Oceania Team Salty Dogs Kavadu Expedition

[MarkR]

Hi all,

Team 1 didn't do too well...partly because Captain John had a heart attack...so Team 2 fished at Kadavu instead... Kadavu is home to the Astrolabe reef, third largest coral reef in the world...

Team 2 did better despite the Tongan earthquake and some of the guys are still there....

Here are some teaser pics from Team 2...waiting for full report

I had to return 2 days earlier due to a situation at home.

[Wilson]

Mark/Chris,
nice catches. more photo leh....

the GT very fat.... nice nice nice... shiok ah!!!

[Popper]

Good size GT & Dog.

[MarkR]

Thanks guys....I had to leave on second day due to a family emergency...waiting for the rest to come back for a full report...

Preliminary sms reports indicate that the team hit a grouper spawning site...like "samson jigging" they say...ChrisT nailed a huge mama grouper...almost his size they say! can't wait for those pics.

Up to day 2, the largest GTs were 35kg & 30kg (formula)...I landed 8 GTs on popper in 2 days fishing and one green job on stickbait...chuggers worked the best...

I lost a massive take at Ono Island on the second day...saw a huge shadow engulf my craftbait popper and then line just shot away from the spool...was thrown to the railing and had to brace myself...unfortunately the PE10 Avani GT max power was not spooled tight enough and the line dug in resulting in a bust-off...

Biggest doggie landed by ChrisT on jig est. 35kg at the seamount...I got a wahoo on jig here and we had 2 huge bust-offs...ChrisT had his baby AJ ravaged by a monster and Jac had a big take on the drop, she could not close the bail arm and when she finally managed too, the line dug into the corner of the bail arm bearing resulting in yet another bust-off...

Apart from the Pelagics, we landed a number of green jobs, rosy jobs, long nose emperors, smaller doggies and small groupers on jig/popper...

Overall, the jigging was better than expected...popping was a little slow, perhaps due to the big Tongan Volcano eruption. Nevertheless it was a pretty good trip for the team!

Heard that day 3 wasn't a good day fishing by can't wait for the full report on day 4 when the team hit the grouper spawning nest!!!

[Popper]

Looks like mother nature plays a big part in the feeding pattern of the fishes.

Was at Barren with erupting volcano, very very very slow bite rate. Well that's is fishing, unpredictable.

[MarkR]

More photos...need to get more from the guys when the return ...I don't have that many pics on the 1st 2 days coz a doggie's death wiggle ruined my fish-eye lens

[MarkR]

Chris will be back home tomorrow...i'm sure he'll have a lot more pics!

[prodrivep1]

Nice one MR! cool...

[Sportfisherman]

Hi Mark ,

Looks like you guys have a good trip in Fiji , weather still very uncertain but a few guys have brave it and fished with mixed results . Sorry to hear you have to leave early n hope everything is OK back home . Look forward to see more photos from Chris .

Jon .

[MarkR]

Thanks Pak Jon,

It was a good trip for me although I had to leave early...

I am now a GT convert!!!

I feel casting/popping for Big GT is more demanding physically and perhaps more technically demanding than jigging...physically, because more strength is needed to cope with higher drag settings and higher poundage PE lines, on the other hand, more endurance is needed for jigging I feel...technically demanding, because one has to extremely precise with the knots, connections etc...knots/connections have to be kept slim and streamlined to fly through the guides so only certain variations will do and connections have to be 100% because of the higher drag settings and shorter fight times...

I must get a nice custom Carpenter soon to account for my new poison!!!

[Sportfisherman]

Hi Mark ,

Now you are a Gt popping convert , will try to source one for you but it's going to take a long time for a Carpenter custom rod to be delivered .

Jon .

[MarkR]

Thanks Pak Jon,

Looking forward to a custom

[Narc]

Thanks Pak Jon,

Looking forward to a custom

Are you serious about being a Popping convert now??

Maybe you can come by and I see what I can spare.. might be able to find a solution for you.

[Sportfisherman]

Are you serious about being a Popping convert now??

Maybe you can come by and I see what I can spare.. might be able to find a solution for you.

Hi Mark ,

Take his custom SP78UHL SHP !

Jon .

[MarkR]

Thanks Pak Jon,

Spoke to Ah Gu about the UHL.

cheers,
mark

[Sportfisherman]

Thanks Pak Jon,

Spoke to Ah Gu about the UHL.

cheers,
mark

Hi Mark ,

Tell him if he sells that custom SP78UHL to you , at least it is still belongs to Team 2 member . Good luck .

Jon .

[jason]

Power Catches......

[ChrisT]

Hey guys,

Here's some pictures from my camera

[ChrisT]

More pictures

[ChrisT]

Bula Bula Bula

[MarkR]

Nice pics Chris!

Grouper looks like a monster!

[seahorse]

The capt said it was about 30kg, personally I think it's about 40kg or a bit more. What do you guys think?

[MarkR]

Looks around 40kg to me!

[Popping Mad]

Awesome Report looks like some good fish too.

I was fishing out of Ono Island at the same time (Tongan earthquake) and had a great trip with 3 mates. No Monsters mostly 20 - 30Kg GT's, but plenty of them.

The Astroble reef is an awesome place, just hook up after hook up, until my back was gone.

[ChrisT]

We went by Ono and beyond I think on the 2nd day.

What boat were you on? Is it a centre console? I heard there is also a popping charter there in Ono (OceanBlue).

Any jigging?

The Astrolabe has alot of potential - I'm sure someone will get a 50kg GT there.

Awesome Report looks like some good fish too.

I was fishing out of Ono Island at the same time (Tongan earthquake) and had a great trip with 3 mates. No Monsters mostly 20 - 30Kg GT's, but plenty of them.

The Astroble reef is an awesome place, just hook up after hook up, until my back was gone.