Fishing Reports
and News
So happy our new sea fishing ground off Colombo is also producing Big GT ;-)
Rod : Custom (Century blank)
Reel : Stella 18000 SW 14
Line : Power Pro 80 lb
Leader : Sufix Superior 175 lb
Lure : Jigstar Darkstar 150
Hook : 7/0 GT Recorder
Tight line
Capt. Nico
We have received a nice Singaporean team anglers with Henry, his brother Louis and his friend Dereck for a great 5 days popping and jigging fishing trip.
During all the trip, weather was really nice, the water color on our popping spots was a bit green due to some rain the days before, but that don't disturb too much the GT's which come in surface to smash the poppers and stickbaits of the boys. We had some great action on topwater, especially the first day with a total of 13 bites but for only 3 GT caught...
The others days we mixed the day between popping and jigging. On jig the second day Derek hooked a big sailfish, but sadly it came off after a while and Henry caught a shark. We did also a bit of trolling, especially the last day, condition were perfect with a lot of life, with many birds under skipjack feeding, we also spotted some dolphin and some big tuna, but fish did not seem to play with us.
This trip was really nice, we had a lot of fun onboard, especially with Henry when he missed these Gt's the first days, but finally he landed plenty of Gt's and as his brother, he took his personal best GT during this trip !! Derek was a bit unlucky the first days of the trip, but after I gave him some good tips to handle his floating stickbait, he made up for lost time and he landed some good size fish.
I really hope to see you again in Sri Lanka guys, I really enjoyed to guiding you and Henry be patient before to catch your monster GT, that will arrive one day for sure don't worry ;-)
Tight line
Capt. Nico
Just back on the sea for a "Dad & son" day charter. Guilain and his 13 years old son Adrien wanted to finish their holidays in Sri Lanka with a bit of fishing. Guilain who is a expert fisherman in France for sea bass, has fished for GT before. He wanted to share this great experience with his son and asked me to make his dream true. It's always nice to have beginners on board, especially when it's a young boy who love fishing.
Morning we reach our first popping spot, I took time to teach Adrien how to cast with this heavy tackle and how to pop. I know it will take a while, but after his first cast, I was confident it can do it. His father Guilain was quickly in the game and on the third drift, I spotted a school of bait and he cast at the edge of them. A GT come up and smashed his popper. Guilain strike properly the fish and landed a decent GT, that's a good start ! A while later another GT came behind his popper but miss the lure.
Around noon, the current slow down and I decided to go for trolling. That will give a bit of rest to Adrien who started to be tired casting with heavy tackle. We reach an area where I know we have good chance to have wahoo and sailfish bite. When we reach this area, we saw plenty of birds and skipjack busting small anchovy. We trolled and we were waiting to have a bite. Sadly, we don't have any action despite a good activity with skipjack feeding around. Then we go again for some popping to end the day.
Adrien was really motivated to caught his first ever GT on popper. He kept casting, and like usual his effort pay off and a GT took his popper. His father came to help him, but Adrien handled it well and landed his dream fish. Guilain was so happy and proud of his son.
After a quick picture, Adrien released his fish. After this GT, Adrien's cast were just perfect and we can feel his motivation to caught another one and on the next drift he caught his second fish !!!
Guilain was not expecting so much for his son and it's with lot of happiness we decided to end the day and back to the harbour.
Tight Line
Capt. Nico
Last week, before our Head Fishing Guide Nico goes to Japan for the Keep Cast, we received Sam and his girlfriend from Australia and 2 french anglers, Nicolas and Olrich for a day charter at sea, mainly to target GT on popper.
Sam and Nicolas have fished GT on popping before, for Olrich, it was his first fishing experience. Early morning we reach our popping spot with a flat sea condition. We found plenty of bait and after a while Sam with his popper Cubera 150 cast close a school of fusiliers and on the third pop a decent GT come up and grab his lure in a nice splash. He hooked properly his fish and after a nice fight he landed the GT, he was so happy.
We continue to fish around, Nicolas missed a fish but the current slow down and we decide to try some jigging but fish were no keen to bite their jig, then we decided to back on the popping spots with the current increased. Good choice, we had a super action on popper. First of all, Olrich was fishing with a pencil popper, our guide Nico spotted a long tom running as something was big and afraid him. Nico asked Olrich to cast in this direction and just when he was starting to reel an absolute huge GT come behind his lure and engulfed it. Everybody saw the fish and the bite, only Ulrich as a beginner didn't see it... We all told him to strike, but it was too late, the big GT has released the lure from his mouth...
This action keep all casting and Nicolas caught a small GT and another one, Sam missed a very nice GT close to the boat and at the same time 2 big king mackerel came behind his popper but sadly don't bit it. On our last drift of the day, a massive whale shark came on surface and passed under the boat and let us in memory the nature is just beautiful.
Another good day fishing in Sri Lanka with happy clients !!!
Richard from Sweden was traveling with his family in Sri Lanka for a week and has planned to fish with us for a day charter, mainly to targeting GT on topwater. Richard has some experience in GT fishing from his previews fishing trip in Kenya and Thailand.
We start the day on one of our good popping spot, some fusiliers were cruising in the shallow rocks. At the beginning fish were not keen to play with Richard lure. Just before lunch, I spotted some baits near a shallow rock and I asked Richard to cast in this direction, on the third pop a GT come and smash his popper, the new Rapala XPlode. Richard strike perfectly his fish and landed a decent GT.
After a while, Richard take a break and invite me to cast. On my first cast, on the edge of nice rocky plateau I caught a small GT, not bad ;-) After lunch, I decide to reach our deep water spot to look for a bigger fish. On the third drift a decent GT came up and missed Richard's popper. We tried another spot where I spotted a school of bait, Richard casted close of them and a nice GT came immediately behind the lure but didn't grab it properly. We finish the day on the same spot we fished the morning and Richard caught another GT around a school of bait.
