Visit www.australianbarra.com.au to see how it all unfolds.

 

Place Angler Team Status F1  L1 F2 L2 F3 L3 TF TL Cash Prizes
1 Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro 3 242 3 242 3 262 9 746 $1,100 Daiwa Heartland rod & Daiwa Luna reel & Prize Pack + $181 1st Pro
2 Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 3 299 2 151 2 177 7 627 $700 Millerod Blademaster Camo rod, Shimano Curado reel & Prize Pack
3 Matt Coleman Team of Two Standard 2 178 1 76 3 325 6 579 $400 Shimano Raider rod, Shimano Coriolis reel, Prize Pack
4 Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 1 89     3 303 4 392 $300 Spotters Prize Pack & Prize Pack + Big Barra Rapala Pack (120cm)
5 Dean Silvester Megabass/Mako Standard 1 80 1 80 2 219 4 379 $200 Shimano Catana rod, Halco Prize Pack
6 Trent Power Power Standard 1 82 3 222 1 58 5 362   Berkley Prize Pack
7 Jon Millard Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard 1 88 2 152 1 89 4 329   Berkley Prize Pack
8 Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro 1 84 1 54 2 162 4 300   Berkley Prize Pack
9 Phil Lyons The Likely Lads Standard 1 78     2 218 3 296   Bozos Pack
10 Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard 1 74 2 129 1 90 4 293   Bozos Pack
11 Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO Standard 1 96 1 80 1 107 3 283    
12 Matt McArthur McArthur Customs Standard     3 282     3 282    
13 Geoff Newby The Likely Lads Standard 1 70     2 175 3 245    
14 Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team Standard 2 165     1 75 3 240    
15 Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 2 165 1 58     3 223    
16 Rodney Milkins Team Maverick Standard 1 101 1 111     2 212    
17 Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         3 208 3 208    
18 Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO Standard 2 172         2 172    
19 John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard     2 161     2 161    
20 Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard 1 81 1 71     2 152    
21 Daniel Grech Rapala/JT Reel Repairs Standard     1 76 1 74 2 150    
21 Donovan Power Power Standard 1 74 1 76     2 150    
23 Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard 2 147         2 147    
24 Matt Hazell Team Predator Standard         1 91 1 91    
25 Geoff Busbridge Megabass/Mako Standard 1 90         1 90    
26 Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs Standard     1 87     1 87    
27 Michael Weick Neranga Tangs Standard 1 86         1 86    
28 Lindsay Dobe Quantum Fishing Team Standard     1 82     1 82    
29 Simon Black I’m On Lures Standard 1 80         1 80    
30 Matt Black I’m On Lures Standard         1 79 1 79    
31 Glen Smith Neranga Tangs Standard 1 78         1 78    
32 Neville Parmenter Team Maverick Standard         1 78 1 78    
33 Nathan Chapman Dingos Standard 1 77         1 77    
34 Matt Martin Team Predator Standard         1 77 1 77    
35 Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard     1 73     1 73    
36 Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard 1 71         1 71    
37 Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team Standard 1 51         1 51    
38 Ben Durkin Gin Gin Hotel Standard             0 0    
38 Cameron Pratt DC Standard             0 0    
38 Daryl Pead Dingos Standard             0 0    
38 David Purdy Sebile Standard             0 0    
38 Issac Toivanen DC Standard             0 0    
38 Jack Erskine Quantum Fishing Team Standard             0 0    
38 Jarrod Dalton Sebile Standard             0 0    
38 Jeff Eales Team of Two Standard             0 0    
38 Rob Wood  Gin Gin Hotel Standard             0 0    
35 2898 29 2263 32 2867 96 8028
  82.80   78.03       83.63

Strike Pro Teemburra Dam BARRA Round- Final Results & Story

Teemburra Dam produced a contrasting bite to last year’s 231 fish feast with a meare 28 barra hitting anglers’ brag mats at the opening round of the 2010 Daiwa BARRA Tour, the Strike Pro Teemburra BARRA Evening Event, 12/13th November.

A measure of a tough bite courtesy of torrential rain and cool temperatures rather than angling ability, it was 38 year old Rolleston mine worker Craig Griffiths (4/10, 289cm) who cracked the pattern the best to break through for his maiden BARRA Tour win.

Picking up where he left off last year was 2009 Awoonga Night Championship winner Daniel Grech (3/10, 259cm) who started the new season in great style, claiming the runner-up title and a boost of confidence heading into the remainder of the tour.
Victory though belonged to Griffiths with the Teemburra victor fishing one point within eye sight of the launching ramp to catch his fish.  

“It was the same point and clump of trees I fished in last year’s tournament, so I thought why not head back to the spot that produced before”, explained Griffiths.  

The simple, yet rationale decision paid off with Griffiths boating a barra on his third cast.  

