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Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Reports & Expeditions => Topic started by: Brandon Khoo on May 28, 2008, 08:48:54 AM
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Many of you would already be familiar with the results of Marion Reef 2008 because you were there! For the rest of you, well, I wasn't sure I could post this in a forum titled "GT Popping Reports & Expeditions" because we saw and caught so few GTs!
I think it would be fair to say that the fishing at Marion was pretty shut down for our week and for the week prior to ours (The Fishhead group). I'm not quite sure of why that was the case. The tides were excellent and the conditions were okay but there were simply no GTs around in the shallows.
In addition, the doggies were not willing to come out and play. Certainly, there were a few of them around and the guys encountered a number of these including the usual unstoppables you hook when jigging but noone managed to land a big doggie. A few of the guys did encounter some decent fish including on the surface but ended up only donating their stickbaits.
I decided early in the week to stop butting my head against the wall and simply focus on what was available so I spent a few days chasing big coral trout. I didn't manage to hook up on any real dinosaurs but I had by chances. I managed to entice two absolute monsters out after the stickbait but they failed to hook up. At the end of it, I had a rather enjoyable week having caught a heap of reefies on stickbaits. That said, I can't remember what catching a GT is like any more.
The guys very kindly donated a stack of lures to the fish at Marion. I think it would be hard to go past the number of lures donated by Chris Tan or Malcolm Crane although Rob Ciotucha tried hard! Chris found the doggies and sharks had a particular liking for the very blingy Sevenseas Hooker jigs, Malcolm donated a stack of beautiful little Japanese stickbaits, seabass lures and takiburas to the resident reefies and Rob, well, Rob donated just about everything ranging from Orion stickbaits to Sevenseas Hooker jigs to his entire collection of little stickbaits. I also have to admit that Rob kept Malcolm and myself very entertained every time he got smoked - which was often!
There were two decent GTs landed during the week. Both Josh Shardlow and John Campbell landed very nice fish. Josh's fish was over the 30kg mark and John's was a monster. I'm not going to hazard a guess at the weight but it was BIG. GTs were just so few and far between which was unbelievable as some of the spots we fished looked like they had to have GTs in the location.
Greg Burt landed the biggest fish of the week being an enormous cod of some kind. I would have picked it for a purple cod except for one small problem - it wasn't purple in colour! In any event, it was an absolute beast of a thing.
Boy, were there some sharks around! A considerable number of reefies and doggies got sharked which was very frustrating.
I caught one really weird-arse fish. I don't need to tell you which picture it is because you'll pick it. Anyone know what it is?
I also can't finish this report without a mention of the infamous Team Deviant. Cam Foley and Dan Baxter were the two members of Team Deviant. Methinks I should say no more although by the end of the week, we were starting to suspect that Josh who had kept very quiet may have been the captain of the team. They certainly excelled themselves on the last night at Hamilton island!
Anyway, notwithstanding the fishing being a bit slow, the boys all had a very enjoyable time.
Onto Bugatti 2009!
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The Catch of the Week
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That sucks about the bad fishing. But you did load up on a lot of nice reefies! Plus, that area is BEAUTIFUL! I wouldn't mind spending a couple day there just soaking up the crystal azure water.
I broke my foot 2 days ago, so keep posting pics to keep me entertained!
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Great report Brandon, Well done to all. I feel the pain of being in a prime GT area and getting nothing but sore casting arms!
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oohh man look at that water....Some great photos!!
Fantastic colours in the yellowfin and reefies..!!
Great report Brandon. 8)
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Hi Brandon,
A thoroughly enjoyable CR, as always.
I think that your 'mystery' fish is a blue-eye trevalla. Its surprising that you got one, unless you were jigging in 200m+, as its usually a very deepwater species. Very good eating too, but I guess you guys were spoilt, with the amount of trout on tap anyway.
I now understand why it must have absolutely stumped you why there weren't more GTs landed, after seeing pictures of the ground where you guys were casting to. Absolutely stunning.
Thanks for sharing,
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Naughty Naughty Brandon....
I see you are using the Blackjack Cuberas aboard Nomad... :D :D
Pete
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Kasey, it isn't a blueeye. I'm quite familiar with those. It's some kind of reefie but no idea what it is.
Yes, doesn't the location look amazing? I still can't understand how there weren't GTs in those locations.
Peter - I take great delight in using non-Nomad Cuberas be they Blackjacks or the SE Asian models. :D
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Looks to me like you guys had a great trip, congrats to all you lucky bas%^&@#. Some awesome looking trout & other ooglies, good company & spectacular suroundings, What more could you want?.
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I only want to catch big GTs! Now I've gotten started, less wind, less swell, lobster, ...... and Damon did promise me last year he would find a hostess that looks like Lara Bingle.
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Nice report Brandon,
Looks like the fish in catch of the week may have mistaken the wahoo stickbait for a potential mate rather than a meal!!
Particularly concerning is the absence of GT, I hope it is not an annual thing?? Were the bait schools present?
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Some reely nice pics there guys.
Shame about the GT fishing but i bet it was still better than going to work :)
Geez you love those blondes dont you Bernie :)
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Randy, I thought I was going to be one up on you when I hooked a GT over 10kg, but sadly pulled the hooks after getting it out of the coral, still a GT virgin but smiling.
A few GT's under 10kg were caught but we were told that they are only a 'T'.
