Oman-Sanity with Ocean Active

[Chanin Puntawong]

If there is one place in the world right now where you want to battle big GTs, one place will come to your mind and that is Hallaniyat Island in Southern Oman. When I got a chance to jump in for a trip of a lifetime, I didn't let it go. The trip was decided in 5 minutes and after 2 days, everything was ready except the day of my departure. Tackle was prepare 2 weeks in advance with gear putting in and taking out all the way to about 2 hours before my departure to Southern Oman. Finally, all of the tackle from rods to lures to hooks to split ring will be put to the test. 3 weeks after I book my airline ticket went by like the wind and the day of my departure arrive. I am set to depart on the 8th of October and fish on the 9th thru the 13th. This trip I was join by Jason from Singapore, Mr. Lim from Singapore and my buddy Prokik (our camera man) from Thailand. I will be flying with Prokik from Thailand and will be join from the others in Muscat that same day. We arrived without any problem in Muscat and met up with the others to get on our next flight to Salalah and we will have to stay in Salalah overnight and leave early in the morning for the dock. Damon and Muhammad was there to greet us aboard their 37ft center console. It was a nice and pleasant morning with cooler weather. It took us about an hour to reach our home away from home for the next 5 days. Hallaniyat Island is the biggest island in the island chain with Qarzawit being the smallest, the others there are Sawda, Hasikiyah and Qibliyah. We fish all around five island with each of them having their own characteristic. After a little rest and preparing our tackle we head out to Qarzawit the smallest island about 45 minutes ride from the dock.

First day, we arrived at the spot with high hopes. For me, it will be my first GT trip and all I can hope for is to hook and land one, doesn't matter how big the fish will be as long as I catch one, I am good for the trip. Lures start flying right when we got to the first stop and after many cast, we can see that fish aren't really want to eat, we can see GT swimming under the boat but yet they won't even sniff the lure or even look at them. Yet, I still keep casting. We decide to move after a few drift around the island and headed for deep water reef that rise from the depth to about 7 meters. Not long after arrival, Jason was awarded with a nice 20kg GT. I yet still haven't even have a blow up on my lure. Cast after cast after cast it goes. By this times the other guys were already tire and already jigging instead of casting, they were landing AJs left and right and that got me the urge to jig but Damon stop me from doing so, he said hard work pays off. Not long after he mention that, I had a blow up on my lure and was awarded with the first GT ever for myself, she was small but it was so worth the wait, all 9kg of it. We call it a day not long after that and headed back to the lodge for nice dinner.

Here is the tackle list for this trip.

Reel: Stella SW18000HG, SW8000HG, SW10000PG
Spool: SW12000, SW20000MAX, SW20000PD, Transformer SW16000
Rod: Carpenter Monster Hunter 79XH, Carpenter Coral Viper 79/40, Carpenter SP76M, Fisherman Yellow Tail 8, MC Works 516, and Synit 250g
Lure: Craft Bait GT3, Hammerhead C-Cup/D-Cup, Moutokenmaru 25F, Siren Bad Mon, Carpenter Seafrog and Seafrog DH, Carpenter Bluefish, Carpenter Gamma, Shell Shaping, Orion and Prokik Popper
Hook: Vanfook
Line: Varivas GT Max PE8-10 and Varivas GT SMP PE8-10
Leader: Fisherman and Varivas 220-300lbs

[Chanin Puntawong]

