First GT trip

[Brandon Pope]

I am a long time tuna fisherman who is taking his first GT trip. I've caught several bluefin trevally is Panama, but again, this is my first attempt at seriously fishing for GTs. I have a TR GT710-8 and a 60lb OTI blank I had wrapped years ago. I've landed tuna to 130lbs on the OTI rod, but in deep water I don't apply more than 20lbs of drag.
I also have a 10000sw stella and 18000 saragosa loaded with 60lb JB hollow. I know I'll likely need to bump up to 100lb, but an unsure about leaders. I am also unsure about hooks and which I should place on my poppers. I would like some input here.
I'll be fishing Socotra for 5 days. I have plenty of poppers and stick baits from 80-130g, but would prefer to travel as light as possible. I was thinking a dozen poppers and stick baits would suffice.
I'm bring a 500g jigging oufit and I'll be fly-fishing the beaches with a 9wt as well as using lighter spinning tackle for permit and bones in the afternoons. I need room for all of this gear as well.
Any and all input is appreciated.

[Mark Harris]

Wow Brandon.. first GT trip and it is to Socotra!

My first reaction is that every piece of the equipment you mention is going to leave you under-gunned I am afraid.  I will leave confirmation of that or otherwise to the guys who have been to Socotra on multiple occasions.

[Andy Rowe]

Welcome to the Money Hole 

[Brandon Pope]

Money hole is right. I realize I'm taking another step into another hole. I'll just step lightly as I adjust to the temperature.
I have heavy equipment for cow tuna, but its not applicable here. I'm hoping getting "reefed" isn't a huge concern everywhere across the island. I can get close to 200m of 100 JB hollow on the Stella and the drag washers are beefed on the gosa. The rods are medium duty rods relative to GTs of this class. I think therein lies my main problem. Rigging is another.
As far as Socotra being an introductory trip, I've always wanted to travel there for multiple reasons. I literally had a tack in a map as a child indicating this as a goal. I think I'll try Oman in the next couple of years as well. I like remote. I do like to see people where I fish.

[Simon Bomholt]

I really think you will get your ass kicked. Which operator do you use there and do they not have any guide lines on tackle you should use

[Brandon Pope]

As far as being fit and able bodied, I am. I'm in exceptional physical condition for 40 years old. I really need recommendations for rigging. If I need a rod with a PE10 rating to stop a fish, let me know. If I can play a fish with a PE8, great. I can fight a fish for 15 minutes while applying 20lbs of drag.
There aren't dedicated GT outfitters in Socotra. Sami and Nick used the same guy I'm using to arrange visas, drivers and guides, guides meaning someone to run the day to day logistics. In short, you fish with locals who use traditional methods to feed their community. What I bring is what I have, no shops or others to beg, borrow or "steal" from.
In my current fishing style of popping for pelagics, I never need a PE10 rating. If I hook a 150lb tuna, I'm in 3,000ft of water. I don't need to stop the fish. I want to know if I'll be casting to rips in 100m of water, directly to reef edges or mixes of both.
Obviously, I have no experience with the animal. Crushing strikes with powerful initial runs is the norm. What is a normal drag setting for the above fishing locations. What hooks should I use on my poppers for the drag settings. The lateral line on GTs in extremely abrasive. What shock leaders should I use?

[Trevor Skinner]

Brandon,

It's my understanding that fishing for GTs in Socotra has it's own unique challenges so the best information would come from people who have fished there and there's not many of those. Nick, Sami, Luke Wyrsta, Evan Gluck, Raymond Yong, Barry Kurten plus a handful of others that I know of. The rest of us are just guessing.

Brandon Khoo has got some fantastic general information about the type of tackle as well as leader systems, terminal tackle and lures pinned to this forum. The demands on the tackle as well as the fisherman is, in my limited experience, different between GTs and tuna. The general requirements for having a chance to catch GTs is covered by Brandon, the specific needs of being able to fish for GTs in Socotra can only be sensibly answered by those guys. 

Not much help I know but I think that's where you'll get your answers.

Regards,


Trevor

[Brandon Pope]

Thanks Trevor. I'm going to fish for GTs for the very reason you outlined, it's going to be very different. Fly-fishing surf for bones is also different and I'm nearly as excited by this prospect. Really, coral trout and bohrs all equally excite me.
I look forward to hearing from those who've made the jaunt. I also missed Brandon's stickies. I started reading these earlier this morning. I chalked up overlooking this to my excitement. This island has been on my list for 25 years.

[Trevor Skinner]

Brandon,

It's a real adventure, maybe one of the few left. Go for it



Trevor

[Barry Kurten]

Hi Brandon,

As Trevor mentioned, I have been one of the fortunate few to fish down that side of world and I am busy in the process of arranging another trip for as soon as possible. It truly is a very unique place.

On the fishing side of things, as mentioned above by the guys .. You are going to be a bit very "out gunned" with your current setup. The fish are big and the currents even bigger. The small boats you fish off make it equally challenging because a speedy hook up and get away from the reef is just not possible and that's where you need the "heavy stuff" in terms of thicker braid (min 100lb) and rods with serious back bone to slow the GT's down while the little 40Hp powered boats attempt to tow the fish out of the current and away from the reef into the deeper water.

