barramundi

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer), also known as Asian Seabass, is a species of catadromous fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. The native species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific region from the Persian Gulf, through Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia. Known in Thai language as Pla Krapong (Thai: ปลากระพง), it is very popular in Thai cuisine.

Origin of name

Barramundi is a loanword from an Australian Aboriginal language of the Rockhampton area in Queensland^[1] meaning "large-scaled river fish".^[2] Originally, the name barramundi referred to saratoga and Gulf saratoga.^[3] However, the name was appropriated for marketing reasons during the 1980s, a decision which has aided in raising the profile of this fish significantly.^[3] L. calcarifer is broadly referred to as Asian seabass by the international scientific community, but is also known as giant perch, giant seaperch, Australian seabass, and by a variety of names in other local languages, such as Ikan Siakap or Ikan Kakap Putih in Malay.

Recreational fishing

Highly prized by anglers for their good fighting ability, barramundi are reputed to be good at avoiding fixed nets and best caught on lines and with fishing lures. In Australia, the barramundi is used to stock freshwater reservoirs for recreational fishing.

Impoundment barramundi, as many anglers recognize them, are growing in popularity as a catch and release fish. Popular stocked barramundi impoundments include Lake Tinaroo, near Cairns in the Atherton Tablelands, Peter Faust Dam near the Whitsundays, Teemburra Dam near Mackay, Lake Moondarra near Mount Isa, Lake Awoonga near Gladstone, and Lake Monduran around an hours drive south from Lake Awoonga.

Fishing techniques revolve mainly around casting and retrieving all types of lures including soft and hard body lures. Trolling is also a favored and productive technique for impoundment barramundi.

Impoundment barramundi are also a popular target with surface lures as they are known to eat all types of foods from the surface of the water including frogs, injured baitfish and even baby swans and other birds.

The distinct 'boof!' noise which barramundi make when surface feeding can easily be recognised and echo up to long distances at quiet times like still nights.

Many anglers travel to Queenslands barramundi impoundments to catch the elusive 'metrey', a barramundi measuring in excess of a metre and weighing anywhere from 10 kg - 25 kg, depending on the fat level.

When hooked on a lure, the barramundi will often clear itself from the water several times throughout the battle and make long powerful runs. This makes it a popular target species.

The eating quality of impoundment barramundi is quite low, with a rating of 1 out of 10

The flesh has a 'muddy' taste due to the barramundi spending all of its life in silty, freshwater environments, although there are recipes which claim to remove or mask the muddy taste.

The record for the biggest line caught Barramundi is 38.5kg at Lake Tinaroo QLD (September 1999), others have been caught larger but a growing trend for catch and release fishing has sustained this record. It is a quest for many impoundment anglers to catch a 100 pounder, which todate has never been achieved.