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Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Reports & Expeditions => Topic started by: Andrew Cox on July 07, 2011, 10:02:35 PM
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With the crazy amount of GTs here in lower Qld back in May I thought it was time to go and see what all the fuss was about, I have done a lot of jigging and LBG fishing but never targeted GTs.
With a couple of days of good weather in the picture the plan has hatched.
Stu was first up with a nice one to get the ball rolling.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3104.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3106.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3120.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3121.jpg)
Things slowed down with only a couple more follows over the next few hours, and then they come back on the bite.
Stu with the second GT for the trip.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3167.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3171.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3176.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3183.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3186.jpg)
After a couple more drifts Stu was soon into another solid fish, a short painful battle and this beast come to the boat.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3193.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3194.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3205.jpg)
The next day the weather was unbelievable.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3246.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3249.jpg)
After checking out some other spots with things a little quiet we were hoping to get another good bite like the following day, we persisted when they finally come on the bite.
After a painful little battle my first GT was boated.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_32651.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3272.jpg)
Only a few more cast after that and number two was in the boat, a lot smaller but still fought hard.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3282.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3285.jpg)
It was only another dozen or so casts and I was hooked into another fish, by the time we got this one in the boat I was starting to think this popping is hard work.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3300.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/_MG_3301.jpg)
After a couple of days on the water we had landed three GTs each and lost a few more to the reefs below, cant wait to get back out there !
Tackle used was Jigging Master Monster 7'8 popper rods with 10,000 and 18,000 size stella's, a mixture of poppers and stick baits were used but when they were on the bite you could have chucked anything at them.
Cheers Coxy
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Great fishin Coxy, some really nice fish. Any pics of the JM rods loaded up? Also where, general is fine, in Qld are you fishing?
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Love your work. If you ever want to take out a rookie and teach him a few tricks let me know. Beer lunch and fuel are on me!
:)
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geez mate they are great, awesome post aswell
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Nice photos and write up
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Well done mate. Top stuff and great pics :)
Good to see the Heru skipjack do its work. Did you also use Heru poppers or stickbaits at all?
Cheers
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Nice work Andrew, you might convert you to the dark side of horizontal jigging yet hey!
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Great work, good to see GTs from accessible spots rather than places I can never afford. The water looks pretty dirty. Up here, cq, it gets real dirty after a blow due to all the sediment from the floods resuspending....our GTs don't seem to mind either.
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hi andrew, great pictures and some monster of a catch there you've got! great job!! how did the JM popping rod work during this trip? i've been planning (and saving) to get meself one.. do share with us your opinions about the rod ya? cheers mate
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Great fishin Coxy, some really nice fish. Any pics of the JM rods loaded up? Also where, general is fine, in Qld are you fishing?
Travis, just about to load up some photos of the JM rod loaded up and some video footage of a nice local 35kg GT taken on it ;)
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Love your work. If you ever want to take out a rookie and teach him a few tricks let me know. Beer lunch and fuel are on me!
:)
Im only a rookie myself, that was my first time chasing them, beer, lunch and fuel that sounds rather tempting though ! lets just say the old GTs a lot easier to find than fish to jig.
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Well done mate. Top stuff and great pics :)
Good to see the Heru skipjack do its work. Did you also use Heru poppers or stickbaits at all?
Cheers
George, we did try some nomad poppers and stickbaits which are the same things but no luck, they really went mad over the skipjacks for a couple of hours there, I wish we had another 10 skipjacks with us ;)
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hi andrew, great pictures and some monster of a catch there you've got! great job!! how did the JM popping rod work during this trip? i've been planning (and saving) to get meself one.. do share with us your opinions about the rod ya? cheers mate
For the AU retail of $649 the JM popper rods would be hard to beat in that price range, they have caught many local GTs here this season but will catch many more next, the guys who own them some are very experienced popper fisherman and only have good things to say about them. I have used the whole range of JM casting rods as I do a lot of LBG fishing when the weather allows, they are amazing rods for the price.
