Mark, like a lot of other things with GT popping, it is all about the compromise and what is more important to the individual angler. It's like long rod better for casting, short rod, better for fighting a fish, short leader outside guides is better for casting but long leader gives you more protection and a myriad of other compromises.
I do feel a lot of anglers still have a propensity to go for gear that is too heavy. I often get asked about what PE12 outfit I recommend. I actually find this a contradiction in terms because in 95% of cases, I don't recommend PE12 outfits. Sure, even if you're strong enough to fish with PE12 which most anglers are not, You're going to cast like a dog with it. As I always say, as a general rule, the more territory you cover and the longer your lure is in the water, the more fish you will catch.
There is an unfortunate view that you need heavy gear in NC to cope with the big fish. The fact though, is that it is also very forgiving environment to fish in comparison to many spots in the Coral Sea and there are vast expanses of water to cover if you're going to fish successfully there. So, are you better off with a PE12 outfit you can cast 60m or a PE8 outfit you can cast 80m? It's a decision individual anglers need to make for themselves.
I also think that there is a lack of reality on the part of some anglers who think they can simply skulldrag a big GT out of a shallow rocky area. Sure, you might pull a 20kg or even 25kg fish out on heavy gear but try that on a fish that matters like a 40kg + fish. I remember making the comment after a discussion on PE12 on another thread some time back that in that kind of environment, it doesn't matter whether you're using PE8 or PE20 - you aren't pulling the fish out. Shoalwater is a great example. Nick Bowles from Oceanactive in Oman had some very good insights to this on another forum a few years back.
On the hooks, I do find the big heavy trebles like the Recorder 8/0s difficult to get good clean hook-ups with so I've gone back to the lighter gauge ST-66s. Kenji Konishi is the one who convinced me of this. So far, it's worked for me. I know it is only a matter of time before I have one straightened out but that has happened even with Recorder 8/0s. I used to fish quite a heavy drag but in the past couple of years, have eased right back so that in itself places less pressure on the hooks. I found that going hard on a fish with heavy drag and a powerful rod often served to really panic the fish and these fish would go crazy giving me a belting in the process.
