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Barramundi mania took hold in Kununurra this past weekend with 1,125 anglers entering the East Kimberley town’s 25th annual Apex Barra Bash making it the biggest fishing tournament in WA history.
It is the first weekend fishing event in WA to crack the 1,000-entrant mark, with Marmion Marine Angling Club’s Bluewater Classic being the closest reaching just over 990 in previous years.
The Barra Bash, taking place from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, saw 379 barramundi entered using the Track My Fish app allowing competitors to upload their snaps of captured fish on a “brag mat” and release it to fight another day.
The biggest fish was a whopping 1.2 metre “donkey” barra caught by Karl Manning with four “metreys” and more than 10 barra over 90cm caught over the course of the weekend.
Competitors could fish anywhere, but many fish were caught close to town – 1.4 million fish have been stocked into Lake Kununurra over the last decade through a stocking program run in partnership between Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group, North Regional TAFE, Recfishwest and the State Government.
These fish appear to be well spread throughout the Ord River system, making great barra fishing accessible both on the lake and in the lower river both on boats and from the banks.
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Huge credit must go to the Apex team for running WA’s biggest annual fishing competition. The fishing in the Ord River system is as good as it has ever been as this weekend’s comp has demonstrated.
“The annual Barra Bash reflects how important this fishery and fishing is for regional communities like Kununurra.”
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland got in amongst the red hot barra action, landing this beauty in a picturesque section of the Lower Ord.
Apex Kununurra President Aaron Macnamara said the attendance for this year’s competition had surpassed all expectations, with many participants travelling from all over WA and even interstate to take part in the event.
“We were rushed off our feet registering people for the comp all morning on Friday,” he said. “It was way beyond what we could have hoped for and we had run out of brag mats by Friday afternoon! We all put our hearts and soul into running it and it is a pretty cool that a small country town in the Kimberley can lay claim to running the biggest ever fishing comp in WA!”
“It’s a great celebration of fishing for our community and we are really grateful to all the local organisations and businesses, Recfishwest and Horizon Power for helping make it such a great event.”
Kununurra’s Rick Bolten had travelled back from Queensland where he is studying veterinary science to fish in the competition and was awarded with a 1.03m barra of a lifetime, caught from a spot on the Lower Ord.
“The fight was insane – the fish ran up and downstream and finally we got it to the side and my mate Fraser got the lip grips on it and got her in. We got a few quick snaps and released her to fight another day,” said Rick.
“Stocking the lake has changed the game – the lake was a pretty good fishery anyway with the catfish and sooty grunter, but getting those barra in has been the missing piece of the puzzle. The fishing has been next level in recent years and a lot of those fish when they’re bigger get pushed down into the Lower Ord – so the whole system has benefitted. Having this quality of fishing in and around town is pretty special.”
The event raised close to $30,000 for local community projects and drew in more than $70,000 in prize sponsorship including a Sea Jay 468 Avenger aluminum boat star door prize valued at $40,000 with a 60hp Suzuki engine donated by Ord Mechanical Services.
Check out some of the great snaps from the 2023 Apex Kununurra Barra bash below!
Neither biblical floods, nor their trailer rear wheel axle falling off, could stop Broome’s North Regional TAFE aquaculture team making an epic 1,000km/20 hour-long journey to release 42,000 barramundi all around 62 days-old into their new home, Lake Kununurra!
North Regional TAFE Acting Hatchery Manager Milton Williams and his team had been tasked with delivering the latest batch of 100,000 barra they had reared as part of the ongoing Lake Kununurra stocking program that has seen more than 1.3 million fish stocked into the fishery since 2013.
With the cyclonic floods taking out Fitzroy Bridge and with no other river crossing options available initially, the transport delays between Broome and Kununurra meant the fish were fast maxing out at the size they could be viably kept at the hatchery.
“It costs $1,500 a week in oxygen alone to support that many fish at the centre,” said Milton, “it was nearing the point where we just couldn’t afford to keep them anymore – it was not looking good.”
