The Weather

[Member]

I've just been looking at some satellite images, and man, what's the go?
Awoonga flooded over by Christmas, perhaps?
I spent this winter in the field, filming at sea. I noted many major differences in fish patterns, water temps, and bite patterns from the previous years. Recently, one patch of pelagic fish didn't bite, for 3 solid days! That was strange in itself, then, bingo, a major dumping of rain. I watched the saltwater barra this year do exactly the same, meaning, their bite behaviour was odd, two lunar cycles in a row, and bingo, a major rain dump both times. To the day!
Seasonal variations always excite me, why, because fish behave differently. Subtle it may be, but it shows that you have to play to the pitch, not the arena.
Tomorrow is a day I don't want to miss on the barra lakes. Why, the forecast!
Someone put Christmas lights up in our residentail area last night. Is Christmas coming early? Some dates can't change, but weather patterns and fish behaviour surely does.
Looking forward to a mysterious spring and summer ahead.
Johnny Mitchell

[Member]

Someone's doing unauthorised rain dances.
What's more, Old Hughie has lent an ear.
Eerie weather alright.
I can't recall this damp a spring and with biblical deluges predicated for the summer.
But then living memory, to say nothing of recorded history, are mere skidmarks on the highway of time.
Yesterday arvo's results were fish hitting harder than usual, taking small lures down to the cakehole.
My client had been the prior two weeks fishless at Monduran.
It happened in a 6.15-6.30 window.
Speaking of Monduran, piss poor results for that comp - 600 anglers and six fish....Something's outa whack.

[Member]

Yeah, not as important for us poor buggers chained to a desk, its more a case of thats the day I can fish so I do, if the weather gods are smiling at me all the better, otherwise its just take what you get!

[Member]

Yep, it is way out of wak and the prediction for the storm season is up to 6 cyclones for the Queensland area. Most of the the SE Qld is soaked already so it not looking good for the rest of the year.

[Member]

Agreed,

Looking at the Weather channel, there are about 4-5 days out of the next 21 that may be fine    And thats just the start I would imagine.  Plenty of time to tinker with the boat and pray for a few opportunities to get out 

Regards
Colin

[Member]

G'day guys ,
well goin by the forecasts & the fish doin things in the rain , we should be ok next week when we get there 
Hey Johnny we leave on tues night with a stopover at Cania & then arrive at awoonga on the saturday . I'll give you a ring & see if you've got time for a catch up 
cheers AL

[Member]

hi johnny, its been a wetter than usual one for us up here too. a fish kill recently affecting the big'uns unfortunately

harro i also noted the fish were in a more aggressive mood, slamming offerings hard and punching well above their weight
cheers
andrew

[Member]

Yea, and it continues. Floods, snow, frozen sheep - what the?
On Friday we had good rain, and strong NW winds on the lake- with good fishing. Sat- roaring SW winds and good fishing. Sunday- SW winds, glass out, heat, then a bloody cold twilight and now its been mentioned that low temps will exist again tomorrow. What else will the lake fish endure in the next week or so?
AL, Cania, that'd be a cold place, but perhaps it'll pass by your arrival.
Andrew, what killed the fish up there?

[Member]

Fella's,

Ya not wrong with the strange weather, very out of season. Is it still winter???

We fished Monduran for 6 hrs in the rain on Friday, looked absolutely sensational. Saw plenty of bait and birds working and it seemed so promising with sunny conditions ahead in the days following, yet everything in and on the water Saturday and Sunday morning just degraded slightly with cold west winds cooling the dams core. One fish I know of was caught Saturday morning with a well orchestrated plan.

Well done Pete!

So much for a stable weather pattern as it changes unexpectedly from day to day. Even the forecasters are having trouble predicting a weeks worth of weather.

Bring on the warm weather

[Member]

On Friday we had good rain, and strong NW winds on the lake- with good fishing. Sat- roaring SW winds and good fishing. Sunday- SW winds, glass out, heat, then a bloody cold twilight and now its been mentioned that low temps will exist again tomorrow.

Yeh the weather has been strange this spring and it sounds like there is more to come,we had the same conditions down here Johnny and on Friday for my clients the fish ate well for the crappy conditions they landed 2 from 5 on fly and lures in strong n-ne winds cool with showers to rain late in the day and cyclonic conditions through Satdy night,I checked the obs for the day that night and the barometer dropped from 1008 to 1005 around the time the fish ate,they knew this cooler weather was coming and had a feed.

Fished again in the sou wester and only managed 2 fish on fly with barometer rising to around 1013-1014  and warmer water when the fish ate.

They keep us thinking,but with hard yards put in they can be tempted.

