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Brandon Khoo

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Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 08:48:54 AM
Many of you would already be familiar with the results of Marion Reef 2008 because you were there! For the rest of you, well, I wasn't sure I could post this in a forum titled "GT Popping Reports & Expeditions" because we saw and caught so few GTs!

I think it would be fair to say that the fishing at Marion was pretty shut down for our week and for the week prior to ours (The Fishhead group). I'm not quite sure of why that was the case. The tides were excellent and the conditions were okay but there were simply no GTs around in the shallows.

In addition, the doggies were not willing to come out and play. Certainly, there were a few of them around and the guys encountered a number of these including the usual unstoppables you hook when jigging but noone managed to land a big doggie. A few of the guys did encounter some decent fish including on the surface but ended up only donating their stickbaits.

I decided early in the week to stop butting my head against the wall and simply focus on what was available so I spent a few days chasing big coral trout. I didn't manage to hook up on any real dinosaurs but I had by chances. I managed to entice two absolute monsters out after the stickbait but they failed to hook up. At the end of it, I had a rather enjoyable week having caught a heap of reefies on stickbaits. That said, I can't remember what catching a GT is like any more.

The guys very kindly donated a stack of lures to the fish at Marion. I think it would be hard to go past the number of lures donated by Chris Tan or Malcolm Crane although Rob Ciotucha tried hard! Chris found the doggies and sharks had a particular liking for the very blingy Sevenseas Hooker jigs, Malcolm donated a stack of beautiful little Japanese stickbaits, seabass lures and takiburas to the resident reefies and Rob, well, Rob donated just about everything ranging from Orion stickbaits to Sevenseas Hooker jigs to his entire collection of little stickbaits. I also have to admit that Rob kept Malcolm and myself very entertained every time he got smoked - which was often!

There were  two decent GTs landed during the week. Both Josh Shardlow and John Campbell landed very nice fish. Josh's fish was over the 30kg mark and John's was a monster. I'm not going to hazard a guess at the weight but it was BIG. GTs were just so few and far between which was unbelievable as some of the spots we fished looked like they had to have GTs in the location.

Greg Burt landed the biggest fish of the week being an enormous cod of some kind. I would have picked it for a purple cod except for one small problem - it wasn't purple in colour! In any event, it was an absolute beast of a thing.

Boy, were there some sharks around! A considerable number of reefies and doggies got sharked which was very frustrating.

I caught one really weird-arse fish. I don't need to tell you which picture it is because you'll pick it. Anyone know what it is?

I also can't finish this report without a mention of the infamous Team Deviant. Cam Foley and Dan Baxter were the two members of Team Deviant. Methinks I should say no more although by the end of the week, we were starting to suspect that Josh who had kept very quiet may have been the captain of the team. They certainly excelled themselves on the last night at Hamilton island!

Anyway, notwithstanding the fishing being a bit slow, the boys all had a very enjoyable time.

Onto Bugatti 2009!















If it swims; I want to catch it!

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 08:52:05 AM
















If it swims; I want to catch it!

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 08:55:32 AM





















Last Edit: May 28, 2008, 09:00:13 AM by Brandon Khoo
If it swims; I want to catch it!

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 08:58:38 AM









The Catch of the Week

If it swims; I want to catch it!

Santosh Shanmuga

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 09:06:44 AM
That sucks about the bad fishing. But you did load up on a lot of nice reefies! Plus, that area is BEAUTIFUL! I wouldn't mind spending a couple day there just soaking up the crystal azure water.

I broke my foot 2 days ago, so keep posting pics to keep me entertained!

Warwick Joyce

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 09:47:06 AM
Great report Brandon, Well done to all. I feel the pain of being in a prime GT area and getting nothing but sore casting arms!

Peter Morris

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 03:30:15 PM
oohh man look at that water....Some great photos!!

Fantastic colours in the yellowfin and reefies..!!

Great report Brandon. 8)

Kasey Leong

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 04:17:05 PM
Hi Brandon,
A thoroughly enjoyable CR, as always.

I think that your 'mystery' fish is a blue-eye trevalla. Its surprising that you got one, unless you were jigging in 200m+, as its usually a very deepwater species. Very good eating too, but I guess you guys were spoilt, with the amount of trout on tap anyway.

I now understand why it must have absolutely stumped you why there weren't more GTs landed, after seeing pictures of the ground where you guys were casting to. Absolutely stunning.

Thanks for sharing,
Watashi wa kawaii scon class hetadesu bakadesu JooNya Poop Poop

Peter Morris

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 05:15:16 PM
Naughty Naughty Brandon....

I see you are using the Blackjack Cuberas aboard Nomad... :D :D

Pete

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 05:34:02 PM
Kasey, it isn't a blueeye. I'm quite familiar with those. It's some kind of reefie but no idea what it is.

Yes, doesn't the location look amazing? I still can't understand how there weren't GTs in those locations.

Peter - I take great delight in using non-Nomad Cuberas be they Blackjacks or the SE Asian models.  :D
If it swims; I want to catch it!

Chris Young

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 06:33:31 PM
 Looks to me like you guys had a great trip, congrats to all you lucky bas%^&@#. Some awesome looking trout & other ooglies, good company & spectacular suroundings, What more could you want?. 

Brandon Khoo

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 06:48:12 PM
I only want to catch big GTs! Now I've gotten started, less wind, less swell, lobster, ...... and Damon did promise me last year he would find a hostess that looks like Lara Bingle.
If it swims; I want to catch it!

Andy Rowe

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 07:55:46 PM
Nice report Brandon,

Looks like the fish in catch of the week may have mistaken the wahoo stickbait for a potential mate rather than a meal!!

Particularly concerning is the absence of GT, I hope it is not an annual thing?? Were the bait schools present?
Set the ray to GeeT

lonhro

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 08:24:54 PM
Some reely nice pics there guys.

Shame about the GT fishing but i bet it was still better than going to work :)

Geez you love those blondes dont you Bernie :)

Greg Burt

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Re: Marion Reef 2008 - Trip Report
May 28, 2008, 09:39:11 PM
Randy, I thought I was going to be one up on you when I hooked a GT over 10kg, but sadly pulled the hooks after getting it out of the coral, still a GT virgin but smiling.
A few GT's under 10kg were caught but we were told that they are only a 'T'.

A radio add [car Insurance I think] up here on the Sunny Coast finishes with " have you had a Bingle lately"
Greg 'FFF' Burt