Pickhandle Barracuda off the beach..
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=59417
Printed Date: 05 Jun 2026 at 5:10am
Topic: Pickhandle Barracuda off the beach..
Posted By: Nepptune
Subject: Pickhandle Barracuda off the beach..
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 1:27am
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Did a recent camp out mission to some sandspit barrier islands off the central Mozambique coast... full feral mission, logistically pretty hectic, which really cut down on any decent fishing time, so missed out on my GT ( apart from a a dozen or so in the 2 t 5 kilo range on softbait gear ) but managed this bugger off the beach in the surf at last light, with the last cast of the trip...
Its a pickhandle barracuda, or Sea Pike as we call them.... gotta say its the biggest one I've seen personally, although I'm sure they do get bigger....
Not a major trophy, and unfortunately not the 40 kilo GT I have been searching for, but still a fun and different capture for me.... He hit the popper in the white wash of the shorebreak, with me standing thigh deep in the surf, not more than 5 metres off the rod tip....
He smashed a DarkStar/Heru/Nomad Cubera 150 in purple, rigged with a Gamakatsu GT recorder Treble off the belley, and a Jobu single 10/0 on the back which is what pinned him...
    Tackle used:
Ripplefisher Final Spirit 79H
Stella 18000SW
Varivas GT MAx PE 10
Yeah, he didn't really have a chance against that gear, I was loaded for a 40 kilo plus GT in the surf off the beach, but gave a pretty good account of himself in that roiling white water and a ripping outgoing tide....
The search for the 40 Kilo GT continues...
------------- TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH. 
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Replies:
Posted By: Falco
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 6:07am
 Cool Andre,I imagine camping in Mozambique would be an experience in itself!
You using twisties or single strand off the shore? I cant quite tell
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Posted By: Nepptune
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 6:20am
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Smartie - SHot bud... was a serious mission... of the 5 days there, 4 of them were spent missioning to try get set up!!!! so in the end, VERY little fishing time...wicked adventure though, and incredible part of the world up around the Sao Sebastien penninsula and Bazaruto Archipelago....
I experimented a bit with leaders on this trip, fished a mix of Single strand with PR connection, SIngle strand wind one straight to hollowcore JB, and Twsities with Bite leaders/traces...
Was using the singles strands for stickbaits, and the twisties ( 120lb Suffix Zippy ) with a 240lb FISHERMAN bite leader of about 120cm, and using the same connection that Nomad uses, can't remember what its called ( Cairns Quickie?? ) for the popping stick, as it was geared for use around some foul ground which we didn't end up fishing... its what I was using on this rig... casted like a dream, and took the pressure nicely with some stretch on such a short hit right off the rod tip in the roiling white water and wash back of the dropping tide ( 3 - 4 metre tidal zone, so LOTS of water ripping out ).....
Then again, I would expect nothing less of the Ripplefisher when it comes to crisp casting.... that rod is amazing.... 150 gram popper with a bit of hardware added sailed miles into the surf zone, despite the relatively short length of 7'9".... And working big poppers with that rod requires so little effort from the angler... just a small twitch and BOOOOOOM that cup face detonates.... fun toy!
Cheers
Dre ------------- TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH.
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Posted By: Catchelot
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 8:24am
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Nice Cuda there Nepptune...do you fellas eat those things? ------------- "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau |
Posted By: mozz
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 10:42am
| I just broke in my new fly rod with a similar sized specimen at the bahama's last weekend. they go alright for smelly cuda although I am surprised that one still has a jaw after he was skull dragged in on that setup |
Posted By: SamMcK
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 10:56am
| Great photo Andre, have you fished Pomene land based? |
Posted By: ChrisW
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 5:22pm
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nice Dre!
Was Roy with you? ------------- give it death! |
Posted By: Nepptune
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 8:24pm
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Hey Chris ,
No Roy wasn't on this trip with me, it was just Earl and myself... Roy had just come back from St Lazarus banks the bugger... they nailed over 60 GT's on popper amongst other things.... lucky mailto:b@stards - b@stards !!!
Sam - I haven't fished Pomene at all unfortunately, but I've heard its an amazing Land based spots with guys hooking Sailfish off the stones there even....
Moz is such an enormous country with so much incredible coastline and oppotunity... I hope to spend more and more time there in search of that monster GT... getting one on a popper or Stickbait in the surf would be a true trophy... and its definitely doable as hundreds of big GT's are taken there every year in the surf on plugs and live baits...
Mozz - yeah they do go a bit, bit like you say, this chap got a bit skull dragged... :-) ------------- TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH.
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Posted By: SamMcK
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2010 at 9:49pm
Yep I was not there for fishing and the weather was terible but had a look at the local ledge at the old hotel and it was mean. The photos in the beach bar were enough for me to want to go back with rods one day. BIG permit (on baits I guess) and GTs and a bit cheaper to get to than Bazaruto e.t.c., your a lucky man to be able to get to thost places realatively (African roads aside  ) easily. |
Nepptune wrote:Posted By: laidbackdood
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2010 at 3:47pm
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Nice fish mate....Can i ask why you have a treble under the belly and a single at the back of that popper? Seen a few people experimenting with this sort of thing....I presume you are trying to keep a bit more weight under the belly to keep the popper flat? ------------- Once the idiots turn up..Im outta here...No time for Drama Queens. |
Posted By: Bunzo
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2010 at 11:14pm
Cam [Stellajigger] caught this monster at Marion reef on a Musky Stickbait, it was safer outside the boat 
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Posted By: Nepptune
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2010 at 1:31am
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Hey Bun,
We got a decent Greater on a recent trip to Hells Gate a few months back as well... the purple Cubera doing the damage once again...
 The sharp end of those things is well worth avoiding!!!
LBD2 - I was fishing mainly big trebles on this trip on all the rigs, poppers and sticks, but decided on a Big single on the tail of the Cubera for some reason, not sure why... vareity is the spice of life I guess... :-)
We were popping in pretty trubulent water, in the surf zone and such, and I like the way a big Treble on the belly has the "grip" to hold the popper in the water better in rough water.... not sure if my reasoning is sound, but it works... sort of... ------------- TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH.
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Posted By: Bunzo
Date Posted: 12 Nov 2010 at 8:26pm
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The big Trebles certainly help when a bit of grip is needed, more so on Stickbaits. -------------
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