Newby - Popping tackle advice sought

[Colin P]

Hi Brandon,

Glad to hear from someone else who has busted off by locking up on a big GT!

I did that exact thing on my first ever popping trip to The Musandam using 100lb braid on one of Oceanactive's Smiths Popping Specials. Problem was two of us hit into good fish at the same time. My mate got his in (30kg) as the boat moved to deeper water but mine just kept running towards the reef and I kept tightening the drag while gradually lowering the rod until an almighty snap heralded the end of the fight. At that stage I had never hooked a big GT and I was mortified. I now rather doubt that the outcome would be any different if the same circumstances happened again. Sometimes the fish are meant to win and that's no bad thing in my book.

As you know, I really like using my Popping Special but I do realise that I will need something more powerful if I ever want to work big poppers (200g up). Because I have faith in Smiths products I am thinking Komodo Dragon but I would be interested in your thoughts especially if you feel there is something better out there.

Just for fun I am attaching a couple of sturgeon pics - one of me and the guide holding a 75kg fish, the other of the moment my wife's 100kg fish first jumped clear of the water (I shot the latter slightly early and before the full length of the fish was revealed but you get the idea).

[Jon Li]

Hi Colin ,

I did not know sturgeon wud jump , before this I thought they are more like Mekong Catfish , just massive weight with tail . Beautifull photo too , thanks .

Jon .

[Pat Victorino]

Hi Brandon,

Glad to hear from someone else who has busted off by locking up on a big GT!

I did that exact thing on my first ever popping trip to The Musandam using 100lb braid on one of Oceanactive's Smiths Popping Specials. Problem was two of us hit into good fish at the same time. My mate got his in (30kg) as the boat moved to deeper water but mine just kept running towards the reef and I kept tightening the drag while gradually lowering the rod until an almighty snap heralded the end of the fight. At that stage I had never hooked a big GT and I was mortified. I now rather doubt that the outcome would be any different if the same circumstances happened again. Sometimes the fish are meant to win and that's no bad thing in my book.

As you know, I really like using my Popping Special but I do realise that I will need something more powerful if I ever want to work big poppers (200g up). Because I have faith in Smiths products I am thinking Komodo Dragon but I would be interested in your thoughts especially if you feel there is something better out there.

Just for fun I am attaching a couple of sturgeon pics - one of me and the guide holding a 75kg fish, the other of the moment my wife's 100kg fish first jumped clear of the water (I shot the latter slightly early and before the full length of the fish was revealed but you get the idea).

   Hi Colin,
               Like Brandon said earlier stopping a big GT is simply pretty close to impossible.A fish in excess of 40kg will go where he pleases.In many cases of trophy catches the fish makes a mistake and a good captain guides the fight in deeper water to equal the playing field.
If you're thinking of working chuggers 200grams and above i second Brandon's recommendations with the Sp-78UHL or the Komodo Dragon

[Colin P]

Hi Jon,

Oh do they jump! My wife hooked and landed a 200kg sturgeon that jumped completely and vertically clear of the water seven times during a fight lasting 1hr 30 mins.

We use barbless hooks because we always release these fish but they rarely throw the hook because of the protruding trunk-like nature of their mouths.

I better shut up on this subject. After all, this is a GT forum!!

Cheers
Colin

[Colin P]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your thoughts. Being a Smiths fan I may well go for the KD.

Cheers

Colin

[David Sharples]

Hi Pat,

Thanks for your thoughts. Being a Smiths fan I may well go for the KD.

Cheers

Colin

You don't need any more rods! Especially ones I have already! Jealous of your KGS70.. Might be selling my Caranx Kaibutsu to get a Wild Violence instead.

[Brandon Khoo]

you can never have too many popping rods   

[Colin P]

Dave you should know by now that part of my raison d'etre is to make you jealous!

[Matt Harvey]

Hi Guy's,

Just wanted to say thanks very much for all your help over the last few weeks/months in preparation for my trip to The Andaman Islands including the tackle dealers whose brains I picked.
Unfortunately I couldn't raise the cash for the reel and rod combo and bits and pieces I wanted.

However I have found a UK based company that is a Bluewater specialist online/mail order outfit called RokMax  www.rokmax.comhttp://www.rokmax.com/product.php?prodid=118&name=Quantum+%E2%80%98Cabo+PTs%E2%80%99+Saltwater+Spinning+Reel and I'm thinking of teaming that up with a Star Rods Plasma Offshore http://www.rokmax.com/product.php?prodid=350&name=Star+Rods+Plasma+Offshore+Spinning+Rods

The question I now have is:

The rod I have in mind The heavy Plasma is a fast action rod so the top 15inches or so is soft and then it locks up.
The alternative is the Star Handcrafted rods which have a Parabolic curve or through action but are a bit stiffer overall.  http://www.rokmax.com/product.php?prodid=337&name=Star+Rods+Handcrafted+Stand-Up+Spinning+Rods

In both rod makes I would be going for the heaviest stick.

