Fishing Reports

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Great trip with Japanese anglers

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I have guided 4 japanese anglers for a 3 days popping & jigging trip. Two of them are regular clients and experienced in GT fishing. The two others were newbie.

Biggest GT of the trip. Caught on Hammer Head popper.

First day, we started to fish on popping as Gt's were their main targets. Morning action was a bit slow, with few bites, some fish were caught, but also some were missed. Then before lunch, I decided to have a try on jigging, the first spot produced mainly small fish as groupers and long nose emperor. On the second spot, we found a much better activity and the sonar show us some good marks of fish. Quickly, they caught some Diamond Trevally who gave them some good fight. They also sadly missed and loose some good size fish, but that's fishing. On the way back to the harbour we spent a couple of hours on the popping spots and caught some more GT's.

Second day, we mainly focus on popping. Morning session was good with good activity on topwater, but the guys missed the fish, only one decent fish was caught, before lunch I decide to try another area to see if Gt's were also keen to smashed their poppers, they caught few nice fish, but activity was not as good as the morning. A big fish was lost by a poor hook setting and finally they caught a decent fish on the last spot.

Third day, on the way to the first popping spot, I spotted some birds and suddenly some big splash !!! I run the boat full speed telling the guys to be ready to cast. Getting closer to the splashes, I saw some nice tuna jumping, definitely long tail tuna. On his second cast, Yamada's popper get engulfed by a big tuna. The fish goes in a long and powerful rush, but after a while the fish came off... Yamada retrieve his popper with one branch of his strong GT hook open !!! Unlucky... We stayed in the area and I spotted another birds activity, I rushed in their direction. Yamada san cast his big popper right in the middle of the boiling and a big fish grab his lure. After an intense fight, it's a really big GT who met my landing net. As I can't lift the fish in the boat alone, Yamada san gave me a help. What a beautiful fish, massive body and very healthy. We quickly took pictures and release that fish in the best condition. After that catch everybody was excited. As the last days activity drop before lunch, we reach some jigging spots and they caught Gt's and more Diamond Trevally. We stopped on some popping spot on the way back to the harbour but it was a bit early to found activity as we planned to come back earlier because they have their flight in the night.

Another great trip with Japanese anglers, sometimes to found fish activity was a bit challenging for me, but all in in all we always found fish to catch. They caught fish, but they also sadly missed or loose some, but that's fishing.

Tight Line

Capt. Nico

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3rd Big GT of the season for Japanese angler !!!

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Still late with the fishing report, but here an highlight picture of a big GT caught by one of our regular japanese angler during a 3 days popping and jigging trip, beginning of the month.

Stay tuned full report coming soon !!!

Tight Line

Capt. Nico

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Nice fishing day at sea !!

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End of February, I have a day charter with Gregory and his wife from France. After they have enjoyed travelling in our beautiful island, they wanted to catch some GT's on popper and some others species.

Conditions in term of weather was absolutely stunning, glassy water and damn hot, but that not made the fish so active, but we manage to found some spots where some fish were keen to bite their popper. Gregory missed the first fish of the day, but he managed to set properly the hook on the next 2 bites during the morning. As the weather was very hot we decide to do bit of jigging but fish seems also not so keen to bite, despite some nice mark on the sonar.

Then, I propose them to do a bit of trolling and less than 10 minutes a beautiful wahoo smashed the Rapala, "dinner catch". We continue a bit but without success. I decide to have a try on the popping spots end of the day, but current was slow and sadly it doesn't make the fish active.

All in all was not a so bad day, as Gregory caught his first GT's on popper, what was the target of the day.

It was nice to meeting you and I wish you a nice bluefin tuna season in south of France next summer.

Tight Line

Capt. Nico

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Nasty GT !!!

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Sometimes anglers are not expecting our GT’s to be so nasty. They can pull hard !!!

Very late with the fishing reports, as I am very busy guiding clients these days. Reports will come soon, but in the meantime, here is a short video where a big GT mistreats an angler during the last week fishing trip. Look how the GT pull him. With too much adrenaline and excitement, at the end he sadly lost the fish.

Tight Lines

Capt. Nico

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Great popping trip for young German anglers !!

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Max, Robin and Christoph from Germany had booked 3 days popping with us last week and they had a great fishing trip with some good topwater action.

GT popping Sri Lanka.jpg

Max and Christoph had already experienced GT popping by the past in Andaman Islands and it was a first for Robin which is mainly fishing for carps in Europe. The first day they had a very good day, on the first spot and the first drift Christoph caught the first GT of the trip and on the second drift it's Max who caught a GT. They caught and missed some fish during the day, and it's in the afternoon Robin caught his first ever GT. End of the day, Max caught the biggest fish of the day a GT in the 20-25 kg range.

The second day, they caught some fish in the morning and just before lunch I proposed them to do some trolling to reach the next popping spots for the afternoon. Conditions were just perfect and in less than 30 minutes, a sailfish was jumping in the air and Robin landed his first ever billfish, congratulations !!! We released this sailfish, for him to grow a bit more and give the chance at another sport fisherman to catch it. In the afternoon, we found some good activity and the boys caught some more GT's.

The third day, fish activity was less, but the guys don't give up and keep casting and that pay off, as they caught some Gt's.

All in all, it was a great 3 days fishing trip with good action, no big one this time, but they caught a sailfish ;-)

Thanks guys to came fishing with us and I wish you a great holidays in Sri Lanka !!

Tight Lines

Capt. Nico

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Nice fishing week end at Bolgoda Lake !!!

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Last week-end, I was guiding Maeda san and Ito san, 2 Japanese anglers who work in India and have planned to come fishing at Bolgoda Lake to caught Barramundi, mangrove jack and featherback.

