On the way back we stopped just outside the harbour to try for bream. Conditions weren't great, with a huge swell running, but Mohammed reckoned we're in with a shot. 3 casts later a school of big bream followed my stick right to the boat, I let it sit, twitched it and bang! Fish on! 55cm bream on deck and I was super happy with the way my day turned out.
No Boundaries
- Thread starter EugeneC
- Start date
Monday morning Andrew and I headed out in flat calm conditions with high hopes. The water temp was up to 26.8 and Yasir reckoned conditions were right for a big fish. We headed back to the point we fished on our first day and pretty soon Andrew raised a fish that missed the lure and didn't come back.
A short while later he got a 15kg geet and the fish were clearly moving about. I alternated between popping and throwing a small shrimp lure into the huge schools of milkfish that passed by every once in a while, an effort that amused Yasir no end. I'm desperate to hook a milkie on lure and anyone that's tried will know the frustration of that obsession.
Anyway, by now my arms and back were knackered and I changed from the cono-cono to an amberjack dreadnaught 130g stickbait to take a break from popping. The action had died down and there was nothing to give us hope of a big fish, so it wasn't long before my mind started drifting and I worked the stickbait on auto pilot.
On the back of a long cast the stick surfaced near the boat at the end of a sweep and I looked over my shoulder to see if I could spot some milkies. As I looked back I heard an almighty explosion and all hell broke loose. It appeared I had hooked a speeding boat and it was making a beeline for the reef at alarming speed against full drag. It was the last thing expected to happen in that moment and I was caught off balance; with my back almost flat on the backseat of the boat and one leg dangling over the motor, it was all I could do to hold on while Yasir ran the boat away from the reef. The fish dumped about 2/3 of my spool before finally turning its head and my arms were on fire. My positioning was terrible and I was screaming for help to get on my feet and shake the cramp out of my arm.
Andrew came over to help and we settled into a long fight. About 15 minutes later the fish was boatside and when the gaff hit the mark I collapsed on deck from exhaustion and relief. I'd done it!
The scale hit 45kg and there was a mad celebration on deck when it swam off strong with a tag in its back.
A short while later he got a 15kg geet and the fish were clearly moving about. I alternated between popping and throwing a small shrimp lure into the huge schools of milkfish that passed by every once in a while, an effort that amused Yasir no end. I'm desperate to hook a milkie on lure and anyone that's tried will know the frustration of that obsession.
Anyway, by now my arms and back were knackered and I changed from the cono-cono to an amberjack dreadnaught 130g stickbait to take a break from popping. The action had died down and there was nothing to give us hope of a big fish, so it wasn't long before my mind started drifting and I worked the stickbait on auto pilot.
On the back of a long cast the stick surfaced near the boat at the end of a sweep and I looked over my shoulder to see if I could spot some milkies. As I looked back I heard an almighty explosion and all hell broke loose. It appeared I had hooked a speeding boat and it was making a beeline for the reef at alarming speed against full drag. It was the last thing expected to happen in that moment and I was caught off balance; with my back almost flat on the backseat of the boat and one leg dangling over the motor, it was all I could do to hold on while Yasir ran the boat away from the reef. The fish dumped about 2/3 of my spool before finally turning its head and my arms were on fire. My positioning was terrible and I was screaming for help to get on my feet and shake the cramp out of my arm.
Andrew came over to help and we settled into a long fight. About 15 minutes later the fish was boatside and when the gaff hit the mark I collapsed on deck from exhaustion and relief. I'd done it!
The scale hit 45kg and there was a mad celebration on deck when it swam off strong with a tag in its back.
Attachments
Having reached my goal, I spent the rest of the afternoon on light gear, while Andrew persisted in his efforts to bag a beast. I hooked up on something huge that ran more than half my Stella 6000 empty on 30lb braid and maxed out drag before the braid just snapped off in a random spot. It was a shame, but nothing could wipe the smile off my face at this point.
Next morning we headed out to the cliffs to try for bream, emperors and any other small game fish in the area, as we only had 4 hours of fishing before the trip home. I got another bream (photos still with the guide) and Andrew got a little tuna, but otherwise the trip came to a quiet end.
