I NEED A HIRO

Land-based sensei HIROAKI NAKAMURA shares his hard-won knowledge on catching the mighty barramundi without a boat

When I went fishing it had stopped raining the day before.

After the heavy rains, it takes more than 48 hours before the seawater is back to normal. Mindil Beach, Fannie Bay and East Point were still very wavy.

I went to a culvert relatively unaffected by the influence of winds. The moon still hadn’t risen. It was a dark night.

Last time, I got bit by mosquitoes all over in this area, and the bites itched so badly I couldn’t stand it. I wished for protection from mosquito bites this time.

I saw many mangrove snakes in the water here about this time last year. I remember that well. Luckily, I didn’t see any snakes this time.

I had a short fish-strike every time I cast my lure, but it was very difficult to hook those small fish on lures.

That was when I loosened the drag pressure a lot. By doing this, I made a fish take a lure away for a little while. Then I fastened the drag knob in a rush.

As a result, I could catch fish on lures. I caught one mangrove jack, two barramundi and one tarpon. This method is useful for small fish. THE LOWDOWN Squidgy Pro Mongrel 90mm/Aussie Herring Where: Shallow water 30-50cm Water: Murky outgoing Line: Fins 30lb Leader line: Sunline FC Rock Fluorocarbon 40LB Knot: The Slim Beauty Reel: Shimano Calcutta 200D Rod: St Croix Triumph TRC60MF 6’ Medium Power Fast Action 10-17LB ¼3/4oz Clip: Force 10 Stainless Duo Lock Snaps #2 Action: Steady retrieving