Live Bait fishing for GT`S. Dose any one use this techniqe

[Scott Schrapel]

Hi All,

How may of you guys fish live baits for GT`S & dead baits?

What rig set ups would you use to fish this technique?

Anny additional info on this type of fishing would be much appreciated.

Cheers,

Scott.

[Alistair Barnes]

I've caught them before live baiting and dead baiting.   Used 1 to 1.5 kgs bonito.  When live used a very crude system.   One 7/0 hook in the top jaw, one 9/0 hook two inches from the tail.   Rigged through with wire trace and trolled super slow, 2 or 3 knots.    When dead baiting we cut the bonito in half and used the back half tralwed tail first with a single hook in the setup, the wire was tied to the tail as the towing point, with the tail trimmed so it didn't spin.   Both live and dead on the down rigger with the reel in freespool till it was taken and then strike.....  Caught some nice ones in the 30-40 kgs range like that.

[Ken Best]

Sorry Scott, but I don't use bait (live or dead) for any sportfishing I do as I'd fall asleep waiting for something to happen
With GT's, for me its only stickbaits or poppers. Its visual, seeing that take is what makes it  fun.

[Chuen Fan]

I'm with Ken.. Someone once told me try using a fusilier hooked through the eyes with a fast retrieve, it works great with a head assist hook as well!   

[John Campbell]

I'm with Ken.. Someone once told me try using a fusilier hooked through the eyes with a fast retrieve, it works great with a head assist hook as well!   

Must be a smart fisherman that came up with that idea Sunny 

i have also been informed that Fusiliers swim better with a treble on the belly 

Sorry Scott, but I don't use bait (live or dead) for any sportfishing I do as I'd fall asleep waiting for something to happen
With GT's, for me its only stickbaits or poppers. Its visual, seeing that take is what makes it  fun.

Dido Ken   

[Scott Maybury]

My mate Dave has used the livebaiting technique to great effect, though it looks too much like hard work to me

First, you have to take a Kong 180 and throw it around on a popper rod for a while to catch the bait

Then when you have the bait (in his example, a red bass about 5kg) you slowly bring it towards the boat, pretending to be disappointed

Then a big GT comes and smashes it and you hope you hook up

Here is the result



For mine though, I would rather just skip the red bass part and get them to eat the damn lure 

[Scott Schrapel]

Awesome feed back guys.

Much appreciated as I am a novice. I am trying to cover all areas for my up coming trip to Cairn, Mission Beach & Hinchinbrook in February.
I want to give my self the best chance possible in catching one of these GT`S. I have spent the coin on all the right gear & I need it to pay off...along with a lot of luck.... LOL

I will be using a Smith GTK77 paired with a Stella 18000SW for my popper rod & a Saltiga SG 80TN paired with a Saltiga 450Z for my stick bait rod.

I have booked in on a charter (Blackout Charters with Kerry) the first day of my 16 day trip. I hope to learn from him before I go out on my own & try & to start a battle with one of these fish.

Cheers guys keep it feed back coming & I have a lot to learn.

Kind Regards,

Scott

[Andre van Wyk]

Hey SCott,

We do a fair amount of Live baiting for GT's here in South Africa, with good numbers of 50 kilo plus fish being taken off our beaches every summer, especially on our North East coast and up into Mozambique...

Our conditions dictate the use of long 12' to 14' surf rods, coupled with large overheads like Trinidad 40/ Saltiga 50 reels or similar, usually spooled with about 200 metres of .55mm Mono over a 600 metre braid ( usually 50lb ) backing...

These guys use one of two methods:

Non Return Slide Trace:
This involves casting a 8oz to 10oz Grappling sinker as far as you can ( these guys push it to 120 to 150 metres ) and getting the Grapple sinker to "sit" solidly in the sand/reef...
They then clip either a deadbait or live bait onto the mainline, by use of a non return slide trace which they then slide down the mainline by bouncing/swinging the rod.... its an amazing system which allows one to send a 2 to 3 kilo bait a good hundred metres out..If you google Non Return Slide Trace you should come up with some examples and a better description than I have given here...

The other option would be Swimbait Trace:
This involves swimming a large live bait directly off the beach... The shark boys here in SA use anything up to 70 kilo rays/Skates to fish for Bull Sharks and Tiger SHarks off the beach... but the guys focusiing on GT's usually use a small Tailor, a Wave Garrick ( Spotted Pompano ) or best bait being a live bonefish...
These baits are hooked and swum  directly into the surf... and basically allowed to swim till they get eaten...
Most concious anglers are using a single circlle hook rig for this...

Obviuously tactics off a boat are completely different, but should be pretty simple... live bait with a bridled circle and you're in business... small Bonnies or similar are like GT Candy and will get sucked up!

Granted we would all prefer to catch GT's on Jigs and Poppers, but sometimes the fish will only eat a live bait, and I for one, after 3 days of popping or Jigging with no love, and I know the fish are their, will not turn my nose up at swimming a Livebait on my popping rod for a bit of fun....

I think that admitting to that on this forum is akin to commercial suicide, but I'm a fisherman, not a purist!!!!!

And standing on a desrted beach at sunset wityh a live bait kicking out through the surf while you sip a beer is a pretty fine way to enjoy the end of a good fishing day!

[Marc Towers]

Hey SCott,

We do a fair amount of Live baiting for GT's here in South Africa, with good numbers of 50 kilo plus fish being taken off our beaches every summer, especially on our North East coast and up into Mozambique...

