Page 72 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing magazine

ISaltwater barramundi basics
F you’ve been trying to catch a ing a rag to grip it under tension is barramundi with no luck, then I a good way to do this. Some tackle need you to stop what you’re do- shops overlook even this simple pro-
Capricorn Coast
by JOHN BOON
ing right now and just pay attention cedure. If you don’t spool it on tight
for a few minuets. I’ve been where you are, I’ve done what you’re doing and I can assure you without some much needed guidance, you’re go- ing to be wasting much valued time and resources.
spin reel, 10-20lb rod, 30lb braid and 60lb fluorocarbon leader. If just starting out then you can look into the Dobyns Fury range and also NS Black Hole Amped II rods. I like the 4000-size spin reels from Shimano, either Stradic or Stradic CI4. Sufix 832 is a great all-rounder braid, and for leader I love the FC100 from Sunline in 60lb. Expensive but well worth the money.
enough your braid can bite down into the spool and cause issues.
I’m a big believer that you’ve got to do a lot of things wrong when barra fishing before you get them right. It’s a terrible path to walk and I can assure you a few of the lessons will be brutal. I’ve lost barra in every way imaginable. Chewed off, termi- nal failure, lack of focus, reflex fail- ure, knot failure and the list goes on.
The knot connecting the braid to the leader is the next critical step. You need to be able to tie this knot in your sleep because you will be doing it a lot. I use the FG knot as do most other barra fishos. It’s a beaut slimline knot that flows through your guides very well.
Before you become a master you must master the simple aspects of barra fishing. It all starts with the basics. The first step is selecting the appropriate rod and reel, and setting it up correctly.
Once you’ve got all the barra setup ingredients, it’s time to put it togeth- er. A barra guru once told me that everything from the rod butt to the end of the lure must be perfect in order to give you the best chance of getting that barra in the boat. Noth- ing will frustrate you more than losing a quality fish that was under your control.
The easiest way that I’ve found to tie this knot was shown to me via YouTube and was done by Jason Ehrlich. If you search his name and add FG knot you should find it. Bush and Beach Fishing will add it to this article to make it easy to find.
My standard setup for the salt consists of a 4000-size Shimano
Make sure you spool your braid on the reel as tight as you can get it. Us-
Next is connecting the leader to the lure. A loop knot is the best way to do this and there are a few different ways you can do this. Research loop knot on the web and try out a cou- ple of different knots to find what works best.

Learn how to tie an FG knot.
I also use Mustad Fastach clips. On certain lures the clips can hinder the action but when barra fishing and changing lures constantly, they can save you having to re-tie leaders regularly.
If you’ve gotten to this part of the article then you’re hungry for more barra basics. Tune in next month and we’ll cover terminal tackle, confidence lures and retrieves.
Getting the basics right will lead to more of these on the deck.
Having each rod and reel set up correctly will give you the best chance.
Page 72 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2020
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