Fishing for and catching barramundi is fast paced and very exciting. The barramundi is regarded by most as Australia's premier native sportfish and Tropical North Queensland offers excellent places to target this much sought after hard fighting sport fish species.

Barramundi have several distinctive body features. The head of the fish is a pointed shape with the forehead being concave. They have a large jaw that extends behind the eye and courdal fin and a first dorsal fin with seven or eight strong spines. The Barra also has a second soft-rayed dorsal fin that has ten or eleven rays.

Some common names of the Barramundi are, Barra, Silver Barramundi, Giant Perch and Palmer Perch. The word Barramundi comes from a Queensland Aboriginal language of the Rockhampton area and means large scales or large, scaly river fish.

Barramundi are predators and prefer to hang out near and around structure like rocks and logs, where they can hide and wait to strike upon unsuspecting smaller fish or crustaceans.

Barramundi respond well to all types of lures. Large minnow-type lures work well in the shallows. The noisy popper or fizzer style lures work too, and are good for night fishing. What is becoming very popular with anglers here are the newer soft plastic lures, the Barramundi love them.