The location in question featured a weedline and a clump of five trees sitting on a gentle sloping point in about 16 feet of water.  

“The trees where the hot spots with the barra sitting tight to the timber and only hitting the lure when it was right on their nose”, explained Griffiths.  

His choice of lures were a combination of options, with black and gold and drop bear coloured Squidgy Slick Rig 110s and a ghost coloured Rapala X Rap 10 all getting a run. The retrieve for the Slick Rigs was text book lift n’ drop plastics fishing with Griffiths casting the lure up onto the weed, ripping it across then letting it sink near the trees then give it a quick hop.  

“All the hits came as the lure was sinking next to the tree”, explained Griffiths.  

The retrieve for the X Rap was equally barra fishing 101, with a twitch-pause retrieve the undoing of one of the fish in tournament winning limit.  

It was perhaps the lure itself, namely the Squidgy Slick Rig and the modifications that he made to it that is most noteworthy.  

“I trimmed the tail to make it swim better, added some rattles and coated it repeatedly with garlic spray to make it as appealing as possible”, explained Griffiths.  

The balance of Griffiths’ tackle included a 6’8″ Pro Green rod, Daiwa Sol 3000 spin reel, 20lb Fins braid, and 60lb Black Magic leader.  

Receiving only four bites for the tournament, and landing all four, a rare thing in barra fishing, Griffith was ecstatic with the win and how it all fell into place.  

“It’s not to often you land all the bites that you get and I can pretty much thank the stinger hooks on my Slick Rigs for making it happen”, explained Griffiths.  

Running a treble stinger on the underbelly of the lure, Griffiths pinned all fish with and kept them connected courtesy of his trusty stinger.  

With the next round at Peter Faust only two days away Griffiths is keen to get back on the water and experience the hot fishing that Faust has been producing of late.  

“Let’s hope the weather improves over what we’ve had at Teemburra. If it does then there’s good chance we’ll get stuck in and catch a few”, concluded Griffiths.  

Notes- All fish caught came on a wind change, and none were caught after dark.  

For event runner-up Daniel Grech is was another quality result, with the Mackay angler adding another podium finish to his growing list of tournament achievements.  

Fishing the mouth of Teemburra Creek Grech keyed in on a specific location, a 20 feet deep flat punctuated by small shrubs and trees that sat adjacent to an 80 feet deep drop off and tree line.  

“The timber on the flat and the deep water near by were the main attractions for the barra I’m sure, they could hold up in the trees then retreat back to the deep water when they were less active”, explained Grech.  

With the shrubs his cast targets, Grech would cast a Jackall Tranzam through the timber then work it back with a two hop-pause retrieve.  

“You’d get hung up on the shrubs occasionally, so you’d have to ping the lure of the timber to get it back. It was when I did this and the lure came free that a fish (92cm) hit it”, explained Grech.  

While the Jackall produced his kicker fish, it was his money bait from Awoonga last year, the Rapala X Rap 10 that delivered the majority of fish in his bag.  

“One of the fish fell to a standard twitch and pause but the other nailed the lure as I burned it back to the boat”, explained Grech.  

His go-to X Rap was the glass ghost colour retrofitted with size 4 VMC trebles. The remainder of his tackle included a 6’2″ ACM Jack Extractor rod, a Daiwa Sol baitcaster beefed up with Carbontex drag washers courtesy of JT Reel Repairs, 20lb Bionic braid, and 40lb Black Magic fluorocarbon leader.  

With a solid start to the tour Grech will be one to watch in the battle for AOY.  

Notes- Relied heavily on his Humminbird 997 sounder to spot not only fish moving through, but also their rate of movement. His best result to date at Teemburra, his previous best was a 21st.  

The Big Barra for the tournament went to Jarrod Dalton with the Dysart based angler picking up the 96cm prize winning fish on day one. Caught at 8.30pm in the pouring rain it delivered Dalton a booty of Rapala lures and anchored his 5th place finish at the event.  

The next round of 2010 Daiwa BARRA tour sees the series travel north to Proserpine for the Sunline Peter Faust 3×3 Championship, 16/17th November. The first of the new 3×3 events, the Sunline presented round is sure to present anglers with a host of new challenges and hopefully a redhot barra bite. Visit www.australianbarra.com.au for all the results and photos.    