What is the best option for casting and making sure I can extract the fish away from danger quickly?

Cheers

Matt

[Brandon Khoo]

Matt - you're asking about equipment which I doubt any of us here would have any experience in when it comes to heavy popping. While the price of heavy popping equipment is generally outrageous, it is priced that way for a reason and that is because it is cutting edge stuff made using the highest quality components. It has also been extensively tested.

All I can say to you is that if you intend loading up heavy braid onto that spinning reel and you hook onto even a decent GT, I have no idea if its drag system will manage. Also, the rods you're looking at look like they max out at 30lb. PE3 is light tackle for where you're going.

[Matt Harvey]

Cheers Brandon,

Getting the gear tmrw.  Is there anything I should test out when I get the rod?   I'm not worried about the reel as it gets good reviews (even gets compared to the stella although will take that with a pinch of salt).  http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0023587317091a.shtml
I wanted the larger reel(PT80) but they didn't have that in stock so I have gone for the PT60 which holds 240yds of 65lb tuf line and has a ceramic drag system so hope this will do the job..
If something takes more than that then its probably got me round a reef anyway I suppose

The rod does concern me as this is all pretty new for me and it is rated for 30lb (mono) but will know more when I get it in my hands tmrw - however I do have another option of grabbing a Grey's Popping rod (which has two top sections and a lifetime guarantee) in the next 2 days and sending the other rod back so if you have any more input on the matter please send it quickly !

Off on Monday and getting pretty hyped ;o)

Cheers

Matt

[David Sharples]

Hey Matt

The Greys Popping rod is no good for popping. Its very heavy and I'm not confident of the three piece construction holding up. I own one and only use it for Nile Perch and catfish. I guess you could manage for one trip but I guarantee after you try a proper popping rod you will want to change.

As an aside I was fishing with some guys in the Sychelles who used $200 Fin Nor spinning reels. The anti reverse broke on one of these just from the popping action and the line lay on the other reel caused several snap offs.

You can get a used Stella FA for $500 and a decent popping rod for $400...I guess this is now for future reference!

Seriously I hope it all goes well. Let us have a report when you get back!

David

[Brandon Khoo]

Matt, I have no idea on what drag that reel is capable of. To fish for GTs, you need it to at least be able to manage 10kg at an absolute minimum. There are very few spinning reels that can handle GT popping and all of them that I know of are priced horrendously. You potential problem is not with the line capacity - it is with the drag capacity. The amount of line the reel can hold is plenty for most normal fish.

I know nothing about the Grey's popping rod but it reads like David does.

Cheers Brandon,

Getting the gear tmrw.  Is there anything I should test out when I get the rod?   I'm not worried about the reel as it gets good reviews (even gets compared to the stella although will take that with a pinch of salt).  http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0023587317091a.shtml
I wanted the larger reel(PT80) but they didn't have that in stock so I have gone for the PT60 which holds 240yds of 65lb tuf line and has a ceramic drag system so hope this will do the job..
If something takes more than that then its probably got me round a reef anyway I suppose

The rod does concern me as this is all pretty new for me and it is rated for 30lb (mono) but will know more when I get it in my hands tmrw - however I do have another option of grabbing a Grey's Popping rod (which has two top sections and a lifetime guarantee) in the next 2 days and sending the other rod back so if you have any more input on the matter please send it quickly !

Off on Monday and getting pretty hyped ;o)

Cheers

Matt

[Matt Harvey]

Thanks again fellas - sorry for all the questions - I'm sure after my trip I'll have a lot of answers!!

The reel gets some very good press but it is a US product so not surprised you guys don't know of it - I'll give you a review once I've given it a going over but I took delivery of the rod and reel and bits and pieces today and am pretty happy with it all as a purchase that I would keep no matter what.

If it can handle what the Andaman Islands can throw at it is to be seen but I'm sure I will have fun finding out 

I'm going to test the capabilities of rod and reel tonight at home.
I have a set of scales that go up to 20kg so will hook it up to that and see what the reel can achieve.

I had a feel of the Greys Popper yesterday in a specialist fly tackle shop in Central London and I must admit it didn't feel too bad but the rod I got (Star Rods Plamsa - offshore spin) is one piece so will stick with that.

Was gonna go and throw some poppers around a London park at lunchtime but thought I might get too many funny looks   

[Kevin Li]

Funny looks, I used to practice in London parks sending baseball with a surfcasting rod. These were the days.

I know one tackle shop in central London, that's swiftys.

There's a rod I saw in tsf mag called the fladen maxximus solid carbon, 8ft  1pc, the ring looks like they are the mnsg. May be good for light popping.