All kinds of options were considered, including chartering a plane and airlifting the fish to Kununurra, but were ruled out for costs and logistical reasons – it was beginning to look a bit like a fish stocking mission impossible.
Happily, a commercial aquaculture venture took 58,000 of the fish off their hands and then the low-level crossing finally opened across the Fitzroy, courtesy of 10,000 tonnes of rock and steel donated by BHP to allow the team to transport the fish up to Kununurra.
Milton and hatchery technician Darcy Dunstan finally set out from the hatchery with the fish in tow in oxygen-fed tanks on the back of their specially adapted trailer and all was going well until the wheels came off…literally.
A spring gave out at the back of the trailer resulting in the rear wheel axle falling off 30km outside of Fitzroy Crossing.
“There’s never a dull moment working in aquaculture. It’s not a career – it’s an adventure!” said Milton.
North Regional TAFE Acting Hatchery Manager Milton Williams (pictured centre) and his team getting ready to release 42,000 barramundi into Lake Kununurra after their wild ride.
The wheels come off!
With just one bar’s coverage on his mobile phone, Milton was able to get hold of Brian from Fitzroy Crossing Automotive Salvage and Towing who came to the stricken trailer’s aid with his tilt truck.
Brian then really, really went the extra distance to drive the tanks of fish the remaining 700km up to Kununurra on his tilt truck tray with Milton and Darcy following in their 4WD behind.
Forced to drive at only 90kmh meant the crew finally landed at Falls Crossing in Kununurra at 9pm, some 19 hours after having set out from Broome. The boat DBCA usually provide to help stock some of the fish in the lake was stood down due to the late hour, leaving all the fish to be released at Falls Crossing.
There was then an anxious two-hour wait as the fish acclimatised before being finally released into their new home.
“There was a mixture of relief, excitement and exhaustion seeing them go in after all the challenges. Being that much older and bigger than usual has actually worked in their favour, making them that bit more robust and less susceptible to predators,” said Milton.
With the fish successfully delivered, Milton and Darcy could finally sit back and enjoy a very well-earned beer.
“It was the best tasting beer I’ve ever had!” laughed Milton, “We were pretty exhausted with the whole experience being a bit of a rollercoaster. But we got there in the end, and it feels great to have delivered another 42,000 barra to the Lake, many of which will grow into metre-plus fish enjoyed by local fishers and visitors the lake alike.”
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “Huge credit to Milton, Darcy and the North Regional TAFE aquaculture centre crew. They’ve gone above and beyond to make sure these valuable fish got delivered to the lake.
“Well-managed fishing stocking programs like this create fantastic fishing opportunities for regional communities and all the social, economic and tourism benefits that go with it.
“The fishing is always better when the fish are biting – and having the chance to fish for the iconic barramundi in a safe, accessible setting that Lake Kununurra provides – is of huge value to the local community and visitors to the Kimberley.”
With another 42,000 barramundi stocked into the picturesque Lake Kununurra, a large majority of them will make it to this kind of size landed by Luke Koyts!
East Kimberley fishing gems shone bright silver recently, with a record-breaking number of Apex Kununurra Barra Bash competitors experiencing ‘barradise’ first-hand.
Now in its 24th year, the 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash, running from September 23-25, is the ultimate celebration of barra fishing in the Kimberley, all within the backdrop of postcard-esque scenery and safe, accessible fantastic fishing spots.
With just $50 entries for adults and juniors fishing for free, the potential returns of catching monster barra and taking home sensational prizes across the three-day competition saw more than 720 anglers across all ages try their luck in beautiful East Kimberley waterways, with 168 barra, 181 catfish and 70 sooty grunter landed in total.
“Seeing the attendance record get smashed clearly highlights that family-friendly fishing events such as the Apex Kununurra Barra Bash are part of the social fabric of regional communities like this,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland. “Well done to all involved in running the Kimberley’s premier freshwater fishing event once again.”
