Got my 1st GT
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Popper and Topwater Fishing
Forum Description: If you're into a bit of action on top, this is the forum for you
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=55705
Printed Date: 26 Jan 2026 at 2:44pm
Topic: Got my 1st GT
Posted By: Royze
Subject: Got my 1st GT
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 6:07am
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Been back from Vava`u just on a week now, and I am still buzzing about the fishing, Got to Vava`u at 5.30pm and was fishing from Kurt Carlsen`s whaler at 7.30am the next morning, got wasted on my 5th cast by a GT that just wasnt fussed with 65lbs braid so I put the 80lbs braid on, it took a little bit longer to get the next take, but boy, you sure know your hooked up, it is the most exciting fishing i have done, I felt excited, amazed and frightened all in one, took about 15mins to get it too the boat, Kurt carefully gaffed it in the jaw and then spent the next 3-4 mins with his hand in its mouth trying to get the Yo-zuri slider stickbait out of its mouth, next fish was to my mate Jim, smaller fish dropped at the boatside, then next cast he hooks up big also, his fish was a good bit bigger than mine, Kurt estimated it at 30kgs plus, great fish, and all returned to fight another day, That night we boarded Jeff le Strange`s boat MV Hakula, 6hrs later we where fishing at a volcanic island with great structure around the edges, trolled some dead-baits and got some Doggies, all small ones, then we went over to a sea-mount, this is where we started to Jig, after a few various table fish ( Jobfish, Coral trout, potato cod ) I hook up big time, a good hard 25mins and my prize appears out of the depths, a GT of 30kgs plus, this was gaffed in the head so had to go in the fish-hold  My 1st GT, 25kg est,
 Jim`s 2nd GT, 30kg plus est.
 My 2nd GT, 30kgs plus, caught in 85mtrs on a jig.
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, I was over the moon, set a goal of a 20kg plus GT and scored 2 well over that, a dream forfilled,We fished for another 3 days on MV Hakula, caught allsorts of fish, even a Sailfish, and lots of heads, sharks are pretty quck over there,All in all it was a BRILLIANT fishing holiday, cant thank Jeff and his team and Kurt for giving us such a good time, making plans on what next 
Kurt Carlsen with his hand in a GT`s gob, Brave man!Replies:
Posted By: yellafin
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 7:04am
| Orsum fishing! |
Posted By: J-D
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 7:07am
Wicked stuff . . you must be stoked 
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Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 7:44am
Well stoked Dorjam, I am hooked on the popper fishing bug now , it is so exciting, watching something come up out of nowhere and slam your lure, cant praise Kurt & Jeff enough for their efforts putting us on the spots,
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Posted By: kaveman
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 8:28am
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Well done Royce and Jim, great fish
-------------  www.kavemantackle.co.nz
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Posted By: Double Shot
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 8:45am
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Top stuff, great fish and awesome report, keep it up boys....nothing like a happy angler! ------------- 70ml of 90deg C water pressurised through 13g of roasted finely ground tamped coffee for 25sec's to make a distinguishing sensory hit called a Double Shot |
Posted By: andy2fish
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 9:39am
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great fishing ------------- If only I could fly |
Posted By: ginga
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 10:02am
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Well done, awesome trip ------------- www.extremesportfishing.co.nz. Agent for Carpenter, Orion and ASWB products |
Posted By: YeeHaa
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 11:49am
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NICE LOOKING FISH- TOP TRIP
-------------   WWW.YEEHAA.CO.NZ (09)5705058 30 Jellicoe Road Panmure |
Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 12:33pm
Yes it was a great trip, and I have to thank you Tony for all the knot tying, popper and stickbaiting lessons you gave me, I am sure it all helped me get those beasties
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Posted By: ancient mariner
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 4:44pm
| Mate, that must have been the hell rush! Seems stickbaits are the way to go, hmmmmm just check mr bank balance........... |
Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 5:06pm
We got the most action on a Skipjack 150 popper, Yo-zuri sliders and Cubera 120 where pretty good as well, but Kurt says it changes day to day, I took 18 various poppers and 8 Stickbaits to cover most options, lost 4 lures after all the action, not a bad score from what I hear
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Posted By: Capt Asparagus
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 6:09pm
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Very nice fish well done. I wish I had some luck with my stickbaits, had no joy with them at all, but once we changed back to poppers, it was all on again. Still perseverance will pay I am sure, next trip I will plug away ('scuse the pun" with them again I am sure. Nice big GTs, you should be well pleased! |
Posted By: johnny_A
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 8:34pm
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Great fish! Looks like the trip proved to be everything you'd hope for.
