Northern Territory Search

[Jed Dupe]

Hi to all first post so go easy 

The planning for this trip started around six months ago, i met up with a few friends and we were telling stories of fishing as you do and got onto the topic of popping. (Living in the top end of Australia there isn't a lot of focus on GTs let alone targeting them on top water.)
I the guys I was talking to had a spot that they were doing an annual trip to and the invite to tag along was thrown out !

The initial plan was to head for a land based spot on the Coburg peninsula where on previous trips they had caught nice sized gts of up to 20kg
not monsters by anyones standard but for us this isnt a bad size.
The plan then changed and the thought of heading out to the remote islands off coburg was just too tempting so we decided to take two boats and head out and see what was ready to smash out lures.

After the 9 hour drive on some of the worst road i have ever driven on we made it to camp. The weather was not playing the game with a nice storm front rolling into the bay so we unpacked and waited it out and decided to head out into the chop after a beer. Finally we are here !!!!

Day 1

Still some stormy weather hanging around but a few of the locals were on patrol


jacks Gold spot







average size brassy

we had fun catching small trout that would come out in small packs to hit poppers, saw some good sized spanish mackerel but failed to hook up and had fun with loads of queenfish.

day 2

we were looking like not having enough fuel to keep doing the 70km round trip to the outer island so we picked one a little closer with hopes of finding some bigger fish








Zaneos Chinaman popped out of 4 metres




Blue fin trev








afternoon cool offs were a must !











Day 3
final day and we still hadn't found a BIG Gt





Jacks nice brassy
An intense battle to get this fish in the boat with a 60 kilo Queensland  Grouper trying to inhale it !



In the end we didnt find the big gees but saw some awesome things and had the best time and no major problems with the boats an added bonus !
Im sure they are out there and i cant wait for the next opportunity to get out and continue the search.

[Brandon Khoo]

Still looks like you got lots of action. There would definitely be big fish there - just got to find them!
Thanks for the report.

[Leigh Turner]

Nice trip & report.

[Luke Wyrsta]

Looking forward to your SEARCH in the future boys. That's the way! 

[Jed Dupe]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys !
Can't wait to get back out to these spots !

[Ryan Keith]

Nice report, Jed. Remember the old saying - "seek and ye shall find" - it's only a matter of time before you crack the big boys. I'll be searching for NT GTs next week off some isolated shoals... fingers crossed!

[Jed Dupe]

Hey Ryan how are you ?


Are you based up here or doing a charter ?
Hope you guys find some fish. Interested in where you are heading at this time of the year.
 We have heard reports of decent sized fish around the top end really hoping to find them.

[Ryan Keith]

I'll be doing a charter up there, Jed. Going with Arafura Bluewater and hitting one or more of the outer shoals accessible from Darwin (check their website for a list). Will decide exactly which area once I've got up there and chatted with the skipper. Last trip I did with these guys, we got some GTs on the troll and on bait at night (to 20 kg). This time, I'm taking some popping gear to see if any big mommas want to play.

[John Cahill]

Really interesting topic that of Gt's and the NT.... Andrew Smith and I did a trip to the territory in September and one day was specifically aimed at topwater GT's on big tides out of Dundee Beach.  It was interesting to note two things immediately, many Territorians refer to any trevally as a GT (notably brassys) and they certainly like to troll for them!!!!  Prior to our trip our guide insisted we only bring up Pe 3 tackle as they "dont get very big up there".  Through the first part of the morning that was the case, little brassys and GT's in the 5 or a little more kg class taken trolling.  We coaxed our way into casting as the tide ran off the coffee rock reefs with our light outfits and proceeded to get smashed up 5 or more times by good fish - wont estimate the size of those, but we saw a couple of cruising GT's cruise under the boat that were very impressive creatures - .... I think in a way we opened up a couple of guides eyes up there and they quickly bought up on more appropriate gear themselves.