Central Queensland Barra Lakes With Roderick Walmsley

Roderick Walmsley

Fishing Writer and Personality

Roderick has made a life out of fishing. A former commercial fisherman and charter operator, he’s been living near Awoonga Dam for the past 6 years, but was frequently fishing that system for 9 years prior to that. Roderick has written numerous fishing articles and reports and is a familiar face to those who regularly fish for barra around central Queensland.

Rod’s Tips For CQ Barra Lakes

• If you have limited time, spend more time on one dam, rather than jump around between barra lakes. It takes time to figure out what the dam is doing and how the fish are responding. It’s never a bad idea to hire a guide if you have limited time on a system and want to quickly figure out how best to fish it.
• Roderick favours Humminbird sounder units for their mapping of central Queensland barramundi lakes.
• Water temperature is a critical factor for barramundi fishing. Stable or rising water temps tend to increase fish activity (as long as it’s not excessively warm). Falling or fluctuating temperatures tend to create a tough bite. Lure choices and techniques are affected by these factors. The importance of slowing down your lures during cooling cycles is key.
• Water level is also key. A rapidly falling water level rarely fishes well. Stable or rising water levels fish better as long as the rise in level isn’t caused by an inflow of cold water.
• Roderick highlights the significance of recognizing peak bite times on the barra lakes, such as moon rises and tide changes, for a more successful fishing experience.
• Stealth is a key factor and Roderick has fitted his boat with a Raptor anchoring system, allowing him to fish without using spotlock.

Overview of Kinchant Dam Barra Fishing:

• Roderick describes Kinchant Dam as a weed bowl, smaller and shallower compared to others. He chose it for its ease of fishing and shelter during high winds.
• The presence of extensive weed and changes in water levels pose challenges, requiring anglers to adapt their strategies.

Insights into Teemburra Dam Barra Fishing:

• Teemburra Dam is characterized as a mix between Kinchant and Peter Faust, featuring lilies, trees, and cliffs. Known for larger fish, it offers numerous fishing options.
• Its aesthetic appeal and lower fishing pressure, make it an attractive option for anglers seeking diverse opportunities.

Exploring Peter Faust Dam Barra:

• As the largest of the three barra lakes, Peter Faust Dam offers a wide range of fishing options, from clean points to tree systems and open weed points.
• Roderick highlights its flexibility, allowing anglers to choose different locations based on their preferences and providing ample opportunities for varied fishing approaches.
   

Rod’s Tackle For Fishing Barra Lakes

• Edge rods, specifically the 695, which is 6’9″, power 5 and 12-14lb when using surface lures and smaller baits when coupled with a 100 size Daiwa Tatula and 35lb Toray braid.
• Edge first strike MBR705, 7′, 10-20lb spin rod with 4000 size Daiwa Certate LT and 35lb Toray braid
• Edge Rods Black Widow ISR 706, 7′, 10-20lb is a super versatile rod when coupled with a 4000 size Daiwa Certate LT and 35lb Toray braid.
• Leaders range from 40 to 80 pounds, with a preference for 50 pounds in Toray Lure Fluoro. When using hard bodies, Rod leans towards lighter leaders, and for big plastics, he goes up to 70-80 pounds, citing the need to balance lure action with potential bites.

Rodericks Barra Lake Lure Selection

• Imakatsu Ironmouth is a cigar-shaped lure known for its casting efficiency, spitting sound, and high bite conversion ratio. This lure was worked with a walk the dog retrieve that incorporated occasional pauses and was found to work right through the day and also at night. Topwater frogs are also a good surface option, but during Rod’s September 2023 excursion the fish preferred the Ironmouth to the frogs.
• A range of suspending hardbody jerkbaits such as OSP Rudra, Daiwa Current Masters, Jackall Squirrels and Luckycraft Pointers in shallow, medium and deep diving, with and without rattles is essential kit on the barra lakes. It’s important to check that the terminals on these lures are strong enough for barra and to spend some time adjusting the buoyancy to ensure that they suspend in freshwater.
• Paddletail soft plastics are also very effective, and Rod likes the 7″ Castaic lures for their simplicity in use – although he’ll switch down to a smaller 5″ lure if the bite is tough. Soft plastics are rigged on jigheads ranging from a quarter to three-quarters of an ounce, adapting to different depths and conditions. Hook sizes range from 7/0 to 11/0 or 12/0.