Montebello Magic

By Jason Taylor

I am a pretty frequent visitor to the Pilbara region and Montebello Islands.  This year my trip was for two beautiful long weeks.  Fishing with Blue Lightning Charters on their 55 foot live aboard mother ship, we did it in style, and for the serious fishing we had a 34 foot Blackwatch, to play out wide on the beakies and a 25 foot center console Boston Whaler to pop for GT’s in and around the shallows......What an awesome set up to fish the remote far north west coast of Australia. On with way out to the islands (6hrs, 120kms), we stopped along the way to have a jig on the reefs in an average 30-40 meters of water.  The jigging sessions were out of control with six way hook ups on quality reef species.  Coral trout, rankin cod, GTs, red emperors, and many others were all in good supply.  On more than one occasion the trevally would cause absolute mayhem with a six way spiderweb of crossovers creating major tangles, but that's jigging!. You can only laugh about it over a quite drink at the end of the day.  Top water fishing for the GTs during the first half of the trip was hard work, with numbers down from last year and the fish shut down.  Even the occasional catch of XL Spaniards was welcome, a species that we normally want nowhere near the expensive stick baits and poppers with their mouth full of razors!  At the half way mark, it was time to return back to port to refuel and stock up on supplies, and to change over the crew.  As the second week came around with glassed out conditions, the water turned an electric blue, what a magic place to be.  We fished my favorite spot, Tryall Rocks, and it  was on!  There were some really big GTs around with two of the boys getting well and truly smoked by massive fish. Once again there were some mixed species, red bass, cod, Maori sea perch and the lure stealing mackerel. The fish of the trip was caught by part-time decky, Chris, on only his 6^th cast, and he hooked and landed a black beast of 40kg, taking the popper right next to the boat under my nose.  All up it was another great sports fishing trip, from sails and black marlin caught on spin gear, coral trout on plastics, flying mackerel on stick baits, to wrestling sharks at night whilst at anchor, cant wait to get back!  

Bali GT's and the October full moon

By John Cahill

 Ebb Tide Adventures and Adhek Sport Fishing have just hosted four clients over the October full moon phase - usually a time when things start to fire up on the GT front in Bali.  Day one saw Adhek ill and his son Rezza fill his shoes along with skipper Kasmir and top guide Gede.  Clients Marc, Craig and Chris were soon into the swing of things at Batu Abah and popping like men possessed.   A lazy current at odds with the predicted hi flow with the full moon concerned me greatly however a reasonable bite ensued with 7 bites and 5 fish boated.  Not at all bad for a 'poor' day in Bali.  The star performer was the Adhek Bali Cuttle popper with a River 2 Sea Doggie sinking stick bait also claiming a scalp.  A highlight of the day was a long standing ambition to jump in and swim a GT fulfilled - priceless to watch this girl swim away.  With day one done and dusted everyone had scored a GT.  Day two saw the arrival of another client David and an early start had us making the considerable trek to Lombok, some two hours or so from the port at Benoa.  Again Adhek was unwell and we had the same crew as day one.  On arrival at Lombok the water looked wicked and the current was running hard - the day proved to be a bit of a disappointment however with many follows but not one positive hit from a GT.  This was at complete odds with the conditions and fish numbers we came across, but that's fishing, the GT's had a dose of lock jaw.  A couple of extremely large and smelly barracuda and some nice eating Almacojacks taken on jig saved the day from being a loss, as well as the scenery. 

Day 3 was back to Batu Abah and a slight change of crew.  With Adhek still unwell the boys did a tag team and Rezza had commitments so Angga stepped in; capable lads these Amerta boys Adhek should be proud!  The main popping site was again flat - this full moon was not producing the tides and current that had been expected but the water was flogged with poppers and stick baits by the eager but tiring crew.  The day produced 9 bites for 4 boated GT's and quite a few other half swipes and boils..... not bad at all for a slow current day in Bali.  A solid bricking by a much better than average GT kept the imagination firing for next time..... the Adhek Bali Pom Pom popper was the versatile star performer this day.  A very amusing and slightly embarrassing side note that concerns myself must be told .... Early after lunch I found myself on the bow casting platform -  as I fired in my first cast of the afternoon using the new Adhek Big Buffalo popper (it casts a mile), I was met with a strike on the 3rd pop that I was not quite prepared for.  Banging hard against the bow rail and hanging on for dear life I struck the fish from an awkward position and managed to somehow lose my grip completely as the rod sailed over the rail and into the drink.... without too much thinking a dive in saw the rod in my hands and a swim against a fish that was now behaving itself saw the rod in safe hands.  Climbing aboard sans my new pair of Spotters sunglasses (grrrrrrr) I grabbed the rod again and thankfully finished the business.  It shows the power and ferocity of even a modest sized GT and the weakness of my girly wrists!.  A reminder to myself to pay attention - and hang on!  But that's what I love about GT top water fishing - the violence!!!!