Hi Andrew,
The GT action in the west can be fickle and not too many locals are into it, there is only a handful in my local town that would chase them on a regular basis.
The better action is on the outer island reef systems from 10-50km out from the boat ramps.
Dampier doesn't have any guides or charters and the coast line is sparse and not heavily populated, the fishing has been a well kept secret.
The rod was a Ripple Fisher GT78 Power Fight. A solid GT hit boatside and headed straight under the boat, I couldn't back the drag off in time and put too much angle and pressure on the rod. A guide popped out from it's bindings and the rod went off with a bang, still managed to land the fish with half a rod.
Regards,
Jason.