Back in 2016, I wrote GT Fishing 100.15: Rods, Lures, Reels etc etc 2016 version for those who want to ventures GT popping.
I think for 2020, I need to refresh and share for those who want to start GT popping.
Where do I start?
The Fish
Giant Trevally scientific name is Caranx ignobilis aka GT, Ulua (Hawaii), Kuwe Gerong (Indonesia), Nyok Nyok (Malay). GT is distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, with a range stretching from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east, including Japan in the north and Australia in the south. Please browse Wikipedia for more info.
Location
Is there any GT caught by the commercial fishermen in your local waters? Ask around, where is the location? It is near an island? Drop-off? Off-shore reef? Atoll? Near oil platform? Or near of nowhere? How about the GT size? 1-5kg? 50-60kg?
I also notice to myself, whenever I goto GT popping, I always want to break my personal best GT record.
Why is this important?
You need to know the location and size of your target GT so you can prepare the optimum popping set up to catch them.
For example, if the big mama GT patrol near/around the dropoff, you need to call them up to the surface by using loud chuggers. therefore you need a stiff tip rod, PE10-12 mainline, >200lb mono leader, strong and big hooks, and yourself need to prepare the body stamina and strength to fight the GT when he dives down and fights you long and hard using its body and sea current.
If you are popping near an island, you need to know or more exactly think like GT i.e. I am a GT, where do I swim to find prey and food. Surely you will ambush your prey by hiding near a structure or near the mouth of the channel that feeds to the atoll or lagoon or breakwater where the prey can't see you. High drag and swift action from angler is needed when the GT is hookup at the end of the line. Make sure the GT won't overrun you the rock or structure which cant cut your leader or mainline.
So again location? Local or International? Many articles and books were written telling you where is the best location for big size GTs. Eg.Best GT popping locations for 2020.
Most articles that i read will list more or less the same destination. Below without ranking are the famous location known for mama GT popping. Please let me know if I missed some of the famous locations.
1. Tokara Islands, Japan
2. Southern Oman
3. Komodo, Indonesia
4. Maldives
5. Great Barrier Reef / Coral Sea, Australia
6. New Caledonia
7. Madagascar
8. Tanzania
9. Socotra Island, Yamen
10. Red Sea
11. Seychelles
12. Vanuatu
13. Andaman Islands
14. Papua New Guinea
15. Kenya
16. Hawaii
17. Djibouti
Once you identified your destination, find the best / affordable/good track record / trustworthy / recommended fishing charter or fishing guide. Ask around. Google them!!! Find the catch rate thru FB or Instagram. Also, find ways on how you and your buddies can get safely to and from your destination. Do your homework!! I know some of you are a natural-born trip leader and some are just a follower. My suggestion, go as a team. Share the burden of info searching, travel booking, and other efforts to make a successful GT popping trip. Commit yourself to the group and trip. Just a suggestion. Please don't angry with me...
A headache settles for choosing the date of fishing, the destination, and the charter, find the members of your team, flight booking, ground itinerary, etc etc. It is hard work!!
The next headache is equipment preparation. Some anglers I've known are "A-Keep-It_Simple" guy where he predicts and anticipates the minimal items that he will bring to a GT popping trip. I fell on the other side of the spectrum i.e. JIC "Just-In-Case" guy, where I packed main equipment plus backup equipment, just in case the main fails me.
Also I kinda obsessed with photography and action movies, so camera and Gopro are a must. I am not a very good photographer but when you were asked to take your friend photo and movie during his GT fighting, my advice please do it "properly". Photography during GT fishing is a must and it is a sensitive issue. Please handle them carefully. I bet you will be frustrated when you caught the dream GT but the photo is blurred or wrong exposure or wrong angle or no GT tail in the picture. Discuss among team regarding photo and Gopro movie taking. Also please have the courtesy to ask boat charter when you want to stick your Gopro shoe sticker on the boat.
End of part 1
#stayathome
#besafe
Disclaimer
I do not claim to be an authority in the field of the rod, lure and equipment testing and the use of any information on this site are at the user’s and buyer's own risk. All of the above writing is just my passions, feedback and opinion and acts as information for the public. Please browse official sites for more accurate explanations and descriptions. While I make every effort to provide accurate and complete information, I provide no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of any information on this site. I welcome suggestions on how to improve this site’s content and correct errors. I am also NOT ASSOCIATED with any brands and/or promoting and /or advertising any brands.
Lure MAX and line MAX and notation of drag value are reference levels. Please consider casting methods and fighting methods etc. as it changes with the person who uses it.
Those who are expert the basics of loading method properly can use bigger lures and even use thicker lines.
Rod weight is a numerical value when measuring the prototype rod. Please acknowledge that there are some errors at the time of the product.
Rod Specifications Parts are subject to change without prior notice for improvement. Please note that.
