Originally Posted by
Oceanranger24
Not sure if you guys know, but you have a GT legend living here in Brisbane. Look up MB Custom Lures. There is a web page and facebook and Le, pronounced LAY is a great guy who loves GT's to the point that he started making lures about 5 years ago. These things are all handmade and get sent all around the world these days. The budget end of the collection are around $50 but the top end go for up to $600 each. These things usually live on the trophy cabinet. As a testament to the quality of his lures, many of the guides use his gear on a replacement basis cos they really work. As to gear, i am a bit cheap and use budget gear, but you need to have stuff that gives you 20kg of drag. the retrieve ratio is important, because on the pull/wind action, a 4.6:1 is too slow and it is clumsy. You need at least 5:1 hence the big bucks for saltiga and stella's. Having caught a few over 20kg with best at 37kg, I know that a cheap reel will probably only catch one fish because after that it just seems bad. Line must be 100lb minimum
Rods need top be 7'6 to 8 ft to have the range. A stick baiting rod has a softer tip allowing for a nice pull acceleration/deceleration of the lure, whereas a popper rod is more like a broomstick that allows for a hard almost jerking action to drive the popper suddenly causing a loud booof sound.When retrieving, its not all about being busy and throwing hard and fast. I have had lures hit when they have floated alongside the boat because I had a knot in my line and was untangling for a few minutes. Mix it up, fast, slow jerk, smooth, honestly variation is the key. As to locations, look for the pressure wave at the head of a reef and they sit under that. They can be found on the sevens reef off Straddie, and up at the shoal off Sandy Cape, but that is a long way. They love to brick you on the reef, but unlike Kngfish and cod that will swim through a hole, GTs will swim around the rock, so with some clever boat driving teamwork, try to position the boat directly above the fish. If, and I mean if you are quick enough you will likely score! Hooks.... trebles or singles are ok, but please close the barb, but don't go barbless because they will spit the hook with head bumps. A closed barb is about perfect. Drag, tighten your drag up to 100% then back off 1/4 to 1/2 a turn. cast and do not ever put a loop of line around a finger or you can expect to lose it. My score is 4 GT's for 3 broken rods. One from a fish and 2 from the other guys hitting my rod in the shotgun holder while they cast (badly).
Should you do it.... I promise you it is bucketlist fishing and they are right here in SE Qld! I hope that helps; Phil