The fishing area on the east side is small and you basically drift down one long reef. The deep side of the reef is about 20 - 25meters of water .. on top of the reef probably 5meters, if that, for the most part. It does drop off deeper at the end of the reef, but most of the action happens over the shallow area where the current swell is churning up white water on the shallow exposed sections of the reef.

In terms of lures ... The GT's like big stickbaits and poppers. The image of one of the biggest fish I have ever seen inhaling Lukes 220 Orion Nambas stickbait will live with me forever !!! Preferred colours definitely seemed to be the black with silver flash coloured lures .. well at least they did when we were there last October.

In terms of Leader strength, I think Nick and Sami were using 300lb leaders and even they were experiencing what I like to call the "death rattle" (that unmistakable feeling before a GT reefs you) , but I am sure Luke , Nick and Sami will chip in with some very valuable advice when they get onto this thread later.

Jigging is a bit tough down that side because the boats don't have sounders or GPS, but that being said we did get plenty good species on the jigs, which leaves a person wondering what the potential could be in a place like that should one have the right equipment to find the reefs and pinnacles.

I hope I have been able to give you some better insight , please feel free to fire away should you require any further info, I am always more then willing to assist where possible and as mentioned above, I am sure the rest of the guys will climb in with plenty more advice when they next log on

Tight lines
Barry

[Brandon Pope]

Thanks for the information Barry. Fishing without electronics, in less than modern boats and engines will make the experience even better in my opinion. Being an island, the areas available to fishing are limited. Modern equipment, aside from tackle, could exploit a near pristine fishery.
Thanks again for the feedback. I look forward to future posts. I'm up to a baptism by fire. Btw, did you fish from the shore?

[Sami Ghandour]

Hi Brandon,

I guess you picked up one of the most difficult terrain for your first GT trip,
you are under-gunned with your outfit and it is going to be difficult to explain to you in words what a 50 kg GT could do to you in that current, you have to experience it yourself to believe it, i wouldn't personally fish Socotra  less then PE10 rod and preferably PE12, you are not only fighting the fish but the current as well, the bigger the lure the better you chance to hook the big one and there is certain time and tide that you can produce those class of fish, it is very sporty to fight those fish on the small canoe but i personally love the challenge and every bit of it, my suggestion to you is that you are going to a remote area and if you ran out of tackle you are basically done for the trip, so i suggest you to have at least 1 descent outfit for the task, i will be fishing Socotra in October with my clients.
good luck!

  Tight lines
   Sami

[Brandon Pope]

I noticed you guys were returning this fall. The GTs picked me as much as picked them. I would be going to Socotra whether the GTs were there or not. However, I'm thrilled they are adding to the adventure. I'm fishing 4 of the 8 days I'll be there. The other 4 days I'll be trekking the more remote interior and I'll fish every afternoon we camp on the beaches.
I can't imagine words are able to describe how a 50kg GT feels in a huge sweeping current. I'll look into getting a PE10 rated rod for the trip. My PE8 will serve as back up. Do you feel a 10000 Stella will hold enough 100lb jb solid to pull a fish free of the reef? My poppers are rigged with owner ST-76 5X hooks and I'll file off the barbs. I've considered rigging with singles to reduce risk of injury when handling. Suffering a wound in a remote area isn't a nice thought.
I'll going to be traveling light as possible considering the activities I be undertaking due to bringing a bag dedicated to bringing school supplies to the local teachers. I'm a high school biology and environmental science teacher. My students and I are going to raise funds and donate supplies for their Socotri counterparts. I want to bring as little, but as much as I need to accomplish both goals. Two rod tubes is all I'll be able to manage. My reels will be in a carry on!

[Sami Ghandour]

Hi Brandon,

The kids will appreciate if you can bring the colorful Crayon, they were running after us asking if we have any.
i will make sure to bring some with me on this coming trip but any small gesture toward the local kids will highly be appreciated from the local guys, you will be fascinated by the island.

[Luke Wyrsta]

Brandon,

If you want to make the most out of this opportunity rather than losing a whole heap of $$$ on bad-ass GTs - Sami and Barry have already outlined some requirements, but here it is.

X1 PE10 / 130lb Class Rod - 7ft+
X1 Stella 18000SW (Stella 10000 will not suffice).

The current can rage in this area, which means the fish is going to pull a lot of line in conjunction with guiding the fish across and out of the current, keeping the fish's head is pivotal to not meeting some of the famous rock and reef. There is a great chance, a trophy class GT will spool a Stella 10K (and a Stella 10K I would not use for anything greater than PE6-8, you will not get nearly enough capacity with PE10).

Leaders should be 300lb Bite Class with minimum of 250lb connected to the PE.
Owner/Decoy Split Ring #11
Owner ST76 Treble 4/0 / 5/0 minimum pending lure size.
Decoy Saltwater Treble 8/0 - 10/0 +