Paul

[Member]

They keep us thinking, but with hard yards put in they can be tempted.
Nice work Paul, happy anglers I'd guess! Inspiring clients to stay focued, and to keep positive can be an equal task. Good guides know when the fish are likely to bite; and at times, it can equate to multiple hours of casting before the prizes come knocking on the door. Clients need to be fresh in the mind, armed, and ready. Pre-conceived ideas on fisheries need to be left at the ramp, and an open mind and a willingness to do the fishing (the 'hard yards') needs to come to the fore.
Fish don't catch themselves, and guides don't do the fishing- the client is in position to fill a solid gap.
A guide's work is actually a very challenging and difficult job-many think it's a walk in the park.
Photos of fly caught barra like you just shared highlight the end result of 'team work'.
Guides can catch more fish, but it's about sharing skills and knowledge with clients so they can experience some of the same.............................if they are willing to do 'what it takes'!
A good positive vibe on a boat is essential. Footy teams don't win with negative players.
A lake with the barra, and a guide with the knowledge just requires anglers with the right mental attitude and level of capability. One motivated client I was once fortunate to take fishing had no life hurdles. He was totally blind and he fished like a determined soldier. He only saw success. Reward came in the shape of a 106 and 121cm fish. Positivity breeds positivity. Belief breeds confidence.
Thanks for sharing pics of some of your recent guiding success.
Top Stuff- go the fly!!
Johnny 

[Member]

They keep us thinking, but with hard yards put in they can be tempted.
Nice work Paul, happy anglers I'd guess! Inspiring clients to stay focued, and to keep positive can be an equal task. Good guides know when the fish are likely to bite; and at times, it can equate to multiple hours of casting before the prizes come knocking on the door. Clients need to be fresh in the mind, armed, and ready. Pre-conceived ideas on fisheries need to be left at the ramp, and an open mind and a willingness to do the fishing (the 'hard yards') needs to come to the fore.
Fish don't catch themselves, and guides don't do the fishing- the client is in position to fill a solid gap.
A guide's work is actually a very challenging and difficult job-many think it's a walk in the park.
Photos of fly caught barra like you just shared highlight the end result of 'team work'.
Guides can catch more fish, but it's about sharing skills and knowledge with clients so they can experience some of the same.............................if they are willing to do 'what it takes'!
A good positive vibe on a boat is essential. Footy teams don't win with negative players.
A lake with the barra, and a guide with the knowledge just requires anglers with the right mental attitude and level of capability. One motivated client I was once fortunate to take fishing had no life hurdles. He was totally blind and he fished like a determined soldier. He only saw success. Reward came in the shape of a 106 and 121cm fish. Positivity breeds positivity. Belief breeds confidence.
Thanks for sharing pics of some of your recent guiding success.
Top Stuff- go the fly!!
Johnny

Johhny that's a great description of what we do ,and yes happy anglers
I said many years ago when fishing the tournaments that the only negitive thing in my boat is the battery terminal and try to get the anglers in that positive frame of mind and often say your next cast could be the fish of a lifetime.
Another guide now retired said to me we are mearly presenters of oportunities and what anglers do with those oportunities is out of our control.Very true
And yes the most challenging job I've ever had but I do love a challenge and it's far from a walk in the park.
Guiding on the fresh one day and the salt the next really does get you thinking when it comes to the different habits of both fishing styles and species but to see the smile on anglers faces when they get a nice fish or a pb or a first species is what makes it worth while for me but having 2 boats to do both styles of fishing is getting expensive.
Hope the fish are treating you well they can beat us up from time to time.
I love fly fishing for Barra and love seeing clients catch them on it too.

Paul

[Member]

Welcome to the way it was back in the 70's. People think the weather has gone mad, but this was the norm back in the 60's and 70's. Living in Maryborough I can remember being sent home at least a dozen times because I lived over the river in Tinana, and there was a flood warning or cyclone warning so we were sent home.

[Member]

I have to agree with Pills, I can remember as a kid growing up in Kingaroy it was nothing strange for us to get a storm every afternoon in summer. Well it felt like it as a child but I do know that rain was a more regular event in those time then it was in our recent past.

As much as it annoys me to have the creeks and rivers continually dirty from excess run off  it is good to see the weather pattern back to normal, well like it used to be.

Cheers

[Member]

'Cyclic' would be an understatement maybe, and considering some of the cycles' durations are greater than my total age, there'd be little wonder why it'd seem strange to this black duck.
Does it bring back early memories from the 60's 70's for you fellas?
I once saw a photo of a river/creek. (Jim Tait's pic I think) The same spot, a couple of decades later. It was just interesting to see the difference, maybe, for Jim, it kicked a thought like,,,,,,,,,,,,,," I remember when......."
Johnny M