“Lake Kununurra is an increasingly important part of the competition. There’s a growing number of annual fishers heading to Kununurra to fish the lake without the worry of big tidal movements or saltwater crocodiles hindering their fishing experiences. The stocking program run in partnership with the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group (LKBSG), North Regional TAFE and DPIRD has seen more than 1.3 million barra stocked into the lake since 2013. With metre-plus barra catches now a regular occurrence – Lake Kununurra has established itself as a world-class sport fishery.”
This stunning image taken by Darren Francis won the best picture competition by showcasing the beauty of fishing on Lake Kununurra.
More than $50,000 worth of cash and prizes was on offer for the Bash, including $3,000 for the biggest barra caught and any competitor who landed a barra over 55cm going into the draw for a $12,000 three-night stay at the Kimberley Coastal Camp!
For all competitors who managed to land the highly respectable ‘metrey’ barra, they went home with a new Shimano Speed Master 12 fishing reel, along with two $500 gift voucher prizes sponsored by Recfishwest for the best snap taken on Lake Kununurra and a random draw prize for any one taking a photo on the lake and posting it on the LKBSG Facebook page.
Tyran Flick is a man holding $3,000 in cash! This 1.07m barra was the biggest caught throughout the entire competition!
Attendees didn’t even have to wet a line to be in the running for the biggest ‘lucky door’ prize, with an $18,000 tinnie up for grabs, made possible by a host of sponsors including Recfishwest.
This great prizing is made possible through our East Kimberley Barra Promotion project, supported by the State Government’s Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund (RFIF).
Bailey Dawe was the lucky winner of the $18,000 dinghy and decided to give his new boat a test run on Lake Kununurra!
With the huge range of extravagant prizes on offer, fishers eagerly patrolled their favourite barra spots during the competition in search for the revered northern sportfish, which frequently cross the one-metre mark all along the 55km length of Lake Kununurra, located around 40km west of the Western Australian and Northern Territory border.
Lake Kununurra has since become a world-class hotspot for anglers chasing one-metre giants. According to a 2020 report conducted on the restocking program, the economic value of barramundi fishing to the region is already $7.6 million per year, showcasing its importance to the local community.
Next year’s competition will be the 25th edition, which is likely to be celebrated by putting an even bigger boat up for grabs for all attendees. Make sure you pay this beautiful region a visit!
It’s a fish journey that gives Finding Nemo a run for its money.
One of the original captors from 2013, Ben Little, who previously worked at the hatchery.
Rewind to 2013 in the East Kimberley Ord River in Kununurra, where 12 barramundi were caught, placed in a specially adapted trailer and transported over 1,000km north-east to North Regional TAFE’s Aquaculture Centre in Broome.
Over the past nine years, they grew from around 50cm in length to about one metre, changed from male to female and spawned almost a quarter of a million baby barra between them.
Last Friday, those original 12 barramundi made the 1,000 km ‘return-journey’ and were released into Lake Kununurra, where they will see out the rest of their years.
“It was so good seeing these animals go full circle and return to where they’re from,” said Milton Williams, North Regional TAFE Senior Aquaculture Technician, who has worked at the centre for the last 15 years and oversaw the release operation of these magical fish.
“Having seen them grow and do their bit spawning, it was so rewarding watching them swim off into their wild habitat.”
It is a testament to the stocking program run by the North Regional TAFE in Broome and the local Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group, which has seen more than one million barramundi released into its waterways since 2013.
Lake Kununurra has since become a world-class hotspot for anglers chasing one-metre giants in ‘barra-dise’. According to a 2020 report conducted on the restocking program, the economic value of barramundi fishing to the region is already $7.6 million per year.
Milton Williams, Senior Aquaculture Technician at North Regional TAFE preparing a barra for the journey. His daughter, Ella, also helped out in a work experience capacity.
To ensure the fish are healthy in the centre and contribute to the growing species abundance, their diet includes fresh “human-grade” seafood including mullet, whiting, prawns, squid and pilchards.
As barramundi are protandrous hermaphrodites, they also change sex from male to female once reaching five to six-years-of-age at around the 90cm mark.
Milton said the female fish have produced eggs consistently well over the last few years, whereas the males might have been suffering from a little ‘performance anxiety.’
