GT queries

[Angus Hulme]

Hello learned GT scholars , I have a few queries regarding GTs, just so I can select the most suitable time to plan a GT and reef fishing trip to the Whitsunday area later this year. Our options are either a week in August or October.

Firstly, what are the best tide conditions for GT's? Is the old saying, "no run, no fun" particularly pertinent to pelagics such as GT's?

Also, does moon or even water temperature or clarity make any difference, or does GT aggressiveness just come down to whether there is plenty of bait in a certain area?

And on that subject, what is a big GT's favourite food item on Australia's east coast? Yellowtail Fusiliers?

Any info you gurus can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Angus

[Stephen Polzin]

Go out on a two days before a full or new moon and cast around fusilier schools.  As simple as that. 

[Angus Hulme]

surely you jest Stephen? Nothing in fishing has ever been that simple, in my experience?!

But if in fact, you are fair dinkum, then thank you for the tip.

Cheers
Angus

[Stephen Polzin]

No jest Angus.  That's how I find them.  I would say 99% of the Trevs I have caught have come off Fusilier schools, and the action is always best around a strong moon (full or new) - it follows that the tides are biggest at these times, hence more current.  This concentrates the bait schools, which concentrates the predators.  Everything's related. 

[Angus Hulme]

OK then Stephen. Thank you. It certainly makes sense, I suppose I just wasn't expecting such a concise and definite recipe for success. 

Certainly, last time we were up there, the action was more pronounced when the big tides were ripping past the bommies. We had 3 big spaniards in the boat and countless bust-offs on lures from suspected GTs, which all occurred on the biggest tide, so your theory certainly fits. And there were clouds of nervous fusiliers swarming at the front pressure wave of the big rock we were fishing.

Cheers mate

[Aaron Concord]

Angus,
Stephen hit it on the head....the fusiliers get "washed" into the calmer areas where the tidal flow forces them in 6m plus tides...target the corners or back eddies full of fusiliers...Nuff said!!

Cheers
Aaron.
PS...stick baits can work VERY WELL since a lot of those corners have flat water.

[Angus Hulme]

Thanks Aaron, yep there are plenty of corners and eddy's near where we are based and we frequently see fusilier schools well off the bottom and flighty as hell. So I'd hope the GT's aren't too far away. I haven't used these stickbaits at all yet so I will have to get into them. Truth be told, I don't care what the GT's want to eat, as long as they are fired up so that those of us who don't have expensive purpose-built carpenter/stella outfits and exxy lures can still get into the game! The heaviest spin combo we have involves a big old Penn spinfisher on a broomstick-like rod, so hopefully it can do the job.

We are looking at an August trip up to the Whitsundays so I've identified a full moon on the 17th to be a possible opportunity.

Thanks again for your comments mate!

Angus

[Stephen Polzin]

The spinfisher will work fine if you're in open country.  If you're in shallow bommie fields though you won't be able to make enough drag. 

Recently I took my neighbor fishing and he was using an 850SS with the drag screwed down as far as it would go.  He lost a couple of lures when fish ran towards the shallow stuff, but still managed to land a few including a brute in the 25kg range.  Sometimes you can be lucky and they'll run into deeper water. 

[Angus Hulme]

Thanks Stephen, that's pretty much what I had suspected. If I'm in with any sort of a chance, that'll do me, as previous efforts have involved a massively outgunned old Shimano TSS, and tears flowing like wine .

Aaron, excuse my extreme ignorance here, but what it the association of stickbaits and their effectiveness in flat water? Do they have a better action in flat water or something? Or is it a visual thing? I've got nothing here sorry.

Cheers fellas
Angus

[Angus Hulme]

Fellas, I know you are a shy lot but seriously, anybody is welcome to answer my queries if they have any theories.

what it the association of stickbaits and their effectiveness in flat water? Do they have a better action in flat water or something? Or is it a visual thing?

As I have mentioned, I know next to nothing about specifically targeting large GTs, so any comments you may like to add would be greatly appreciated.

What is the basic principle of a stickbait? Are they designed to work on the surface or just under it? And what is the best way of working one? Lastly, can you get stickbaits that look like a fusilier?

Cheers
Angus

[Jon Li]

Angus ,

There are several stickbaits , the surface type , the suspending type and the sinking type and they differ in applications .

The surface stickbait work optimumly in flat water but won't work well in the chop , the suspending n sinking types will work better in the chop but will work equally well in the flat .

As for the " look " , there are so many colours and patterns that imitate the baitfishes.

Jon .

[Angus Hulme]

Thanks Jon, all helpful info for me. Luke was kind enough to forward me his stickbait article which comprehensively sums up this particular type of lure.

But any personal experiences anyone can share are also most welcome.

Cheers
Angus

[Cy and Kerrin Taylor]

Hi Angus,

Luke's stickbait article should have heaps of good info for you about them.

The Whitsundays in August should be a great time/place for Big GT.

If you want, you could send us a message close to the date and we'll give you some 'inside' info!

We started targeting Big GT around the Whitsunday islands about 4 months ago and now we're hooked on it! There is a massive amount of GT features all over the Whitsunday islands. We're finding some amazing areas which would match some of the worlds best GT areas!

We've had success with Nomad Ulua stickbaits & Cubera poppers which are fairly easy to find in tackle stores.

We've found that many of the islands rocky points & isolated rocks hold good numbers of GT to amazing sizes too!

We have this one area which we have always had a GT strike within the first 15 casts. It always holds GT!

The outer Whitsunday islands are usually the best areas to fish for them. So if it's calm you should get out there and give them a go!

Thanks,

CK

[Sachin Chaudhry]

I reckon 2 to 3 days before the full moon raises the biggest fish and the 2 days before and after a new moon gets the most hits. I prefer these two moon phases to all else.
Have seen too much action around these time for it to be a co incidence.
And we do a lot of popping here in Fiji.

[Angus Hulme]

Ta for that Sachin, I will be doing my very best to provide further evidence that your timing methods are more than a coincidence also.

CK, check your PM's mate, and thanks for your help here.

Angus