It was a nice day, with some nice topwater action of GT's, sadly some missed the lure, but Richard and I enjoyed our day.
Tight line
Capt. Nico
Last week, we have received Robin, his brother Tobias and their step father Thomas for a day charter to target GT's on popper. They were traveling in Sri Lanka and came from Galle to fish with us.
Robin wanted to catch his first ever GT on topwater lure. Morning was a bit slow, lot of bait cruising around our popping spot, but GT's were not keen to smash their lures. After lunch, we reach one of our favorite popping spot and we found some activity. Thomas caught a small GT on floating stickbait, Robin caught his first GT also and was so happy !! His brother has a serious bite on his floating stickbait, but sadly the fish hook off.
All in all it was a nice day at sea, with nice weather condition and it was not a bad day for these 3 beginners in GT fishing. Personally, I love to have anglers who catch their first GT with me onboard. Congratulations guys, you have never give up and you kept casting and you deserved your fish.
Tight line
Capt. Nico
I have just finished a super trip with the Gomoku guys Fred & Daniel and 3 of their friends to make a promotional video on their new jigging product and especially the new VMC assist hook. We did some slow and light jigging.
On slow jigging, they caught some nice fish, like GT, but sadly dogtooth tuna, their main target were not there these last days. They caught accidentally some big Shark (7 in total) which we have released safely. These bycatch were enough big and strong to test their new Storm Gomoku Kodachi and Adagio+ jigging rods, but some other big fish were to strong for their PE-4...
One day, 2 spools have been completely emptied in less than 1 minute with a 10 kg drag !!! I have a feeling some big Yellow Fin or Big Eye tuna are cruising around. Another day, Fred hooked a very heavy fish and absolutely unstoppable. Huge Grouper ? A new mystery to solve ;-)
On light jigging PE 0.8-1, they had great fun with plenty of different species.
It was nice to have you on board guys, waiting to see you again in Sri Lanka.
Capt. Nico
Last week, we received 2 Japanese anglers working in India for a 2 days trip Popping and light jigging.
Weather was nice, just the water was a bit green, but GT's were keen to smash the floating stickbait of Takagi & Egawa.
On light jigging, they have great fun with some black tip trevally and groupers.
Last day GT's were more active, they caught 4 fish, miss 3 and lost a big one, which broke the leader on the rock.
It was nice to see some GT's on surface action. I enjoyed to guide Takagi & Egawa. Hope to see you for another week-end trip guys.
Capt. Nico
It's with a lot of pleasure we bring Pershy and Shanaka from the famous Sri Lankan anglers Facebook group to fish with us during two days.
We start with Shanaka who was so excited to be onboard our 31ft center console boat powered with twin 200 hp. We have planned to go for some jigging, but before to reach the spot we do a bit of troll and Shanaka caught a yellowfin tuna. First jigging spots didn't produce so much fish, but we finally found some good activities on a new spot and we start catching plenty of skipjack. One of mine was attack by a much bigger fish and I land my skipjack with some big teeth mark... On the next drift Shanaka who was new in jigging technic, has a serious bite and fought a nice fish on light tackle and landed a decent GT on PE-3 line !!
Next day, Pershy were with us and as Shanaka, he was happy to go fishing on our boat, for sure it is a bit more comfortable compare to a local 19ft boat and 40 hp engine. We also start the day by trolling. After only 5 min, I spotted a sailfish sneezing behind a small skirt lure. To decide him to bite, I play with him and finally took the lure, but sadly I didn't hooked him. Few minutes later, Pershy was on with a nice wahoo. Just before lunch we reach our jigging spots. Action don't start before 2 pm and we start to catch some grouper, skipjack, rosy jobfish, rainbow runner and a nice Cobia for Pershy !!
During these 2 days, the sea was a bit choppy, but the good news, that was the last windy days, now sea is damn calm and we will be soon back for more action !!
Capt. Nico
Olly, who was travelling in Sri Lanka with his family, decided to go fishing at sea to catch some GT on popper and have a try on jig for Dogtooth tuna.
Weather was a bit windy, but we head off our popping spot early morning... but when we arrived we found 20 Sri Lankan big Navy vessel in our popping area... They were there to prepare for the Sri Lankan independence day parade that took place 2 days later... To be honest, I was not really comfortable to make a drift with these military vessel around us... We try for a while, without success, despite plenty of bait running in surface. Then we decide to reach our jigging spots. Olly has bring his own tackle he bought from Jigabite.co.uk, a good online tackle shop run by our friend Terry Smith in UK.
After some drop, on the first spot without any bite, I changed for our most productive spots and on the second drop Olly had a serious bite just after I told him there are some nice mark on the sonar. The fish take lot of line, despite the heavy drag and just when Olly was starting to fight, he lost the fish. When he retrieve his jig, one of his assit hook was broken and on the other one the hook was bent !!! Leader was also scratched !!! That was a serious fish for sure !!!
We change the leader for a new one and we put a new jig with stronger assist hook. And again Olly was on with another fish and this time the fish just cut the leader, bloody wahoo or king mackerel !!! Then again new leader and new jig, drop again and Olly was on also on a nice fish. This time no issue, Olly fight the fish and landed a nice black GT. We stay for while but wind picked up and make difficult to jig in good condition. Then we decide to be back on the harbour.
For sure if the wind don't picked up, Olly will have more action on jig. Anyway he enjoyed his day fishing at sea before to flight back in the cold UK.
Capt. Nico
