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Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Reports & Expeditions => Topic started by: Scott Maybury on February 18, 2009, 09:18:12 PM
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Hey guys,
I was lucky enough to fish Shoalwater Bay/Capricorn Islands area with Nomad last week. The trip was almost cancelled due to bad weather (as the week's before had been) but instead it was pushed back 2 days.
The fishing was slow for a lot of the week, partly due to bad weather and not being able to fish, or fish effectively, where we wanted, and partly due to the fact that the fish were there but not feeding aggressively.
In the 6 days we had 5 guys fishing for GT's pretty seriously (ie, most of the time) and we would have raised in excess of 60 fish. However, a lot of these were only follows with no strikes, or half hearted strikes more behind the popper than on it. We did end up landing 9 proper GT's with the best going 30kg or just over and the smallest probably around 17 or 18kgs.
I also landed a 7kg GT on a soft plastic and light tackle and some in the 2-3kg range on this gear. The 7kg fish in particular was a lot of fun.
I got one proper GT for the trip, my first, at aroudn 25kg. I was stoked, but disappointed I lost 3 other fish I came up tight on, at least 2 of which were substantially bigger than the one I landed. One of them snapped my 100lb braid virtually on impact. Tim (the head guide) called it for in excess of 40kg.
All in all it was an awesome week. Professional but relaxed guides, great all round service and great food. I will be back for one of their other trips either late this year or early next. I am tossing up between doggies at Diamond Islets or GTs at Bugatti...the budget may be the ultimate decider as I also am hoping to do a trip to Fiji in January!
Here are some pics of the GT's and a few other fish taken on light tackle.
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/John20kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/John30kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/JohnfightingGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/JohnfightingGT2.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/JohnGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Neale18kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/poppercalmconditions.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Popperworking.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Rob20kgGT-1.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Rob20kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/RobfightingGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Scott25kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Scott7kgGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/ScottBigQueenie.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/ScottminiGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/ScottGoldSpotTrevally.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/NealeRTE.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/Emmabigtrout.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/EmmaTuskfish.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/DukeIslandssunrise.jpg)
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Also I should say one of the coolest parts of the trip was that I went alone and got to fish with some really cool guys, including 2 other forum members Neale Bird (aka Birdy) who is clutching a GT in the 6th photo from the top, and John Campbell (aka...John) in the first 5
We all got proper GT's, John 3, Neale 2 me 1
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Here here for good company ;D
Sweet Scott, tanks for posting that up i've been having trouble posting it... could you possibly post my smaller GT too please?
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Awesome pics Scott, and great report.... obviously not perfct conditions, but you guys certainly made the most of it and looks like you ahd an awesome with some fantastic fish....
Love the 4th shot down... epic!!
Thanks for the great report!
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Hey Neale, I thought I had put all the proper GT's up but yeah I am missing one of yours and one of Robs I think, I will check the photos at home tonight and add those. Sorry bro!
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Awesome pics Scott, and great report.... obviously not perfct conditions, but you guys certainly made the most of it and looks like you ahd an awesome with some fantastic fish....
Love the 4th shot down... epic!!
Thanks for the great report!
Is that the ripple GT79 Reversal bent over?
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Hey Ewan,
The first 2 action shots (pics 3 and 4) are the Ripple Fisher 78 Power Fight, this is John's rod.
The other action shot, with the red rod, is also a Ripple Fisher. It was one of Nomads. They had 2 red rods and I think this is either a Power Fight or a Heavy.
Here is my 79 Reversal in action, albeit with more angle so not as impressive a bend! :) Some of these rods were bent like parabolic jig rods, I was very impressed
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/ScottFightingGT.jpg)
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Hi Scott,
Great report, lucky..... The boys this week have jagged some decent weather.
I recognise a fair bit of the background, did you stay around Island Head creek and the coast a bit north? Your second fourth fifth photos are about the best spot I have ever fished for anything (assuming I've picked the background). At the tightest part of the passage entrance there is a big gutter that drops from about 3m to 23m and then back to 3m in about 30m distance. We used to have the boat at about 2000rpm and drop big weighted baits to the bottom of the gutter. All sorts of crazy fish in there. Unfortunately my next best rockbar up there is now green, never mind still plenty to do. Looks like the other end of the same passage in some of the other photos?
I can't wait to get back up there!!
cheers,
graham
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Hey Graham, yeah the weather was just improving as we left, the second last day was fantastic weather and fishing wise...we started off at the Duke Islands but headed south on Day 3 to a better anchorage for the bad weather that was to come, which was in Island Head Creek
Yeah that spot you are talking about where some of those pictures was accounted for a good deal of our success, even though most of the time it didn't particularly look much (in terms of current, bait etc)
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Some top shots there.
