Barra tips by Foxy

[rayke1938]

Copied this from foxys barra havoc website. The photos on how to hold a barra wont come across so I strongly suggest that you log onto foxies barra havoc and have a look. Even if you dont intend to catch a barra the method holds true for handleing all large fish.

Also if you are going to Monduran or Awonga drop into his shop at GinGin for the latest info. Foxy and his missus will have all the latest gos about locations and lures. He fishes himself a couple of days a week and has a network of locals feeding him info so its all good not someone trying to sell you something.

Cheers

Ray

Big Ideas Barra Tips

Holding Barra to Survive

YES

A barra suported like this has a very good chance of survival a quick photo then release.

NO

Holding a barra like this is all right if you are going to keep it for a feed but not if you wish to release it. A 90cm Barra measured before holding it like this can measure 93cm after being held, that is 3cm the back and neck of the barra has stretched and it it one of the main reasons we see dead barra floating around our lakes.

Please take care of our great barramundi fisheries so that we all can enjoy them for now and the furture

For more information on Barramundi Handling for Release please read my article on the subject below

Cheers Foxie

BARRAMUNDI HANDLING FOR RELEASE.

The thrill of catching a big barra is something you will never forget and so is the feeling of releasing such a magnificent creature back into its natural environment.To release a barra is one thing but to do it in a way that it has the best chance of surviving takes a bit of thought. Here are a few simple things to do that can help increase the barramundi’s chances of survival and make it’s capture less stressful.

1.Use good quality line, traces, rods and reels. Using light line and tackle/equipment, not up to the task, only see’s big fish lost with lures/hooks still attached.Also with using light line and light rod/reel setups, the time taken to land a big barra is too long, many big fish are totally exhausted and near to death before even coming to the boat. A barra that is brought to the boat quickly is in much better health and less stressed.

2.Once the barra is beside the boat decide whether you really have to remove it from the water to release it. Only remove barra from the water if you require a photo and ask yourself, do I need to photograph every fish I catch or only the trophy size fish.

3.Now that you have decided to put the barra in the boat make sure that where you are going to place the fish is not hot. This is best done by wetting the carpet, Truth Mat, etc on which you intend to lay the barra. Remember that on hot days even wet carpet etc can become hot again very quickly. Place your barra down and remove lure as quickly as possible using a strong pair of bent nose pliers.

4.The best way to remove big barra from the water is with an extra large knotless net. DO NOT USE LIP GRIPPERS AND DRAG IT OVER THE SIDE OF THE BOAT.

5.To hold your fish up for a photo you must never lift the whole fish up by the jaw as this will almost certainly kill it as you will break the gill latch and or cause spinal damage.

Grab the fish via the mouth, then slide your other hand under the middle part as well, run your arm parallel to the fish if you can for added support as this transfers weight over more of its body. Holding a barra with this support is also the best way to take a photo of your catch and will have a chance of making it into fishing magazines, papers as they don’t like publishing fish being held by the jaw.

6.Take a Quick photo and then get the fish back into the water, if the fish has only been out of water for less than 2 minutes then you should not have to swim it beside the boat. Just let it regain its composure for a few seconds while you have your thumb in its lower jaw and just push it off and its on its way. There is no need to swim these fish for any more time unless they are showing worse for wear.

Most of the barra if only out of the water for a short period of time can be speared head first straight back in, Just be sure that there is enough depth and you are not driving it into the bottom of the lake or river.

7.Always be careful when handling these magnificent fish and treat them with the respect they deserve, they are a strong and powerful fish so always be aware of their razor sharp gill plates and large dorsal fins.

Cheers Foxie

Barramundi Lures

These days there is so many barramundi lures available to anglers, hard bodies, soft bodies and surface lures it all depends on if you want to troll or cast for them. Below is a list of good barramundi lures, this list is a guide to help you get started, remember that these lures come in many different colours and depths and conditions are always changing. The lures below are not numbered as No1 being the best because as stated before conditions do change and so should your choice of lure to suit the day and conditions.

