Fishing Victoria Forum

Yeah definitely looks like a bara. We used to go there and get big reddies but since the blue/green algae started appearing there a few years back we stopped going.

If its still there now they shouldn't be stocking any fish into the water. What a waste. And someone will take one home, little kid and prob get sick.

it was all pushed over by the wind to the road side of the lake...that was last weekend though, yesterday it wasnt very bad at all didnt see any of that green crap...
allthough the water did look abit murky

If its in the lake at all, doesn't matter where, the water will be effected. It can release a toxin into the water that can take up to 3 months to dissipate. Ive seen signs there warning of algal blooms in the past and the lakes do have the toxin producing species in there, so I wouldn't be risking it. (Eating fish)
In saying that not all blue/green algae is toxin producing as its a natural Aust algae but some of the species do and where big blooms happen.

toygtr wrote:If its in the lake at all, doesn't matter where, the water will be effected. It can release a toxin into the water that can take up to 3 months to dissipate. Ive seen signs there warning of algal blooms in the past and the lakes do have the toxin producing species in there, so I wouldn't be risking it. (Eating fish)
In saying that not all blue/green algae is toxin producing as its a natural Aust algae but some of the species do and where big blooms happen.

yeah im never going to eat fish out of any of those lakes even if there are no signs of algae, just fishing for the fun of it.. but never seem to catch lol
tried coarse fishing methods too with boilies , 10ft rods and a rod pod too lol

I know you guys are thinking these fish may be barra, and honestly they do look quite a lot like it, but due to the geographic region and climate, I HIGHLY doubt it....Do yourselves a favour and google - Sand Bass. These fish look so much like a barra that its not funny. This could well be what it is. Google it and let me know what you's recon. 1 barra down there would be extremely rare but 8 or 10 could not possibly exist in the lake system by chance...unless they were dumped from an aquarium as people have mentioned. Below is a little bit of info I just googled about the sand bass but even their distribution does not include the lakes where they were found. Honestly this has got me stumped and I am an aquatic ecologist!

The Sand Bass also known as Glass-eyed Perch and False Barra, Sand Bass vary from light silvery grey to dark brown, sometimes with white vertical bars on their body. The eyes have a glassy appearance with a reddish glow, especially when caught at night. The lateral line extends onto the caudal fin and they have one large flat spine at the rear of the pre-operculum.

Sand Bass grow to 47cms in length.

They are considered average to poor eating.

In Australia, Sand Bass are found from Fremantle Western Australia, around the tropical north to southern Queensland, inhabiting rocky or coral reefs, weedy areas, holes and crevices.

I think it would be more likely someone had a collection of barra and didn't want the hassle of selling them so they dumped the lake, looking at the size of the barra I think they would need a 12 foot tank at least and the owner just dumped then

Google Sand Bass guys and let me know what you recon

Either way I guess someone let them go there! Are Sand Bass an aquarium fish! Are barra's good eating, I think they are? One wonders why someone would release them as they would know they would die. They possibly may not have wanted to eat their pets!
thanks
Jim

Is the chinese restraunt still open in Rowville...if not, they used to have a large tank full of Barra !!!!

well the one i got out actually did have a Celta lure in it. I think in gippsland somewhere there is a fish farm that breed barra? unsure...
i would 99% say that someone has caught them and put them in there dead... or dumped them after they have been in the freezer or something...
doubt anyone would try to release them into the lake alive