Looks like a sensational place to fish.
Well done.
Pete
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Atleast the weather was better for your group.
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Yeah Brock it was fishable most of the time, though not pleasant. I hear the guys who start fishing up there, i think today? have got some nice weather coming.
Here are 2 more GT's I seem to have missed the first time around...sorry Neale!
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/NealesmallerGT.jpg)
(http://i361.photobucket.com/albums/oo56/maybs79/Shoalwater%202009/RobGT3.jpg)
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All good thaks Scotty ;D
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Good report, and good results considering the conditions. A couple of good sized arm stretching fish there too.
But hang on a second....was this a red heads convention???? :o ;)
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Yeah a few rangas Andy, I was a bit concerned at first, but they turned out to be the ok type....you know how all red heads are either totally mental or pretty cool?
I didn't get my target fish of 30kg+ but I was happy with raising 13 fish in trying conditions...bit of experience will make all the difference next time!
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Haha, some of my best friends are rangas ;D
How did you find the 79 reversal, did you find it much different to the PF or H versions nomad had on board.
Cheers
Andy
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HAHA hey only the facial hair is red!! :D ;D
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Great report - nice pictures, thanks for sharing.
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harrdy harr go the red beards !!!!
hey scott and neale just got home today man i didnt want to leave that place
just wanted to say thanks for the great company during the week you guys are champions
also wanted to mention that we were lucky enough to fish with one of the best barra fishermen
in the world last week too ;) ;) cheers guy
great report scotty although i thought you might have mentioned some of the funnier things
that happened on the trip like neale going for an un intentional swim one afternoon or when
your line snapped under scary pressure on a fish and you flew 2 meters in the air and landed
on the esky !!!! ;D ;D i guess that was only funny cause it wasnt me :D
no seriously guys i enjoyed your company and hope that we could all have a fish together again
sometime in the future
ps. the fishing didnt really heat up after you guys left the boys raised some good fish but
they still only played with the poppers rather than getting angry with them that said i
did manage to get another gt around 30kg before flying out
cheers
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Hey Scott, great report and pics thanks.
Love the shot of the 78PF bent although it's caused me to take the day off and go fishing.
You have a shimano GT special dont you? Did you give it a workout? How was it?
Did you fish with stickbaits at all or were the conditions not suitable?
Cheers mate.
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Hey Andy, I really liked the 79R, I found it nice to cast with and easy to work all day...it definately finds its limits on the poppers over about 160 though and it doesnt really work them well at all. The PF was a bit heavier and cast beautifully, but I think you would notice the difference casting it all day...it blooped the poppers a bit more easily
I didn't use the H but it did look a heavier stick again
Hey Darren, I didn't take my GT Special but Nomad had a number on board and I used one a few times when my rod was being re-rigged...It is obviously a strong rod and I am sure it will catch fish...that being said having used the Ripple Fishers and also the Komodo Dragon I took with me I am not sure I can go back to the GT Special and will probably look to move it on to someone who will use it...it didn't cast anywhere near as nice as the Reversal and I dont think it would make much of a stickbait rod
We didn't use stickbaits a lot but at one stage when we though the fish were holding a bit deeper I put on a Dogtooth 150 and that is what I got my 25kg GT on...the reversal worked that lure quite well....Neale also tried a squid pen at one stage which looked seeeexxxxy but went back to a popper I think after a few hours
Hey John good to hear you got another one...sorry I didn't put in more non-fishing detail I was a bit pressed for time but really just wanted to get something up....if you are interested in a more full report you can check one out at
www.sydneyangler.com.au (http://www.sydneyangler.com.au) which is a Sydney forum I am a member of, but I think you will have to join up
Hey John thanks for not mentioning that after I flew through the air and hit the esky (my right shoulder is still sore) I threw my rod into the corner of the boat and yelled obscenities at it....the Reversal and I have made up now however and it is talking to me again
As for Neale how scared was that Queenie? What I should have put in the post and didn't is that we were cruising over to a Queenie we had released which was floating, to try and swim it for a bit, when Neale climbed out onto the swimboard without Glan knowing....Glan was gonna miss the spot so he gunned the engine....in when Neale, rod and all! He had the presence of mind to hand me his rod, then we all pissed ourselves laughing.....oh, and the Queenie got such a fright that Neale was coming for a swim with it that it swum off no worries :D