Fishing Methods
Recommended Jigging Gear
Specialist Gear to Bring
We take great care handling fish and have a policy of releasing all GTs. We also like to frequently release Dogtooth Tuna. Using heavy tackle shortens fight times and ensures fish are released quickly and in the best condition possible.
Jigging
We use Daiwa Saltists and Shimano Ian Miller T-Curve Deep Drop 200 rods for general jigging. These cope with most reef species but if you want to target the monster dogtooth out there, you must bring your own heavy tackle. You might want to consider investing in a Stella or Saltiga or an overhead jigging reel with harness lugs. Reels need to be able to accommodate at least 300m of 80-130lb braid and cope with drags approaching 20kg.
Fiji All-Tackle Dogtooth Record (90kg) taken aboard Bite Me
We use jigs in the 150-200g range for jigging the outer reef slopes but up the size to 250-350g if the weather is breezy or we are fishing deeper than 150 in places like the seamount. Generally jigs with flutter work better in water shallower than 90m. The fast drop / high speed retrieve jigs work better in deepwater off the reef or places like the Kadavu Seamount.
When fishing for dogtooth tuna we strongly recommend you use IGFA Certified braid or have your line tested before you come. Last season we took the Fiji 80lb and All-Tackle National Record Dogtooth Tuna with a fish of just over 90kg, just shy of the IGFA World Record. We have seen larger dogtooth out there including several that would easily smash the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record.
Make sure you know your line breaking strain. It would be a shame to land a fish of a lifetime and then have your line over-test!
A Shimano Trinidad 40 spooled with IGFA 80lb braid on a Zenaq landed this big dogtooth tuna
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Recommended Poppercasting Gear
Specialist Popper Casting Gear to Bring
We take great care handling fish and have a policy of releasing all GTs. We also like to frequently release Dogtooth Tuna. Using heavy tackle shortens fight times and ensures fish are released quickly and in the best condition possible. We also crush all our hook barbs.
We only carry medium tackle popping gear for fish in the 5-25kg range.
If you want to target the big GTs here you must bring your own heavy tackle Popping gear.
Popper casting
We recommend using tackle that is of at least 80lb line class and better still, 130lb line class.
Most anglers here use Shimano Stellas or Daiwa Saltiga threadline reels spooled with 130lb Varivas braid on Shimano GT Specials or custom rod made by HOTS, Fisherman, Zenaq, Carpenter, Smith and Ripplefisher to name a few examples. The big GTs here will break anything less. Even so, expect to chew through a few poppers.....
The most common poppers and stickbaits used are Hammerheads, FCL Labos, Craftbaits, Orions, Full Scales, Heru and Buffalos in the largest sizes.
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Deepwater Jigging
Jigging
Kadavu Island has 100km of Great Astrolabe barrier reef, the worlds 4th longest barrier reef. With steep outer reef slopes plunge to thousands of meters in depth and the island itself spikes up from the seafloor some 4,000m below the surface. To the North lies a remote coral atoll and to the South East, a range of underwater seamounts rise in places to depths as little as 150m.
The calm inner coral lagoons offer shelter to a variety of reef predators but the exposed outer reef slopes and seamounts are home to patrolling dogtooth tuna, Amberjack, giant Grouper and a whole host of deepwater species.
Specialist Gear to Bring
Specialist Gear to Bring
We take great care handling fish and have a policy of releasing all GTs. We also like to frequently release Dogtooth Tuna. Using heavy tackle shortens fight times and ensures fish are released quickly and in the best condition possible.
We only supply medium tackle popping gear suitable for targeting trevally in the 5-25kg range.
If you wish to target the big GTs here you will need to bring your own Heavy Tackle popping gear.
Popper casting
To target GTs in the 30-60kg range here, we recommend using tackle that is of at least PE8 strength or better still, PE10.
Most anglers here use Shimano Stellas or Daiwa Saltiga threadline reels spooled with PE10 Varivas braid. Rods start with the Shimano GT Specials and head on up the price range to top end custom rods by HOTS, Fisherman, Carpenter, Riplefisher and Zenaq to name just a few examples.
The most common poppers used are made by Hammerhead, FCL Labo, Craftbait, Fisherman, Orion, Full Scale and Buffalo.
Expect to chew through a few poppers.....
Jigging
We use Daiwa Saltists and Shimano Ian Miller T-Curve Deep Drop 200s for general reef jigging. These cope with most reef species including dogtooth up to 30kg but if you want to target the monster dogtooth out there, you must bring your own heavy tackle jigging gear.
Most anglers use Stellas or Saltigas however you might want to consider an overhead jigging reel with harness lugs. Reels need to be able to accommodate at least 250m of 80-130lb braid and cope with drags approaching 20kg.
When fishing for dogtooth tuna we strongly recommend you use IGFA Certified braid or have your line tested before you come. Last season we took the Fiji 80lb and All-Tackle National Record Dogtooth Tuna with a fish of just over 90kg, just shy of the IGFA World Record. We have seen larger dogtooth out there including several that would easily smash the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record unless your line over-tests Most braid breaks at well over its stated line class.
Make sure you know your line breaking strain.
Book your Popper Casting Trip Now!
Click here to book your Game Fishing trip to the Fiji Islands today and see what all the pro's are raving about in the fishing magazines about Kadavu, Fiji!!
Book Now!
Popper Casting
Popper Casting
Kadavu Island has 100km of Great Astrolabe barrier reef, the worlds 4th longest barrier reef and probably the world's most unspoilt and least explored.
The island's calm inner coral lagoons offer shelter to a variety of trevallies and coral reef predators but the exposed outer barrier reef breakers are home to numerous large GTs in excess of 40kg.
This issue is a dedicated GIANT BLUEFIN TUNA Special.
See mind-blowing action with tuna to way over 1000-pounds.
They are more than 10 feet long! It’s the hottest gamefishing news on the planet – and this issue has it all.
Discover the history, join the new action, and learn from the scientists. Do not miss this one!
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