Giant Trevally popping in India

It’s not hard to understand why fishing for Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobolis) has become so popular in recent times.  In any sport, a small group of diehards always search out the extreme and, in angling, fishing for GTs is exactly this. For those uninitiated to this side of the sport, hooking a large GT could be compared to having a train suddenly attached to the end of your line.  The South Africans, for example, have suitably corrupted the scientific name to Ignobus which exactly sums up this formidable opponent.

 

A long journey led to the capture of this solid, west Indian Giant Trevally.

 

Giant Trevally freely smash large surface baits and possess unbelievable fighting qualities, which is exactly why they have gained such a following.  Add these characteristics to the fact that fish can be found in good numbers throughout the Indo Pacific region of the world and you immediately have a popular angling species.  Initially, it was just for those specialist anglers who were ‘in the know’, but in the last decade or so the fishing world has gone GT mad and it seems everyone has this species on their bucket list.
 

Lures suitable for GTs

 

Before you rush out and start throwing lures for GTs it’s worth spending some time to research the species and the tackle needed to subdue one of these beasts.  The first thing to remember is always to practise catch and release!  Even though the species occurs over a large area and is relatively common in certain places, year after year pressure on Trevally increases from recreational anglers and, to a larger extent, from commercial fishermen.  We must all do our bit to ensure that there are fish for the next generation to catch.  Thankfully, it seems that the majority of serious GT anglers now release their catches after a quick photo.

 

Shimano Saragosa 18000s used to pop for GTs

 

It would be very foolhardy to attempt to fish for large GTs without an adequate tackle set!  A purpose-made rod for popping or stick baiting, of a reputable brand, should be used together with a quality reel from a manufacturer such as Shimano or Daiwa. Skimp on your set up and it’s almost guaranteed that the result will be disappointment when you finally hook that fish of a lifetime.  The overall tackle set up will depend on the area to be fished as well as the expected size of fish.  Generally, deeper water will allow for lighter tackle and more snaggy, shallow areas require everything to be beefed up to offer maximum pulling power.  Of course, as you gain more experience, tackle can be refined to suit your individual needs.  There is plenty of Information about tackle choice on the web, but please feel free to email me should you need some advice.

 

Abbey shows off a well used Halco Roosta popper.

 

Casting poppers and stick baits for large GTs shouldn’t be taken lightly.  Put quite simply, it’s damned hard work, and that’s before you even hook a fish.  Working large poppers and stick baits will quickly cause your back and arms to burn so it pays to be in top condition before embarking on a trip.  Should you hook a fish, then real work will begin.  The fight will be very hard, but not drawn out over a long period. GT fights are usually decided in the first couple of minutes and should you manage to keep the fish from the sanctuary of the reef during the initial few runs then the drag can be loosened a touch and the pressure eased.

Markus and his fantastic land-based GT.

 

I’ve toyed in the past with the idea of joining an arranged trip to one of the tried and tested GT destinations such as Oman or New Caledonia, but have eventually always decided against it.  It would be the easy way, but I knew from the beginning that it would be far more satisfying to track down one of these brutes myself, particularly where they hadn’t previously been specifically targeted.  And, I’ve known for a few years that large fish are present along the coast of India.  Specimens can be seen in the larger fish markets and there have been a sporadic captures by anglers over the years, but nothing consistent to follow up.  On the west coast, over the years, we have caught many juvenile Trevally, but nothing large until, finally, whilst kayaking from Mumbai to Goa, Nils landed one of twenty kilos on a trolled lure.  The next day I connected to an almost identically sized fish, but lost it to the reef after a hard fight.  The sight of it swimming slowly away hasn’t ever left my memory.

Nils and the 20kg Giant Trevally that took a trolled Minnow lure.

 

The hunt was truly on and Markus was next to take up the challenge.  Casting poppers from the rocks he landed a great fish of around twenty kilos, along with a few smaller specimens.  The area we fished was rough to say the least and a certain amount of luck was needed successfully to guide any hooked fish around the submerged rocks.  Then, one day, I hooked a big specimen that really tested my tackle and skill to the limit and, after what seemed like an eternity, victory seemed to be mine.  Markus had seen the fight unfold and was on his way to help land the monster fish, but disaster struck as the GT wallowed in the seemingly safe water below the rocks.  I should have known from prior experience that the fight’s not over until it’s really over!  The fish suddenly, but slowly, shook its immense head and cut the 100lb leader on an oyster shell and it was another unlucky ending for me.

Playing a 30 kilo+ GT on the West Indian coast.

 

Recently, we decided to concentrate on a few new areas where it looked likely that large fish might patrol.  However, the weather made fishing on our chosen days a little difficult as northerlies whipped across the sea and coloured the water making conditions hardly perfect for popping.  We did manage a few sessions, but only small, juvenile fish took the lures.  Nevertheless, a few solid fish followed and boiled near the end of the retrieves, but weren’t keen enough actually to commit and strike the lures.  It was frustrating to see these better fish turn away, but at least we knew they were there, and when conditions came right there would be a good chance of catching them.

GT lures - hooks and split rings should be upgraded for catching GT on  lures.

