Dream fishing destinations - where's yours?

[Brandon Khoo]

I'm sure we all have dream fishing destinations. For those of us who have arranged to go to Marion reef next year, I hope that is a dream destination which you guys have.

For me, I've been lucky enough to get to most of the GT destinations I've wanted to fish although I'd be keen to try Tokara and possibly Cosmoledo one day. I'd also like to catch sturgeon, halibut (I know - it's just a big flounder!) and roosterfish. For me, the trip isn't just about fishing (although it is the most important part) - I love visiting other countries for their food and cultures.

For jigging, well, my favourite jigging target by far are dogtooth tuna. I like catching seriolas a lot as well but for me, the dogtooth is the biggest challenge due to their speed, power and the sheer size they grow to. On the jig, the dogtooth tuna is one of the hardest fighting fish I know. The Coral Sea is hard to beat as a location for big doggies

What about you guys? Let us know what your dream destinations are. Realistically, if there is enough interest, it may be possible for Luke and/or me to organise a trip. I'm a pretty keen fisho who will go anywhere the fish are (within reason - I ain't going anywhere where there is a good likelihood I will be blown up!)

I'm very interested to see how Luke's visit to Kiribati goes. if the GTs are big and hungry there, that has just got to be on the cards in future!

[Luke Wyrsta]

Besides from the Coral Sea and New Caledonia which is pratically on our doorstep (they will always be my favourite), there are countless islands in the Indian and Pacific Ocean which would probably never have seen a popper or jig. I was looking at a map the other day and i simply had no idea how may islands/atolls/reefs there are.

One destination that i am itching to get to is Midway if they ever open it to fishing again.

[Brandon Khoo]

Luke - I already checked that one quite some time ago. In a nutshell, can't figure this one out. It ain't far short of Diego Garcia in terms of inaccessibility although this one is at least possible. There have got to be areas which are more easily accesisble for us which are just as unfished

[Laurie Banks]

Hello all
I am going to marion mid year and am hoping for doggies or wahoo on a surface
lure(to add to my collection).
What  other than doggies can I expect in the way of species when jigging.
Laurie.

[Brandon Khoo]

Hi Laurie - welcome to GTpopping!

You will almost certainly encounter some wahoo out at Marion on surface lures like poppers. For doggies, I'd recommend you troll deep diving lures like the Rapala X-Rap 30 or other like deep diving minnows. You'll also get doggies on the shallow minnows too but generally, more on the deep divers. If you're referring to poppers, doggies are a more unlikely target on poppers. that's not to say you won't get them though. I've been trying for a while!

Jigging out there - the primary jigging target is doggies but you can catch all sorts of fish. You'll likely see some very large reef fish like coral trout, you'll get the odd pelagic like wahoo (pray you don't - they'll cost you a LOT of jigs if they are around) or yellowfin, you may see the odd amberjack, etc. GTs will also take jigs etc. I hope the doggies are on while you are out there - I regard them as the ultimate fish for jigging.

Have you had much experience jigging or popping?

[Laurie Banks]

Brandon.
I have done a little of both-
I have jigged samsons in perth,kings and AJs here on the east coast, have also popped GTs, bluefin trevally and other reef fish in the Solomons and Vanuatu, plus kings off the rocks on the NSW central coast.
Laurie.

[Brandon Khoo]

that's wonderful, Laurie - you read like a very seasoned angler You should have an absolute ball out at Marion. Hope the weather is good for you and that you catch yourself a huge doggie. They're certainly out there!

[Laurie Banks]

Brandon.
Like most of the guys here ,I have a few goals, and mine are to expand on my species on both jig and surface lure.
Hopefully marion will see to that.
Laurie

[Luke Wyrsta]

Welcome to the forum Laurie.

Good luck at Marion...most chances are that any Nomad trips you go on will have Brandon

Next step for Brandon is working out how to make his family live on that boat permanently

[Brandon Khoo]

oh, give me a break, Luke!!  Actually, I wish that was the case.
No Marion trip this year - that's for next year with the boys. All my trips this year are GT focussed. I better get a good one after putting in so much effort for this year and I'm 2/zip at the moment!!

[Greg Burt]

Full points for trying, and its only April.

[Brandon Khoo]

Fraser was okay but Vanuatu was a disaster so I hope the law of averages works for me. It was my own fault I lost the only really decent fish I hooked at Fraser but I didn't even see a decent GT in Vanuatu because of that damn cyclone.

I only have four trips left this year - maybe I need to plan another one to be sure.......   
 

[Greg Burt]

For the last 15 years my dream trip was to Cabo San Lucas, Baja, mexico.
Marlin, Sailfish, Y/F tuna, Broardbill and Roosterfish, let me at I'm.
 The early dream was for me to go down there for a week while we had a couple of weeks at Disneyland, that was ment to happen 5-6 years ago, that dreams gone.
 Over the last 6 years The Rolex Team World Billfish Champs are held there and you only get an invite by winning certain sanctioned Aussie comps, I won some comps in 03 and 04 but were the wrong ones, that dreams gone.
 Ive changed my priorities in fishing in the last 3 years and Billfishing has taken a back seat to Jigging, targeting quality reefies and spinning SP's and hardbody plastics [some poppers]. So when Marion Reef came up there was a new dream, but only for another year because I'M GOING.
 

[Luke Wyrsta]

Fraser was okay but Vanuatu was a disaster so I hope the law of averages works for me. It was my own fault I lost the only really decent fish I hooked at Fraser but I didn't even see a decent GT in Vanuatu because of that damn cyclone.

I only have four trips left this year - maybe I need to plan another one to be sure.......   
 

That's some really bad luck mate.

Who cares....you have a Shoalwater trip coming up and that should be awesome. I wish you all the best to getting a 50kg+ GT there. How awesome would that be...50kg GT in green water.

If i get my act together i will turn you a few special GTPopping.com stickbaits and bloopers...

[Brandon Khoo]

I was only kidding,  Luke. The one certainty in fishing is that you very rarely get perfect weather for a trip but it is quite extraordinary bad luck to hit a cyclone AND undersea earthquakes at the same time!    What can you say!!

With a bit of luck, we will have decent conditions at Shoalwater. We have a week so hopefully will get some good days. The guys saw a lot of very big GTs last year but found trying to land them a completely diferent story. Apparently, it's very shallow and it is easy to get reefed by the big fish. A well-known fishing identity who will remain unnamed lost 20 poppers! If it is really good there, we should think about organising a group for this location next year! Bugatti is GT focussed but I think this is their only pure GT trip on the calendar for next year.