Hardbody Cast

1 Reidy's B52

2 Gaden Classic F!8 shallow and the Pro Alternative

3 RMG Scorpion 125 1 & 3 metre

4 Lively Lures Arafura Barra

5 Predatek Sandviper

6 Rapala X rap

7 Bushy's Stiffy Twitch Bait

Hardbody Troll

1 Koolabung Boney Barra Bait

2 Gaden Classic F18 Manta Ray

3 RMG Scorpion 125 & 150

4 Predatek Viper and Hyper Viper

5 Oar-gee Oarsome's

6 Reidy's The Judge

7 Killalure Barra Bait

8 Bandit Prowlers

Soft Plastics

1Berkley Hollowbellies

2 Strike-King Shad-a-licous

3 Zoom Horny Toads

4 Squidgies Pro Range

5 Storm 4"' Suspending Wildeye Shad

6 Reaction Strike Fathead

7 Trixie sharks

Surface lures

1 Zoom Horny Toads

2 Owner Tango Dancer

3 River2Sea Tango Prop, Bully wa and Poddy Mullet

4 Reidy's J Walker

5 Strikr King Space Monkey & rage Shad

6 Trixie Sharks

7 Stiffy Boney Bream

Cheers Foxie

KNOTS

Knots are avery important part of barra fishing as these fish will punsish any weak points in your gear.check out the link below,click on Fishing Knots and practice the following knots.

www.netknots.com

Tying to Hook or Snap- Trilene Knot or the Uni-Knot.

Tying to Lure- Perfection Loop,Non Slip Loop or the Rapala Loop.

Tying Leader to Line- Albright Special, Bloodknot,Double Uni or the Slim Beauty.

Practice these knots and choose the ones that you prefer.

CHEERS FOXIE

MONDURAN - THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

It's full moon in a week, now it’s time to pack the gear up and head to Monduran with the hundred other boat loads of people.

I know the barra are suppose to bite better around the Full Moon but I believe that the Moon brings out more anglers than fish and this in turn means more people fishing equals to more fish caught.

The light you get from the full moon is great if you fish at night and also makes for easier travelling around the Lake, but I myself catch more barra around the new moon.

This month I will give you a run down on Fishing Lake Monduran at night around the new moon which I and a few locals believe it is the best time to catch barra.

One of the biggest advantages of fishing this time of the month would be boat traffic on the water. Anyone who has been there over a full moon knows there are a hundred cars at the ramp and at least thirty boats trolling the main basin.

Now compare that with the new moon usually by 7.30pm my Prado is the only car at the ramp and there are no other boats roaring around the Lake disturbing the barra.

It gets dark very dark which makes it hard to travel and to know where to cast to without getting snagged and caught up in the trees.

The first thing is you don’t have to travel too far, I do most of my casting within sight of the Dam Wall, but if you wish to travel further upstream then a good spotlight and GPS are essential.

The biggest barra I have caught at Monduran is 117cm and was caught on the new moon casting to small trees just 30 meters from where I had launched the boat and no more than 200 meters from the cabins.

Yes that’s right, one of my favorite spots is around the area we launch our boats from near the cabins and along the rock wall underneath the hill on which the cabins are perched.

One advantage of fishing this area is that you do have a bit of light coming from the cabins and the street lights so it is a little bit easier to see what you are doing.

The next spot to try is the small inlets that branch off the bay on the northern side of the wall, as this area also produces good barra and the odd solid bass.

Before I go on to the next couple of spots one thing to remember is because it is so dark you cannot see what is going on around you so it is important to be quiet and use your hearing to help guide you to the fish.

It is amazing what you can hear on the water at night from gar skipping across the surface, boney bream flicking, catfish popping on the surface in amongst the grassy banks feeding on shrimp and of course barra feeding.

One thing I do when travelling from one spot to another, is to stop in the middle of the basin turn everything off and just listen, if the barra are active you will soon hear them.

One night they might be more active on the southern side of the Lake than the northern side or they might be feeding on the shallows up the western end of the basin not around the Dam wall.

By listening and taking note of where there is more barra activity happening you can move quietly into that area and improve you changes of a hook up.

The small bays on the southern also can hold a lot of surprises especially the one next to the concrete boat ramp.

When Monduran was very low back about 5 years ago, I remember standing on the bank casting lures across the bay to the feet of other anglers then retrieving them back, there would have been ten anglers there every afternoon for a week all catching fish.

Even today that bay although a lot bigger, still holds big fish and they feed around the edges and small inlets at night.

The far end of the basin around the small grassy island is another good spot to cast as the barra move up on to the shallows to feed after dark.

Another option up here is to tie up to one of the small trees on the island and hang back by doing this you can cast along the shallows as well as to the steep drop offs where the barra cruise before moving up onto the shallows to feed.

