Australia is lucky to have thousands of fish, with hundreds of prized and iconic sports fish species, and based on their size, fight, and taste, it’s no surprise that Barramundi is easily one of the most iconic fish in Australia. However, what lures, baits, and techniques do you use to land one of these sought-after monsters?
Anglers from across Australia and around the world fly into the northern reaches of Australia every year, chasing Barramundi. Still, Barramundi isn’t the easiest species to get into the boat or on the bank. Luckily, in the following guide, we’ll cover the right types of bait and lures and the techniques you need to get the most out of them.
In the following guide to Barra lures, baits, and fishing techniques, we’ll cover:
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Types of Barramundi Lures
For anglers planning on targeting Barramundi in Australia, there are several different types of lures that prove not only the most popular but also the most effective. Below, we’ll cover the most popular Barra lures used by Australian anglers. Regardless of where you’re planning on fishing, saltwater pools or brackish rivers, one of the lures below will get the job done!
1. Shallow Diving Hard Body Lures
Barramundi like to lurk close to the bottom, hidden by snags and other underwater structures, just waiting for their prey to swim past, and with their eyes located on top of their head, they’re pretty good at bursting up and striking whatever has gotten their attention. Nothing demonstrates the strike of a Barramundi better than a shallow diving hard-body lure. Look for Barra favorites like the Old Dogs Lures Guttermaster or the Scaleblazer 125. Don’t be afraid to add a little back and forth, with rapid jerks or pauses, into the retrieve.
2. Soft Plastic Jigs
When it comes to economy and value for money, it’s hard to look past the value of soft plastics. They also provide anglers, particularly anglers fishing amongst snags for big Barramundi, who are inevitably going to lose some lures. Large paddle tail soft plastics seem to be the most effective on hungry Barramundi, especially when they’re fished close to weed beds and shallow water snags. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different weights when it comes time to choose the jig head, as this will allow you to customize how quickly or slowly the jig head descends through the water or how much it’s affected by the currents in the area you’re fishing.
3. Sinking Stick Baits and Vibes
If you’re planning on fishing deep water or targeting those underwater holes, then sinking stick baits and vibes are the go-to lure choices. When you’re using vibes, they vibrate on the lift or retrieve, letting any lurking fish nearby that dinner is close by. However, sinking stick baits vibrate on the way down with a fluttery action, which often proves irresistible.
4. Trolling Deep Divers
If you’ve tried jigs, and you’re pretty sure that there’s a big Barra lurking down below, being a little bit fussy, then it might be time to bust out the deep diver. The hardest part of deep-diving lures when you’re trolling is managing the depth. It’s no use being where the fish aren’t, and as Barra are particularly lazy, you need your lure to basically hit them in the nose sometimes if you want to entice them to strike. One way to get around this is to have a couple of lures for different depths ready to go so that you can quickly change things up if you’re missing the depth you need to be at.
The Pros of Lures
- Barramundi enjoy hanging out in low visibility water, so artificial lures give you the opportunity to pick out lures with bright contrasts or rattles and vibrations so that you get that lazy fish’s attention and entice it out of its hole.
- Lures are easy to carry around, quick to change, and versatile, giving Barra anglers the opportunity to try a variety of different lures until they identify which ones work and which ones don’t.
- You don’t need to keep lures alive like live baits, and they won’t stink up your car or tacklebox on those longer fishing adventures.
Cons of Lures
- Fishing snags for Barra inevitably means losing lures, which can be quite expensive.
- There’s a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to casting lures into tight snags, and with some lures being quite expensive, the cost can start to add up quickly.
Best Lures for Barramundi
When it comes to lure choice, Barramundi anglers have a lot of choices, and it’s easy to get a little carried away when you walk into your local tackle store, only to have some buyer’s remorse when you look at your bank balance later. However, to make your life a little easier and a lot cheaper, we’ll look at the most popular types of Barramundi lure in the section below.
Fair warning, though: fishing snags and structure for big Barra can be expensive, especially until you get your accuracy up. So, before you go, take the time to practice your casting until you can get that lure where it needs to be.
Hard Bodied Barramundi Lures
When it comes to hard bodies lures, the four main choices for Barramundi anglers are:
- Shallow Running;
- Medium Diving;
- Deep Diving;
- Suspending (Jerk baits).
Soft Plastic Barramundi Lures
For anyone looking for a little more budget-friendly action or those anglers consistently fishing deep holes and snags, soft plastics are the lure of choice. The three most popular types of soft plastics for Barramundi are:
- Paddle Tails;
- Prawn;
- Frogs.
Vibration Lures
Vibration lures are designed to sink quietly, and once you start retrieving them, they vibrate to attract fish’s attention, causing them to strike.
Jointed Swimbaits
Jointed swimbait lures are segmented into sections, and as they’re retrieved, they closely mimic the real swimming action of baitfish.
Topwater Lures
If you’re fishing shallow water or areas of water where Barramundi is actively rising to the surface to feed, then a noisy and splashy topwater lure is the perfect way to entice a strike.
Techniques for Using Barramundi Lures
Below, we’ll cover some of the most effective techniques for successfully using lures to catch Barramundi. If you’re new to casting lures, it can be a lot cheaper to practice at home or in open water before heading into the snags with your brand-new lures targeting Barramundi.
Accuracy and Strategy
Structures hold fish. It’s true for a lot of species, but it’s particularly true for Barramundi, who not only love to hang around in structures but are lazy feeders, too. Look for structures such as mangroves, headlands, rocks, and logs, which naturally funnel bait fish into an area where Barramundi could strike from below. If you’re fishing in an area without a lot of structure, such as open water, look for currents that push baitfish into a specific area.
