As we head into the start of barra season, we will see late August and early September bring warm northerly winds with them. These warm northerly winds are constant and anywhere between 1 to 3 weeks and as a consequence boost the water temperature from around 18°C to 25°C. This spike in water temperature is like waving a red flag in front of a bull for the barra as they will wake from their winter slumber to start feeding aggressively.

Just recently, due to the mild winter weather temperatures, the barra action has been better than normal. These active barra are sitting in the backs of bays and around windward points. Areas like Insane Bay, Heart Bay, Cow Bay and Jacks Bay have been good producers and will continue to be good as we head later into the season. The fish are still there and we are expecting some sensational numbers of smaller fish when the water temperature spikes.

Over the years we have come to learn that constant wind direction of 1 to 2 weeks and stable weather patterns throughout the season make for the most successful fishing sessions at Monduran.

The best winds are the northerlies, and the south-easterlies are the most predominant in this area. It can be very easy to pinpoint where barra will be feeding by checking out the previous week’s wind and weather forecast. Then by transferring your wind directions to a detailed map you will have a number of starting points as part of your preparation.

The benefit of a constant wind is that it promotes water current. This current oxygenates the water and it also pushes baitfish into certain areas. A little prior preparation can make all the difference when fishing this impoundment for barra and being aware of the how the wind translates into where the fish will be is one of the keys to success.

I recommend sticking with smaller sized hardbody lures that suspend at the moment. Lures like the Jackall Squirrel, Jackall Smash Minnow and the Halco Hamma 85 are brilliant fish takers and have been getting the job done all winter. But floating hardbodies like the Tilsan Barra, Flatz Rat 2, B52 Junior, Halco Scorpion 90 and the Warlock 80 can be used as normal to produce fish. Some clued up anglers however are altering these lures and making them suspend by adding heavier split rings and hooks, or by adding some sticky weight to them.

Suspending lures can give you the advantage in that you can tempt a barra into a bite by hanging the lure in front of it for any desired time period. It is an incredibly effective method that is not used near enough on smaller dam barra.

Soft plastics like the 4” Z-man SwimmerZ and the 4” Berkeley Powerbait Splitbelly coupled with TT Lures’ 4/0 1/4oz jigheads are making a solid comeback and should be in every angler’s tackle box ready to use when the time is needed. Soft plastic swim baits are brilliant fish takers and this season I expect that more fish will fall to these subtly moving plastic fantastic’s.

For further info on how Monduran is fishing you can drop us an email at --e-mail address hidden-- or phone us on 07 4157 3881 or for interstate people use the freecall number 1800 228 754.