Monster GT’s make for one of the toughest combatants an angler could ask for. And John Cahill loves it. He shares some of his top tips for tackling these brutes of the sea.

Sometimes I wish I’d never discovered GT fishing. The truth is, once I had caught a big one, the addiction became real. These monsters were the only fish I wanted to chase.
As it now turns out, the moment I return from a trip, the plan is already hatched for the next. If I don’t have a trip scheduled I am just plain cranky, and as a Melbournian, this is an expensive exercise. It probably explains why my bank account looks as sad as it does.
If you’re up for your next fishing challenge or have dreamt about one day doing an extended tropical trip in search of GT’s, I suggest you read on.

A solid Queensland specimen

The appeal is real
Good looks, bodies built like muscle cars crossed with pit bulls and with a bully boy attitude wherever they roam, GT’s have a liking for smashing lures off the surface and get hyper aggressive in packs.
Possessing plenty of endurance, their short-term powerful bursts are something to behold and can all too often break the best tackle made. These beasts rip rods out of hands and big fish on heavy drags can make grown men cry. While they don’t possess the endurance of some species, their dirty tactics more than make up for it. These monsters truly own the reef.
GT casting is all about getting the bite and hanging on for the ride. And when they get big and thick, GT’s take on a whole new persona. What’s not to like?
Where they reside
Globally, GT’s are widespread, favouring the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ranging along the coasts of three continents, many hundreds of smaller islands and archipelagos and, most importantly for us, northern Australia.
The southernmost Australian recorded captures from the west coast of Australia come from Rottnest Island and on the east coast near Coffs Harbour. More reliably they can be found in better numbers and with reliability the further north you go.
We often think of GT’s as predominantly reef species; however, studies have shown they spend considerable time at depth and I have caught plenty while jigging in water up to 150 metres. I have also caught GT’s in open water when targeting sailfish. It’s a fact that they show up where they show up and of course they must swim across open water to reach another reef. For the purpose of this article though, I’m talking about targeting them on top water casting tackle in and around inshore reefs and atolls.
GT’s don’t sit still. They are not an ambush hunter. They patrol as though on a beat while searching for food and when they find it they use speed to chase it down.
Big fish top water strategy
GT’s can come from many likely locations, from shallow flats and blue hole lagoons to rocky points and surf zones. Then there are those fish that hang around deep reefs and pinnacles where you have to lure fish up from the deep.
The many variances in locations call for a number of approaches with lure choice and this becomes a bit of kit for you to call upon as different circumstances arise.
I have typically experienced big fish hanging with big fish but not always exclusively so. As a rule, smaller GT’s are more excitable and competitive when it comes to feeding patterns while bigger GT’s are a lot more measured. Spending a lot of time hooked up to smaller GT’s is fun but won’t necessarily help your chances at hooking monsters.
As a strategy to deter the rats and give the big fish a chance to find your lure, try casting bigger lures and work them slower. While small GT’s will still hit them, they will often shy away which provides a big dog the chance to climb on your lure. It’s a numbers game and not hooking up all the small fish is just as important.
Big GT’s are where you find them, but my favoured locations are the ocean side of big bommies in the wash and fishing across major current. Big GT’s thrive when hunting disoriented bait in these conditions. If there is current and bait you are in the game.
GT popping tackle
Top water casting tackle has evolved with technology and the modern refinements are lovely with some truly beautiful tackle available. Let’s take a look at GT popping essentials and the nice to haves. Just remember we are talking about chasing the big girls here, not the reef rats.

Hang on and tow out!

Rods
As a minimum you need two rods: one for casting stickbaits (stickbaits respond better to a more responsive blank with a more sensitive tip) and a dedicated popping rod with the spine to chug the biggest bucket mouth poppers (too soft a rod and you can’t snap the popper – they tend to drag through the water with softer blanks).
There are some all-round rods that do the job adequately but if you really get into GT fishing you will want to specialise. Popping rods will typically be in the 7’10” to 8’ category while specialist stickbait rods measure a little longer, up to around 8’3”.
Good rods are a solid investment but the high-end components and responsive feel are worth it. Thankfully there are some well-priced rods emerging that make for great starting points. Take a look at the Murasame Caranx series and ASWB GT Tamers.
Reels
Reels in the 10,000 to 18,000 Shimano and 4500 to 7000 sized Daiwa high speed spin reel ranges are most commonly used for good reason. High-speed gearing is mandatory to recover line fast between rod sweeps when working the lure so don’t fall into the trap of investing in the wrong reels.
I advocate buying the best, such as Stella’s and Saltiga’s as I have experienced too many second-tier reels break. You’ll get a few trips out of the entry-level models; however, the difference lies in how hard the reels work with powerful fish and double-digit drag pressures. Needless to say, it’s a hostile environment for a fishing reel.
Line
It must be good quality PE and if we are talking really big fish then PE10 (breaking strains of 100 to 130 lb, depending on brand and batch) is recommended. You can fish PE8 or even PE6 and fish a lighter drag commensurate to that line, but you will lose more fish in gnarly country.
Leaders are commonly 200 lb and I recommend a good rod length or a tad more. I like the leader to run all the way to just above the spool. Word of warning though, the longer the leader, the more you lose on casting distance but it’s comforting to know you have extra leader material at the ready when the fish dives for home in terms of abrasion resistance and some shock absorption.

