It has become an annual ritual, the Maldives. Sometimes more. Here we are again: same boat, same crew, same waters, same species but a whole new adventure each trip is. We also get to introduce new faces to the places, and they never disappoint. So here's the most recent pilgrimage in pictures...
 |
| First morning's always special. The anticipation burns like the strong rays... |
 |
| The motley crew wastes no time in getting kitted out for the tough day ahead... |
 |
| Didn't have to wait to long for the first bite. Here a GT opens the accounts for us by munching down on a prototype popper and rod combo... |
 |
| The inner reefs held fish on this day and the procession started bright and early. The FCL Labo EXT 81MH rod gets an early workout... |
 |
| If you have seen previous trip reports you would know that the FCL Labo SPP Slim is a deadly weapon on GT. No different this time around... |
 |
| Its smaller cousin, the SPP Tuna scores the first Red Bass of the day... |
 |
| Another GT hits the deck, courtesy of the Maggy Gara GT Popper worked with the prototype rod... |
 |
| The Maggy Gara continues to boat fish, with this Red Bass next... |
 |
| FCL Labo popping rods were used by all, here an 81MH is loaded to send an SPP Tuna lure out... |
 |
| The good old Mangrove Studio Awaumi Popper always produces despite it's less-than-pristine condition. This one has seen better days... |
 |
| The El Gaviota is a Maldives favourite, given its small cup and ease of use. Here it fools another GT... |
 |
| We love our FCL rods and they come back for more even after put through pretty decent punishment... |
 |
| A decent sized GT hooked in the back is no fun! This one went ballistic on the FCL Ebipop and got snagged... |
 |
| A beaut Coronation Trout. These aggro reefies wouldn't miss out on passing goodies like this FCL Labo CSP and would readily pounce! |
 |
| Meanwhile, the Mangrove Studio Awaumi continues to score another fish... |
 |
| Rigged with single hooks, the FCL Labo CSP pencil works with an extra slinky action. Here's a nice GT that got fooled... |
 |
| As the anchor was sent overboard, signalling the day's end, out came the ultralights. Didn't take too long to find a taker and the Majorcraft KG Lights AJI rod got to work... |
 |
| After a few unstoppables and lost IMA Gun jigs, we finally landed this stonker of a Long Nose Emperor. The ultralight KG Lights outfit made it so much sweeter... |
 |
| This anchorage was hot! A pack of GTs moved in and devoured the light jigs, so some heavier back up was called in. Here the IMA Ro jig on the Evergreen Spin Jerker Light rod tamed this solid fish... |
 |
| Another Evergreen Spin Jerker Light capture, this Long Nose Emperor was super fun on the light jig outfit... |
 |
| More species to add to the list, a Green Jobfish which took the IMA Ro jig with gusto... |
 |
| A smaller Green Jobbie was fooled with the ultra light Bassday Nin Cas mini-madai jig... |
 |
| The larger jigs like this Shout! Flash was needed when going after the larger predators lurking. Worked with the Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker, this GT was brought in in short time... |
 |
| Between the bruisers were some beautiful Red Bass to keep the fishos entertained. Here's one which fell for an IMA Ro jig... |
 |
| And another on the magnificent jig that is the IMA Ro... |
 |
| The GTs hung around till late. Here another falls for the Shout! Flash jig... |
 |
| The action went on with more GT boarded. The Shout! Flash jig was working overtime indeed... |
 |
| Long Nose Emperors are considered a prized catch and we were lucky to land more than a couple on this first evening. This last one courtesy of the Shout! Flash... |
 |
| Early morning we managed to pick up a Red Throat Grouper on a Bassday Nin Cas mini-madai jig before heading off for some bigger quarry... |
 |
| The Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker jig rods have been faithful partners on all our trips the past seven years and never fail. This trip it had a new partner in the form of the Melon-Ya Metal Flap jig which did well to attract a passing toothy predator which duly snipped it off... |
 |
| The popping action was warming up with the sun. FCL rods were loaded up everywhere on deck... |
 |
| A trio of GTs on FCL Labo CSP pencils and a Maggy Gara popper respectively... |
 |
| After that short melee the bite tapered off and it became a rather bleak day of fishing, punctuated by this other fish on the FCL SPP Slim swimmer... |
 |
| As the sun set on a tough day, we prayed for a better tomorrow... |
 |
| On the village island we witnessed local fishermen going about their daily business of preparing small Tuna for sale... |
 |
| Early next morning we set off for a nearby island for some light tackle casting. We caught fish at anchor before disembarking. This greedy Emperor had the DUO Ikakko lodged in its jaws... |
 |