Huge thanks to Ed and his crew, they run a tight ship in a difficult location and the fishing, I can only imagine, must be mind blowing when the bite is hot. Also big thanks for Frank, who always has to suffer my ten million questions before every trip, appreciate your input mate!
Next morning we headed out to the cliffs to try for bream, emperors and any other small game fish in the area, as we only had 4 hours of fishing before the trip home. I got another bream (photos still with the guide) and Andrew got a little tuna, but otherwise the trip came to a quiet end.
Huge thanks to Ed and his crew, they run a tight ship in a difficult location and the fishing, I can only imagine, must be mind blowing when the bite is hot. Also big thanks for Frank, who always has to suffer my ten million questions before every trip, appreciate your input mate!
Sitting in Lagos now, about to board a flight to kaduna, where I'll stay over and drive to abuja tomorrow. Just learnt there's been a terrorist attack on a convoy similar to the one I'll be in tomorrow, so hopefully there won't be another twist to this adventure...I'm ready to get home and back to a bit of normality by now...
Hope you guys enjoyed the read.
Hope you guys enjoyed the read.
Limpopoking
Sealiner
Fantastic stuff mate. Congrats on the beast and a mighty fine dorrie too. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Cheers guys. Got a couple of messages asking what gear I used, here's the list:
Rods:
Black Hole Cape Cod Nano 8'6" (GT's only) this rod is marketed as a popping rod, but it's really a stickbait rod. I used it for both and it works, but you have to put a lot more effort in to pop effectively.
Black Hole Magic Eye 54S (light spinning)
Black Hole Cape Cod 106 (surf spinning)
Black Hole Cape Cod 54S and 52S (jigging)
Reels:
Stella 14000 with 16000 JM Monster spool (GT's only)
Stella 8000
Stella 6000
Sustain 5000 - last trip for this reel, I'll be posting it for sale soon, I've enjoyed it, but it just doesn't compare to Stella in any way.
Braid:
Varivas GT Max PE 10
Varivas Avani Jigging PE 8, PE 6
Jerry Brown solid 40lb and 30lb
Sufix 20lb - seriously disappointed in this braid. To be fair, I've fished their 30lb in the past and it was good, this spool must have been a dud, 'cause it was useless.
Leaders:
Fisherman 200lb, 130lb, 100lb, 70lb - best leader material on the market in my personal opinion.
Terminal:
BKK GT Rex 7/0 barbless trebles (GT's only)
BKK Lone Diablo inline singles in various sizes
Owner split rings
Owner swivels
Shout solid rings
GT Lures:
Darkstar (won't buy again - very easy to work, just as easy to damage), Amberjack (very impressed with them), Orion (love them), Goosestix (gotta support local, these work very well also)
The light tackle star of the week for me was Starwalker 110S stickbaits. I love those little lures, they just never fail to raise fish. I also tried Daiwa's SP minnow for the first time (wanted to see what all the hype is about) and I'll definitely get more of them, they cast like bullets and I got lots of fish on them, especially from shore.
Lessons learned for next time (not sure there'll be a next time in Oman, but started chatting to a couple of the guys about Andaman Islands):
1. Go to the gym. No kidding, a big GT is no fun if you're not fit.
2. No more darkstar lures for me, thanks. The lures are very easy to work, but suffer massive hook rash and if you get a fish you're pretty much retiring the lure. Not impressed.
3. Light jigging is definitely worth exploring. I had two jigging outfits with jigs ranging from 80 - 350g. Although the jigging was generally poor, with only one good fish out on a jig the entire week, one of the guys dropped little 40g jigs in 15m of water and had loads of action with little trevally, triggers and loads of other species. Good fun when the fishing is slow.
Finally, it pays to be flexible in your travel plans. While it was really nothing more than a happy mistake that allowed me to stay on another day at the lodge, it's something I will definitely keep in mind on future trips. That one additional day on the water made the difference between a great trip and a mediocre one for me, which all came down to the weather.
Next stop: Fraser River, BC for a giant sturgeon...watch this space
. Thanks for reading!
