Author Topic: A crazy weekend and the story of a dream fish (Read 7041 times)

Cage · « **on:** February 21, 2015, 07:14:17 PM »

I can't wait to get home to share this story so am sitting here at the bar at Zona Braza Lodge in Mozambique while I type this, still in disbelief and absolute gratitude to the One for choosing me to experience it.

The work year started off k@k and decided to pack up the mrs and head off to ZB for the weekend after a careful negotiation with the out laws to do grand kid duty (well played cage). We arrived on Thursday, water had a little bit of colour but otherwise looked fine, new moon and springs so a definite chance at a size GT from the bricks.

Let me get the less interesting stuff out the way before I tell you what happened yesterday. The brassies were around as usual and were co-operative in dropshot at high tide early morning and evening. So got a couple on Thursday eve, yesterday morning as well as today.

Here we go..... I headed out just before low tide yesterday south of the lodge to an area where the reef breaks. Many of you are familiar with this spot. Spring tide is the only time you can comfortably get across the 150m of water and up onto the reef in order to fish the pushing white water that funnels through the gap in the reef. When the tide starts pushing and the needle scales and big eyes come through there are often big GTs that sit and wait for them. Now I have had a few shots at these fish but either never connected, got smoked in seconds or cut off very quickly on the many rocks and reef close to the gap.

I got up onto the reef, and made my way to the edge. The sea was quite rough and the wind was fairly strong so I opted to go with a 5oz GT ice cream chisel nose plug. I made my cast, (it's a comfortable 50m lob to the other side which is probably knee deep) and started the retrieve. About 5m from the end of the retrieve all I saw was a shadow appear and in a split second literally with 2m of line out my plug got smashed! All I saw was the head and I knew it was a geet but didn't fathom the size. I tightened up and struck as the fish screamed off to the right. There is a ledge which stretches out on the right and I have got cut off here before so I put my hand on the spool and pulled as hard as I could, the fish turned and rolled on the surface. It was at this point that I saw it for the first time, it was huge and I kakked myself just seeing it. It then headed straight across the gulley and took about 40m of line before turning hard right and making a break again for the rig hand corner. This time is was too late and the fish got around with my braid catching onto the edge of the rock to my right. In that split second I flipped the bail open and jumped down onto the ledge which was in the water and somehow managed to free the braid. I started reeling again and the fish was still there. I put so much pressure on it I swear I heard the rod cracking and creaking but the fish turned and got it around the corner. When it came past me there were 3 more following it!

At this point, I was mindful that I was alone on the reef and was battling to figure out how I was going to land this thing. I slowly worked it to my left and behind the reef into the shallow flat water. My back, forearms and shoulders were on fire and I was stressing about landing this fish, after a few more attempts by the fish to head back to the right and me holding the spool and pulling like mad it started tiring.i worked it further behind the reef and saw a sloping rock which I figured would help and proceeded to jump into the water. When I got the fish close to me I grabbed the leader and dragged it upon to the rock..... Then collapsed... I was exhausted and couldn't believe what just happened. I pulled myself and this beast up (I really battled to get it up to safer ground as I couldn't even get my hand around the base of the tail.

I looked up and saw that a local who had been collecting mussels was not far so started screaming at him to come over. I pulled out the tape measure and was shaking so much couldn't open the zip of my bag to get the camera out. Then proceeded to try give this dude a crash course in taking pics in bing language cos he had no idea what I was saying. Anyway, I must have had him take 40-50 pics and after downloading them today and cropping his fingers out got a couple of amazing pictures. The fish measured out at 129cm fork length (took the measurement a number of times)...

After this I got the fish back in the water and it took 45 mins of revival time before she swam off strong...the Almighty is great and I am so grateful...

Here are the pics guys, my BUS geet from the bricks!

Tackle recon: assassin spinmaster 2xh, stella 10k, 65lb JB solid, pr knotted to 150lb leader and gt ice cream with VMC 11/0 jigging assist.

Cage · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2015, 07:15:46 PM »

Thank you Lord

Cage · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2015, 07:17:32 PM »

Went back today and things were quiet, so started throwing a bucktail jig.... Hooked something that took off like a steam train but once again I was let down by sh&tty hooks! Anyways, my life is made, I'm done.

SAfish · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2015, 07:27:00 PM »

That is an awesome fish!!!

MIKE PIKE · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:08:15 PM »

... awesome catch Cage , well done on the

from the shore and great report +

...

Charles · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:18:47 PM »

Shees I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Got a bit annoyed when I saw the first pic...... That is a bus! The stuff that dreams are made of.

colin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2015, 08:31:08 PM »

Great read

sardinella · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2015, 09:20:36 PM »

Epic, well done

smiley6996 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2015, 11:33:26 PM »

well done awsome catch that still on my bucket list a monster gt from the side well done awsome pictures catch of a life time that

Jakes · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2015, 11:49:50 PM »

Quote from: Charles on February 21, 2015, 08:18:47 PM

Shees I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Got a bit annoyed when I saw the first pic...... That is a bus! The stuff that dreams are made of.

So did I Charles ...

GREAT catch Cage ...

and

[size=78%] welll done on the catch of a lifetime!!! ... [/size]

Shaun17 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 22, 2015, 12:09:56 AM »

Read the whole report before scrolling down onto the pics, epic stuff bud

Catch of a lifetime and some serious skills to land that beast.

for the report,

for the catch

Don't forget to submit your catch for the Catch of the Month!!

Gerhard · « **Reply #11 on:** February 22, 2015, 07:16:14 AM »

The smile says it all!!

Big

on a super fish!

Willie · « **Reply #12 on:** February 22, 2015, 07:28:06 AM »

Great report and

on a bus of a GT

vismal · « **Reply #13 on:** February 22, 2015, 10:05:37 AM »

Well done Cage, awesome fish!!

Nepptune · « **Reply #14 on:** February 22, 2015, 10:24:12 AM »

Truly epic capture, and great tale told about it!!! Well done man, so stoked for you, and that you got to experience such an amazing capture, and by all accounts, enjoyed and feel blessed by it so deservedly!

andrewpalang · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2015, 11:31:36 AM »

What a bus Cage! That is such an epic geet! That is a dream for most from a boat, but to be able to pull that from the surf in tough conditions is priceless! Well done man! Super stoked!

Prego · « **Reply #16 on:** February 22, 2015, 11:53:57 AM »

Epic epic stuff Cage, I saw the post on Zona Braza'a FB page and the first thing that came to my mind is " this dude is a fish Magnet" Really well done, I know you been after that bugger for a while

FishStyx · « **Reply #17 on:** February 22, 2015, 01:40:58 PM »

Brilliant Cage... and I know just how much pressure you would have had to put on that beast. You and I have talked about that spot and the heartbreak it can cause with all the structure and just about no open water. Awesome catch and lekker report

demon · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2015, 03:10:25 PM »

As Gerhard says, the face tells the story, lekker report...

Steenie · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2015, 03:38:21 PM »

What an amazing story and catch! Well well well done!