“The females have spawned consistently well, it’s the males we have trouble with,” said Milton. “They don’t always fire and we rarely have them all in spawning condition at once – usually it’s about half of them. Between these fish they have successfully contributed 214,000 barra fingerlings that have been transported and released in the lake.”
For their 12–14-hour journey back to Lake Kununurra, the fish were purged so none of their waste impacted on the pH of the water, which can be lethal to the fish. The ratio of fish to water in the oxygenated transportation tanks was 80kg of fish to 800L of water.
Once at the lakeside, water was slowly pumped through the tank to allow the fish to acclimatise and “osmoregulate” from the saline water in which they were kept in at the hatchery and in the transportation tanks to the freshwater environment of the lake, as well as adapting to temperature changes.
A special fishery being delivered by a strong partnership
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland commented, “It’s great to see these fish being treated with the respect they deserve being released back into their natural habitat after contributing to this great program.
“Thanks to fish like this and the fantastic efforts of North Regional TAFE, the local Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group and the support of the State Government, the lake has flourished into a special fishery in a beautiful part of the world. Where else do you get the chance to catch metre-long barra in such a safe and accessible setting?”
The team from North Regional TAFE and Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group members (left), and Brad Pasfield releasing a fish back into its native habitat.
This week another 150,000 barramundi fingerlings – which are about 60 days old – were successfully released into Lake Kununurra, with another 150,000 barra set to be released next week.
These two releases will raise the total number of barramundi released into Lake Kununurra over the past eight years to 1.3 million fish.
Lake Kununurra is an East Kimberley fishing gem and a quality sport fishery, providing fishers the chance to chase big barramundi.
WATCH: See how the experts fish for barra on Lake Kununurra
A safe location free of saltwater crocodiles and big tidal movements typical of Kimberley river systems, Lake Kununurra is home to many 1m-plus barra thanks to an ongoing stocking program.
It is overseen by the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group (LKBSG), Recfishwest, North Regional TAFE and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPRID).
“Lake Kununurra’s barramundi stocking program shows how true fish abundance not only promotes great fishing experiences, but also benefits regional WA communities,” Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said.
“Fish abundance ensures great fishing experiences can be enjoyed and stocking programs like this one can help create world-class fisheries in regional towns, such as Kununurra.
“Lake Kununurra is not only an asset to locals, but also attracts visitors to the East Kimberley who want to try their luck and chase a magic metre barra in a safe and accessible setting.”
How good! More than 1.3 million barra have been released into the lake since 2013.
All of the fish released as part of the program have been bred at North Regional TAFE’s aquaculture facility in Broome.
The TAFE’s aquaculture experts transport the fish across from Broome to Kununurra in special oxygenated transportation tanks.
See how the barra are hatched and reared at North Regional TAFE before being released into this short YouTube video.
Thanks also to Fisheries WAfor their support of the program and Daiwa Australia our Statewide stocking partners who make fish release activities like this possible.
It was all hands on deck to help get the latest batch of barra into Lake Kununurra.
I cast a paddletail plastic, with a weedless hook and flasher, at a rock bar along the banks of the Lower Ord, writes Recfishwest Communications Officer Zach Relph.
One crank of the reel, then let the paddletail slowly flutter down… and bingo! The rod bends, line peels and an East Kimberley barra is acrobatically leaping out of the water.
The fight is over relatively quickly and while it isn’t a trophy fish, it’s an important capture that’ll play a role in ensuring the ongoing stocking of barra into a fishing gem, where monster specimens are caught on a regular basis – Lake Kununurra.
Article author Zach Relph joined the North Regional TAFE crew to catch barra broodstock on the Lower Ord.
Now local and visiting fishers are reaping the rewards with the chance to wet a line in a world-class sportfishery.
Brimming with barra, safe and accessible with no saltwater crocs, as well as being free of big tidal movements typical of Kimberley rivers, it’s easy to see why Lake Kununurra is a must-visit fishing location for anglers.
