26/04/2026
Line caught barramundi.....
I see a few know it alls lately saying line fishing for barra isn't viable. There's only been 2,700kg caught in zone 1 using line, while 48,000kg caught in zone 3 using nets. Its too hard to line catch barramundi etc etc etc. The usual dribble I've become accustomed to....
As we all know, this year has been a long wet season, up north especially. Almost constant rain for months, cyclones to deal with, northwesterly winds etc. And we have very limited TACC. (Total Allowable Commercial Catch)
An extended wet season makes it difficult to catch beautiful clean, yellow tailed barramundi from headlands and river mouths.
I could have been fishing miles up in rivers and creeks, and caught the total TACC of 4,700kg weeks ago. Could have caught the 4,700kg of 'barramundi' allowed, but they would have been muddy, black tailed barra that frankly, taste like s**t!
With such a limited TACC in zone 1, it makes no sense whatsoever to catch muddy tasting river fish, and sell them for low prices. A lot do, but I don't.....If I sent those muddy tasting fish to restaurants, not that I'd ever do it, they would say something like "what the hell is this crap? We don't want this fish, we want the beautiful white fleshed barra that doesn't taste like mud, the same as you've always supplied"......
I've filled in time waiting for the right conditions by reef fishing and also catching bait for our own use. So far we've done very little barra fishing, purely because of what I just explained above.
The 'too hard' part they keep spruiking......
Bloody oath its hard. Much harder than say trout fishing or mackerel fishing. But remember, NO ONE has ever commercially line caught barramundi before 2025. Of course its going to be difficult!!! Anyone that thinks something that’s never been done before is going to be a walk in the park from day 1, well you're only kidding yourself.
Even more difficult if you're specifically chasing perfect chrome, saltwater barramundi for optimum taste 🤷♂️
And of course these days, everyone wants 'easy'. Very very few are willing to do 'hard'.....
As of today, zone 4 has only caught 1060kg. All nets. With a TACC of 45,000kg in zone 4.....Is netting not viable?? 🤔
I'm conserving the miniscule TACC we have in zone 1, which is line only, because I want the highest economic return, yet zone 4 has a huge TACC, they're netting, but only 1060kg caught in nets 🤔 The zone 1 against zone 3 comparison is null and void when you look at the facts. Clutching at straws.....
All in all, line fishing for barramundi can be viable, regardless of what anyone else says. And I can guarantee you, myself and Kim are the ONLY 2 people that truly know the facts and figures on that.
The handful of know it alls, well, they'll probably never know themselves because they are too lazy, too incompetent, and too set in their ways to think outside the box.
😘