Rods:
Black Hole Cape Cod Nano 8'6" (GT's only) this rod is marketed as a popping rod, but it's really a stickbait rod. I used it for both and it works, but you have to put a lot more effort in to pop effectively.
Black Hole Magic Eye 54S (light spinning)
Black Hole Cape Cod 106 (surf spinning)
Black Hole Cape Cod 54S and 52S (jigging)
Reels:
Stella 14000 with 16000 JM Monster spool (GT's only)
Stella 8000
Stella 6000
Sustain 5000 - last trip for this reel, I'll be posting it for sale soon, I've enjoyed it, but it just doesn't compare to Stella in any way.
Braid:
Varivas GT Max PE 10
Varivas Avani Jigging PE 8, PE 6
Jerry Brown solid 40lb and 30lb
Sufix 20lb - seriously disappointed in this braid. To be fair, I've fished their 30lb in the past and it was good, this spool must have been a dud, 'cause it was useless.
Leaders:
Fisherman 200lb, 130lb, 100lb, 70lb - best leader material on the market in my personal opinion.
Terminal:
BKK GT Rex 7/0 barbless trebles (GT's only)
BKK Lone Diablo inline singles in various sizes
Owner split rings
Owner swivels
Shout solid rings
GT Lures:
Darkstar (won't buy again - very easy to work, just as easy to damage), Amberjack (very impressed with them), Orion (love them), Goosestix (gotta support local, these work very well also)
The light tackle star of the week for me was Starwalker 110S stickbaits. I love those little lures, they just never fail to raise fish. I also tried Daiwa's SP minnow for the first time (wanted to see what all the hype is about) and I'll definitely get more of them, they cast like bullets and I got lots of fish on them, especially from shore.
Lessons learned for next time (not sure there'll be a next time in Oman, but started chatting to a couple of the guys about Andaman Islands):
1. Go to the gym. No kidding, a big GT is no fun if you're not fit.
2. No more darkstar lures for me, thanks. The lures are very easy to work, but suffer massive hook rash and if you get a fish you're pretty much retiring the lure. Not impressed.
3. Light jigging is definitely worth exploring. I had two jigging outfits with jigs ranging from 80 - 350g. Although the jigging was generally poor, with only one good fish out on a jig the entire week, one of the guys dropped little 40g jigs in 15m of water and had loads of action with little trevally, triggers and loads of other species. Good fun when the fishing is slow.
Finally, it pays to be flexible in your travel plans. While it was really nothing more than a happy mistake that allowed me to stay on another day at the lodge, it's something I will definitely keep in mind on future trips. That one additional day on the water made the difference between a great trip and a mediocre one for me, which all came down to the weather.
Next stop: Fraser River, BC for a giant sturgeon...watch this space
. Thanks for reading!
Result! Congratulations on the new PB's, what an epic end to a difficult trip.
Thanks for the gear update too, Interesting reading.
Yes GT's are hard on gear and men, I'm hoping to get down to Vanuatu in the next year or three for a bus, but core strength and back/arms need a lot of work! The constant casting I've found to be the killer on the back, couple that with a rocking boat and bad back pain is the inevitable result for me!
Thanks for the gear update too, Interesting reading.
Yes GT's are hard on gear and men, I'm hoping to get down to Vanuatu in the next year or three for a bus, but core strength and back/arms need a lot of work! The constant casting I've found to be the killer on the back, couple that with a rocking boat and bad back pain is the inevitable result for me!
congrats bud , geets will destroy anything they come across that is what they built for DESTRUCTION of tackle and angler. pity the big ambers where not there for the jigging side man they are fun to catch and slam you into the rail very quick and hard
yeah bud i hear you on the sustains i sold all 4 of mine got 2 stella 4000's for my Temple Reef Mytho rods great setups.
the second wall of fame pic of yours has my wifes Hammerhead popper on it the pink and white one , totally smashed by 53kg geet.
the Orion Lures made by Eric are great , get yourself some of his Mr Joe floating and sinking little stickbaits , they are insanely good. because you are fishing big hooks lure rash cannot be helped on most lures , hammerheads , Masterbait custom lures , full scale and carpenter lures seem to stand up a bit better than the others.