All million fish released into the lake have been hatched and reared at North Regional TAFE’s (NRT) Broome Aquaculture Centre, with its aquaculture experts influential in the program’s success.
The stocking program exists because barra are unable to successfully reproduce in the freshwater lake – they require saltwater to complete the breeding process.
WATCH: See the action from the broodstock collection
NRT oversee the well-managed stocking program along with Recfishwest, the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.
That’s why straight after the latest release of juvenile barra into the lake on 18 July, attended by 150 locals and holidaymakers, the NRT team was already casting its eye to the future – catching more fish for breeding purposes – or broodstock, as they are called.
“We need to collect male barra for our maturation tanks at the Broome Aquaculture Centre so we can keep stocking fish into Lake Kununurra,” NRT’s Milton Williams explained.
“Barra are born as males, but transition into females at about 80cm. At the moment, we’re running out of males so we need to collect more while we’re here in Kununurra.”
This will ensure the fishing enjoyed on the lake by East Kimberley locals and travelling anglers will continue to go from strength-to-strength.
Anthony Aris, of North Regional TAFE, slowly retrieving a hardbody lure during the collection effort. Pictures: Zach Relph / Recfishwest
The stocking effort is dependent on maintaining the genetic background of the barra found near Kununurra to maintain the genetic purity.
“Some of the fish will want to eventually follow their natural breeding migration, meaning they’ll want to swim downstream to the saltwater to spawn,” Milton told Recfishwest.
“The fish that do this will make their way through the diversion dam and into the Lower Ord.”
Bagging the broodstock
With NRT on the search for more broodstock, Recfishwest joined Milton and TAFE acting regional manager Anthony Aris in pursuit of breedable barra late last month with the best method to catch them just happening to be rod and line!
Fishing with rod and reel – and barbless hooks to help minimise potential injury – is an effective broodstock collection method, reducing handling stress.
This ensures the fish are in optimal condition for transporting back to the Broome Aquaculture Centre.
Milton and Anthony, who both have long associations with this stocking program, were aiming to catch fish preferably 60cm or bigger – a more suitable size for captivity and breeding purposes.
This barra from the Lower Ord, caught by Milton Williams, will breed more barra for the Lake Kununurra barra stocking program.
Milton has been involved in the Lake Kununurra stocking program since its infancy and was part of initial broodstock collection a decade ago.
Having watched each of the fish stocked through the program grow from a hatchling, he has a close affinity with the barramundi in Lake Kununurra.
“From collecting broodstock 10 years ago to now playing a part in stocking one million barra is fantastic,” Milton said.
“As an avid fisherman, to see the program go full-cycle and visit Lake Kununurra myself to catch the fish and have guys regularly ring us to say they’ve caught 1m barra is very rewarding.”
Spawning success
A female barra in the wild can produce 30 million eggs across a spawning period.
However, barra eggs and larvae require saltwater for successful fertilisation and Lake Kununurra is freshwater, meaning the barra stocked cannot complete the breeding cycle in the 55km lake.
Multiple spawning events take place at the NRT hatchery throughout the year, with one female barramundi producing up to 10 million eggs in the hatchery.
Anthony watchfully monitors the oxygen tank on the research vessel to ensure the barra caught were fighting fit.
After eggs are fertilised, the TAFE team separate the fertilised eggs from the non-fertilised eggs – the fertilised eggs float, whereas the non-fertilised sink, making it easy to differentiate.
“We separate the eggs and place the fertilised eggs into a hatching tank where they hatch,” Milton said.
“Once we feed the fish with zooplankton enriched with algae for a few weeks until they are big enough to eat artificial food.
“The time between hatching to releasing generally takes about 50 days and they’re measuring about 50mm by this stage.”
Fishing for the future
Outside of their day-to-day duties at Broome’s Aquaculture Centre, Milton and Anthony are hooked on the allure of chasing barra across the Kimberley’s vast array of rivers and creeks.
The two mad-keen recfishers hadn’t fished the Lower Ord in late July previously, but quickly homed in on a daily bite-time – roughly between 3pm and 5pm – at the areas in which we were fishing.