Place Angler Team Status F1  L1 F2 L2 TF TL Cash Prizes
1 Craig Griffiths Rapala Street Team Standard 2 149 2 140 4 289 $1,200 Daiwa Heartland rod & Daiwa Luna reel & Prize Pack
2 Daniel Grech Rapala/ JT Reel Repairs Standard 1 94 2 165 3 259 $600 Millerod Camofish Salty Barra rod, Shimano Coriolis reel & Prize Pack
3 Issac Toivanen DC Standard 3 231     3 231 $500 G.Loomis Force Lite rod & Prize Pack
4 Donovan Power Power Standard     3 226 3 226 $300 Spotters Prize Pack & Prize Pack
5 Jarrod Dalton Sebile Standard 1 96 1 75 2 171 $200 Jackall Prize Pack & Prize Pack + Big Barra (96cm) Rapala Pack
6 Rob Wood  Gin Gin Hotel Standard 1 72 1 72 2 144 $200 Shimano Catana rod & Prize Pack
7 Alan McNamara Shimano/ E-Tec Standard     1 92 1 92   Halco Prize Pack
8 Jason Wilhelm Shimano/ E-Tec Standard 1 91     1 91   Halco Prize Pack
9 Matt Martin Team Predator Standard 1 88     1 88   Berkley Prize Pack
10 Leon Parmenter ETEC Evinrude HO Standard     1 88 1 88   Berkley Prize Pack
11 Matt Hazell Team Predator Standard 1 87     1 87    
12 Dean Silvester Megabass/Mako Standard     1 85 1 85    
13 Nicholas Moore Ulua Boys Standard     1 75 1 75    
14 Frank Ohl Reidy’s Lures Standard     1 73 1 73    
15 Geoff Newby The Likely Lads Standard 1 69     1 69    
16 Peter Price Reidy’s Lures Standard     1 69 1 69    
17 Brook Ebzery Teaser Standard     1 68 1 68    
18 Arthur Grace Amzing Grace Two Crew Standard         0 0    
19 Ben Durkin Gin Gin Hotel Standard         0 0    
20 Cameron Pratt DC Standard         0 0    
21 Craig Birkett INDT Standard         0 0    
22 Daniel Roth Rapala Street Team Standard         0 0    
23 Daryl Pead Dingos Standard         0 0    
24 David Purdy Sebile Standard         0 0    
25 Elaine Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         0 0    
26 Geoff Busbridge Megabass/Mako Standard         0 0    
27 Glen Smith Neranga Tangs Standard         0 0    
28 Glyn Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard         0 0    
29 Greg Birkett INDT Standard         0 0    
30 Jake Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard         0 0    
31 Jeff Eales Team of Two Standard         0 0    
32 John Schwerin Fish Catching Machines Standard         0 0    
33 Jon Millard Rapala/ JT Reel Repairs Standard         0 0    
34 Katie Sanderson Tackle Warehouse Ladies Standard         0 0    
35 Matt Black I’m On Lures Standard         0 0    
36 Matt Coleman Team of Two Standard         0 0    
37 Matt McArthur McArthur Customs Standard         0 0    
38 Michael Weick Neranga Tangs Standard         0 0    
39 Mike Connolly ETEC Evinrude HO Standard         0 0    
40 Nathan Chapman Dingos Standard         0 0    
41 Neville Parmenter Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
42 Paul McFarlane Amzing Grace Two Crew Standard         0 0    
43 Peter Behrens Ulua Boys Standard         0 0    
44 Phil Lyons The Likely Lads Standard         0 0    
45 Robert Ebzery Teaser Standard         0 0    
46 Rodney Milkins Team Maverick Standard         0 0    
47 Simon Barkhuizen Samurai Reaction Rods Standard         0 0    
48 Simon Black I’m On Lures Standard         0 0    
49 Spencer Troxell McArthur Customs Standard         0 0    
50 Steven Wright Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
51 Trent Power Power Standard         0 0    
52 Wayne Cox Team Reef Suzuki Marine Standard         0 0    
53 Kerrin Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro         DQ DQ    
54 Cy Taylor Millerods/Shimano/Evinrude Pro         DQ DQ    
12 977 16 1228 28 2205
  81.42   76.75   78.75

The Halco Hamma- Media Release

Australia’s largest and most respected lure manufacturer Halco Tackle Company, announces the arrival of their new, hard as nails casting minnow – Hamma.  

The Halco Hamma is at the new frontier of lure technology.  It is a clear-bodied, suspending casting lure supplied with two, easily interchangeable bibs of 1m and 3m running depths. It is purpose built to give maximum flexibility in one easy to fish package.  Hamma is destined to nail its competition and turn the lure fishing world on its head. www.halcotackle.com
The Hamma was designed from the ground up to tackle some of the world’s toughest and most iconic sportfish such as Barramundi, Black Bass, Mangrove Jack, Tigerfish and Tarpon.  

It has an incredibly realistic baitfish profile, and also features a specially designed weight transfer system for great casting ability, super sharp 5 extra strong Mustad trebles for maximum holding potential even when using today’s modern braided line technology, and Halco’s famous heavy duty fish rings.  

In the water the Hamma has a marvellously enticing, tight swimming action with a subtle phase shift mid-cycle that can be used to easily mimic a wounded bait fish. It also suspends during the pause in the strike zone, for maximum hook up potential on highly territorial, aggressive species.  

Look out for Hamma, it’s available at all good tackle stores.