Built for Speed (Plus Stamina and Adrenaline) 10. A fish of a life time!

[blue_mako]

Well Matt and I decided to try yet another spot last night, Jacks being the target. Though it was time for a change in location and we headed up into the Sunny Coast. After collecting plenty of livies we headed to our planned destination only to find it unfishable. So as a last minute decision decided to hit up a spot I've fished in the past.

We saw a few decent boofs coming from the usual school sized Trevally. I got a solid hit only to have the hook turn back into the livie on the hook set so the point wasn't exposed to the fish on the strike. I called it for a Jack as the head half came back nice and shredded.

About 15 minutes later I put a cast into a jetty with locked drag. After about 10 minutes the line screamed under extreme load. The fish be lined straight for the jetty and that's where he stayed taking about 2 feet of 30lb Fluorocarbon with him. Another Jack was the call.

Hours passed and the sun was starting to come up. There was no other signs of activity for some time until I witnessed some of the biggest bust ups I've ever seen in an Estuary about 150-200m away. We slowly fished our way towards where we saw them.

We both noticed a solid boof only 5 meters out. Matt rained a livie on it and was instantly on after a big surface hit. The fish screamed and flailed around on the surface a bit. I initially thought Giant Herring maybe but after 30 seconds of no jumps and rapid direction changes I had my doubts. Then the rod registered the characteristic Trevally head shake. After about 5 minutes we had a good sized 70 odd cm Big Eye Trevally banked and ready for a few pics and release.

What happens next was just not normal for any Estuary, unbelievable! At about 5am I see a massive bust up. One of those huge ones I had seen earlier. My livie landed right on top of it and as I grabbed the camera and was turning the dial to video record something massive smashed it. My rod was almost torn from my hands as I saw a bow wave about a foot wide screaming towards the horizon. Awesome fish I thought, so I put a joke out there saying "I'm gonna get spooled" as I watched line disappear off my little Team Daiwa-Z Bass bait caster. I looked up at the fish and the next look back down at spool made me jizz and shit myself at the same time. Next to no line left.

My mind went from joking to serious in an instant when I realised how big/MASSIVE this fish actually was for a canal lurker. I started walking towards it, then jogging, then running, then sprinting as fast as I could to keep every last inch of line left on my spool.

The fish made a turn around the bend in the canal, straight around a wooden sign post and a red beacon. NOT GOOD! Without even thinking I jammed my thumb on the free spool button and dived in wearing all of my clothing. I swam out and around the sign, then the beacon, then back to the bank. I had somehow gained about 20m of line back onto the spool with out even putting a splash on my reel.

My jacket now weighed as much as me and by the time I had taken it off I was down to only a couple of meters. The fish continued to scream along the bank while I desperately tried to keep up with it. By this stage I was exhausted. It's headed straight for a pontoon so in I went again on a rescue mission that should have had me on Bay Watch.

The fish was now in fairly open water but could have had easily made it difficult if it wanted. I could now tell the fish was fairly spent but wasn't sure if it still had enough for a 2nd burst of fury so played it cautiously for the entire time and was ready to get back in the drink. This was the fish people fish years for and never see one and it was not getting away that easily from me.

Even when I stressed the tackle to the limit I could just move the fish. I was just hoping the hook wasn't down deep as I knew 30lb leader wouldn't holdup for an extended amount of time with there raspy teeth. The whole time I was preying everything was right.

The fish did a few couple of meter sprints and when he settled down a bit the rod constantly thumping away told me this was going to be a MASSIVE ESTUARINE G.T. Matt had got the whole thing on video so there was some proof if I did lose the fish but the devastation would have been hard to bare if I lost this fish right at the end.

A bow wave breaks the surface and a dirty big chrome disc emerges from the not so deep water. My first look at a huge 15kg G.T. My biggest by about 13kg in an estuary. Matt stumbles down the bank and grabs his tail. "Pull it up, pull it up!" I yelled in excitement. "I can't man it's too fucking heavy!" I jumped down the bank and gave him a hand lifting it.

I think the boys at Nomad could hear me squealing like a little girl 100's of kilometers away. Trying to hold this beast steady for enough time to get a picture was challenging. I was puffed and sleep deprived but still manged to hold him up for a couple of decent shots. Having a look on Google the fish was hooked a crazy 500m from where it was landed.

I jumped back down the bank cradling it to the waters edge. I jumped in with it and swam it for a minute or so. They are an extremely hardy fish considering the power the exert in a long drawn out fight. Unlike a Giant Herring which is sometimes almost spent to death and take 10 minutes of figure 8 swimming to get going again. He was eager just to get back out there and recover to nail some more 40cm Mullet.

Sorry about the length of the report. I just thought a fish like this deserved it. Extremely stoked is an understatement! Pics will definitely follow but I'll have to keep the videos under wraps as this spot produces other good quality species.

Troy

[ffejsmada]

That's a balltearer mate, well done!

Jeff.

[ffejsmada]

I might add, a thoroughly deserved capture by the sounds of it.

Troy......................the new SOLO man!!

[Pistol_P]

YEAH..!!!!....Thats a ripper for the estuary..!!!

Top stuff Troy.....Did you weigh it..?

Pete

[mKs]

It was a good session once again troy, have to go and get my 15kg gt now, and the jack that you lost, and the tarpon.

[Didley]

I think Ffejy said it all there, Troy. Congrats mate , fish of a lifetime.

[Didley]

So did U get any decent fish on the night, Troy, or just bycatch?

[blue_mako]

I might add, a thoroughly deserved capture by the sounds of it.

Troy......................the new SOLO man!!

Haha, I'm no good at riding down hills on wheely bins though .

YEAH..!!!!....Thats a ripper for the estuary..!!!

Top stuff Troy.....Did you weigh it..?

Pete

Thanks mate. Nar, I didn't weigh it. I just took an estimate. It was 105cm long so if anyone could find a size:weight chart for GT's then that might help. Was effing awesome to watch it come to the surface.

It was a good session once again troy, have to go and get my 15kg gt now, and the jack that you lost, and the tarpon.

Haha, I've already spoon fed you 3 massive GH and a big Big Eye :P . I hope the next 15kg GT is mine to .

Troy

[blue_mako]

So did U get any decent fish on the night, Troy, or just bycatch?

Nope, just a bust off and a big missed hit. Matt got a solid hit on half a big Mullet. But hey, I'll take by catch like that any day.

Troy

[Pistol_P]

There are hard fish to guess weight on I reckon.

If you watch the nomad videos Damon Olsen calls fish for 18kg...14kg...etc that I reckon are well off the suggested weight.

Your pictures are hard ones to judge too as the third pic looks like 15kg then the bottom pics looks 10kg at best..??

I caught a 71cm GT in the river here that went 4kg last year....so with the extra length and thickness of yours it would have to be at least 10kg.

At the end of the day who cares though its the best estuary GT I have seen since that fellow got a 10kg two years back on his Kayak.
There were a couple of monsters that showed up at Mooloolaba last year too. 20kg Jobs.

Pete