A truly epic Indonesian fish

Lure types – your essential tool kit
There are four basic styles of lure that you need to know about and all have their place in your quiver. Let’s take a closer look.
Floating stickbaits
Designed to look like a swimming fish, when floating stickbaits are left to rest on the surface their nose sticks out while the tail sits in. When swept with a long stroke of the rod, a good floating stickbait will slash from side-to-side, initially on the surface of the water and then sub-surface.
Actions can vary wildly from lazy wide S patterns to tight-frenzied wiggles. A truly good floating stickbait is a work of art and the product of much refinement from a lure builder. They are my favourite style of lure to use and are famous for producing a bite in tough conditions when fish are not cooperating but you know they are there.
Floating stickbaits are suitable for a wide range of conditions but there might be better options in wild water where there is lots of chop, wind and current as they can be difficult to swim in these conditions.
Sinking stickbaits
Sinking stickbaits are far easier to use than floaters. Typically, they are balanced to slowly sink horizontally. Given they sink, they are more likely to hold in the water and not ‘blow out’ when conditions are poor.
In Hawaii, they specialise in sinking lures down for a minute or more in deep water before commencing a retrieve; however, patience is required if you take that approach.
Skipping pencils/hybrids
These lures are designed to be wound in quickly across the surface to imitate a fleeing longtom or garfish. I pull them out of the bag when I suspect there are fish around but I can’t seem to locate them. I can cover two to three times more water with one than all other methods combined so I consider them a search bait and the takes are truly spectacular.
Poppers: swimming/diving poppers
These lures are the most popular as far as GT fishing goes. There is a skill to working a popper to its full potential; however, even a punter can get a good result, especially with diving poppers or easy to work chuggers. When working over deeper reefs there is no better lure to be throwing than a good popper as it makes plenty of noise, calling them from the deep. In simple terms it’s easy: pop, pause, repeat.

Now that’s putting the hurt on!

Terminal talk
Big GT’s are brutal on terminal tackle and commonly bend and break hooks. For that reason, only the absolute strongest on the market should be used. Trebles are by far the most popular and achieve a lot of hook ups but if a lure can handle them without sacrificing flotation, large singles are the best bet for a secure hook up.
It has become a common practice to use barbless hooks in GT popping circles and for good reason. If a lure happens to hit a fellow angler it could end in significant injury. With barbs on hooks and boats potentially hours from shore this could be devastating.
In addition to this, GT’s will commonly bust you off on reef structure. If you use barbless hooks it’s easy for the fish to shed the lure. Also, if it floats, you might even get it back.
Make sure the rest of the terminals are commensurately tough as well. 11H split rings, 200 lb mono leader connected with an FG knot and only the best swivels complete the terminal package.
We even go to the extent of double threading the uni knot through the swivel as we have had that point break too many times. Yep, you read that right, 200 lb leader snapping.

The prize – a GT of epic proportions

Preparation and fight strategy
Getting big GT’s away from heavy cover is essential to success and it is difficult to do from a static boat if you are in tiger country. Remember that at all costs! When you get a big fish bite, stay tight at all costs. Blindly striking while giving the fish slack line between attempts at hook set is a rookie mistake. Hit them hard and keep it tight is my motto.
Every location and fish has its own set of circumstances to consider, but if there are obvious hazards, once hooked up, point the boat to deeper water and do your best to keep tight as you sensibly motor out while palming the spool to minimise line loss. Often the fish can be led out. Once the fish is in deeper water you can go about the fight on more even terms. Fish the heaviest drag you can and notice I did not mention an actual kilogram number as this will be a different comfort level for everyone. My final word is be physically prepared to fish the heaviest drag you can. Big GT fights will be around the 10-minute mark but all of that time will be working hard near your peak.
Big fish attitude
It’s all about casting the biggest lures you can comfortably handle and working those lures slow and calculated for big fish. Don’t be tempted to chase the rats, stick with it and a shot at a big dog will come!

John cut his teeth fishing for natives and trout in the impoundments and rivers of northern Victoria. A pretty versatile all rounder he is very well travelled regularly catching flights off to fishing locations such as the Northern Territory, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, the Middle East and Malaysia however his all-time favourite would be top water fishing for the mighty GT wherever they are found!