GTPopping.com - Giant Trevally, GTPopping, Topwater & GT Fly-Fishing Resource
General => General Topwater & Jigging Discussion => Topic started by: Brandon Khoo on April 06, 2007, 10:44:33 PM
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I'm sure we all have dream fishing destinations. For those of us who have arranged to go to Marion reef next year, I hope that is a dream destination which you guys have.
For me, I've been lucky enough to get to most of the GT destinations I've wanted to fish although I'd be keen to try Tokara and possibly Cosmoledo one day. I'd also like to catch sturgeon, halibut (I know - it's just a big flounder!) and roosterfish. For me, the trip isn't just about fishing (although it is the most important part) - I love visiting other countries for their food and cultures.
For jigging, well, my favourite jigging target by far are dogtooth tuna. I like catching seriolas a lot as well but for me, the dogtooth is the biggest challenge due to their speed, power and the sheer size they grow to. On the jig, the dogtooth tuna is one of the hardest fighting fish I know. The Coral Sea is hard to beat as a location for big doggies
What about you guys? Let us know what your dream destinations are. Realistically, if there is enough interest, it may be possible for Luke and/or me to organise a trip. I'm a pretty keen fisho who will go anywhere the fish are (within reason - I ain't going anywhere where there is a good likelihood I will be blown up!)
I'm very interested to see how Luke's visit to Kiribati goes. if the GTs are big and hungry there, that has just got to be on the cards in future!
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Besides from the Coral Sea and New Caledonia which is pratically on our doorstep (they will always be my favourite), there are countless islands in the Indian and Pacific Ocean which would probably never have seen a popper or jig. I was looking at a map the other day and i simply had no idea how may islands/atolls/reefs there are.
One destination that i am itching to get to is Midway if they ever open it to fishing again.
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Luke - I already checked that one quite some time ago. In a nutshell, can't figure this one out. It ain't far short of Diego Garcia in terms of inaccessibility although this one is at least possible. There have got to be areas which are more easily accesisble for us which are just as unfished
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Hello all
I am going to marion mid year and am hoping for doggies or wahoo on a surface
lure(to add to my collection).
What other than doggies can I expect in the way of species when jigging. ???
Laurie.
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Hi Laurie - welcome to GTpopping!
You will almost certainly encounter some wahoo out at Marion on surface lures like poppers. For doggies, I'd recommend you troll deep diving lures like the Rapala X-Rap 30 or other like deep diving minnows. You'll also get doggies on the shallow minnows too but generally, more on the deep divers. If you're referring to poppers, doggies are a more unlikely target on poppers. that's not to say you won't get them though. I've been trying for a while!
Jigging out there - the primary jigging target is doggies but you can catch all sorts of fish. You'll likely see some very large reef fish like coral trout, you'll get the odd pelagic like wahoo (pray you don't - they'll cost you a LOT of jigs if they are around) or yellowfin, you may see the odd amberjack, etc. GTs will also take jigs etc. I hope the doggies are on while you are out there - I regard them as the ultimate fish for jigging.
Have you had much experience jigging or popping?
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Brandon.
I have done a little of both-
I have jigged samsons in perth,kings and AJs here on the east coast, have also popped GTs, bluefin trevally and other reef fish in the Solomons and Vanuatu, plus kings off the rocks on the NSW central coast.
Laurie.
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that's wonderful, Laurie - you read like a very seasoned angler You should have an absolute ball out at Marion. Hope the weather is good for you and that you catch yourself a huge doggie. They're certainly out there!
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Brandon.
Like most of the guys here ,I have a few goals, and mine are to expand on my species on both jig and surface lure.
Hopefully marion will see to that.
Laurie
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Welcome to the forum Laurie.
Good luck at Marion...most chances are that any Nomad trips you go on will have Brandon :D
Next step for Brandon is working out how to make his family live on that boat permanently ;)
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oh, give me a break, Luke!! ;D Actually, I wish that was the case.
No Marion trip this year - that's for next year with the boys. All my trips this year are GT focussed. I better get a good one after putting in so much effort for this year and I'm 2/zip at the moment!!
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Full points for trying, and its only April.
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Fraser was okay but Vanuatu was a disaster so I hope the law of averages works for me. It was my own fault I lost the only really decent fish I hooked at Fraser but I didn't even see a decent GT in Vanuatu because of that damn cyclone.
I only have four trips left this year - maybe I need to plan another one to be sure....... ;D
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For the last 15 years my dream trip was to Cabo San Lucas, Baja, mexico.
Marlin, Sailfish, Y/F tuna, Broardbill and Roosterfish, let me at I'm.
