Open water GT's

[Brett Guy]

Living in far North QLD puts me in range of plenty of GT's but unfortunately I don't have the boat to acess them. The only boat I can really get out in is a mates and he much prefers bottom bashing than hardcore sportfishing so even though I am in the vicinity of the reefs I can't really go and spend the day belting poppers at the edges. luckily I have come across a handy situation that helps satisfy the Popping urges. One of our favourite areas to bottom fish is a large series of reefs and shoals that range in depth from around 35mt at the outer edge up to say 15mt on the highest points. No breaking waves or rushing current and nothing visible to throw at. This whole area however is regularly covered in schools of fusilier and mack tuna and I have discovered that just about every school of fusiliers has GT's undr it(and I mean almost every school). The numbers of GT's here must be staggering. So far I have not found any big fish(all between 10-25kg) but plenty of them and very responsive. Simply get in range of a school of fusiliers and put a cast through them. I am finding around 50% of good casts draw attention. I don't know if this is a common technique but it is one that anyone in a similar situation to me should keep in mind.









Plenty of sharks too

[Andy Rowe]

Great Stuff Brett, looks like you are on a good location there if you are getting that many strikes, as you have noted GT's have a definite soft spot for schooling Fusies.

[Mark Harris]

Really good Brett - well done.

As Andy says, look for even minor current action, and I reckon you might well find some bigger specimens hanging around in those spots.

Top effort!

[Luke Wyrsta]

Great work Brett!!! 

[Peter Morris]

Who have we got here....

Nice fish Brett.

Pete

[Brett Guy]

Who have we got here....

Nice fish Brett.

Pete

Hard to say Pete. There is another fella kickin around on another forum that looks alot like me. Nowhere near as good a fisho though
Actually been on the site for ages but just havn't posted untill now. Not too much too add in amongst the pics of monster fish.

[Travis Heaps]

Nice one Brett.  Are they there all year around?  Plenty of darker specimens in those photos, might be a spawning aggregation area?  I love seeing fusies rippling the surface, gets me all giddy 

[Brett Guy]

I generally see the fusies and macks there every time I go so I would assume the Gt's are there too

[Aaron Concord]

If the current is crap down off SE QLD, I have noticed the GT's will happily follow any school of small tunas in the vicinity.
It's cool to watch a GT boof a 3kg mack tuna off the top.......they really move some water around doing it!

This is the "oh crap, there is no current and no other small baitfish" alternative.  It is a long shot when all else fails.

I'd say Brett, that like several others have mentioned: find any current and the larger GT's will be there.

Some very fired up looking black ones in amongst the captures!

Cheers,

Aaron.

[Sachin Chaudhry]

Got 3 nice GTs doing the same on Tuesday off one sunken patch.
Upon closer inspection it was loaded with fusiliers.
Find the bait, find the fish I guess.

[roderick walmsley]

Fusiliers are synonomous with gts-find them and you will find the gts. In Cairns you very seldom even bother making a cast unless you see the fussies. I guided a drive out on fascination(a 51ft Riv) for Nomad from Cairns last year and we found a single shoal that was covered in them. Brett as you said almost every school of fussies had gts on it. We landed 38 gts for the days session before having to return to cairns for the end of the charter they were also a similar size. I managed to catch one out of the tower of the Riv while the boys were having their lunch break.

[Nathan Cefai]

Good work Brett....