So you see even through it is not a full moon does not mean you can’t fish at night just change your options and keep your mind open.

Just a couple of other tips for fishing Monduran on the new moon, take a good spotlight, mossie spray, led cap lights are great, a GPS if heading up the lake, keep your boats deck tidy and make sure your nav lights work and turn them on.

Cheers Foxie

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MONDURAN CAN BE A CHALLENGE

Strong winds, overcast days, rain, dropping water temperatures all make for hard fishing conditions but the barra are still there and it is up to you to make a little bit more effort if you want to catch them.

As one visiting angler said to me “you can’t catch fish sitting in your tent†so the first thing is to get out there, hey you might get wet and cold, take a raincoat, a towel, have some dry clothes and plan for the conditions you may face.

Start by fishing your favorite spots if they are not working start looking for other alternatives, your sounder is your link to what is happening under you, pay more attention to drop offs and fish arches.

On my last trip up to Monduran I planned to fish in Diamond Bay, the Weather was windy overcast and raining.

When I travelled from the southern side of the Kolan River across to the entrance of the bay I noticed that there was a little hump in the middle of the River.

This hump had a lot of good fish arches on both sides, but I ignored this and spent a few hours in Diamond Bay for nothing.

Cold and disappointed I motored out the same way I had come in, again the same hump and arches but this time I took more notice and decided to tie up to a tree and have a cast.

As the barra were sitting at about fifteen feet, I decided to use a F18 Gaden classic deep diver in gold with red stripes, about eight casts and a couple of taps another two casts and I had Hooked a solid 90cm fish.

A couple of jumps and it was all over she was goooone, but this had given me enough incentive to stay and cast here longer.

After about fifteen minutes of casting to the edge of the drop off another strike this one was far more aggressive and a horse of a barra left the water more like a dolphin than a barra and headed straight into the timber, number two gooone, plus my lure.

I checked my braid replaced my leader and tied on a F18 guns and roses colour and within four casts another strike, this time everything held together the barra fought cleanly and stayed in open water and within a few minutes a nice 94 cm barra was boated and then released to fight another day.

In these conditions I was really happy with the result, but have to think if I have only taken more notice of the sounder and fished this spot earlier what may have been the outcome.

So when fishing Lake Monduran open up your mind to different options, don’t have your plan for the day set in stone, change with the conditions and sometimes think outside the square.

I would like a buck for the every time a person who is fishing at Monduran has said, that they were not catching any barra so have decided to target bass only to get there bass lures hammered and destroyed by barra.

Although most people don’t release it but they have just been given a very important clue in the way the barra are feeding, and instead of complaining about it you need to use it to your advantage.

So now you know that the barra are there and feeding, and on what size lure, change down to that size lures or as every angler would have heard the saying“ match the Hatchâ€.

I have had meter plus barra spew up balls of shrimp while on a brag mat, so big lures does not always mean big fish.

Some of the smaller lures that I have found to be productive at Monduran are Little Lucifer’s, Killalure Terminator, Nils Master Spearhead and Predatek Spoonbill but there is a lot more on the market.

Not only changing lure size can improve your catch but also going from a lure that rattles a lot to one that has no rattles at all.

This can make a big difference especially after the full moon period when there has been a lot of fishing pressure.

What works in the way of lures last week might not be producing barra this week so if you need up-to-date information on what is happening at Lake Monduran call in and see myself or Jacky at Foxies Barra Havoc on the Highway in Gin Gin and we will gladly help you.

Cheers John & Jacky

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Soft Plastic Frogs

Lake Monduran has always been known as a hard body lure fishery but this winter a lot of barra have been taken on plastics using spin gear.

Some of the more successful soft bodies have been the Zoom Horny Toad , Gambler Cane Toad, 6†Berkley Hollow Belly Baits and the 51/2†Lake Fork Tackle Live Magic Shad .

With spring just around the corner most of us have turned our attention to what the upcoming season will produce in the way of fish sizes, where we will find fish this season, what techniques and lures will work.

There is a lot of talk and interest in soft plastic toads that are designed to imitate frogs already and these soft plastic lures have already proved themselves valuable over winter so come on spring.

Frogs being high on the menu for barra make these soft plastic lures very attractive to barra in Monduran as well all the other lakes that have been stocked with barra.

