When a Queensland paper published a picture of a local bloke with a 118cm barra from Lake Tinaroo, they probably should have checked the background a bit more closely.

media_camera Could this quality barra catch have been helped by the use of some special technology? We consulted a fishing expert, who theorised that the mystery piece of equipment could be used to simulate the sounds of schooling baitfish and attract predatory fish to the area.

As well as the normal sounder, lures and rods and reels, the lucky angler appears to have packed a slightly less conventional piece of fishing equipment.

Social media has been buzzing about the secret fishing weapon.

@MattBrannABC @TheNTNews least he didn't have a bong in the corner of the photo like Cairns Post ;-) pic.twitter.com/TT699gG98H — Henry Cook (@Manic_Henry) February 22, 2015

We consulted a barramundi fishing expert, who suggested the mystery equipment might be some sort of fish attracting technology.

READ: FIRST TIMER CATCHES MASSIVE BARRA

MORE: FISHING IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

“Perhaps it makes a bubbling sound which simulates schooling baitfish,” he said.

“This would in turn attract larger predators like big barra to the area.”

media_camera The happy angler as he appeared in print. Cairns Post, Feb 19

The prized catch was caught in the popular “Fong-On (sic) Bay” section of the lake according to the Cairns Post.

Lake Tinaroo is a man-made reservoir on the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland.

Completed in 1958, it has a capacity of 407,000 megalitres and is a popular spot to fish for stocked barramundi, which can grow to a massive size there due to an abundance of bait and a lack of natural predators.

media_camera A selection of fish-attracting prototypes. Picture: supplied

Originally published as Billabong fishing Queensland style