A big fluke

[Chris]

Headed out for some land based shark and grouper fishing on Saturday night. Although I have yet to catch a big grouper from shore I still like to include them because every time a local sees me setting up they ask if I'm fishing for geouper, so of course I want one and am curious what grouper requires 100lb gear from shore. Lol.

I sent a wahoo head out about 300 yrds, a YFT about 200 and a skipjack around 100 right up against the rocky reef. Nothing happened all night but I did get to watch baitfish being crushed by small predatory fish and I could hear the GT off in the distance. It sounded like somebody slapping the water with a shovel and every now and then it was like a bowling ball fell off a 10 story building. Haha. I was super bummed because I did not being anything for throwing lures or trolling from the yak.

11:30 rolled around and I changed the two shorter baits to fresh yellow fin. Each about 5lbs. The short bait, on my senator 12/0, went about 120yrds this time and I honestly didn't know if I dropped it on the reef or the edge. I prayed it was the edge. The second went out on the sand about 200yrds again.

2:30 am and I'm in my chair sitting all kinds of crooked and sideways trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep when something made me open my eyes and look at my glow sticks on the line. The 12/0 had dipped and was swaying. I watched it for a few seconds and nothing was happening but I knew I needed to get fresh baits out again for the sunrise, especially if I was going to doze off. So I put my harness on just in case and watched the 12/0 rod for a little bit. I tightened it up and it unmediatly dropped. Thinking the claw bent loose I decided to just reel it in when it went tight... I turned the clicker off and pulled off some line (it was set about 15lbs). It came right quick and pulled a couple feet. I could tell it wasn't big and probably wasn't a shark so I put it in freespool thinking it was trying to choke down that tuna. Well, as soon as I put it in freespool it took off and burned the heck out of my thump so I threw it in gear, tightened the drag and reeled down hard! Rod bent, line peeled off and fish was on!

It did 3 or 4 small runs about 6 feet each time then took off sideways and went across all my lines. Once I got over the other two lines it swam right to shore and the turned about 40ft out. It tried to pull drag but couldn't and within seconds I could see my leader. I was expecting to see some kind of nurse shark or grouper but to my surprise it was a GT! Or Giant Trevally!

I had my camera ready with the timer to take a pic so I snapped one as soon as it hit the sand, threw my tape over it and took one then set up with the timer and got the glory shot! I got him back in the water and tried reviving him but he didn't want to swim off. I pushed him around a bit and he finally kicked off and made it about 6 ft then went sideways. By that time I decided I would keep him, get a guyotaku print and cook it up for the guys at work.

He weighed in at 25kg on the dot, which is 55lbs my first big GT over 12 lbs.. Smoked it all today and we ate all but 2 steaks that had to go on after the first batch.

[Latimeria]

Awesome catch Chris!  That's a hell of a GT!

How did it taste?  I've never had GT before and curious as I would have assumed smoking it would be the best option.

[1morecast]

Sweet

[Latimeria]

You made the cover page to the site.  Great catch, Chris!

[sasquatch]

That looks like a blast.

[Eric H]

Good seeing a report from you Chris, that's a damn cool catch

[SevengillTheVC]

Wow Okinawa seems to get the best of tropical and temperate fish! Nice going Chris, now you gotta catch one of those jetty Makos to make us all super jealous!

[Pinoyfisher]

Huge chunks! What was in it's stomach?

[WheresMyBeer]

Kick ass ...

Nice GT man.

[Chris]

Thanks guys! And Tom, super awesome to be on the front page!

The stomach was empty except for some small crab legs. I'd put money on it that it regurgitated its recent meals trying to pull 30lbs of drag.

It taste really good. Not fishy at all and the meat is firm but not chewy. Like sheepshead meat but different taste.

Kaipo and I are going to soak some GT specific baits and throw lures a few nights coming up.

[scisports]

No risk of Ciguatera in Okinawa? There was some mention of it in Hawaii....

[Chris]

No reports of it, and we're all still alive.

[faster u fool]

thats soo rad.  killer catch Chris.