Because they can be fished with a weedless hook system they are also proving dynamite in tempting big fish out the lily pads in billabongs. There are a lot of different styles on the market from different manufactures but the main difference is in the style of the feet.

When it comes to feet you can either choose the flatter feet and legs like on the Zoom Horny Toads which are a better choice in thicker vegetation and produce a scurrying splashing sound when retrieved?

The other option is the paddle-style foot, like those on the Gambler’s Cane Toad.

These paddle-style feet will make more of a plopping sound when retrieved through the water and both produce good barra at Monduran.

There are several different ways to use plastic toads/frogs but the first thing to think about is where frogs hang out.

Frogs don’t hang around in the middle of the lake unless suicidal, they hang around the edges of the lake in shallow coves and around cover like weed beds and lily-pads.

They also prefer these areas as they can hunt here for bugs and other food and it also provides vegetation to lay their eggs.

It’s only common sense to use this lure where the barra will be hunting for frogs.

I rig the lure Texas style with either a Gamakatsu 5/0 weedless hook if I want the frog to float or if I want to use it just under the surface I use the TT Lures 3 x3.5g 6/0.

Even with the unweighted hook the Horny Toad will sink eventually but is highly buoyant and will float as long as it is fished slowly and kept moving.

Using this method the secret is to twitch on the top of the water and then give it a pause after creating ripples or a splash, then when the water has calmed down give it another twitch to create more ripples.

This usually attracts the barra into a vicious surface strike.

Like I mentioned earlier these lures can be fished in several different ways and if you don’t like the slow retrieve try the spin and burn style.

First cast to the banks or weed beds, then as soon as the toad hits the water start retrieving as fast as possible to make your toad skim across the surface.

With your rod tip high, now add some quick small twitches to make the nose of the toad porpoise, this adds more splashing and movement to the lure.

This method is both a fast and exciting way to target Barra and often works when nothing else does, but remember that using frogs is no guarantee that you are going to catch barra, frogs are only another way of enticing a barra to strike.

Cheers Foxie

Hot Weather Fishing Jan - Feb

January’s and Februaries weather can be hot, with air temps up as high as 44 degrees and with such high air temperature Lake Monduran’s water temperatures soar into the 30’s, one spot I found was a massive 35 degrees.

With water temps this high the barramundi do not hang around in the shallows for a long time, they come up to feed if there is bait fish there but then drop back into deeper more comfortable water to cruise and hang out.

When conditions are like this I look for a point that drops away slowly to a depth of about two to three metres over a distance of about fifteen or twenty metres but then drops off quickly into an old creek bed say four to six metres deep.

There are several of these points in the lake it is just a matter of taking your time and sounding around to locate one.

Once you have found your point the best thing to do if possible, is to tie up to a tree or anchor so that you can cast to both the point as well as to the old creek bed.

When fishing like this I usually have two or three rods set up with different type of lures so I don’t have to spent time changing rigs all the time.

The first rig is now usually some sort of soft Plastic like a five or six inch Berkley Hollow Belly or a Strike King Shadalicous, both of these I rig with an 8/0, 3/8oz Matt Fraser or TT jig head.

This rig is primarily used to cast towards the point but can also been used to cast into the deeper creek bed. When you use it this way just let it sink for a while, so that when you retrieve it the SP is swimming back down in the strike zone.

The second rig, which used to be my first choice until the hollow belly style SP turned up is the shallow diving hard body lures like the B52, Arafura Barra 120, and RMG Scorpion.

These lures can be cast to the point or out along the creek bed. The two main retrieves used are the slow rolling which is just a matter of firstly giving a few quick twitches to get it down and then a slow retrieve back.

The other retrieve is by giving the lure a few fast erratic twitches than let it float back to the surface, then count to about five or ten take up the lack line and repeat the process over and over, this retrieve works better over the shallower water.

The third rig I have set up is to use in the deeper creek bed and it has a suspending or very slow rising lure on it

One of the best is the Rapala X-Rap jointed, this lure can be cranked down into the strike zone and left suspended there while you count to eight or nine before giving it life with a twitch or a couple cranks on your reel.

This method is very successful as your lure hovers down in the strike longer than any other method of retrieve.

A lot of barra anglers including myself have turned some of our standard lures into suspending or slow rising lures, this can be done by many simple things like upgrading to heavier hooks, adding extra split rings or using sticky weight, to see if your lure floats, suspends or sinks just try it in a bucket of water.

