Fishing in ‘barradise’ – the 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash

East Kimberley fishing gems shone bright silver recently, with a record-breaking number of Apex Kununurra Barra Bash competitors experiencing ‘barradise’ first-hand.

Now in its 24^th year, the 2022 Apex Kununurra Barra Bash, running from September 23-25, is the ultimate celebration of barra fishing in the Kimberley, all within the backdrop of postcard-esque scenery and safe, accessible fantastic fishing spots.

The three-day competition saw more than 720 anglers across all ages try their luck in beautiful East Kimberley waterways, with 168 barra, 181 catfish and 70 sooty grunter landed in total.

“Lake Kununurra is an increasingly important part of the competition,” said Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland, “There’s a growing number of annual fishers heading to Kununurra to fish the lake without the worry of big tidal movements or saltwater crocodiles hindering their fishing experiences. More than 1.3 million barra have been stocked into the lake since 2013 – with metre-plus barra catches now a regular occurrence. Lake Kununurra has established itself as a world-class sport fishery.”

Bailey Dawe was the lucky winner of the $18,000 dinghy and decided to give his new boat a test run on Lake Kununurra!

More than $50,000 worth of cash and prizes was on offer for the Bash, including $3,000 for the biggest barra caught and any competitor who landed a barra over 55cm going into the draw for a $12,000 three-night stay at the Kimberley Coastal Camp!

Tyran Flick is a man holding $3,000 in cash! This 1.07m **barra** was the biggest caught throughout the entire competition!

For all competitors who managed to land the highly respectable ‘metrey’ barra, they went home with a new Shimano Speed Master 12 fishing reel, along with two $500 gift voucher prizes sponsored by Recfishwest for the best snap taken on Lake Kununurra and a random draw prize for any one taking a photo on the lake and posting it on the LKBSG Facebook page.

This stunning image taken by Darren Francis won the best picture competition by showcasing the beauty of fishing on Lake Kununurra.

With the huge range of extravagant prizes on offer, fishers eagerly patrolled their favourite barra spots during the competition in search for the revered northern sportfish, which frequently cross the one-metre mark all along the 55km length of Lake Kununurra

Next year’s competition will be the 25^th edition, which is likely to be an even bigger celebration of barra fishing in Lake Kununurra and the East Kimberley.

Check out the Apex Kununurra Barra Bash Facebook page to see all images and winners from 2022!