| Next cast with the Ikakko and another Black Blotch Emperor oblidged... |
 |
| These crystal clear lagoons are home to myriad of reef species. Walking and casting them is a great way to spend a morning... |
 |
| DUO Ikakkos have become a staple for these flats. Bluefin Trevally are a common capture and go wild when they spot a twitched Ikakko... |
 |
| Another Ikakko-munching specie is the Banded Trevally... |
 |
| After a slower than usual morning we managed a lonely Bonefish after dropping another. These elusive fish are highly regarded on these flats and go hard when hooked in shallow water. The Majorcraft KG Lights spin rod has accompanied us on many trips and is still hard to beat for this type of application... |
 |
| Bones love DUO Ikakkos and they don't think twice about taking one deep when spotted... |
 |
| Try as hard as we may to snag another Bonefish, they just weren't cooperating so we were left to go after other fish. Here's another Bluefin Trevally on the Ikakko... |
 |
| Maybe the only fish an angler would dread catching on the flats - the much-maligned Long Tom. Here's a double header on DUO Poco Poco and Zipbaits Raphael respectively... |
 |
| The Zipbaits Raphael is a deadly pencil anywhere and here on the flats it is no different. Twitched with the Evergreen Temujin 'Spider' rod it accounts for this Cod... |
 |
| We love the DUO Poco Poco mini-popper for shallow water work. The fish on the flats just love them... |
 |
| The above Emperor is followed by this enthusiastic Rock Cod... |
 |
| Bigger Bluefin Trevally are a handful in these shallow lagoons and many are lost as they rampage through sharper rocks in their bid for freedom... |
 |
| With plenty of high rod work we were lucky to have this guy within range after a few scares... |
 |
| Like most other reefies it was a Poco Poco muncher... |
 |
| Ikakko-loving Cod... |
 |
| Poco Poco-loving Gar... |
 |
| DUO Ikakkos catch all types. Here's a rarer Snapper... |
 |
| Followed by a nice Swallowtail Dart, also on the Ikakko... |
 |
| Rock Cods are most common, and can be a pest when going after other reefies... |
 |
| It has a close cousin in the form of the beautiful Peacock Hind, electric blue spots make them one of the prettiest of cods... |
 |
| A pic for posterity... |
 |
| Then it was back to business with the bigger fish. The GTs were on the chew and this FCL CSP was nailed in a ferocious srtike... |
 |
| Dogtooth Tuna are not a common capture on topwater plugs so every capture is special. This one couldn't resist the El Gaviota pencil popper as it breached the reef edge... |
 |
| On this trip small poppers were highly successful on the resident Gees, and they don't get any better than the Maggy Gara Short Popper... |
 |
| We had to work hard, changing lures ever so often to find the ones that worked on the finicky fish. The satisfaction when the key is unlocked is what all anglers work for... |
 |
| The FCL Labo SPP swimmer is a unique contraption that's worked magically in the past and will continue to do so. It comes along for all GT trips... |
 |
| In bad weather and with the day drawing to a close, a nice GT is pinned on the FCL Ebipop and gave the angler more than he bargained for. A great catch... |
 |
| Every evening without fail, the ultralights would come out as the boat anchored for the night. On the light gear every fish has a fighting chance and the irresistable small IMA Gun jigs get plenty of hook ups like this nice Emperor... |
 |
| Even the scavenging Remora falls for the IMA Gun... |
 |
| So does the bottom-dwelling Goatfish... |
 |
| Next morning we get right into the jig action. Here's a Rock Cod from the deep yanked up effortlessly by the Evergreen Poseidon High Pitch Jerker as it went for the Shout! Strobe jig... |
 |
| The bottom brigade continued the attack and no jig could make it up unmolested. Here's a nice Nassau Grouper on a Fisherman Andaman jig... |
 |
| Followed by another smaller specimen on the Shout! Shab Shab jig... |
 |
| A feisty deep Seabream proves its ferocity, attacking the big Andaman jig... |
 |
| In the Maldives, we are able to switch between pop and jig as opportunities arise. As the jigging tapered off we went back to chugging out the big lures for some surface action. The FCL CSP hardly fails in drawing a response... |
 |
| In this session the CSP pencil reigned supreme, accounting for yet another GT... |
 |
| And capping it off with a big one. The HS version of the CSP really is deadly on days like this... |
 |
| Back to jigging and we snag an uncommon Cod with the Shout! Strobe jig... |
 |
| Then we got onto some beautifully marked Coronation Trout, the first of which fell for the infamous Fisherman Andaman... |
 |
| And it was followed by another on the lumo-zebra Shout! Width jig, and like the one before also on an Evergreen Poseidon jig rod... |
To be continued...
For enquiries please email
No comments:
Post a Comment