Also remember that a lot of technology has gone into the design of lures and sometimes playing with them and adding or replacing hooks, rings etc can make the lure perform differently sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worst.

For the anglers who troll when the water temps reach the 30’s, troll the old creek beds that wind through the shallows, the south arm of “B†and “Bird Bay†are great places to work. Again look for water that is two –three metres with a deep creek bed running through it.

Troll lures that run fairly shallow, around the one – three metre mark, troll slowly and don’t put your rods in the holders, hold your rod.

Why hold your rod while trolling?

Because by holding your rod you can give your lure much more action, simply drop your rod tip back every now and again or by giving it a series of small twitches. Doing these simple things will draw much more attention from barra than just a plain old swimming lure.

While trolling in these areas watch your sounder to keep you in the creek beds. If you have a GPS use the tracking feature to retrace your steps and to set up a troll pattern. Keep a eye on your sounder for where two old creek beds meet as this is often a place where different underwater currents join attracting bait fish and barra. Mark it on your GPS or remember the location as these spots are often prime areas to cast as well.

One very useful tool to have if using the above trolling method is the new Lake Monduran Map as it shows you the old creek beds and having longs and lats on it you can plan which area you want to go to back at camp. Just punch the co-ordinates into your GPS and this will save a lot of time travelling around the lake watching your sounder for the old creek beds.

Cheers

Foxie

Monduran Winter Barra Tactics Part 1

Chasing impoundment barramundi during the cooler months of year is becoming more and more popular with anglers as they start to realise that these great fish can be caught all year round.

Changes to tactics have to be made if you’re going to target barra in winter not only in the areas that you fish but also in the type of lure and retrieves you use.

This time of year to me produces some of the nicest times of the year to fish and there is nothing better than skimming across the glassed out surface of the lake on a cool clear morning heading to your fishing spot.

Where to Fish.

During the cooler months the shallow bays and areas of Monduran are the places to target and because there is less boat traffic during this time of the year there are a lot more options available.

The shallow areas close to the main channels now hold barra as they are not spooked by the constant boat traffic and noise that comes with summer.

The main reason for fishing shallow water is the water temperature, as barra are cold blooded.

When the water temp’s cool the barra become less active.

So by finding warmer water you are finding the more active fish that will be more inclined to feed and strike at your lure.

Also as the barra are less active, they are less likely to be cruising around feeding and more likely to be hunting by ambush so keeping this in mind.

Look for an area that has fallen timber or structures that can be used by barra to hide while waiting to ambush their prey.

Accurate casting is a must as a lure dropped short or wide of the snag won't be hit by a sluggish barra at this time of year.

Lures usually have to be right in their face before being smashed.

Remember impoundment barra are usually big and fat so they don’t have to chase prey to eat, but will strike if an opportunity arises to get a feed with not much effort.

Two areas like this that instantly comes to mind are the small bays on your right as you go through the first Cut Through and also the timbered area on your left. Both of these spots can produce good barra during this time of the year.

The next area like this is around the cattle yards near the second cut through and the timbered areas on your right as you go through the second cut through heading up stream.

Up in B there are a lot of bays to fish but so do Mum, Dad, the kids and their dog, so I usually head up the Kolan and fish the left hand side between C and D and up in the Two Mile.

There are so many timbered bays that are worth a fish, that are close to the ramp and ideal for smaller boats, places like SDA and Wiggle Bay both have good structure and timber to cast to and with the stiller conditions during this time of year they are a lot easier to fish.

Remember that you are fishing in shallow water and that stealth is of most importance as fish are spooked very easily, so use the electric when approaching, don’t bump and bang around the boat and even tone down the volume of your voice when talking.

What to Use

The lures of choice have always been shallow diving, slow rising hard bodies over the past few years but this year I think we will see a lot more soft bodied lures being used.

As you are fishing in three to four feet of water lures that run at the one to two feet mark like the Bombers, Reidy’s B52’s, Tropic Anglers and Mudeye Kamikazes are all good lures but some of them do rise to quickly when paused during the retrieve.

The buoyancy of the lure can be altered with addition of suspender dots or sticky weight to them, this makes the lure suspend or rise very slowly and this is what you want as it keeps your lure in the strike zone longer.

You can use either a slow rolling retrieve or if you’re using a neutral or slow rising lure then use a retrieve with short sharp twitches and a lot of pauses.

