Golden Trevally and Threadfin Trevally??

[Arturo Zambarrano Jr.]

Anyone here have advice on how to catch Golden Trevally or Threadfin Trevally on lures (especially poppers)?

[Mark Harris]

Hi Arturo. Have never managed to catch one of these in the top water but have done so jigging.  I don't particularly remember what type of jig or style of jigging used except on one occasion where Amberjack were jumping on long bottom weighted jigs with a straight (no jigging) steady retrieve and I caught two Golden Trevally that day as well.

I suspect that just like GT, Bluefin Trevally and Golden Spotted Trevally they will not be too fussy about the jig type and method of jigging - when they are aggressive with attack almost anything.

[Arturo Zambarrano Jr.]

Hi Mark

I've yet to catch either of the 2 species, maybe because they're not that as aggressive?

[Greg Burt]

I have caught a them off the bank at Mooloolaba [Sunshine Coast] and Surfers [Gold Coast] on SP's to 4kg.

[Aaron Concord]

Arturo,
Though Golden Trevally will smash bait off the top, they do seem to have a preference for presentations that are made down deeper to them, especially in shallow water where they will take lures and flies off the bottom.
Their mouth makes for efficient suction of crabs and yabbies in salt water, plus errant baitfish which may stray too close.  I don't know of or have heard of anyone nailing them on topwater lures reliably.

By Threadfin Trevally, do you mean pennant fish or diamond trevally??

Aaron.

[Mark Harris]

I guess Pennantfish?  I have failed singularly to catch these on jigs despite bait fisherman getting them regularly in the areas I fish.

[Arturo Zambarrano Jr.]

Hey guys!

I was referring to pennant trevallies.  But yeah, my friends mostly catch them on fish or squid.  I've seen them caught on lures, but no more than like 5kg, and this is rarely.  As far as golden trevallies, I've only seen pictures of big ones thats been caught on flies and spoons.  And again, the golden trevallies I've seen caught were on squid, fish, and also shrimp as bait. 

Thanks!

[Aaron Concord]

Mark,
The couple places I know where Diamond Trevally congregate at times, they have a habit of ingesting small soft plastics or flies.
Some monumental fish in the 8-10kg range eat 2-3 inch plastics in pretty clear water.
The ones that I have seen landed seem to be largely flukes, where the DT has been disorientated and shot out into open water.  Even a 2kg model will flog you senseless on PE 1 type gear in tight country and on a short line!
Again, I don't know of anyone really having them wired at taking topwater lures.
Most seem to prefer deeper presentations akin to the Golden Trevally.
One client I guided up the top of Fraser Island got a cracker of around 8kg and it spewed up crabs more than baitfish. 

Aaron.

[Peter Morris]

Diamond Trevally are not commonly caught on the surface (in fact I dont think I have ever heard of one caught from the surface).
I have caught numerous ones on plastics with my biggest taken on a plastic in the Whitsundays.

Pennant fish seem to hit a surface lure and I was with with Tak last year when he got a beauty at Elusive Reef.

Like Aaron said most goldens are caught deeper down as their mouths are purposely made for bottom feeding.
You could try sandflats where Goldens are known to congregate (somewhere like Hervey Bay) but given the fact they are up on the flats eating yabbies,crabs etc.....a surface lure may spook them.
A tiny popper on light gear may get a nudge but even then it could be difficult unless they are really hungry.

Pete

[Gary Prerost]

sORRY TO DISPEL ALL THEORIES i HAVE SEEN GOLDENS STACKED ON EACH OTHERS SHOULDERS HALF OUT OF THE WATER FEEDING ON JELLY PRAWNS AS WELL AS TARPON, PERMIT THREADFIN AND THE LIST GOES ON AND THIS WAS OVER A TEN KILOMETER STRETCH OF BEACH SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL. THE SOUND OF GOLDENS SLURPING OF THE SUFACE IS SOMETHING , ITS ABIT LIKE WATER GOING DOWN A DRAIN. THEY WILL HAPPILY TAKE SURFACE LURES AND IN PARTICULAR FLIES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS OVER MANY SEASONS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF CAPE YORK.i WILL TRY AND UPLOAD PHOTOS

[Tak Otsuka]

Hi Arturo,

I think I was using Halco Roosta Popper 135. Photo of fish should be on below Monster Class Anglers website. (Elusive week 1).

Cheers,
Tak

[Arturo Zambarrano Jr.]

Tat,

Yeah, I've saved that picture since you first posted it here a while back.  That a really nice size on popper!  I can only hope and dream about landing one of those gems on poppers

THanks

Art

[Tak Otsuka]

Hi Art,

It was a beauty but I was just lucky!

(I love light tackle day without specific target as there are always good surprise.....)

Cheers,
Tak

[Mark Harris]

sORRY TO DISPEL ALL THEORIES i HAVE SEEN GOLDENS STACKED ON EACH OTHERS SHOULDERS HALF OUT OF THE WATER FEEDING ON JELLY PRAWNS AS WELL AS TARPON, PERMIT THREADFIN AND THE LIST GOES ON AND THIS WAS OVER A TEN KILOMETER STRETCH OF BEACH SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL. THE SOUND OF GOLDENS SLURPING OF THE SUFACE IS SOMETHING , ITS ABIT LIKE WATER GOING DOWN A DRAIN. THEY WILL HAPPILY TAKE SURFACE LURES AND IN PARTICULAR FLIES. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS OVER MANY SEASONS ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF CAPE YORK.i WILL TRY AND UPLOAD PHOTOS

The fish off eastern seaboard of the US do seem to behave differently to those in Asian/Australian waters.  Witness all those Amberjacks caught on top water lures off the Carolinas.  In southeast Asia they never come off the bottom!

[Aaron Concord]

Gary,

I too have seen the jelly prawn run of the western side of Cape York.
Many fish that would otherwise be downright difficult to see eating off the top, do change their habits for this annual feed bonanza.

However, in the context of this being a world wide forum, not knowing where Art was trying for them and the jelly prawn run being an unusual event, I still stand firm that diamonds and goldens are easier targets with a fly or lure presented down to them.
I still haven't found anyone who gets these species on topwaters consistently year in year out, that's all.
I mentioned I have seen Goldens eat poppers and this happened in Hervey Bay while feeding on bait balls of frogmouth pilchards and on Cape York during the prawn run.  Far from being a year round proposition from my understanding.

Mark,
I do wish our local Amberjack came to the surface more redily........I could have done with a head start on some of the jig hooked fish that would come with a surface hooked model!
Aaron.