Runoff 2023 tips and advice with Adam Meredith

Runoff 2023 tips and advice with Adam Meredith © The Tackle Warehouse

In this month's edition of The Tackle Warehouse newsletter we talk to our resident barramundi expert Adam Meredith about the upcoming 2023 runoff in Far North Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Adam has a great barramundi "Resume" with 4 Barra Classics under his belt including a runner-up visitor team placing in 2013 as well as winning the ABT Barra Teemburra Dam event in 2022 and the 2019 Lake Awoonga Australian Barramundi Open.

With such a great pool of knowledge to draw from, we thought we would pick his brain about what to consider and what lures to take, if you are planning on fishing the runoff 2023!

Best Runoff in years!

2023 has so far proven to be the year that barramundi anglers in the Northern Territory and Far North Queensland have been waiting for! This year has seen a return to traditional "Big Wet" that has been lacking for several seasons now and the fishing is going to be electric!

With the solid downpours up north, the big barramundi systems like the Daly, Roper, South Alligator, Mary, Arnhem Land and Kakadu are filling up and spilling out into the linked tributaries and flood plains. After several years of poor wet seasons and minimal runoff, the entire ecosystem is getting a much needed shot in the arm. Reports from the guys on the ground in Northern Territory like Ben Currell from Vision Sportfishing Charters, are that all of the feeder creeks and shallow flood plains are full of bait with plenty of hungry Barramundi hanging around waiting for an easy meal. The anticipation for this year's Barra Classic (29 April - 5 May 2023) is at a fever pitch and event organisers are expecting a massive turnout and some record breaking fish!

Adam's picks for your best trip!

We asked Adam to give us his selection of must have lures for this year's runoff and he was kind enough to give us 9 cracking lures to give you the best chance of success in any situation.

Irukandji Tackle

Sicario Paddle tail - 5", 7" - Adam loves these great paddle tail, soft plastic swimbaits and they are fast getting a reputation as a must have barramundi lure. Designed specifically for big Australian natives, the Irukandji Tackle Sicario Paddle Tail will swim perfectly straight out of the packet even with a swinging stinger treble fitted to the primary hook eye to improve hookup rates on large implosion feeding fish like barramundi and that's why it's first on Adams list of must have lures

Bloodhawk 175mm Another great product from the Irukandji Tackle team, the Bloodhawk is a uniquely designed soft plastic swimbait. With a pulse tail design and a great selection of colours, the Bloodhawk is a great option for a more aggressive reaction bite and is dynamite ripped through weed or along snag edges.

Zerek

Flat Shad Weedless - It's no surprise that the Zerek Flat Shad Weedless is on Adam's list of must have lures for any barramundi trip, given that this is the lure that helped him and Troy Dixon secure the ABT Barra round at Teembura Dam in 2022 for team Venom! You can check out their run down of how they rigged and fished these great lures here - Teembura ABT 2022 Winners Interview

95mm Fish trap - There isn't much that a Zerek fish trap won't catch and barramundi love them! Perfectly imitating a boney bream or herring with an irresistible vibration on the hop, these lures are great for triggering inactive barramundi and triggering a reaction style bite. Really good in dirty water to which is why it's part of Adam's runoff barramundi selection.

Jackall

Transam - The original soft vibe to hit the market is still an absolute fish magnet! With a more subtle vibration than other soft vibes on the market, the Jackall Transam has been a go-to barramundi lure for anglers in the know, who often fish these vibes with a really subtle lift and hop technique to trick wary and hook-shy fish. It's always good to have a couple of soft vibe options in the bag for a trip north during run off.

Squirrel 79mm/115mm - One of the all time greatest barramundi jerk baits on the market - Period! Whether it's a downsized 79mm squirrel to match the size of the bait in a certain part of the river or the larger 115mm squirrel punched into snag to coax a big angry barramundi out with that epic rip, rip pause technique, the Jackall Squirrel is a necessity on your run off trip. No need to worry about upgrading the terminals either, thanks to the Harry Watson designed 'Hank Tune' series being barramundi ready straight out of the box!

Daiwa

Pro Double Clutch 115mm - Anyone that has chased bream or bass in the last 15 years has probably used the double clutch 65mm to great effect and now it has a barramundi ready big brother - The Daiwa Double Clutch 115mm. Although these larger double clutches are newer to the market, the buzz amongst barramundi anglers Australia Wide about these lures is really gaining momentum. Daiwa have put a lot of thought into getting these lures right for our conditions and they also come straight out of the box with barramundi ready hooks and split rings.

Classic Lures

200mm - Classic by name, Classic by reputation! When finding your way around flooded rivers and billabongs you will have to spend some time searching for active fish and one of the proven methods of doing this is by trolling and the Classic 120mm range of lures is perfect for finding active barramundi in that 10-15ft depth range. There's lots of water to cover after run off and Adam always has a selection of Classic 120mm lures in his tackle box for this reason.

Get your gear straight before you go!

If you are getting your money together for the fishing trip of a lifetime to fish the runoff, there are a few things you need to think about before you leave.

Far too many fisho's put all their money into flights, accommodation, new lures etc but neglect to check and upgrade, replace or service the core gear leading to lost fish and lost opportunities. It's always a good idea to look over your rods, reels and braid and upgrade or replace anything that isn't in tip top order. Big days on the water catching angry barramundi will put even the best gear through its paces and you don't want to leave yourself short because you didn't spring for new braid on your reels.

Bring your rods and reels into the store for any servicing you need done before your trip, buy some new braid and leader and leave any questionable gear at home. Adam and the team will look after you and they'll put your braid on your reels as part of the service (Providing you bought the braid from us of course!).

If you are looking for a purpose built outfit for your trip, we have all the gear you could need and can put something together that will fit your fishing style and budget.

Before you head off!

There's a couple of things that are worth mentioning to anyone heading up north to experience fishing the runoff.

1. Be Croc safe! The signs around the waterways, boat ramps and piers north of Bundaberg are there for a reason. The north of our great country can be a dangerous place if you aren't paying attention and being Cros safe. Keep your distance from the water's edge and if in doubt don't fish it! It's pretty simple.

2. Consider investing in a guide (at least for part of your trip). Although the runoff does accumulate a lot of fish in one place, it still pays to have an experienced gun angler show you the ropes. Give Ben Currel at Vision Sports Fishing Charters a call to give yourself the best chance of catching those big runoff barramundi (He's one of our old employees, so he knows his stuff!

3. Enjoy the experience! Fishing aside, the opportunity to see the far north of the country in full flood is a once in a lifetime experience! Barramundi, water buffalo, crocodiles, magpie geese, giant storks the whole place is going to be buzzing with life and looking amazing!