Our conditions dictate the use of long 12' to 14' surf rods, coupled with large overheads like Trinidad 40/ Saltiga 50 reels or similar, usually spooled with about 200 metres of .55mm Mono over a 600 metre braid ( usually 50lb ) backing...

These guys use one of two methods:

Non Return Slide Trace:
This involves casting a 8oz to 10oz Grappling sinker as far as you can ( these guys push it to 120 to 150 metres ) and getting the Grapple sinker to "sit" solidly in the sand/reef...
They then clip either a deadbait or live bait onto the mainline, by use of a non return slide trace which they then slide down the mainline by bouncing/swinging the rod.... its an amazing system which allows one to send a 2 to 3 kilo bait a good hundred metres out..If you google Non Return Slide Trace you should come up with some examples and a better description than I have given here...

The other option would be Swimbait Trace:
This involves swimming a large live bait directly off the beach... The shark boys here in SA use anything up to 70 kilo rays/Skates to fish for Bull Sharks and Tiger SHarks off the beach... but the guys focusiing on GT's usually use a small Tailor, a Wave Garrick ( Spotted Pompano ) or best bait being a live bonefish...
These baits are hooked and swum  directly into the surf... and basically allowed to swim till they get eaten...
Most concious anglers are using a single circlle hook rig for this...

Obviuously tactics off a boat are completely different, but should be pretty simple... live bait with a bridled circle and you're in business... small Bonnies or similar are like GT Candy and will get sucked up!

Granted we would all prefer to catch GT's on Jigs and Poppers, but sometimes the fish will only eat a live bait, and I for one, after 3 days of popping or Jigging with no love, and I know the fish are their, will not turn my nose up at swimming a Livebait on my popping rod for a bit of fun....

I think that admitting to that on this forum is akin to commercial suicide, but I'm a fisherman, not a purist!!!!!

And standing on a desrted beach at sunset wityh a live bait kicking out through the surf while you sip a beer is a pretty fine way to enjoy the end of a good fishing day!

Have to agree with you Andre - fishing live-baits from the beach does require skill, and i second the sentiments in your last three sentences..!

[Mark Gonsalves]

Here in Hawaii we use live bait in many different ways.  For a rather unique way.....lol....look for "ulua eating awa" on youtube.  The GT in question is about 40 kilos....80lbs+.  I have gotten many of them to bite like this but have not been successful in landing them.

[Alban Regnoult]

Our conditions dictate the use of long 12' to 14' surf rods, coupled with large overheads like Trinidad 40/ Saltiga 50 reels or similar, usually spooled with about 200 metres of .55mm Mono over a 600 metre braid ( usually 50lb ) backing...

These guys use one of two methods:

Non Return Slide Trace:
This involves casting a 8oz to 10oz Grappling sinker as far as you can ( these guys push it to 120 to 150 metres ) and getting the Grapple sinker to "sit" solidly in the sand/reef...
They then clip either a deadbait or live bait onto the mainline, by use of a non return slide trace which they then slide down the mainline by bouncing/swinging the rod.... its an amazing system which allows one to send a 2 to 3 kilo bait a good hundred metres out..If you google Non Return Slide Trace you should come up with some examples and a better description than I have given here...

(...)

And standing on a desrted beach at sunset wityh a live bait kicking out through the surf while you sip a beer is a pretty fine way to enjoy the end of a good fishing day!

You guys amaze me. I fished with a lot of SA anglers when I was in Gabon and I've learnt a lot on the surf casting technics. To my mind you are one of the best beach fishermen in the world. The technic you mention is, nowday, the only one I use when it comes to fish from the shore. The problem is that I don't find these  non return slide trace in Europe. Anyway, I have stil a dozen left and will use them till the end !
This technic is the ONLY way to cast far from the shore and reach spots where we usualy don't fish. You can rig a fragile and tiny livebait for Lady fish or a 2kg mulet and fish at >100m from the shore. Thats just AWESOME !

[Andre van Wyk]

Alban,

Glad to here someone of your experience was so impressed with the SA anglers... With our conditions, our boys are forced to adapt to put fish on the beach....

If you ever need anymore Slide Traces buddy, let me know, I can get the heavy duty ones for you no problem and send them to you.

Cheers
Nepps

[Brandon Khoo]

Guys, this site is called "gtpopping" for a reason. I really don't think thread is consistent with the ethos  of the forum

[Stephen Polzin]

Guys, this site is called "gtpopping" for a reason. I really don't think thread is consistent with the ethos  of the forum

Go on Brandon ya big meanie.  You've also got whole sections devoted to Tuna and jigging.  Is it really that bad? 

BTW,  GT's love live school/spotty mackerel (legal size of course).  There's a few spots around Cairns where they'll grab them as soon as they hit the water.  It's surprising (to me) how big a bait GT's will take.  Only really need a simple rig - Decent leader and hook pinned halfway down the mac's back. 

[Mark Gonsalves]

Sorry Brandon.  No disrespect intended.  I like to catch GT's with all techniques. Plugging, live baiting, slide baiting, dunking(chunking), etc.  Mostly catch and release too.  BTW, I had an extra large GT attack and try to swallow a baby hammerhead shark a couple months back.  UNREAL.  Too bad it missed my 11/0 Super Mutu hook that I stuck in the back of the hammerhead.