After experiencing the best GT trip of the 2008 season, Chris Lee returned in November 2009 keen to once again catch big GTs and also to catch as many different species on poppers as he could. Chris was joined by his mate Troy Aberin, a first timer to Christmas Island.
A good couple of months on the GTs through September and October was unfortunately not to continue into November and the boys found the big GTs to be very elusive. As is usually the case however, pelagic species were plentiful. All species were taken on cast lures with big sailfish and good size yellowfin tuna being the standouts. As we drifted through an area that we knew was holding fish, the sailfish would readily group up following stickbaits and poppers in from the depths. It paid to have two rods ready for each angler so that if the fish became familiar with one lure you could quickly change and present them with another option which would be readily consumed. Sight casting to 50kg+ sails is really cool, especially when it is punctuated by the massive boil of a speeding yellowfin as it hits the popper.
Fantastic sea conditions were on hand for the best part of the week as our policy of taking bookings only until the end of November was vindicated by the arrival of cyclone Anika just 3 days after Chris and Troy departed. This meant no fishing for a couple of weeks as that system moved through. .
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