Bugatti reef Poppin Mad adventure

Spent the whole of last week onboard with Seafever Sportfishing Whitsundays, exploring the area surrounding Bugatti Reef. This is approx 100nm SE of Shute Harbour. Wow, what a crazy place! We found current that would have been running close to 10 kts in places! There were also some very odd reef formations, that on low tide, looked like rocks from Mars or something.
This trip was primarily targeting Giant Trevally on topwater gear, but we ended up with a great variety of fish using different techniques.
Yes, we did catch plenty of GTs on poppers and stickbaits, and some nice ones too, but the really big ones were found and caught on bait at the overnight anchorages! We got a few around the 40kg mark and saw some even bigger!! In fact the life that congregated behind the boat each night was incredible and something that set this area apart from many others I've been too. Within minutes of downing anchor, there would be a couple of Leopard sharks behind the boat and the GTs wouldn't be far behind. Unfortunately there was also some reef sharks at a couple of the anchorages and they would nab any reefies hooked on light gear.
The other highlight was a couple of sessions on the outside of the reef, jogging some of the shoals for Dogtooth. We ended up landing 8 Doggies altogether, as well as a swag of bycatch like Green Jobfish, Iron Jaw Jobfish, more GTs, Red Bass and some good Coral Trout. Very cool!
Trolling between reefs produced a ENDLESS supply of Shark Mackeral (not another one!) and some trophy Spaniards and again, more GTs. In fact, one of the best GTs caught on the trip, came from a trolled stickbait. It was well back, and we hooked (yet another) Shark Mackeral on one of the shorter deep divers. Parri was working the stickbait back to the boat while this was going on and got nailed by a trophy GT!
Another awesome trip with Seafever! We are planning another run to Bugatti next year to see if we can replicate the action.

Looks like an awesome trip boys.
Well done.

Looks like a cracker of a trip boys, well done and memories to treasure. Miles = smiles.

Awesome trip thanks for the report well done

Wicked trip boys. Envious. Got to get out there one day

There's talk about doing a trip to Bugatti with our trailerboats and mothership. It's good ground for smaller boats, being so much reef structure to hide behind.

Awesome trip guys.
Are those bent treble hooks GT recorders?
I wonder how Mustard hoodlum singles would go quite cheap in comparison and they are very strong.

Great trip looking at your pics. Some real brutes in amongst them.

I've had a look 👀 n the maps and can't find the reef you mention. 100nm SE would make it south of Mackay wouldn't it?

Heading out Friday night towing 7.3 meter CC behind cruiser and using Knuckle reef as a base. 7 trailer boats coming out Saturday at dawn. Will be fishing Stucco and Joist, right to the edge of the shelf with doggies the main target on Sunday and flat seas the forecast. Also planning to give the reds and nannies a bit of a tune up just wide of knuckle at low water Saturday night. Will put up and trip report and some pics next week Got to love the Whitsundays.

Good one KC, I checked out your blog, nice work! I hope you get a few Doogies.

Just interested in what action you put on those jerk shads to get trout and red throat?


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Originally Posted by odes20

Just interested in what action you put on those jerk shads to get trout and red throat?


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im not a plastics expert, but I think the boys just hopped them back from the bottom. The Red Throats were thick out there, so it didn't take much to get them!