Downstream of Buttons Crossing – over Ivanhoe Crossing – proved fruitful during the broodstock collection, especially in the late afternoon.
Full steam ahead! Anthony and Milton heading towards a rock bar on the Lower Ord which holds a lot of barra.
Around this time the barra weren’t overly fussy or shy when a lure such as a Samaki Vibelicious 70mm, Daiwa Double Clutch 90mm or a Zerek Flat Shad were flicked in their proximity.
While I initially thought the Lower Ord barra would be more inclined to take natural-coloured lures resembling the bait fish they predate, the sportfish still engulfed bright orange, pink and green lures.
Frustratingly, some of the smaller sized barra – in the 25cm to 40cm bracket – would inquisitively follow a lure to the boat without taking a swipe.
However, when they did hook-up – every treble or single hook used had crushed barbs – you knew about it, especially because I was relatively under-gunned fishing with a 20lb outfit.
Even small barra prove why the species’ power is revered by many fishers.
Stocking up on magnificent fishing experiences
Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland caught this 70cm barra on the Lower Ord during the broodstock collection.
Following the collection efforts, Milton and Anthony returned to Broome with 13 barramundi which would become broodstock for the ongoing stocking program at Lake Kununurra.
The fish were safely driven back to Broome in two tanks – the same tanks which initially transported the latest batch of 50-day-old fingerlings from the Broome Aquaculture Centre to Kununurra.
With the State Government funding set to see 400,000 barra stocked into the lake annually for the next three years, the hatchery team is already readying fish for the next batch of stocking.
So, if you’re looking for a new fishing experience in a magnificent, be sure to visit Lake Kununurra.
Chasing a sportfish iconic to northern Australia at a location abundant with barra, while surrounded by the picturesque setting is a sight to behold and an experience to relish.
With this trailblazing program entering another exciting chapter, Recfishwest is excited to see future catches of magnificent trophy barramundi from Lake Kununurra for many more years to come.
From little things, big things grow! This 105cm barra that Luke Kotys caught on Lake Kununurra shows the success of the stocking program.
As many East Kimberley fishers know, there’s nothing quite like battling a metre-plus barramundi in Lake Kununurra – one of WA’s premier fishing destinations.
It would be near-on impossible not to smile while catching barra from Lake Kununurra.
That’s why Recfishwest is on the lookout for a part-time Project Officer, based in Kununurra, to help show WA and beyond while Lake Kununurra is rapidly establishing itself as a world-class impoundment fishery.
The role will also involve assisting stocking and community events supporting the fishery.
The new Project Officer is set to start by early March.
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
Coordinating fishing info and photo content creation, including managing contractors and liaison with Recfishwest’s Communications team to support promotion of the fishery;
Coordinating community involvement in local fish stocking events;
Liaising with the Lake Kununurra Barramundi Stocking Group to organise citizen-science fish monitoring activities and reporting; and,
Supporting the development of new promotion initiatives.
If you’re a Kununurra local, have first-hand experience fishing Lake Kununurra and simply love fishing the East Kimberley – Recfishwest wants to hear from you for the one-day per week role.
“The Project Officer role will help us promote Lake Kununurra’s evolving barramundi fishery as a must-visit trophy-fish destination for travelling anglers,” Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said.
“We’re looking for a passionate fisher who can support local stewardship of barramundi as a truly iconic sportfish, while promoting Lake Kununurra’s successful barramundi stocking program.
“With close to one million barramundi stocked in Lake Kununurra over the past eight years, the Project Officer will demonstrate the barramundi stocking program’s value to the broader WA community and beyond.”
If you’re keen to promote Lake Kununurra’s amazing sportfishing and the benefits of the ongoing barramundi stocking program, apply now!
Please send a resumé and cover letter outlining your passion to help promote Lake Kununurra’s iconic barramundi fishery and your skills to deliver the position’s responsibilities to info@recfishwest.org.au.
Applications close at 5pm, Monday 1 March.
Fish stocking has established Lake Kununurra as a prime fishing location! Picture: Ben Broady