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A few photos courtesy of Tim Jeff's who tried a JM 7'8 for the first time early this year in Fiji ( As for the GT Monster- awesome! It held up on fish to 23kg easy and still had plenty, plus was a dream to cast and use )
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/GTMonsterFiji01.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/GTMonsterFiji02.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/GTMonsterFiji03.jpg)
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii111/Coxy10_2007/GTMonsterFiji04.jpg)
Below is a video link of a 35kg GT taking on the JM 7'8 popper rod as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SglExlshBUY&feature=player_embedded#at=83 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SglExlshBUY&feature=player_embedded#at=83)
Cheers Coxy
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Hey thanks for that Vid Coxy as I have that exact same rod and was wondering if it was too light for the chesterfield next year. Seems like it will be fine 8)
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Hey thanks for that Vid Coxy as I have that exact same rod and was wondering if it was too light for the chesterfield next year. Seems like it will be fine 8)
What trip are you on Graham I am on the first ?
You will not have any problems with the rod, we have used them with 10,000 and 18,000 stellas with 100 and 120lb locked up to the max, if you can hang onto the rod under that much pressure you will not have a problem, we all no JM make some of the best blanks in the world.
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Trip 3 for me coxy so you can leave a few for me and all your poppers on board eah. Theres a good chap 8)
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Sick report mate,hows that strike in that Video,wow..... :o
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That strike in the vid is off the charts, insane!
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Onya Coxy....Good to see you chasing the real fish. :P ;D
You doing any LBG stuff later this year..?
Pete
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Im only a rookie myself, that was my first time chasing them, beer, lunch and fuel that sounds rather tempting though ! lets just say the old GTs a lot easier to find than fish to jig.
Neither are easy when you are land locked like me! ;D
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Onya Coxy....Good to see you chasing the real fish. :P ;D
You doing any LBG stuff later this year..?
Pete
;D real men fish with metal, just wanted to show you boys even jig fishermen can knock over GTs easy enough ;) they even took some of my poppers ;D
Mate I am pumped for this seasons LBG its been rather poor the last couple of years, if the weathers good I will be there every week for 3 days so can pick you up on the way.
I replied to one of your posts on my jigging reports but you might not of seen it, I have some newly designed 85gram metals for them they will be deadly.
Will start heading north middle of next month so will be in touch if you are keen for a recon.
Cheers Coxy
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hi andrew, great pictures and some monster of a catch there you've got! great job!! how did the JM popping rod work during this trip? i've been planning (and saving) to get meself one.. do share with us your opinions about the rod ya? cheers mate
For the AU retail of $649 the JM popper rods would be hard to beat in that price range, they have caught many local GTs here this season but will catch many more next, the guys who own them some are very experienced popper fisherman and only have good things to say about them. I have used the whole range of JM casting rods as I do a lot of LBG fishing when the weather allows, they are amazing rods for the price.
Hi Andrew, many thanks for your reply. I, too, agree that JM produces one of the best blanks in the market and quite reasonably priced too! And thank you for your recommendations, i'll be getting the GT Monster, model GT 80 rod. Over in Singapore, the RRP is SGD$772.00 (approx AUD$589.00) .. am pretty sure i would be able to get some discounts too!.. will be testing the rod on a 'virgin' trip to one of the nearby Indonesian island in August then followed by Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Can't wait mate!
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Onya Coxy....Good to see you chasing the real fish. :P ;D
You doing any LBG stuff later this year..?
Pete
;D real men fish with metal, just wanted to show you boys even jig fishermen can knock over GTs easy enough ;) they even took some of my poppers ;D
Mate I am pumped for this seasons LBG its been rather poor the last couple of years, if the weathers good I will be there every week for 3 days so can pick you up on the way.
I replied to one of your posts on my jigging reports but you might not of seen it, I have some newly designed 85gram metals for them they will be deadly.
Will start heading north middle of next month so will be in touch if you are keen for a recon.
Cheers Coxy
I didnt see it sorry mate,
85gram'ers sound the goods......I will give you a ring later.
Pete