STORY & PHOTOS: JENI LERCH & MATT GATES

There's no doubt that particular types of fishing are seriously strenuous on the body. Heavy tackle marlin fishing is one such example, especially when you're using heavy drag settings while chasing a tough fish that doesn't know when to give in. But at least when we're fishing for marlin we have the benefit of harness equipment and a boat in which to manoeuvre to our advantage as we pit ourselves against hundreds and sometimes thousands of pounds of fiercely-muscled billfish. However, this isn't always the case when chasing another particular species renowned for its strength. Either from the shore or with the aid of a boat, the powerful and super-aggressive giant trevally will give any angler on any tackle a run for their money.

With no harness arrangement or chair to be strapped into, and submerged rock clusters in the surrounding territory, these fish are hard work. Although giant trevally don't grow to the size magnitude of a marlin, they are indeed the bruisers of their terrain.

Living in an area where giant trevally are caught every month of the year, I have been fortunate enough to spend the time to develop successful methods of targeting XOS trevally. The giant trevally (caranx ignobilis), commonly referred to as the GT, is pound for pound one of the toughest creatures with fins to inhabit the world's oceans. When it comes to fishing for GTs there are two major factors that need to be seriously considered. Firstly, they are strong - really strong - with massive amounts of jaw pressure which will trash under-gunned terminal gear in seconds. Secondly, they fight dirty, heading for the sanctuary of reef cover every time the weight comes on.

Over the years these factors have never changed, but the methods of attack have, as anglers try to combat these magnificent sportsfish. As every angler has their personal quest on varying species, like 1000lb-plus marlin or 10lb-plus bonefish, mine has been to land a GT over 100lb.

TACKLE TECHNOLOGY
The pattern of progression that has developed in GT tackle over the years has been nothing short of staggering, from the introduction of gel-spun lines through to ultra-durable reels to handle these lines. The biggest changes in the Australian marketplace began less than five years ago, as were attested to by those anglers who can clearly remember being totally stumped for options in nearly every aspect of the GT game. Then the Japanese started the ball rolling. The Japanese anglers are seriously nuts about GTs, and we thank their fanatical ways for most of the technological evolutions in gear that are available today. These anglers started fishing GTs with terminal tackle like 200lb-plus split rings and 5/0 barbless 5x extra strong trebles, and used super-fine Dyneema braid for greater casting ability, with 80–100lb breaking strains and incredible knot strength.

Another fantastic invention is the casting glove, with a leather hide pad on the index finger. This not only stopped line cuts on fingers whilst casting, it also made handling fish safer, with protection from the GTs' sharp tail flutes.

These introductions began slowly at first, with heavier line being the first change to apply more pressure to the fish and stop them from busting you off in the cover. This sounds good, but that opened a whole new can of worms. The new line was great, cast well and didn't break under heavy drag settings. However, it totally smashed terminal gear to bits, blew up reels and finally broke rods. More improvements were needed.

The stand-and-deliver style of fishing needed to subdue these wild fish started to fall into place when the Owner terminal gear became available. Daiwa and Shimano also introduced their top-level rods and reels to the marketplace. The Owner split rings and treble hooks were nothing short of spectacular. The countless occasions where hooks were straightened and rings broken were a thing of the past. Having tried everything from two rings on each hook, the small gamefishing shackles and even soldering split rings, the Owner 11H rings were a saviour. The Owner STBL-66TN 5/0 barbless trebles were also a perfect match.

REEL LIFE
The development with rods was also groundbreaking, although many changes made were only simple. The high modulus graphite blanks are ultra light in weight, but super heavy in strength. Guide spacings are spot on, with reversed striping guide and second guide to help with less casting knots. Larger guides only going down to size 16 tips and starting with size 40 were aiding in greater casting abilities, all these attributes are now in our favour.

The reels were the biggest change however. Instant anti-reverse with one-way roller bearings has done away with the need for anti-reverse dog systems. This was a remarkable improvement, because the dog and gear systems on any reel were the first thing to give up the ghost. The other two major components that have made such a difference are large worm gear drives in place of round main gears. These drives travel evenly through all stages of the rotor head movement, resulting in perfect line lay on the spool: this solved many frustrating casting tangles.

Finally, the other major evolution is the development of full metal construction reels and titanium gears. They withstand huge amounts of use and even larger amounts of pressure. With on-going technology, all components are continuously improving, resulting in more advances every day.

GIANT FOOD
The giant trevally is the ultimate shallow water predator. They will eat almost anything. Armed with big eyes, even bigger mouths and well-placed teeth, they patrol coral outcrops and the surrounding reefs with fearless behaviour. So, when a large surface popper is retrieved across the top, it is irresistible to these fish. Although GTs will eat almost anything, my reason for using poppers is simple: the visual aspect is mind blowing. When you see a shape in the clear shallows marauding down your lure, the excitement is tantalizing. Then, seeing the bite is nothing short of spectacular.

This method also allows you to have an idea of the size of fish. This is important when the fish are over 50lb so you can establish the amount of drag pressure required to land the fish. Popper styles and makes are endless, as are the colour schemes, so it really doesn't matter much which style you use. Just make sure the popper has wire all the way through the lure so that even if the popper is broken it will still hold together enough to land the fish. Replace split rings and trebles on any of the lures on the market with Owner gear: it makes all the difference.

As for lure selection, I recommend really big blooper-style poppers in low light situations and from the shore. A slower retrieve of these hefty poppers creates a vivid effect on the water similar to that of a startled baitfish on the surface. The more streamlined model poppers work better from the boat, mainly because whilst casting from the boat you are generally in gear and idling around. It can become exhausting rather quickly if your blooper-style lure puts up too much resistance through the water.

STRONG ARMING
Chasing giants is really a battle of strength: that of the fish, the angler and the tackle. There is no margin for error. Letting the big fish run is simply not going to work - they will bust you off nearly every time. The best approach is to hook-up and hang on, don't give an inch; this is when tackle is pushed to its limits. The stalemate tug of war is nothing shy of intense. Slowly looking to head the fish in your direction often only takes a matter of minutes. Long fights are generally lost fights from my experience; so, as with many tough fish in tough environments, the fight should be all over rather quickly, before you take a couple of photos and return the fish to the water, no worse for wear. GTs are hardy creatures and great sport, so we must take pride in looking after them for a sustainable fishing future.

Here in my home waters of the Ningaloo Reef we are fortunate enough to have perfect conditions for giant trevally, with crystal clear water and coral reef outcrops stretching over 200km of coastline, along with numerous islands and sand cays throughout the Exmouth Gulf. The GTs here are amazing; some totally jet black, although the majority are a gleaming silver, but all brutally tough. You can cast to them from the boat as you cruise through the shallows, or for the seriously keen and dedicated, a day casting poppers towards the reefs' outer edge can be well worth the effort. Fishing after dark is certainly not for the faint-hearted, as you cast massive poppers in to the darkness and slowly bloop them back toward shore. This is where all your other senses come to life. A hook-up here is really gambling, with waves splashing at your feet, jagged rocks to clamber across and no boat to take you away from the onshore ledges. Although the odds seem against you in this situation, we have landed fish up to 40kgs from the rocks at night.

As we see these technology advances over time in terminal tackle, rods and reels, we also see the sport and gamefishing directions heading more toward the sustainability of our resource: the fish. Interestingly, these days instead of having a trophy fish mounted on the wall to proudly show visitors the latest conquered species, we have countless photos and a hanging display of poppers that have been totally annihilated from gambling with the giants.