 

The colour and clarity of the sea improved with a change of wind direction and once again the water  once again became aquamarine.  Every day the wind still picked up from late morning and produced a nice chop, which from my experience could mean the difference between success and failure.  Leaders were re-tied and checked for strength and tackle prepared to make sure no mistakes were made should we find the fish.

 

Abbey and his first good Trevally.

 

Early afternoon and the first haymakers started to fly over the shallow reefs.  This large, cup-faced lure is both highly visual and audible so any fish in the area can’t possibly miss it.  These lures are harder to work than more ‘subtle’ stick baits, but with the fish having never experienced artificials before it seemed maximum disturbance might be the answer.  And it didn’t take too long to draw a response from the resident GTs.  A fish of around ten kilos zipped and darted behind the lures like an underwater fighter plane, but chose not to strike.  The speed and reaction of the fish was incredible and a sight that will make any fisherman go weak at knees.  Even as we prepared the tackle back at base camp my heart beat had increased, but now it was fully up there as adrenaline surged through my body.

Mid-sized GT that wasn't too shy to attack the popper.

 

A few casts later and the water erupted behind Abbey’s popper as a large fish tried hard to secure what it thought was a fleeing baitfish.  However, although it missed the lure, it continued the chase and a second later the water’s surface exploded again and this time a solid hook-up resulted.  Immediately the Trevally realised its error and tried to turn to the safety of the reef, but the tight clutch severely checked its progress.  The stiff rod bucked again and again from the powerful tail beats, but slowly the pressure was too much and the fish had no choice but to turn and try a different escape route.  This was the fatal mistake for the Trevally because now it headed away from the snags into deeper water where control was much easier.  Now, away from the protection of the reef, the fish could only sulk in the deeper water, using its weight and body shape to resist the pull from above.  After a minute of slow tussle it came to the surface, finally beaten and ready to be landed.  We always use barbless hooks so the lure was quickly removed, some photographs taken to record the special moment and, much to the amazement of the crew, the fish released to live to fight another day.

 

Another hard-fighting GT for Abbey.

 

Another fish followed a few minutes later and I briefly hooked up to what seemed to be a solid specimen, but unfortunately the hook pulled.  The more we cast the more worked up the fish became, but I knew the action would end as quickly as it had started.  The last strike came to my lure and this time the fish seemed to be well hooked.  I resisted letting it gain any ground in the direction of the reef and, quickly, it turned and came to the boat as the tackle got the upper hand.  It was a smaller fish of around eight or nine kilos, but very much welcome.  After this fish, things became very quiet so we decided to leave and return a few days later.

 

On the way to the popping areas, these Yellow- finned Trevally took our trolled lures.

 

On the next trip, the journey out to where we wanted to fish was a little rough and we knew that, later in the day, when we returned, sea conditions would be much worse.  Still, the boatman was happy to go and, with his vast experience, who were we to argue?  The only question was would it be possible to fish the spots we had chosen if the sea did become considerably rougher?  The boat was large and the reef in some places was shallow so it could be risky.  However, we needn’t have worried because we were in very safe hands and we witnessed some of the finest and most skilful boat control around.  As the day progressed, the wind came up and the sea became much rougher, making fishing very difficult.  Keeping one’s balance whilst casting and retrieving was very difficult, but, with the prospect of big fish as a reward, we struggled on. Action was slow and we started wondering whether the fish could actually detect our lures in the rough water.  Earlier in the day, I had optimistically predicted a 30kg fish, but now our hopes were waning.

After nearly two hours of fishing nothing had happened and, during this time, it was impossible to see if any fish had followed the lures.  By now, we were thoroughly wet and excitement and expectation had slowly changed to boredom and weariness.  The heavy tackle was taking its toll on our arms so we agreed to try one last spot, which looked interesting.

 

Even with the rough water I could make out a rock shelf sloping gently away from a pinnacle so that’s where I cast, far out into the white water.  The first and second retrieves yielded nothing, but, as I started to crank the handle on the third cast a huge fish suddenly appeared and smashed into the popper.  Where the take occurred, the water was hardly more than a metre deep and, with rock behind it, the fish had nowhere to go.  With a line tight and the tackle straining, the big GT churned the water to froth as it tried again and again to shed the lure.  This worked in my favour by giving me enough time to apply huge pressure in order to draw the fish over the sloping rock into deeper water.  However, it wasn’t easy and the powerful fish tried its best to hold its ground.  The El Toro rod performed flawlessly and, slowly, I was able to draw the impressive beast towards the boat and the safety of the deeper water.

 

Another image of the pick of the bunch.  A powerful fish indeed!

 

I quietly prayed that we would successfully land this GT because it would undoubtedly be the largest so far.  It didn’t give up easily, but the tackle held and after five minutes of deep slogging I passed the rod to Abbey and hauled the fish aboard.  Everyone on the boat was ecstatic.  My prediction had come true and, before I knew it, even the boat driver was giving me a congratulatory hug!   Horrified that no one was at the wheel in such a rough sea, I politely asked him to return to his post!  After photographs, the fish was returned to the water and, on a real high, we headed back to shore through the rough sea. The boat suddenly seemed quite small as wave after wave broke over the bow and soaked us to the skin, but spirits were high and a trip that might have been tedious provided time for reflection of what had just happened. It had been a long journey to track this fish down and finally I had realised my dream.