Author Topic: Popping and spinning for game fish after a year Im REWARDED, (Read 6748 times)

yakuza · « **on:** November 20, 2013, 05:59:22 PM »

Good day gents

First off I want to thank the forum and all its members/contributors for the information provided. After a years popping/jigging and spinning I got rewarded with my first big catch. And I need to say KEEP ON TRYING, as you will get those fish you are after!!!

The background info around catch is that the King was caught after a quick weekend away to visit the parentels in St. Lucia. On Sunday morning I went out to the water at 4 am to start fishing around the Umfolozi mouth area, conditions was really bad with over cast conditions the whole day and winds up to 30km/h. The areas I was casting at was difficult to reach, as you walk in waist deep in the ocean over a small sand bank that makes a great gully and where you cast towards a second sandbank and even deeper gully that connects to the backline which is super perfect for gamefish.

It was about 30 minutes after full low tide on spring tide that I got hit by this beautiful steam train. I was using a old school dark green popper that weighs a good 3,5 Oz on a Waft black stallion heavy 12ft rod paired with a Quantem Cabo 60PTS reel spooled with 30lb suffix casting braid. What an outfit this is!

The short story is that the reel has 300m of braid on and once hooked that Kingy just decided that there is no way in hell he is coming out the ocean. The drag was set severely tight, but that didnt stop the fish as he almost spooled spooled me empty(I saw the silver spool with my braid to drum knot already), after which I quickly set the drag tight in the first run. Just as the fish stopped running I thought it was now time for me to reel in. Then wola(OOPS) my 1 month old reel was stripped, luckily no one heard me cursing at this brand new setup that havent caught anything prior to this beauty. It was so bad I couldnt even get 1 turn of line in.

The tide was coming in and the area I was standing in was getting deeper, so my thoughts ran away with me and I was in a panic. Because I couldnt reel the fish in and it pulled the living *** out of me I was as stiff as a juiced up body builder after lifting and pulling some massive weights and I still had to cross one gully that was already fulled up with water neck deep (I am 1.85m tall). So I took it on myself to pull/walk the fish out with the drag set to max.

Let me tell you gents, this was really not easy!! Pulling and walking backwards over dunes, stumps and trees whilst keeping thight lines is possible if you fall over the above mentioned objects at least 5 times. Being the only fisherman at the water for the day it seemed impossible to land my fish I worked so hard for but I walked it out till the point I was behing the dune and couldnt see the water anymore. So I then decided after running up the coast line to see the where a bouts of the fish on the line which was a mere 1m away from the sand, to drop the rod and reel in the sand and do a 300m sprint to the fish.

Luckily I caught it on the tail before it was over the sand bank again as it was drained just as much as I was to put up another fight. I quickly got a lady that ran to me when she saw I hooked a fish to take 4 photos for me with my gem. Fish was out of the water for 1 minute max and then revived for 10 minutes to get its strength back to fight another day. What a day that was for me, moeg pap and battered I picked up the reel, rod and braid and went straight home for a refreshment. Im busy dealing with the agents to refund me as I have no respect for Quantim reels any more.

Now I know its di9fficult to see but what species is this? As it is not as dark as a GT, but I didnt see any bluespots as well?

yakuza · « **Reply #1 on:** November 20, 2013, 06:02:49 PM »

yakuza · « **Reply #2 on:** November 20, 2013, 06:05:10 PM »

Struggling to load the pics guys.
pic 1

pic 2

isivuba · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2013, 06:15:04 PM »

Now thats an awesome catch

Cam Mundy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2013, 06:15:44 PM »

nice one bud thats a great fish on 30lb gear its definitely a geet. get your money back and buy a shimano though

Willie · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2013, 06:18:40 PM »

on your catch. Great write up I can imagine that struggle but if determined you will win

maganything · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2013, 09:43:30 PM »

Definately a GT. They come in silver and dark specimens, not sure what causes the colour change but presume it must be something to do with the structure they hunting around..

Well done, awesome catch!

Big B · « **Reply #7 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:40:10 AM »

Very nice catch, congrats after working hard and long, you got what you targeted.

zach · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:41:53 AM »

Great fish,well done.

Lichia amia · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:52:00 AM »

One to be proud of ! Good fish

L Hooker · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2013, 07:54:50 AM »

Awesome well done perserverance pays off nice GT

super_daav · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2013, 08:26:34 AM »

Wow superb fish & great effort!!! Congratulations on such an awesome fish!

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2013, 08:28:13 AM »

well down!

Cage · « **Reply #13 on:** November 21, 2013, 08:57:09 AM »

man, excellent catch, definitely a Gt to be proud of on that gear!! ........definitely

time for you!

yakuza · « **Reply #14 on:** November 21, 2013, 09:30:30 AM »

Thanks to all the replies guys!! What Shimi would you consider? After some extensive research I narowed it down(remember this is purely spinning and popping paired with a 12ft rod) to a Shimano Saragosa Sw 6000f maybe a ultegra 5500 XSA ci4 or a Penn spin fisher ssv 6500 or even a Conflict 6000. The reason for this is that the gear ratios are 5.7;1 except on the ultegra its slower, max drag on the spinfisher is 30lb and you will spool it with 380m of braid with the conflict close in its footsteps, where the Shimanos can only handle 25lb drag and the spool 300m. Is the above mentioned info right?

I have heard a lot of good stories about the Penn reels and the Gosas for Kings on sand beaches. Any input from the re-known and experienced anglers?

Any info will help, thanks.

Roachy · « **Reply #15 on:** November 21, 2013, 09:49:47 AM »

Well played sir!

REEFMAN · « **Reply #16 on:** November 21, 2013, 09:50:10 AM »

Brilliant catch Yak! Some epic skills to land that fish without a reel! Well done!

Saragosa or Sustain 6000... way to go! But all those reels you mention will work.
Also, check out the Daiwa Windcast - is a nice big pit reel (long cast spool). I use the Ultegra 5500 on my 12ft setup, which is also big pit... The long cast spools will definitely increase your distance for spinning.

lebaka · « **Reply #17 on:** November 21, 2013, 09:51:11 AM »

yakuza that is such a epic and rewarding catch

Weedeater · « **Reply #18 on:** November 21, 2013, 10:41:43 AM »

Quote from: yakuza on November 20, 2013, 06:05:10 PM

Struggling to load the pics guys.
pic 1

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CONGRATS!! Perseverance pays off!

In terms of a spinning reel, what about a Shimano Sustain 6000 Ci4 FG? Pair that with 30lb braid and you have a winner.

Cage · « **Reply #19 on:** November 21, 2013, 10:44:05 AM »

Good advice from the guys. On a 12ft stick would definitely go 6000 size and up if you're going Shimano. The Gosa is a workhorse and can take quite a beating. I find the sustain 6000 ratio of 4.8:1 on the slow side especially when throwing plugs from the sand and the rocks. Also consider the Shimano Biomaster Sw6000Hg (5,7:1) as well as the Shimano Aceration 6000HG which I believe is the JDM version of the Gosa but comes in cheaper here.
If line capacity is a concern for you, check out the Biomaster 8000Hg. I have this reel and have used it for over a year now with no issues. I use it to throw spoons and plugs on the beach and it also doubles up as a medium popping/plugging reel from the boat. It will swallow over 400m of 30lb braid, has a 5,7:1 ratio, 29lbs of drag (with carbon washer upgrade you can tick this up to around 33lbs) but have found the stock drag to be sufficient thus far (granted I haven't had the opportunity of hooking and landing an angry geet on it yet) and it bears shimano's SW badge... its very happy operating in the salt.....
Good luck man, and big ups on that awesome fish again!!