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Hunting GTs in Moz

By Mark de la Hey

THERE is no doubt that the GT (aka giant trevally/giant kingfish/caranx ignobilis) is one of the most prized jewels in Neptune’s crown.Those who don’t fish can barely comprehend why anglers spend so much time and money travelling great distances to catch these magnificent creatures,but for those in the know,no distance,effort or amount of money is too great.After all,it’s what you would do for any great love,and the GT is certainly one of my great loves.

So why all the fuss over this particular species?

I guess,in a nutshell,it’s because it’s a challenge.The hours,dedication and effort required to land a fine specimen proves it’s among the most challenging of any of the species world wide.

The heart stopping smash on the surface lures,the dogged determination of the GT in its efforts to cut you off on the reef,and the sheer power and size of these creaures captures the hearts and imaginations of anglers across the globe.Their elusiveness just adds to the allure.

Some of the author's favourite lures for hunting GTs.

As with all fishing, but especially with the GT, there are zero guarantees that you’ll find the one you want or be able to land it. Despite that, anglers are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths in their quest to get the bite that hopefully stays on and, God willing, to spend a few special moments with their prize before returning it safely to its kingdom where it reigns supreme.

There are so many factors that come into play when targeting GTs,and even when all the planets align,if the fish aren’t there,then they simply aren’t there.Those factors are out of our control,but there are some things that we can control.If you make sure that you are always on top of the factors you can control,that will help you convert the chances you get and keep you going back for more.

TIDES

As with most fish,GTs love feeding during the times when there’s maximum water movement over the reefs they patrol. Obviously that means fishing over the spring tides is the optimum time of the month to try.

The point of the tide when there’s the biggest water movement has always produced the best results,so the time of day is not as important as the flow of the tide.

On different reefs the tidal flow will hit the structure from different directions, so it is important to use your fishfinder to identify where the structures are, how the current is hitting them, where the baitfish are sitting, and where is likely to be the best place to throw for a bite so that you can also realistically get the GT away from the structure as soon as possible.

All this knowledge and planning is crucial if you want to have the best chance of landing that bite of a lifetime.

TIMES OF THE YEAR

The best months to target GTs can differ greatly from location to location,but I’ll focus on the upper north coast of South Africa up into Moçambique and Tanzania.These areas follow similar trends,with the big difference being that the further north you go,the less of a winter drop off in fishing you will experience.

Generally,the more unfished an area the more opportunities you will have and the more fish you’re likely to find. As with any species,the more pressure there is on an area,the more difficult it becomes to fish there.

Having said that,in my experience along this stretch of the African coast, January through to April produces slightly fewer fish,but on average much bigger fish.May to August is still good GT fishing time,but you’ll get more other kingfish and mackerel species in between.September through to December produce the greatest number of GTs in a variety of sizes.

Obviously this is just a rough guide and can differ significantly depending on sea conditions,water temperature and other factors.

TACKLE

Many anglers think if they buy the most expensive tackle that will give them the best chance of catching the fish they’re targeting.If you set it up and use it correctly there may be some truth to that, but tackle alone won’t catch the fish.

Mark de la Hey with a massive GT caught off Mozambique.

I don’t believe in buying expensive tackle just for the sake of it,so I’ll explain what tackle I use and why.The results,I believe,speak for themselves.

One thing to note is that although you can use the same rod to throw stick baits and poppers,the rods designed for each application are vastly different,and if you use the correct rod for its intended purpose you will definitely improve your results.

STICK BAIT ROD

Stick bait rods have a softer tip than the popping rods,giving you more control when sweeping and twitching the baits.My two rods of choice are the OTI (Ocean Tackle International) 8ft 40–60lb TS2 and the Penn Battalion 7ft8in 25kg model. These two rods have nice sensitive tips to work and manoeuvre the stick baits,and enough back bone to send you to the couch for a week’s rest!

POPPING RODS

Popping rods are much stiffer than stickbait rods,with less sensitive tips so that when you give the rod a good crack to pop the popper,the rod doesn’t bend and flex too much.If that happens it loads up and pulls the popper out the water, causing it to jump and spin which is not what you want.The stiffer rod loads up less and helps the popper pop in the water instead of spinning out.

My rods of choice are the OTI 8ft 60-80lb TS-2 and the Penn Battalion 8ft 35kg model.

REELS

Here you can literally spend an arm and a leg if you are not careful! It’s no secret that I am sponsered by Penn,so obviously I use them exclusively.Having said that,this has forced me to fish with reels that I might not previously have trusted to do the job merely because of their cheaper price tag.Now I’ll bet my life on them!

All the fish shown in this article and hundreds more have been caught on these reels,and the best thing for me is that the majority of the fish were caught by relatively inexperienced anglers and the reels stood up to the test.In my opinion,that speaks volumes for the product.

The reels we have been using for both the stick bait and popping setups are the Penn Slammer III and the Penn Slammer DX (the newer model).Both have been more than equal to the task and have a modest price tag that will make every angler smile from ear to ear.

Penn have subsequently launched a new top of the line reel called “Authority”which I’m eager to try out on my upcoming adventures.

LURES

Thinking about lure choices can give you a real headache,so I keep it simple and use what I trust and what works.The Nomad poppers and stick baits get the job done properly and are yet to let me down.The four main lures I use are the Nomad Riptide stick baits,Nomad Chug Norris poppers, Nomad Madscads and the Nomad Mavericks.These cover all the options we look for and let you fish all the necessary conditions well.

BRAID

The Berkely Whip 8 – 47.1kg and the Suffix 131 – 100lb are my two favourites that don’t let me down

That’s a brief overview of the complexities of fishing for our beloved GTs.There are numerous other factors and variables that you have to work out on the water,but if you control the things that you can then that’s a great starting point for a succesful trip!

For further information on doing a fishing trip up north contact Mark de la Hey via Whatsapp on 0761766900.