How to catch barra and threadfin using Balista LED lure technology

Lures generally catch more fishermen than fish, and to be honest, barra are not that fussy.

And I don’t normally go for gimmicky stuff, preferring to use my tried and proven techniques and equipment because I know it works so well. 

But as you can imagine, I get sent plenty of equipment to try, especially lures, and I always like to give them a swim to check them out.

This is exactly what happened when Balista lures developer and CEO James Dainton sent me some of his LED juggernauts to try.

As it was during the barra closure, I didn’t get to test them out fully on barra, however I had an amazing run with them on the King threadfin.

These fantastic lures contain a red flashing diode in the tail that is water activated.

James dropped in on his way through  Cardwell the other day and we had a chat about how he came up with the idea, the testing he has done, and I share a few techniques I have used with these lures to have some great sessions on the big King Threadfin.

He shared some of his amazing slow motion footage of the testing process and interestingly, how red was by far the most effective colour for the light.

You can view my chat with James as he talks about his lures over a beer or two in my boatshed.

Balista lures come in a variety of shapes and sizes. I personally have tested the juggernaut and found it to be particularly effective when targeting big King threadfin.

I expect they will work just as well on barra, and trials conducted by JCU indicate that barra are attracted to the red flashing light.

It  makes a lot of sense considering barra are visual predators that hunt by sight.

Interestingly they seem to have been repelled or perhaps scared of other colours especially green.

For those interested in purchasing some Balista lures, head to their website to order online or check for a local tackle shop stockist.

Balista Lures Website: www.balista.com.au

For some more great barra strike footage and a run down on the testing by James Cook Uni researcher Dr. Jamie Seymour, check out the short promo video below.