Trolling and all it's cracked up to be.

As usual the weather plays a big part in our fishing lives and this trip is no different. The day before it was sunny and dead calm, albeit a bit hot but calm none the less. Of course I could not get out on that lovely day. So when we finally get out the weather changes and not really for the better.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

The decision was made to do a bit of trolling to get some food fish. Now I must be clear here, I hate trolling, unless of course the bite is red hot, which happens about never for me.

So a trolling we go. A nice spread of lures out the back and a steady burn of fuel.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

Time to settle in for the long haul.

Of course when you troll with friends you have the chance to break up the monotony with goofy antics and lots of laughs.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

During one of our laugh sessions the short corner goes off and we are suddenly thrust into fishing mode. As Nick grabs the rod and sets the hook we quickly realize he is onto something we all dread to catch, Garbage!!!!

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

And Thai garbage at that. At least it broke up the morning.

After what seems like forever we finally we find the birds.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

And when you find the birds many times you will find the fish. This time that is exactly what happened.

First up was Cordula and her first Mahi Mahi and probably her first fish bigger than a trout.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Kordula

Then it was Joe's turn and he also landed a nice Mahi Mahi.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

Now it is Becky's turn and of course with her outfit she had to land something different, so it's a Wahoo for her.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

Next up it is Nicks turn and he is very fired up for a nice Yellowfin. Not long after we get the spread set again the long corner goes off and Nick skull drags a small Rainbow Runner to the boat. Not quite the 50kg Yellowfin but a beauty of a fish and nice eating.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

It is afternoon by now and we have all had enough trolling so we decide to head in to the reefs for a popping session.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

Nick lands the first one on popper and it is a nice Red Bass.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

Followed by four more of them. A few of them were quite big and gave head shakes like a GT.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

Rosie decides she has to get into the action and fires off a few casts. As is usual with her she is soon onto a nice GT and this fellow has some serious attitude. It runs her around the boat and gives a good accounting of itself. Even when boat side it is still putting up a fight. When it is brought onboard it gnashes it's teeth at us. Easy there fella your going back in.

From Fishing with Nick, Becky Joe, Cordula

As you can tell in the photos, the weather came around and we had a good day out. Not to mention we put some fish in the freezer.

Tight lines

Fishing report for first week of June

Our last two trips out have been quite good. We have added a few new species to the capture list and the weather has been holding steady.

From XstreemFishingCom

We did a bit of trolling on the first day. After all it is Wahoo season and they do taste good.

From XstreemFishingCom

Now, with a Wahoo on board it was time to try for something else. Out come the skirts and here comes the Mahimahi.

From XstreemFishingCom

For those of you who have never caught a Mahimahi before let me tell you. They give a good fight, especially on light tackle but the kicker is when you bring them in the boat, they go mad. They are actually very dangerous, especially with hooks in their mouths. The best thing to do is put a wet towel over their eyes and they will calm down enough for you to hog tie them. If you miss with the towel look out, they are going to go ballistic. The upside to all of this is they taste great.

The next trip out saw us poppering the reef with 30lb and 50lb spinning gear. This time my good friend Captain Charles Wakeham took the wheel so I could also fish.

First up is a nice little Queen fish.

From XstreemFishingCom

That is followed closely by a Red Sea Bass. Normally considered a by-catch when fishing for GT's, but they do put up a good fight on lighter gear.

From XstreemFishingCom

As always when fishing around reefs you can expect sharks. Usually Black tip and White tip sharks are the first to turn up. Here is a nice Black tip caught on a popper.

From XstreemFishingCom

Going home without a GT under our belt just wont due. So here is a nice one I caught on 30lb.

From XstreemFishingCom

Here is a video of some of the fight with the GT.

Tight lines and Screaming drags

Is Bigger Always Better?