Depending on how fast your lure rises these pauses can be up to the count of eight before starting your retrieve again.

With soft plastics use either a slow rolling retrieve with a lighter jig head or rig your soft lure with a heavy jig head [½ oz].

With your soft plastics let them sink to the bottom and then jig them back up to the surface again and continue this pattern.

The reason I say to use a heavier jig head is that the lighter heads do not sink fast enough to give your lure that swimming action on its decent.

Top Five Tips

Fish the warmer shallower bays and areas

Look for fallen timber and structure, Cast accurately and close to it

Stealth - Fishing in shallow water means be very conscious of noise

Use shallow divers that rise slowly when paused

Enjoy yourself and the surrounds.

Take this few things into account when chasing barra in winter and I hope that they will help you make your trip more productive.

LIVE BAITING

Live baiting for barra in saltwater has always been popular and very productive and is now becoming a popular and very productive barra fishing option at Monduran.

The first rule for live baiting is only use live bait that you have caught in the lake don’t import any species from outside as it may not be natural to the area.

Remember back in the 1930’s someone probably said “What harm can a few CANE TOADS DO?â€

The most common and popular food sources for barra in Monduran are Garr and large shrimp.

Garr can be easily caught by using a float and a small hook baited with a small piece of bread or prawn.

Bread is also good to use for berley to attract the Garr around your boat.

As for shrimp a few shrimp traps set around the weed beds or rocky ledges will soon have you a good supply of bait.

Other good live bait available in Monduran is banded grunter; spangled perch and barra have even been known to hit small catfish.

The use of cast nets and bait nets is illegal in freshwater in Queensland so catching them by hook or bait traps is the only way to get your live bait.

Once you have caught your live bait keep them alive in a well aerated container of water, an ice box is ideal as they are insulated and this will help keep the water cool.

It also pays to change some of the water regularly so your bait stays as healthy as possible for their big mission.

For the best results live baiting is by far a method to be done under the cover of darkness.

Find yourself a good point or weed bed and tie up or anchor off it, then just float out your live bait and wait.

You can have two or three baits out at once or just one and do some casting while waiting.

Use the bread again at night as berley to attract more Garr and to create bait fish activity around your boat this should help ring the dinner bell for a hungry barra.

Just one tip don’t berley to much or you will end up with a thousand catfish around your boat.

Cheers Foxie

MONDURAN TROUT.

Monduran trout, catamundi, catfish, call them what you like, but I doubt there is not to many anglers who have fished Monduran, who’s heart has starting pumping from getting a strike only to land a cattie.

Some anglers beat them to death others release them alive; I release them as they are part of the lakes ecosystem.

I suppose the best thing about catties is there are plenty of them and they are easy to catch on bait which makes them a great fish for kids to target.

Anyone with children knows how quickly most kids become bored with fishing after a couple of hours casting/trolling with no results.

What I have started to do is take a packet of prawns with us when on the lake and when the kids start complaining find a spot that mum can cast to from the front of the boat and you can fish with the kids for catfish from the back of the boat.

A bit of burley out the back, a prawn hanging under a float and it is not long before the action starts and the kids are having fun.

Now some of the catfish grow to Six Kilo plus and can put a great fight even for experience anglers , so this is a good way to hone the little fellows skill, teach them about the drag, how to keep pressure on the fish, how to pump and wind, and all the skills needed to land there first barra.

Once the catfish are on the bite change the prawn over to a cheap little lure and let them have a go at casting, retrieving and hooking a fish on lure.

Remember this is a fun way for a child to learn without the pressure, if the cattie gets away the most you have lost is a prawn and hook not a $17 lure.

If you fish for catfish you must always be careful as they do have three nasty spines on them that can produce terrible pain, and that’s the last thing you need.

The rules in our boat are simply no catfish to be lifted out of the water, all fish are held by me using lip grips while in the water and hooks/lures removed and fish released .

Other advise is don’t use a landing net on catfish as they stick out all there spikes and roll over and over twisting up your net and making it very hard to untangle.

The last thing to do after your child lands the fish is to praise and congratulate them and encourage them because if they enjoy fishing as much as you, you will have a fishing partner for life.

Cheers Foxie

[Keen-as-fisho]

Thanks for putting up the info Ray, very informative mate.

[Perky]

Thanks for this Ray, i had a quick skim over it, but i have copied it so i can read it in full later.

Great to see some tips on releasing these fish.