A radio add [car Insurance I think] up here on the Sunny Coast finishes with " have you had a Bingle lately"
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Andy, we saw no bait on the surface whatsoever but boy, it was thick on the sounder. The GTs may have been hanging deep with the bait.
I'm quite partial to a bingle :D
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Hi Brandon,
Shame about the GT's being away but congrats on focusing on what was around.
Those photos are great, the casting shots especially are awesome.
Yes only a mother could love something with a face like that.... the fish that is, not miss Bingle ;)
Cheers Dave
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Hi Brandon,
Another great report, sorry to hear the GT's didnt play the game.
Still a week at Marion sure bets a week at work!
Cheers Phil
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thanks for posting up the trip report & pics Brandon. GT's aside, there certainly was some ripper fish taken eh? And how much fun, mirth and merriment was provided by Team Deviant in the upstairs 'smokers lounge' after hours.... ;D. Speaking of smokes, i wonder how many packs i'll lose on my next fishing adventure...??? :o ::) :'( :D.
Was a memorable trip for me regardless of lack of GT's. Had a great time, ate some awesome tucker, drank more than i'd planned to ::), and let my hair down for a week, with some great guys, with an incredibly dedicated crew(top marks for all involved on Nomad/Odyssey), and caught a few memorable fish- what more could a bloke ask for.
(n.b. surprised to see a few of ya's mentioning you woulda preferred Bingle- I thought Tara was a bottler- heart of gold that girl. That combined with the constant threat of my partner in crime Cams' constant threat of "getting naked" would've kept ya minds from wandering..... Ahhhhh that sand cay on the southern end of the system will just never be the same.....)
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I'm pleased you had a great time, Dan and don't get me wrong, Tara is a great kid. I'm just quite partial to Ms. Bingle and Damon did promise me.......
thanks for posting up the trip report & pics Brandon. GT's aside, there certainly was some ripper fish taken eh? And how much fun, mirth and merriment was provided by Team Deviant in the upstairs 'smokers lounge' after hours.... ;D. Speaking of smokes, i wonder how many packs i'll lose on my next fishing adventure...??? :o ::) :'( :D.
Was a memorable trip for me regardless of lack of GT's. Had a great time, ate some awesome tucker, drank more than i'd planned to ::), and let my hair down for a week, with some great guys, with an incredibly dedicated crew(top marks for all involved on Nomad/Odyssey), and caught a few memorable fish- what more could a bloke ask for.
(n.b. surprised to see a few of ya's mentioning you woulda preferred Bingle- I thought Tara was a bottler- heart of gold that girl. That combined with the constant threat of my partner in crime Cams' constant threat of "getting naked" would've kept ya minds from wandering..... Ahhhhh that sand cay on the southern end of the system will just never be the same.....)
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Team Pics:
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Here is, I beleive, Brandons mystery fish, Black and White Sea Perch ;D
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/28_8981_ENA_HTML.htm
'Bohemith' the cod is a Estuary or Greasy Rockcod ;D
And Lara is still Lara ::)
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Great effort tracking down the fish, Bun. I see it is a lutjanid as well. I've been amazed by how big this family of fish actually are.
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I miss those special times with Dirty Dan and Cam.
That day fishing with Liam and you two guys was the best/worst day's fishing I've ever had.
mark my words - Team Deviant will reunite one day to perpetrate heinous acts of debauchery on the local fish populations of some unsuspecting tropical reef.
Cam, if you're out there, I kept the flower you left on my bag. Very special.
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I miss those special times with Dirty Dan and Cam.
That day fishing with Liam and you two guys was the best/worst day's fishing I've ever had.
mark my words - Team Deviant will reunite one day to perpetrate heinous acts of debauchery on the local fish populations of some unsuspecting tropical reef.
Cam, if you're out there, I kept the flower you left on my bag. Very special.
Dirty Dan.... i kinda resemble that comment... ;D
Good to hear from u Josh- was starting to worry about ya sweetheart..
Tell me, did you ever recover from 'that' hangover??? ;D
And drinking quality shiraz, and smoking expensive cigars will just never be the same without you.. ;)
And yes, yes we reunite 'one day'- i'm still holding you to that offer of showing me around your home turf one day. ;)
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'O boy', Team Deviant, $80 cigars and all in Sydney Town, I would love to see that!!
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That Contender boat sure is a LONG LONG way from where they are usually seen! A lot of nice pic's there :)
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the Contender has me a bit scared these days. I'm not going back out in it without my roller-blading kneepads.
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'Sook' ;), wise man fishers down the back, less rock and roll ;D
I'm sure Damon will have something in place for you next trip. :)
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What rod is he using in that last pic?
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IIRC its a Saltiga Hiramasa Brandon might be able to remember?
Cheers
ROb
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These Pics may help you Rob.
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Great photos Greg.
You can see those loops off the spool heading for that first guide!!
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Hiramasa 63-S I think, Rob.
IIRC its a Saltiga Hiramasa Brandon might be able to remember?
Cheers
ROb
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Not wrong Ken, we were lucky to get a CD of everyones photos from the trip, those are from Damon's camera which takes some awsome pics ;D with Damon's help of coarse ::)
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What a top trip plenty of boy love and all round good fun, had a ball and will do it again in the future, many thanks to Brandon and Greg for setting up the trip for me.
Took me this long to be able to post something as i had a long way to come down.