There seems to be a fad in fishing these days. Wait a minute, there is always some fad in fishing that’s how all those tackle stores make so much money. Come to think of it I read that Americans spend 45 billion dollars a year on fishing. Wow, like the fish care if you hook them with a $40.00 lure or a home made jobber that cost $2.00. However, I digress from my original fishing fad not FAD topic.
I have noticed that bigger is definitely the trend. Bigger fish and bigger gear. Bigger fish have always been on most anglers’ minds, but I am talking a lot bigger. I am talking about Sampson fish up to 50kg, Giant Trevally to 50kg, Wahoo, and Sail fish all caught on spinning reels using jigs and poppers. In order to catch these monster trucks of the deep you have to have big gear and the favorite seems to be spinning reels.
Catching these big brutes on spinning gear has only been possible recently due to technological advances by fishing gear manufacturers. The Shimano Stella 20000 and Daiwa Dog fight 6500 are just two of the big names that have built super tough spinning reels that can handle 60kg braid and 20kg’s of drag. That is what is needed if you are going to have a chance at stopping a big GT. This gear is really something else, including the price. At $700.00 plus for a reel, not including line or rod, not everyone can afford it. That is a lot of money for a working stiff to shell out for gear that may only get used once a year.
I have no less than four fishing magazines with cover shots and stories about fishing for really big fish with spinning gear. Usually the fishing takes place in far away places that are hard to get to. Some trips entail a float plane flight to get to the mother ship. The trips are always expensive and always involve huge high end spinning gear. I personally enjoy reading about the exotic locations and battles with massive fish but the truth be known, it is priced out of the ordinary persons budget.
I have been fishing here in Fiji for 9+ years and have caught a few big fish. Usually the fish are more like 1-2kg and the occasional 5kg fish. In my opinion a 5kg fish is a good size fish, especially with 7kg line and a 4000 size reel. A GT of that size can pull your socks off and if it decides to fight dirty you will lose. No if’s and’s or but’s about it, no matter the size and length of your leader when a GT decides to end the fight it will find a rock and bust you off. That is unless it decides to spool you, in that case you go home with an empty spool and tell some fish stories about the one that got away.
The idea of fishing for really big fish with really expensive gear is all well and good and a nice dream. Back to reality, right size your fishing gear for the fish you are catching and the fight can be everything you dreamed of without the sore back and empty wallet. The idea is to maximize the fight so you are not skull dragging the fish to your feet. You might want to consider downsizing your gear this will give the fish a better chance and give you a better fight. The learning curve is steep when you are a bit under gunned. You need to learn new fighting techniques and once you have figured it out you will have as good a fight as you will ever get.
The idea of huge fish being caught with top line gear in exotic locations is great to dream about. There is no real substitute for good quality fishing gear, but you do not have to spend a fortune or travel half way around the world to have a great fight and catch a nice fish. Your regular fishing haunts can provide you with all of the fish fighting excitement you need. Try sizing your gear for the fight. You may not always win but you can have a great time trying.
Tight lines and screaming drags

"Tools of my trade" or "Weapons of choice"

I have not been out fishing for a couple of days but I got to thinking maybe I should share with you the gear I use. Let's start from the early days of my saltwater fishing here in Fiji. My first set up was a Cabela's Salt Striker SS30. With 8lb braid and a 7ft grafite rod, it was an adequate set up that would be blown away by large GT's. Next I went to a Quantum Boca BSP30BTS spooled with 10lb braid. It was and is a good reel but just not up to the task. The big fish gave the little reel a work out and it just could not keep up. I also own a Quantum Cabo CSP60PTS spooled with 30lb P-Line Spectrex IV braid matched to a 7 1/2 ft graphite rod. I can not fault this reel as it has never let me down. It is just a bit big for everyday use, but it will knock over a nice size fish. Using braid it holds a lot of line and with plenty drag, I have taken out a wahoo and some big GT's.




















I finally made a trip to Australia for a vacation and decided it was time to get a new reel. This time the choice would be a Shimano Symetre 4000FI spooled with 15lb P-Line Spectrex IV braid and matched to a 7 ft graphite medium action spinning rod. Now this set up has been a really good work horse for me. I catch a lot of big fish and have put as much as 5kg of drag on the reel and it has never failed. I have had it for over a 18 months and use it exclusively in the saltwater without a problem. The beauty is I can catch smaller fish and it is still a good fight. I normally use about 2.5-3kg of drag and with that setting even a small Mangrove Jack can put up a good fight.

If I am going outside the reef to fish for the big ones then I have a Shimano Tiagra 30 2speed spooled with 30lb mono and matched to a Shimano T-Curve rod. What can I say this is a great rod and reel combonation. It feels great in your hands and works flawlessly. It costs a bloody fortune but it is worth it.

There are a few other bits and pieces I have come to swear by. The Lindy fish handling glove is a must if you do not want to get poked by spiney fish. I usually use a left one as I hold my rod with my right hand. I am not going to debate the left or right handed fishing technique now. I will also carry a right hand glove in the boat incase someone else gets a really big fish and I need two hands. The other must have is a good pair of stainless steel needle nose pliers for taking hooks out.

Well there it is, the basics of my fishing gear. In a future post I will show step by step how to service a spinning reel. Any questions post them in the comments.

Tight lines and screaming drags