Release Your GTs

Whilst out poppering last week we landed an average sized GT which had some rather nasty looking gashes on its back. Possibly picked a fight with a shark or big barracuda...hard to say. Whatever caused them, the cuts didn't seem to deter the GT actively feeding on our popper !
We snapped off a hasty pic and released this fish as quickly as possible and it swam away seemingly as happy as Larry.

Distinctive gashes on the back

The next day we happened to be passing the same area in Bite Me and having seen a pack of GTs there the previous day we decided to toss a few poppers in the same area. We hooked a GT in exactly the same spot as the previous day. In fact, it turned out to be exactly the same GT !

Same fish !

We have long suspected that we sometimes recapture fish but the distinctive marks on this fish left little doubt. It is, I believe, widely accepted that GTs arenot only slow growing but territorial and stake their claim to a particular bommie or stretch of the reef, fending off others who might wander in.
It follows therefore, if you go out, catch GTs and don't release them, you can wipe out a population in an area.

Release the GT !

Fishing Update

The bite for anglers Bruno and Christian visiting from France was reasonably good but the weather gave us a few decidedly average days. Even so, we managed to find some good GTs as well as a bunch of by-catch oddities such as bluefin trevally, red bass, green jobfish and even a crocodile longtom !

The best GT of the week for Bruno - a 40kg fish

Christian with a 'black' GT

One of the better weather days

Plenty of GTs around 20-25kg

A by-catch Bluefin Trevally

Bruno with a very unusual by-catch - A Crocadile Longtom

Busted Cubera Popper

Here is something you don't see every day. A Nomad Cubera 150 Popper (also sold in the Far East as an ' El Toro" ) with a centre swivel letting go on a big GT.
To be fair, This popper took a battering all week aboard Bite Me and Tease Me, it did let go on a very big GT and its the first time I have ever seen it happen.....
Just goes to show, the big GTs here can break anything !

Gamefishing Fiji: The Penalty for Barracuda

Generally speaking, barracuda are not all that popular aboard Bite Me. They tend to make a complete mess of carefully rigged baits and wreck expensive skirts on trolling lures.

They can also make quite a mess of an expensive popper....

Consequently, if Joe identifies your popper or stickbait as a "Cuda Catcher" and you go ahead any use it anyway...and you then present deckie Joe with 10 kilos of writhing snapping teeth gnashing cuda on the end of your leader.....the penalty is a quick dump in the ocean....

Ozzie angler Tim pays the price

Joe has a bit of extra fun bawling "Shark !"

Gamefishing Fiji: The Penalty for Barracuda

Popper Casting Report Jan 2010

Some more photo highlights from Scott, Tim and Dave's week of popper casting and jigging aboard Bite Me. I think its safe to say the fishing was quite good....

A tripple always makes for mayhem on deck

Dave with a fish pushing 40kg

Double hook-up for Scott and Dave

Tim's new headgear...(at least, I 'think' its Tim...)

Barracuda on Poppers

Generally speaking, barracuda are not all that popular aboard Bite Me. They tend to make a complete mess of carefully rigged baits and wreck expensive skirts on trolling lures.
They can also make quite a mess of an expensive popper....
Consequently, if Joe identifies your popper or stickbait as a "Cuda Catcher" and you go ahead any use it anyway...and you then present deckie Joe with 10 kilos of writhing snapping teeth gnashing cuda on the end of your leader.....the penalty is a quick dump in the ocean....

Ozzie angler Tim pays the price

Joe has a bit of extra fun bawling "Shark !"

Dogtooth tuna double hook up part 1