Casting and Retrieval Techniques
Don’t be afraid to vary your retrieval speed to try and mimic the action of an injured baitfish or a baitfish that’s stressed and swimming erratically. You want to have a nice, steady retrieve but interject with sudden or violent twitches followed by a slight pause, which will give the Barramundi the opportunity to strike. If the fish are really active, they’ll hit almost anything, but when they’re not hungry or the water temperature falls, don’t be scared to mix things up and try different retrieval speeds, angles, and movements.
Jigging Lures and Techniques
If you’re chasing big Barra in deep holes, especially those that aren’t interested in feeding or striking surface lures, then jigging is one way to do it. You’re basically dropping a heavy jigging lure or soft plastic down to the bottom where the Barramundi is lying and then rapidly retrieving the jigged lure past the lurking fish. To effectively jig, you need to know where fish are lying and how deep the water is, so a depth sounder or fish finder will be invaluable.
Trolling Lures
If you prefer to spend more time in the boat than on the shore, and you’re sick of casting, then trolling can be an effective method of catching Barra, rather than trolling back and forth all day, wasting fuel, focusing your trolling on the times when Barramundi is rising to the surface and actively feeding.
When you notice the Barramundi closer to the surface, start trolling around areas of water where tidal currents funnel bait fish, and then simply adjust the depth of your lures until you hit the sweet spot where Barramundi are holding underwater.
You want to try and maintain a consistent trolling speed between 2 and 3 knots and then adjust the depth of the lure. You can adjust your depth by changing your lure, lifting or lowering your rod tip, or letting more lines out behind the boat. A good rule of thumb for calculating how many lines to let out when you’re trolling is to 3 times the depth of the lure behind the boat. For example, if you want your 5 mt deep diving lure to sit at around the 5 mt mark underwater, then you should let out about 15 mt of line.
Best Baits for Barramundi
Live baits are considered by many Barramundi experts to be the best way to catch Barramundi, but not always the easiest way to catch them, especially when you’re fishing in remote areas or traveling long distances far away from power and water.
While lures are designed to mimic live baits, nothing mimics live baits better than, you guessed it, live baits themselves. Mullet, Herring, Prawns, Garfish, and Whiting (remember legal sizes) all consistently prove to be extremely attractive to big Barramundi.
A Paternoster Rig is the most effective way to fish live baits and keep them from swimming into snags where they’ll turn a simple hookup into a nightmare. If you’re fishing for Barra in winter, you’ll definitely want to give Prawns a run, as they’re irresistible to even the most stubborn fish.
If you don’t have access to live baits, or it’s proving challenging to keep your baits alive, then dead baits or flesh baits are another option. Prawn heads or strip baits can be effective.
Pros of Live Baits
- Live baits can be extremely effective in water with low visibility, where Barramundi are hunting and using vibrations to find their food.
- When Barramundi aren’t feeding aggressively, live baits often overcome the fish’s disinterest in taking a lure.
Cons of Live Baits
- Live baits or strip baits often attract various fish species, so there’s no guarantee that the fish that takes your bait will be a Barramundi.
- Catching live bait and keeping that live bait alive can be difficult and time-consuming, especially when you’re not fishing close to home.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
When you first start Barramundi fishing, it’s easy to get in a little deep and make mistakes. Mistakes are okay if you learn from them, but to help you save a little time and money, here are some common mistakes and how to avoid them when you first start your Barramundi fishing journey.
- Overspending on Barramundi lures and tackle – It’s easy to get excited about something as exciting as Barramundi fishing and going all out on lures and tackle. Over time, if you keep going Barra fishing, you’re going to accumulate hundreds of different lures, including different variations, styles, and colors of the same lures, but that’s long-term. There’s no reason why you can’t invest in 5-10 of the most effective lure options, with shallow, deep diving, surface, and poppers when you first start and then expand your collection from there.
- Not being flexible when it comes to different water and weather conditions – While you might catch a big Barramundi in one spot one day, you may fish in the same spot or area for the next month and never catch a fish there again. You need to be flexible and consider the conditions. On sunny days, there’s a good chance that Barramundi, especially big ones, will look for cover where they feel safe. On overcast days or low-light conditions, the fish will be braver and move into shallower water, where they’ll be more susceptible to striking lures.
- Misunderstanding Barramundi behavior – On hot days, when the warm weather is at its peak, Barramundi are going to be feeding more aggressively, actively looking for food, and willing to move a little out of their comfort zone to strike lures. However, on cool days, the same fish in the same area are likely to completely ignore a lure unless it basically swims into their mouth. If you understand how the weather affects fish behavior, you’ll be able to tailor your approach to targeting fish better, and you’ll notice your strike rates start to improve.
The Ultimate Guide to Barramundi Lures and Bait: Top Picks, Techniques, and Tips | Conclusion
If you’ve been struggling with which lures, bait, or techniques to use on your Barramundi fishing trip, then hopefully, you have a good idea. Your next fishing trip will go much smoother, and you’ll come home with some delicious Barramundi or fantastic memories.
While you’re planning your Barramundi fishing trip, be sure to check with local state regulations to ensure that you have the correct fishing license, understand season, size, and bag limits, and have the right fishing equipment to successfully land and release, if needed, any Barramundi you catch. By following the rules, we’re all ensuring that future generations can enjoy fantastic fishing opportunities.
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Do you have some top fishing tips for other anglers just learning the ins and outs of Barramundi fishing? Drop a comment below! We love hearing your thoughts and feedback, and we’re sure new anglers will appreciate it.
