Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) > Tackle & Techniques
Big GT techniques
Luke Wyrsta:
--- Quote from: Jay Burgess on March 09, 2008, 10:30:19 PM ---Thanks for the responses guys.
Brandon, I'm using a SP-78H, PE10 is at the upper limit of what it's rated to, can it handle 130lb line OK? So far we've only been starting off with about 10kg of drag, which for a novice like me is still a fair bit to hang onto (I decided to go a bit easier on the drag until I increased my confidence). I will consider going up to 15kg like you recommended but what sort of impact will it have on the rod, will it handle it OK? Do you ever have strike break off's with 15kg?
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It's all about angles. Positioning the rod near or at a right angle to your body will give you the ability to put ridiculous pressures through the rod - that's where the butt and backbone of the rod starts working for you along with the reel. Increase that angle (i.e. > 45 degrees) and you really start to load the rod more - that's when being aware of the rods capabilities are vital, and being able to adapt to changing angles during the fight is vital (that's why I always believe in modifying your drag to suit the situation, which can be multiple times during the fight).
If you don't fish your drag with confidence - you will get your ass kicked more often than not! Fish as hard as you can - if you start getting dusted on PE10+ lines you will know you are definately encountering thoroughbred fish, not pinging your line which can be easily done with 80lb etc.
The chances of pinging 130lb on strike is low, but not impossible. This can be dictated by things such as strike angle/trajectory to how much shock your leader system is compensating for.
Modifying your drag to suit your rod angles is the key.
Luke Wyrsta:
Another thing, upgrading to PE10, 100lb+ lines is due to the fact that we can avoid (more often that not) pinging lines on the strike. I like to really bustle and strike at a fish during the strike of which can cause considerable shock load on the line. Another reason is to fish as hard as possible during the whole fight - hoping to reduce fight time and hopefully improve the chances of releasing a much healthier, less stressed fish.
Santosh Shanmuga:
Pardon my stupidity...but what is a bommie? ???
Brandon Khoo:
Jay - as far as the Japanese are concerned, PE10 is 130lb! They don't operate off the same scales we do.
Varivas GT in PE10 is 130lb and Varivas GT SMP in PE8 is 120lb.
Again, Luke's post sums it up. Young bloke like you will be able to manage more than 10kg easily. ;) It is a matter of technique. Do you currently use a gimbal? A good quality gimbal belt can really make a difference in that it provides a fulcrum point. Bend your knees and get one foot in front of the other. The best analogy I can give you is to think what you would be doing if you were in a tug of war. You bend you knees, you turn a little to ensure you are balanced and you brace yourself. You need to get into an atheletic stance.
Of course, there are angles that are bad for rods. At 45 degrees though, I think you would be shocked at how much load the rod can take. I tend to use the really heavy rods like 78UHL and EXH and I'm pretty brutal with them. I don't think a lot of people understand what so-called "high-sticking" is. if the fish is a long distance away, fishing with a high rod is a matter of sensibility sometimes as you want to keep it clear of structure. The rod will not break under such circumstances. I've had drags of 16-18kg as well as my palm on the spool as hard as I can hold it without any trouble whatsoever. I doubt many people can handle a drag setting high enough in such circumstances to break a heavy GT rod. On the other hand, if you have the fish next to the boat and you maintain that same angle, well, you'll be looking for a new rod soon. Most rod breakages happen next to the boat. GTs nearly always make that one last determined run next to the boat and this is when rods go. You have to be aware of and prepared for this. I tend to back the drag off a little once they are next to the boat and when the leader is grabbed, I like to open the bail arm.
Breakages on the strike generally result from the dreaded sideways strike. Generally, you will have a GT chase your popper from behind to eat it. In such circumstances, it is highly unlikely that a strike will break your line, even on 15kgs. On the other hand, a sideways strike where the fish comes from one side, hits the popper at speed and keeps going results in an enormous amount of immediate shock. If you have a long leader, that will absorb some of the shock but if the shock is excessive, something has to go and that will generally be your braid. I've seen quite a number of breakages on the strike but nearly all have been from sideway strikes.
I've seen breakages on settings as low as 10 -12kgs but you have to find the right balance in terms of your drag setting and it is always a compromise.
--- Quote from: Jay Burgess on March 09, 2008, 10:30:19 PM ---Thanks for the responses guys.
Brandon, I'm using a SP-78H, PE10 is at the upper limit of what it's rated to, can it handle 130lb line OK? So far we've only been starting off with about 10kg of drag, which for a novice like me is still a fair bit to hang onto (I decided to go a bit easier on the drag until I increased my confidence). I will consider going up to 15kg like you recommended but what sort of impact will it have on the rod, will it handle it OK? Do you ever have strike break off's with 15kg?
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Fraser Simpson:
Jay,
Don't forget that PE8/10/12 is essentially an arbitrary figure regarding the line strength. It is often misunderstood that PE8 is 80lb, PE10 is 100lb etc, but that is not the case. I run YGK Castman in PE8 on my Saltiga GT6000/Shimano GT Special and that line is rated at 113lb. If your rod is rated at PE10, you will find that is around the 130lb that Brandon is recommending, and well within its limits.
One other thing - with strong line and big drags, you will start to find that when attached to a big fish the weak link in the outfit is the bloke holding the rod!
Fraser
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