Broome finally produces... well kind of!!!

[Dave Schmidt]

Hi all,

Had an awesome session on some GT's a few km's off Broome on the weekend. Was "getting" them drifting with some big plastics. After a few drifts I had a fair idea of the area the fish were holding so I had a few casts with a 150 dumbell. (The only popper i had in board at the time) No hits or follows was the result so i repositioned the drift and bombed down a plastic with instant success??? Was fishing in 10mts of water so am just wondering if you think a bigger popper would possibly tempt them up to the surface? Getting them off the bottom is still awesome just miss the explosion of white water behind the popper which i think is the addictive thing with popping apart from the fight.
Unfortunately only landed a few fish in the couple kilo mark but got done over by some bigger ones on the 4500. Might be time to dust off the dogfight and try again... although i would feel a little silly bouncing plastics with the popping gear
Doesnt sound like many people are into their popping up here it was a glassy arvo and could here conversations of other boats a few hundred metres away and they were all wondering what i was chasing with the popper!!!

[Stan Konstantaras]

Hi Dave,
Had a similar problem in New Cal in May this year.
Fishing a reef opening - bait, colour change, scum line - the fish had to be there.
Popper after popper, stick bait all and sundry were tried and finally Etienne the Guide flicked out a big Squidge Fish = Big GT.
The fish were on the sounder but we could not raise them, but had a ball with the plastics fished deep.
Not big fish,  6-20kg, but all in 10-14m of water and we could not raise them to the top.

Going back in Oct armed with a big collection of paddle tails - I have a bunch of 9-12 inch models I use on snapper and am currently making my own jig heads on 11/0 Jobu hooks.

I have made up of big flies for snapper with size 2,3 and 4 sinker sized eyes on 8/0 fly hooks, so the bigger jigs wont be a problem.
I use the bigger (10/0) size jig heads for reds, but I doubt any of these will withstand PE10 pressures.

[Dave Schmidt]

Thanks for the reply Stan. All i was using were the squidgy slick rig (was after trout and bluebone) and they stood up to the pressure of the 4500 but highly doubt it with the dogfight. Interesting idea of making your own jig heads might have to give that a go myself.  Have bigger tides this weekend so will try some bigger poppers and sinking stickbaits and see how i go.
Thanks again
Dave

[Jamie Moir]

Nomad just signed up for McArthy Baits. I guess they plan to use the plastics for the G's as well.

[Peter Morris]

Nomad just signed up for McArthy Baits. I guess they plan to use the plastics for the G's as well.

Probably more so for all the other species they encounter on the light tackle.

Pete