Cheers John |
Posted By: Redwaka
Date Posted: 24 Jul 2010 at 9:19pm
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Hey Royce Nice fish mate
 . Im heading to vava u end of September  . Planning on staying at Luckys and fishing with Kurt. Any tips comments about gear to take etc be greatly appreciated. |
Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 11:35am
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Hi Redwaka, as you have probably found out by now, you could spend a fortune on this type of gear, I took a good selection of poppers and sticks, on our trip the Nomad skipjack 150, Cubera 120 and Yo-Zuri sliders 140s where the go, but it will change from day to day, 80lbs braid is needed, I got busted real quick with 65lbs, 150lbs leader was ok, as for rods and reels, I have a Stella 10k and used a Shimano 24kg spin rod, my mate jim used a Spheros 18k and a new Kilwell popper rod, both outfits did the job, just how much do you spend?
Kurt is a great guy, he will give you a pre-fishing talk and let you know what to do, e-mail him and ask him what the good oil is nearer the date of your trip,
Last and most important, drink a lot of water when your fishing over there, and some of those electrolite packs would help as well, on the 3rd day of fishing I could hardly stand up ,and got wicked cramps in my hands and arms from dehydration, you forget do drink and eat properly when you have so much fun
, its a warm place 17 degrees south of the equarter, |
Posted By: Redwaka
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 2:59pm
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Awesome Royze Have a stella 10k loaded with 80lb and a synit popper rod (as well as fly gear, light spin etc etc). I currently have 9 poppers from williamson jets to a couple of cuberas re rigged with owner rings and hooks. Will also chuck in a few rapalas. Will take plenty of spare leaders etc. Did you do any fishing from the shore? Also keen to get a day out on a boat chasing a doggie and also mahi mahi onthe fly. Would you rate Hakula?
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Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 3:13pm
Wicked stuff Royze what a trip awesome
Did you get to eat any GT's just wondering what they taste like...? ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 4:58pm
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No we did not taste the GT, had plenty of Mahi-mahi, Coral trout and grenn Jobfish, all very nice, but the best for me was yellow-fin sushimi, with soy/wasabi sauce, it melted in your mouth,
Redwaka, we did a bit of shore fishing, Blue-fin trevally where the target, very wily fish, chased lures, then had a go with live-baits, but they always shied away at the last moment, Rapalas are a bit fragile for the things over there, even the small stuff have teeth a Couta would be proud of, stick with the solid wood lures, or the river2sea/Yo-Zuri type plastic lures, they get a good chewing, even from fish that drop them in seconds,
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Posted By: ET487
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 4:58pm
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[QUOTE=Catchelot]Wicked stuff Royze what a trip awesome
Did you get to eat any GT's just wondering what they taste like...? [/QUOTE
Nice fish Royce.
They taste real good,bake in light flour and spices with a little bit of oil.Add some sweet chili and yumm
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Posted By: Redwaka
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 6:13pm
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cheers Royze Hopefully I will have a story or two to share on my return
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Posted By: Tiger Fish
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 6:31pm
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Well done Roy, beauty of a fish mate! ------------- I only fish with Jigstar rods!!! |
Posted By: Striper
Date Posted: 25 Jul 2010 at 8:23pm
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Wicked fish are all the rumours true about there fight??
------------- All fishermen are liars except for you and me, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure about you, hahaha |
Posted By: Royze
Date Posted: 26 Jul 2010 at 4:31pm
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Yes Striper, all the rumours are pretty true, they go real hard, I had the drag set at 12kgs at first, then cranked it up a bit on the first run, so might be 14kgs now, they pull hard out right up to the end, until they are in the boat, pretty good when in the boat, which I thought was strange, Kurt told us not to think they fight like a Kingfish, and I really think he is right, real savage strikes, with 80lbs braid near pulls the rod out of your hands
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