Good summary Rob.
I was on the same trip... It was my first ever crack at popping for GT's and Jigging for Doggies...... I've done plenty of fishing (lure, fly, etc) but this was my first trip on the heavy weight casting/jigging gear. If only i knew before the trip what i had learned by the end of day 1 alone!
We were pretty gear heavy, I think we were a bit unsure as to what we wanted... so took extra
On our return trip we can easily consolidate and take a more specific offering... sell a few lures I didn't like.... and then likely add more new things to try no doubt.
The scenery is amazing out there, and John took us out to some really incredible grounds way off the beaten track. It was actually a slow bite on all species over the period we were there, though the local expertise salvaged the trip by getting us onto the right locations (at the right time/tide) even when the bites shut down. Plenty of good doggies to 80lb (and a few massive dustings!) along with medium size GT's (up to 60lb) and a smoking by a couple of Monsters on both PE8 and PE6... sometimes the luck goes the way of the fishes!
Love this new style of fishing, very much man vs fish stuff, and totally rewarding when it all comes together, and i really loved the physical aspect.. at the end of the day i felt not dissimilar to a big day on the dirt bikes... crashes included!
If it were more accessible to me, I think i could give up most other forms of fishing... well, ok lie... maybe reduce them a little
Couple of key take outs for me were the following:
- Having a good captain and local knowledge is amazing... John's knowledge was sensational and his personality definitely enhanced the experience!
- Being fit is a huge help, worth keeping in shape prior to a trip like this
- PE6 gear is awesome fun! The big lures and PE8 is cool... and being loaded up on PE8 is kind of the ultimate.... however having decent GTs stripping line on PE6 is hilarious!
- Jigging and popping sessions alternated break up the muscles groups used and get you through a 12hr day easier than popping or Jigging alone.. plus side is your whole body hurts equally after this!
- My motorcross/Enduro gloves were way more comfortable, cheaper and easier to obtain than the specialist fishing items.... IMHO
- Sebile stick shads (PE6) and Orion bigfoot/Nambas (PE8) were real stand outs on this trip for me. For a newbie like myself they were easy to cast, easy to work and took an absolute flogging by the GT's... sadly non of my Orions made it back... so i should buy more!
- Lure choice. Ok, so this is just my opinion (As a newbie). We caught them on everything, stick baits, poppers, surface, subsurface, PE6, PE8. The one thing that stood out head and shoulders for me across the board was this- Can you cast it well (relative to gear you are using)? and can you work the lure properly (relative to prevailing conditions)? If the answer was yes to these 2 questions, then fish on! When you get really flogged, it often paid to go to a lure that is easier to work (e.g not a 150g+ popper) to get back onto the fish for a 'break' from casting
Anyways, thats the outlook from a virgin GT fisho.. well and truly hooked, can't wait for my next dusting! Will add a couple of pics too.
Cheers,
Levi
