Where to throw a popper

[aaron]

i just moved to airlie beach QLD and love my fishing!!!  im really keen to start catchn monster GTs ..the only thing is i dont know any gt spots in this area.ive been throwing a halco roosta pooper around a lot and pretty much caught every thing but a gt.if any one could help me it would be very appreciated.

[Brandon Khoo]

Aaron, I have no familiarity with the area but there are a few features of the land (or more to the point, sea!) that you should look for with GTs. What you need is cover like bommies, reef, headlands, sea mounts and current. Lots of current is what GTs love. IThey also like big tides.

i just moved to airlie beach QLD and love my fishing!!!  im really keen to start catchn monster GTs ..the only thing is i dont know any gt spots in this area.ive been throwing a halco roosta pooper around a lot and pretty much caught every thing but a gt.if any one could help me it would be very appreciated.

[Luke Wyrsta]

Sounds like you may also be fishing fairly shallow given that you are catching most other species?

Try to find some deeper drop-offs with all the factors that Brandon mentioned - only a matter of time.

Good luck.

[Ivan Verhage]

How deep is too deep to throw a popper Luke?

Thanks
Ivan

[Luke Wyrsta]

How deep is too deep to throw a popper Luke?

Thanks
Ivan

50/60 metres would be a general rule for me. These areas almost are always a drop-off or have good structure.

[Greg Burt]

One area 20miles off shore has a 10 mile long and one mile wide reef, going from 60m rubble on the Western side to 25m hard reef on top and then falls away sharply after 100mts down to 60m again on the Eastern side, it then sloops away to the shelf.
 It is a good area for reefies and all pelagics, with a few Bludger Trevally being caught in summer. Is this a GT like area or is the 25m on top to deep.?

[Luke Wyrsta]

One area 20miles off shore has a 10 mile long and one mile wide reef, going from 60m rubble on the Western side to 25m hard reef on top and then falls away sharply after 100mts down to 60m again on the Eastern side, it then sloops away to the shelf.
 It is a good area for reefies and all pelagics, with a few Bludger Trevally being caught in summer. Is this a GT like area or is the 25m on top to deep.?

Greg,

25m isn't too deep.

I think that would be a good place to try. Look for the shallowest areas that drop off significantly/sharply to deeper areas - also sound for bombies/pinnacles and other structure that may be relatively shallow. Also look for lots of current.

Even if you don't turn up GTs (and i would be surprised), you may have fun with mackeral and tuna.

[Luke Wyrsta]

Greg,

I should clarify, if you want reliable and more consistent captures, the shallower the better. When i fish the deeper areas, i am always looking for trophy fish - which from my experiences, more often than not tend to lurk, stalk and then crash lures, rushing up from these deeper depths. Not a hard and fast rule but definately produces the good for me in terms of finding the bigger fish.

[Neil Griffiths]

Aaron, you don't mention what size roosta you're throwing, it's unlikely you will hook and land a truly big GT on a small popper.

[AustralianAngling]

In the reef areas I work the pressure corners and outer edges.
If you are land based search for area at low tide that when it's high the stucture will hold bait.
Low tide can also be good too as bait has to move off reef top.
Look for bait presence, always a dead giveaway that a few GT's are close by.
When we work the reef area like the in the photo we will keep the boat just within casting distance of the reef top if possible, rough days can get a little hairy then cast to place lure on top of reef even up into the waves crashing on the reef.
Advantage of having a tower on boat you can spot large school of GT's travelling together.

FIND THE BAIT!!!

[Cam Foley]

Hey Greg are you thinking of throwing some poppers around out the banks?
That spot over near the cape ,were there is a big bombie would be the go wouldn't it.

[aaron]

hey neil, ive been throwing a large halco roost haymaker,and thanks to all the great info on this site ive been smashed a few times and rasied a couple but no hook ups.

[Greg Burt]

Yeah Cam, the north end spot with the big Spaniards and Bludger Trevs, the Cape spot and Hutchies is a different kettle of fish [no pun intended] where GTs will be target species, 25 NM separates the two spots.

[aaron]

thanks luke and brandon.have been fishing a lot of shallow reefs wich go from a few meters with sharp drops to about 20m.been drifting  out enought to just cast onto the reef and work lure towards ledge and back to boat.this spot i really like as it allways holds bait schools there when the tide is running and even know i havnt caught a gt there i know one day i will be there when they are.its only time

[Brandon Khoo]

Aaron, that sounds about ideal in terms of the terrain. Also, try to find the areas where the current is coming through strongly and creating eddies. The location you're fishing sounds good for queenfish too!

If the bait schools are there, the GTs will be there. If you have a sounder and you find the bait hanging deep, don't hesitate to drop a jig down there as GTs will be hanging around the bait if they're feeding. For shallower water, look to jigs like Raiders, Spanyids and Bumpa Bars rather than the Japanese style knife jigs. This is only a personal thing but I need some depth to get a Japanese jig working (probably with the exception of sliders which lend themselves to a slow action).

The general rule is that if you find the bait, you will find the fish feeding on them.

Good luck and persevere - no doubt, you'll hit a good one soon!