With the unusual rains last week of January and first week of February, fishing at Bolgoda was a bit tough due to some murky water, but we always manage to put our clients on some fish.

Hopefully for our two Japanese last week end was the first day without rain and slowly water was getting better.

Saturday morning, we try to catch some featherback, but without success, Maeda san had a nice bite but was not connected to the fish, it's only in the afternoon session we start to found some activity and Ito san caught a Barramundi and a Featherback.

Sunday, water color was much better. The morning the guys have fun with some nice mangrove jack.

Just before lunch Maeda caught his first barramundi and just after he released his fish, Ito san caught also one nice barramundi. Few minutes later, on the same spot Maeda san lost another decent barramundi. The afternoon was more tough has the current was going slower as the fish activity.

For their first fishing trip at Bolgoda Lake our 2 Japanese anglers enjoy the place, so relaxing compare to the crazy New Delhi mega city where they work in India. Definitely, they will come back at Bolgoda Lake and I have the feeling Maeda san as a GT angler will come back also to cast some big popper next time.

Guys, thanks to come fishing with us in Sri Lanka, really nice to meeting you and I am waiting to see you again soon.

Tight Lines

Nico - Head Fishing Guide

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Successful GT popping day charter

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Few days after the trip with the Japanese, I have a popping day charter with Alex from France and Sergii from Ukraine, both of them were traveling in Sri Lanka for holidays and who planned a day fishing to target GT's on popper.

I met the guys at the harbour, Alex had already experienced Gt fishing in Andaman Island some years ago and it was the first time for Sergii. I spent a couple of minute to give good advice to the guys to put them in the best situation to catch a GT. We start the day in some of good spots, but as I don't see any good activity, I decide to try some others spots I don't fish often but I know they can produce good fish. On the first spot Alex have a nice bite, the GT bust his popper 3 times but Alex don't set the hook properly and miss the fish. On the second spot Alex invite me to join them and end of the drift I also missed a GT as I was not focus on my lure (beginner mistake...) On the other spot, I missed another one very close to the boat (not my day...) and Alex caught a decent fish who gave him an epic fight on his light tackle (PE 5).

Sergii was not feeling so well with the sun heat and start to have an headache, certainly due to beginning of a dehydration, I advice him to take a rest and to drink a lot of water and I gave him some rehydration powder to help. Despite his headache, Sergii keep casting and his efforts were rewarded by a big GT who grab his popper. As Sergii told us, he was definitely not ready for that fish as this GT fight so hard, but all in all Sergii found some enough stamina to landed the fish. Congratulations Sergii !!! You deserve that fish.

As Sergii was not feeling better we decide to finish the day with a bit of trolling with the hope to catch a nice king mackerel or a sailfish as the sea conditions were good, but sadly fish were not keen to play with us. Never mind, as the target of the day was to catch some Gt's and mission was accomplished with a big bonus fish for Sergii.

Tight Lines

Capt. Nico

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Hot popping and jigging action for Japanese anglers !!!

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With some delay, here is the full report of a great 3 days popping and jigging trip with Japanese anglers Nakamura san and Hayato san beginning of February.

The first day, we mainly go for popping and despite some slight green water due to some unusual heavy rain days before, the guys have 5 bites and caught 3 GT in the 15 kg range and Nakamura caught a nice 20kg + end of the day.

As we have bites early morning and end of day, the second day we do a mix of popping and jigging. The morning, Hayato san caught 2 small GT and miss a bigger one. Just before lunch, I decide as planned to reach some of our jigging spots. Good move, as the sonar show me some nice marks and the guys were immediately tight with fish. They caught some amberjacks, black tip trevally, Gt's and a nice long nose emperor for Nakamura.

On the way back, I stopped on a couple of popping spots and on the second spot, I spotted a bait school in surface. Nakamura san, cast his Carpenter Gamma and a big GT came and smashed his lure very close to the boat. The GT missed his stickbait and on the second bite it grab it properly. Nakamura strike, but sadly the hook were not set properly and he lost the fish... Tomorrow is another day...

Last day, we discover a very nice water color on the first spot and I told the guy, that will make the fish more active, especially the big ones. And it's what happen, on the second spot Hayato san had a big bite, the fish goes on a powerful rush and straight in direction of the rock. I started the engine, and followed the fish to make sure the line don't touch the rock. After some epic boat maneuver to keep the fish far from the rock, Hayato san can finally fight his fish safely. After, a hard fight, it's a cracking big GT and we landed on the deck. Not the biggest GT of Hayato san as it's a regular GT angler onboard Big Dipper with Fukui san in Japan. But Hayato san told me this GT was the most tough fish he has fight.

On the next spot, it's Nakamura san who had also a big bite and again very close to the boat. This time Nakamura san set properly the hooks and start an epic battle with a healthy GT who gave him a hard time. And it's another nice big GT we landed, that fish was a bit heavier than the one of Hayato san. We try a couple of others spots without success, than we decide to reach the jigging spots. As the previews day, the sonar show us a lot of big mark and we are expecting some good action. But the most frustrating scenario happening, they don't have a single bite !!! We try different jig action, slow, fast, short shape jigs, long shape jigs, colors etc... but nothing decide these fish. We back a bit earlier as the guys have a flight early in the night, I just stopped on the couple of popping spots, but like I was expected we don't have bite as it was a bit too early.

All in all, these 3 days fishing were great and for their first trip in Sri Lanka Nakamura san and Hayato san enjoyed a lot their trip and they have already plan to come back soon. I am waiting to see you again guys !!!

Tight Lines

Capt. Nico