2nd Day turn out to be the greatest day of the trip for me. We started out early as usual, Damon came to knock on our door at 4.45 sharp and we were up and ready by 5.30am. We left the dock for Qibliyah, about an hour cruise from Hallaniyat. We got there at about half past six and ready to fish. I pick up my set up that I had a fish on yesterday, Stella SW8000HG with Transformer spool SW16000 (prototype) filled with PE10 Varivas GT, match nicely with Carpenter SP76M Mogi Shop special. I put a pink Hammerhead D Cup on the set up and when Damon said let it fly, I did! After two pop on the lure, a nice fish came up and hit it with full force and I was in for a nice fight on my very first cast (all of vdo, I will upload later). The fish gave it all and after about 10 minutes of fight time a nice 122cm fish came up for a nice picture. We would stay at Qibliyah the whole day today fishing the shallow reef around the island. My second fish came as a big Bonito that think much bigger of himself, he hit a 200g prokik popper. We hung around the same drift most of the time and finally after changing and mixing things up, the biggest GT of my life has come up. On that drift I decide to tie on the Moutokenmaru, I was about to leave it at home but my brother said, its the best lure, bring it. So I did, Pink Moutokenmaru 25F was tied on my Stella SW8000HG with 12000SW Yumeya with Varivas Avani SMP PE8 and Carpenter Coral Viper 79/40. The kind word from Damon really make me wants to catch fish on this stick bait, "Oh, everyone catch big fish on poppers and only one person catch fish with stick bait." Well damn I want to prove you wrong! LOL! Toward the end of the drift I cast out away from the reef into the deeper water. Damon was also casting up front with Hammerhead D Cup. Big scream came out from him but I was still looking at my lure but screaming from in the inside. A big black shape have appear behind my lure, he didn't wait a second to think twice about eating it. The line start going off the my left while this is happening, Damon still screaming about how big his fish was that came and ate his popper at the same time unfortunately he had wind knot so the fish was lost. My fish headed to the back of the boat and Muhammed slow working his was deeper for a better opportunity for me to late the beast. The beast didn't really give a fight until next to the boat, after about 4 minutes we have a nice color and by 5 minutes he was leader and ready to be put into the boat. The fish tops out at 148cm estimate to be about 60+kg (60kg for me is plenty). The biggest fish in Ocean Active this season so far. We release the beast after many pictures and video but he was quite tired from the fight or just didn't want to leave us, Damon has to jump and give him a swim. He made it after a few minutes and he got another chance to terrorize other people that dare cast a lure out at Qibliyah. We did the same drift many time and by this time the water is moving quite a bit and that seems to change everything here. Fish started eating and chasing lure. We had fish come up not once but twice and sometime three or four time for the lure. Next fish came with my good ole Shell Shaping lure on my first set up, she was 121cm and nice little fish that put up hell of a fight, she was caught in 3 meter deep. After that everything would turn for the worse for me, everything cast that I put, I would get hammered by fish that will take everything back to the reef. I broke 4 more fish and lost a few more from fish that blow up and spit the hook. One fish broke from my craziness that want to cast a PE3 set up, Fisherman YT8 and a Prokik 60g popper, A really big fish came up to eat this popper for little snack and as I already know, there was no way to land this fish but nonetheless it was fun. We ended the day with 4 GT, biggest being 148cm. It was the best day for me in Southern Oman with 3 more days to go. We decided to go jigging on most of the days with casting here and there.

[Chanin Puntawong]

Next few days started out just like any other day, up at 4.30, breakfast by 5 and in the boat by 5.30am. Unfortunately, Jason was running a bit late so we got out a little late than expected but that wasn't the problem. We got out the Qibliyha again for another great day of GT, we didn't have that much current today so fish weren't really corporate but I still manage to raise a nice fish 121cm on my trusty SP76M with CraftBait GT3. Great lure that produce pop as much as come other 200g lure. We cast got a bit and then move out to jig and for me that wasn't really what I want so I stay behind the helm for a bit and let everyone else have fun. Not long after I decide to use a PE0.6-1.2 rod and Stella 4000FA to jig with 60g lure since there was no current. I manage to land a few odd fish and an AJ, it was fun nonetheless. There were really much to speak about for the next few days since we didn't do too much casting, everyone opt out to jig so I had a few day of watching other fish and helping them land them. It was fun all and all and my experience here in Southern Oman was one of the best if not the best. I am looking forward to head back there again next year, hopefully they are not all book up. For anyone that is looking for a monster GT, make sure Oman is on the top of your list, there are fish out in this water that will make you crap your pants, the size and attitude of the fish just doesn't really give anyone a chance, you get your shot at them though but when you do make it count. Lastly, I just want to thank Ocean Active for a wonderful experience, Damon you are fishy my friend, Nabil/Asarf for making everything feel like home and Muhammed although I cannot speak arabic or you cannot speak english, I can understand you most of the time and have to say that your kindness is the best thing that I got from this experience in Hallaniyat. Thanks again. For everyone else here, I will let the picture do the talking and if you have any question regarding this trip or anything else at all please feel free to contact me or PM me.

Peace OUT!

[Jon Li]

Bravo Topper , you started at the top of the class , just wonder how you are going to enjoy lesser fish in the future , congratz !

Jon .

[Trevor Skinner]

Well done! Great photos.

Regards,



Trevor

[Matt Born]

Awesome photos!! And great trip.... These weekly reports are killing me!! I need to get down there!!

[Andy Rowe]

Well done Topper, it does not get any better than this.

[Nick Bowles]

Howzit Topper, Awesome report and very happy you guys caught some excellent fish and variety, Congrats to you and the team, I think you pretty much went straight to the top with a massive GT on your first trip, going to be a hard one to beat but should be fun trying. Look forward to round 2!

Cheers,
Nick

[Jay Burgess]

The fish tops out at 148cm estimate to be about 60+kg (60kg for me is plenty).

Some people have all the luck... first GT trip and a 60kg+... geez, "60kg for me is plenty" hahaha 

[Wan Izhan]

Awesome trip!!!