great read and cannot wait to get there again. did you get anything in the surf at night.
yeah had a geet put my missus on her ass on the boat , nothing like seeing 5 geets all over 50kg chasing a popper to the side of the boat , hitting it hard and snapping 110lb varivas GT max like cotton.
yeah bud i hear you on the sustains i sold all 4 of mine got 2 stella 4000's for my Temple Reef Mytho rods great setups.
the second wall of fame pic of yours has my wifes Hammerhead popper on it the pink and white one , totally smashed by 53kg geet.
the Orion Lures made by Eric are great , get yourself some of his Mr Joe floating and sinking little stickbaits , they are insanely good. because you are fishing big hooks lure rash cannot be helped on most lures , hammerheads , Masterbait custom lures , full scale and carpenter lures seem to stand up a bit better than the others.
great read and cannot wait to get there again. did you get anything in the surf at night.
yeah had a geet put my missus on her ass on the boat , nothing like seeing 5 geets all over 50kg chasing a popper to the side of the boat , hitting it hard and snapping 110lb varivas GT max like cotton.
Attachments
Cheers for the replies gents, appreciated. Frank, your missus is a NBO legend! Saw her popper hanging on the wall of fame and heard the details from the skippers, what a catch that was!
Didn't get anything worth getting excited about off the beach, couple of nice shad, some wolf herring (pain the neck) and one little blacktip kingie. No big ineds, although a local guy pitched up with his 200lb handline and within 20 minutes had hooked an landed a guitar of about a meter, which promptly got it's head chopped off and was taken home
Didn't get anything worth getting excited about off the beach, couple of nice shad, some wolf herring (pain the neck) and one little blacktip kingie. No big ineds, although a local guy pitched up with his 200lb handline and within 20 minutes had hooked an landed a guitar of about a meter, which promptly got it's head chopped off and was taken home
EugeneC wrote:
yeah Eugene , there is no control over what is caught and kept there it is sad. extremely beautiful coast line and species of fish in the area. its a pity the weather did not play with your trip , this week if it settles down and warms up there will be alot of sore backs a arms
Big Sturgeon always been top 10 on the list and slowly getting there , hope to get out to Oman next year for another trip. already got Nicaragua lined up (beast poons on fly)and Fiji (Yacata Island)
Cheers for the replies gents, appreciated. Frank, your missus is a NBO legend! Saw her popper hanging on the wall of fame and heard the details from the skippers, what a catch that was!
Didn't get anything worth getting excited about off the beach, couple of nice shad, some wolf herring (pain the neck) and one little blacktip kingie. No big ineds, although a local guy pitched up with his 200lb handline and within 20 minutes had hooked an landed a guitar of about a meter, which promptly got it's head chopped off and was taken home
yeah Eugene , there is no control over what is caught and kept there it is sad. extremely beautiful coast line and species of fish in the area. its a pity the weather did not play with your trip , this week if it settles down and warms up there will be alot of sore backs a arms
Big Sturgeon always been top 10 on the list and slowly getting there , hope to get out to Oman next year for another trip. already got Nicaragua lined up (beast poons on fly)and Fiji (Yacata Island)
Vades, yeah, it's not the cheapest trip on offer. People often ask what I'm doing in places like Nigeria; apart from genuinely enjoying working in different parts of the world, earning dollars is another huge reason. I am very fortunate to be able to live the dream of fishing around the world.
Frank, I'm proper jealous of your Nicaragua trip, that'll be one for the books mate. I'm off to Canada end of July, prime time for sturgeon, so hoping to tick that one off the list then. That'll be it for this year, have a family vacation lined up end of the year.
Next year I'm hoping to visit Angola with my old man, that's one we've been talking about for years...otherwise Nile perch and another mahseer trip is high on the hit list for 2018
Frank, I'm proper jealous of your Nicaragua trip, that'll be one for the books mate. I'm off to Canada end of July, prime time for sturgeon, so hoping to tick that one off the list then. That'll be it for this year, have a family vacation lined up end of the year.
Next year I'm hoping to visit Angola with my old man, that's one we've been talking about for years...otherwise Nile perch and another mahseer trip is high on the hit list for 2018
