GTs Close to Home!

[Jon Li]

Hi Darren ,

I hope you will release those GTs in the future , the population of big GTs are dwindling fast due to their succeptibility in being caught by popping methods and the only way to get a successfull CnR is to cut the fight as short as possible , this means using heavier tackle than that you are using .

Jon .

Hi Jon,

Hi Darren ,

That is quick for such a relatively light tackle to subdue the GT , sorry if I offend you in some way with this CnR issue but we all try to do the right thing . Relax man .

Jon .
Fight time, even on the "lite" gear, was approx 3-4mins, i rest my case and i'm not even gonna get started on CnR issues, just know that i do what's right, thank you very much.

Have a nice day!

Cheerios

[DarrenC]

Hi Darren ,

That is quick for such a relatively light tackle to subdue the GT , sorry if I offend you in some way with this CnR issue but we all try to do the right thing . Relax man .

Hi Jon,

No worries, none taken. Yah its pretty surprising when tackle is pushed to the brink and somehow holds together, sometimes you get your results. Well, we all get lucky someday.

CnR issues i'm sure u and i face on a constant basis, its tough to educate the local 'boatmen' in our parts but i have patience and try to be respectful to their cultures in the process. In the long run if we all do our own lil' part it'll all fall into place i'm sure. Have faith!

Cheers

[Narc]

Great catch there!

Its fun getting these speedsters in those water and watch their first run...

[Aaron Concord]

swing the biggest stick you can hang on to!!!!!
lock drag then back off half-turn.....and hang on!!!!
I love light tackle fishing though the GT's i am after disrespect it!!!!
Jon,
you are right. Keep the fight short....though even the big ones are sub-10min fights if they are under 60kg...THOSE fish can go for 20 or more even on the big gear...seen too many big GT's pop 130 already to fish anything lighter..

Aaron.
PS. My Carpenter SP 78UHL is AWESOME 

[Jon Li]

swing the biggest stick you can hang on to!!!!!
lock drag then back off half-turn.....and hang on!!!!
I love light tackle fishing though the GT's i am after disrespect it!!!!
Jon,
you are right. Keep the fight short....though even the big ones are sub-10min fights if they are under 60kg...THOSE fish can go for 20 or more even on the big gear...seen too many big GT's pop 130 already to fish anything lighter..

Aaron.
PS. My Carpenter SP 78UHL is AWESOME 

Hi Aaron ,

Our friend AhGu here has one of the custom job SP78UHL , he is a bit bigger than me and a lot younger , I am sure one of these days you will meet each other .

Bigger GTs have lots more stamina and they are the king of the reefs so must be protected at all cost , using stout gears the right way is the only way to ensure successfull CnR .

Jon .

[Brandon Khoo]

yep, Gu's parents definitely gave him the right vitamins when he was a boy!

[Aaron Concord]

Hi Jon,
I agree. They ARE the kings of the reef and little study has been really done on the growth rates to my knowledge....anectdotes of them living up to 40 years or more. I heard they grow quickly to a certain size then slow right down and are therefore hard to replace if killed. Scott Banerot told me that.
So, I use the heaviest gear I can to release the "little" guys quickly and still have fire power for the fish of a lifetime.....which I have hooked around 20 times before!!! HAHAHAHAH....they can make you feel very hopeless at times!!
The biggest GT I have seen fought & lost chewed through twisted 100lb fluorocarbon leader after a 20min fight....estimated at 75-80kg up the top of Fraser....they DO have plenty of stamina. I hope it's still there today....just bigger!! If you catch it and there is a Red/White Bills Bug in it...you know who to call!!
Cheers
Aaron.

[Greg Burt]

Aaron, that was a awesome Gt you caught last Friday, was that on your Carpenter SP 78UHL ? Good to see some action around SEQ already, sounds like the GTs are turning it on before the Billies [Billfish Bash next week], the water temp is only 23-24 deg.
See you at a Fishhead seminar

PS: what was last Fridays lucky lure?

[Aaron Concord]

Hi Greg!
Yep...the big stick got bent up!!
Amazing what bend you can put in a SP 78UHL when the drag is up around 16kg!!!
I can't beleive the water is still this cool for the billfish...I did raise some large wahoo (20-30kg) on the poppers...no body wanted to change to a stick bait after my fish to hook a 'hoo...pity...their jumps when they spear out of the water when they hit a stick bait is more than worth it 
The lucky lure was a "Jai the Thai" popper...Jai is from Thailand and owns the 7seas pro shop there...he fishes with Ek and his buddies with Damon.....GREAT popper..very easy to bloop. Weighs 130gms.
Being late arvo, I figured a dark purple would silhoutte better....seemed to work!!
They do work the best with ST-66 5/0's....need to get them to work with singles...needs more work..
Cheers
Aaron.

[Greg Burt]

I have a couple of Jai's i want to try around Hutchies [Wahoo City] and The Trench, where I will follow Duncan and Your lead by using a wire bite leader a sound investment!

[Gordon Low]

Heya Aaron,
Well done.. again! Can't stop grinning when I remember yelling at you to go harder and you'd already dialled the drag as far as you could go 
It was a truly awesome capture considering the topography there....
I nearly did a valve just hauling the big fella into the boat ... haha. It even inspired me to get back in the gym!

Cheers,
Lowy

[Greg Burt]

Aaron, when Billfish came before GTs, how times have changed . 'Reel Sport' would make a steady platform for casting, minus the outriggers!

[Aaron Concord]

Greg,
Jai makes an awesome popper...had the boys think I was having strikes between swells the splashes were going so high from making it bloop!
I was slightly possesed....Gordon would agree there!!!
After seeing both 49 strand and 7 strand in 150lb get worn through after the intital brutal hard work has been done on a big GT, wahoo or doggie, the ONLY thing I haven't seen cut through is single strand!!
It pays to make a truckload up and have them prepared in a piece of pipe as long as the leaders are....mine are around 50cm.
Single strand DOES kink, so if it survives a fish though looks haggared, p#ss it off and put a new one on ASAP....the wire is dirt cheap & the twisted leader prevents tail cuts & helps absorb the shock a bit better for the hooks.
Reelsport....I lost my first God Knows How Many GT's on that boat in the days of mono and max 6kg drag settings....it was a trip 10 years ago....I never went back to mono for GT's.....ever!!

Gordon,
Hope your valve spring re-loads!! I AM glad that you did the lifting big fella!!
Struth! I had to give Brock the head of the GT to hold I was that stuffed....put all my effort into not having a "long range release" !!
It was great.... go the PILATES PILATES PILATES!!!!!!.....next step for YOU....gym....nice women...no booze HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAH...

Cheers

Aaron.