The early dream was for me to go down there for a week while we had a couple of weeks at Disneyland, that was ment to happen 5-6 years ago, that dreams gone. :(
Over the last 6 years The Rolex Team World Billfish Champs are held there and you only get an invite by winning certain sanctioned Aussie comps, I won some comps in 03 and 04 but were the wrong ones, that dreams gone. >:(
Ive changed my priorities in fishing in the last 3 years and Billfishing has taken a back seat to Jigging, targeting quality reefies and spinning SP's and hardbody plastics [some poppers]. So when Marion Reef came up there was a new dream, but only for another year because I'M GOING. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Fraser was okay but Vanuatu was a disaster so I hope the law of averages works for me. It was my own fault I lost the only really decent fish I hooked at Fraser but I didn't even see a decent GT in Vanuatu because of that damn cyclone.
I only have four trips left this year - maybe I need to plan another one to be sure....... ;D
That's some really bad luck mate.
Who cares....you have a Shoalwater trip coming up and that should be awesome. I wish you all the best to getting a 50kg+ GT there. How awesome would that be...50kg GT in green water.
If i get my act together i will turn you a few special GTPopping.com stickbaits and bloopers...
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I was only kidding, Luke. The one certainty in fishing is that you very rarely get perfect weather for a trip but it is quite extraordinary bad luck to hit a cyclone AND undersea earthquakes at the same time! :D What can you say!!
With a bit of luck, we will have decent conditions at Shoalwater. We have a week so hopefully will get some good days. The guys saw a lot of very big GTs last year but found trying to land them a completely diferent story. Apparently, it's very shallow and it is easy to get reefed by the big fish. A well-known fishing identity who will remain unnamed lost 20 poppers! If it is really good there, we should think about organising a group for this location next year! Bugatti is GT focussed but I think this is their only pure GT trip on the calendar for next year.
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I was only kidding, Luke. The one certainty in fishing is that you very rarely get perfect weather for a trip but it is quite extraordinary bad luck to hit a cyclone AND undersea earthquakes at the same time! :D What can you say!!
With a bit of luck, we will have decent conditions at Shoalwater. We have a week so hopefully will get some good days. The guys saw a lot of very big GTs last year but found trying to land them a completely diferent story. Apparently, it's very shallow and it is easy to get reefed by the big fish. A well-known fishing identity who will remain unnamed lost 20 poppers! If it is really good there, we should think about organising a group for this location next year! Bugatti is GT focussed but I think this is their only pure GT trip on the calendar for next year.
I agree mate, have a discussion with Damon when you are there and we will see what happens.
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only if it is a good location!
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I would like to go back to Komodo with better gear and minus the female companion.
Otherwise a 7day charter in Vanuatu would make me a happy chappy.
Hopefully I will find a few fish in Sumbawa this year
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Mike - if you go to vanuatu, I hope you have better luck than i did!!
I would like to go back to Komodo with better gear and minus the female companion.
Otherwise a 7day charter in Vanuatu would make me a happy chappy.
Hopefully I will find a few fish in Sumbawa this year
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Only been shat on by the weather once over there and that was the year we were camping on Tanna :o. I would cry if my dream fishing trip came across atrocious weather :'(
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Mike - what type of fishing do you normally focus on in Vanuatu? I thought it looked like it had amazing dogtooth potential in the very short time we got to fish.
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Do a little landbased popper fishing and also jigging/poppering from small boats.
Havent been there for 4 years as the surf/fishing in Indonesia has taken priority.
Maybe next year..
Biggest doggie was 40ish kg caught a 9500penn. Got absolutley spanked on several occassions by unstobable monsters. As I am usually on a budget I fish from smaller skiffs which dont have any electronics so I just go on what the guide says. I may buy a cmap card for my handheld gps when I go up next time.
Alot of the charters live bait for them with rainbow runners around the "wusi"(sp) seamount but they are using 80's and 130's so not much of a fight I am told
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Maldives for me! I'll get there soon :)
On our doorstep we've got the Rowley Shoals which I'm planning on visiting next year.
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Some of our members fish the Maldives quite regularly.
Wongkz is one so he's the man to get into contact with if you're interested
Maldives for me! I'll get there soon :)
On our doorstep we've got the Rowley Shoals which I'm planning on visiting next year.
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some wicked surf there to knarly reef breaks.
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I wouldn't mind checking out Christmas or the Cocos Islands (Indian Ocean) or Bay of Isles in NZ. Locally i'd like to go back to the Wessel and Bromby island groups in the NT.
Next time i go to Sri Lanka i think i'll bring along some gear - there's a bit of potencial inshore and shore based down the south coast.
cheers
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Bay Of Islands is a choice place some big kings and huge snapper ,alot of marlin in summer not to mention the tuna.
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Some of our members fish the Maldives quite regularly.
Wongkz is one so he's the man to get into contact with if you're interested
Maldives for me! I'll get there soon :)
On our doorstep we've got the Rowley Shoals which I'm planning on visiting next year.
What sort of $$ are we lookin' at ???