A journey into the world of casting lures to ulua, or

GT
Fight
Club
A journey into the world of casting lures to ulua, or what
everyone else in the world calls them, GT (giant trevally).
By Charles Cintron
Rookie Moves
As we motor out to my first venture into
the battleground, I’m oblivious as to what I’m
up against. Sure, I’ve caught some small ulua
from shore baitcasting - no problem. A tough
fighter, that’s what I’m looking for. What happened during the course of the trip is best
described by a phrase we’ve used for years
in Hawaii, “dirty lickens”, and I was on the
receiving end. It seems I’ve brought a knife
to a gunfight. Strike after strike decimates
my gear and pride, leaving me helpless and
wondering if I should even still keep casting.
At one point during the trip, a GT struck my
lure portside just before taking it out of the
water and pinned my forearm against the
side of the boat, ripping line out as if there
was no drag at all, and finally breaking it and
my spirit. I throw in the towel and head back
with my tail between my legs, thinking about
what just happened. Line shredded, hooks
bent, and lures lost. Time to regroup. We’ll
be back. This means war, GT War.
Training Begins
My fishing partner, Brian Himalaya, is a
true Lawai‘a. What would take me a decade
to learn has been cut in half by shadowing
him for the last few years. Brian has been
put on earth for one thing and one thing
only, to catch fish. Whether it be diving, fishing with a rod and reel or throwing net, he is
a true master at what he does.
Reading through Brian’s old collection
of Hawaii Fishing News from the 80’s,90’s
and early 2000’s and scouring for info, it
seems “whipping, plugging, or popping” for
GT’s have been going on for years. I come
across names such as Peter Dunn-Rankin,
Mike Sakamoto, Darryl Nakasone, Gary Au,
Rick Gaffney, and many others who have either pioneered this technique or mastered
it. One name seems to stand out when I inquire about “GT Popping” to fisherman here
in Hawaii and abroad, Pat Victorino. It seems
this GT war veteran has been pounding GT’s
with spinning gear for decades not only in
Hawaii, but places most people have only
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read about, such as the Coral Sea, New Caledonia, Komodo, and many other
exotic places.
After inquiring about gear on Hawaii Fishing Forums, I come across other enthusiasts with comic book user names such as Baitballah, Bubblerise, Konaplugcaster, and as fate would have it Pat Victorino aka GTFISHERMAN, all offering
advice and tips. Little did I know the first three would soon be fishing buddies,
mixing it up side-by-side with me in the GT Wars. So after a year of beating the
shoreline refining my technique, the time has come to meet Pat and gear up.
The call is made and flight booked to Kauai to meet this legendary GT hunter.
Gearing Up
At the airport I shake his hand and say, “Pat, I need help with some gear and
advice on fighting these monsters.” He just smiles and says, “Don’t worry, I’ve
got what you need, but first I’ve got some errands to run.” During the day I take
numerous notes, but three of Pat’s tactics which really sink in are:
1. Use heavy gear to better the odds when the fight comes. My preference is to
land more fish versus get more bites.
2. GT’s will rarely make a mistake, but when they do, you need to capitalize on it.
3. Throw big lures! Don’t mess around!
Flying home from Kauai with an empty wallet, new rod, and a bag full of lures,
I feel I’ve got one more stop to make, Tokyo. Japanese Tackle is built to NASA
standards and second to none. I meet up with the designated GT expert, Yoshi
san, at a branch of Sansui on the outskirts of Tokyo. Yoshi san doesn’t speak
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Lawai‘a Magazine
English and is sweating as he shows me how to tie
a PR knot using a bobbin. I laugh and tell him to relax, but “can you show me again?” I trust he knows
what he’s talking about and after suggestions on
various braided line, I leave feeling confident. Now
I’m ready to head back to the battlegrounds and
get my revenge.
GT War
If you go into battle, it’s best to have a crew with
the mental toughness to see it through, guys who
don’t give up. As it turns out three guys have been
waging a war of their own. Ladd Yoshimura, Vinh
Nguyen, and Nathan Tsao. These GT mercenaries
are battle-hardened and as driven as Brian and I
when it comes to hunting GT’s. Through a chance
of fate, I come into contact with this trio and GT
Fight Club is born.
First strike. As we motor out to face these monsters,
Vinh Nguyen joins Brian and I. Sharing his experiences
with us, I am reminded of my first encounter on the
battleground and how through their actions the GT’s
were implying, “This is our House.” We’ve reached the
front line and the conditions are favorable, the first
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cast is made and the hunt is on. Hours pass and frustration settles in as no one
shows up for the fight. The sun is beating down and fatigue ensues. Will anyone
show up? As to taunt them I yell out to the water, “I’m back and I got something
for you. Bring it on!” In an instant the water erupts and a silhouette of a giant GT
explodes on my lure. They have arrived.
The fight is on and line rips from my reel as if it was in free spool. Vinh
shouts instructions as Brian moves into position to ensure I don’t end up
overboard. The run is stopped and I quickly go to work trying to best this
beast. The first five minutes is methodical, pump and reel, pump and reel.
The next ten is described as pure pain. Dehydration gets the best of me as
muscles start to cramp and my back is put to the limit. Like a coach on the
sideline, Vinh shouts at me to “man up” and finish this. Putting pain out of my
thoughts and only victory, I make my last stand to bring this fish to the boat
with full back-arching boosts that pushes me and my gear to the limit. The
fish gives up and is raised to meet its foe. I thank my crew for keeping me in
the fight, and I thank the fish for putting up a great fight. Pictures are taken
and we send him back to the depths to fight another day.
Tales of battles with one hundred pound GT’s are legendary and are what
every GT fisherman dreams about. What happens in the next few weeks is
nothing short. The next trip to
the front line brings Ladd Yoone thing
shimura to join the fight. Again
echoes in my
the conditions are favorable
head, one of
and as the hunt begins, the wait
is short. The ocean opens up
Pat’s golden
and Brian’s lure disappears berules: GT’s
neath the surface, followed by a
rarely make
blistering run best described as
a mistake, but
tying fishing line to a truck and
when they do,
stomping on the gas. Everyone
you need to capis caught by surprise as we get
into position to back each other
italize on it.
up. Brian’s line stays high in the
water column and, as I look at
the scenario, one thing echoes in my head, one of Pat’s golden rules: GT’s
rarely make a mistake, but when they do, you need to capitalize on it.
I position the boat and yell out,” The fish is staying high, make him pay,
Brian!” With Ladd backing him up, Brian goes to work. Five minutes into the
fight things look good, and Brian is in control. Then things take a turn for the
worse. With a burst of raw power, the fish makes a run straight towards us
and heads for the depths. In an attempt to stop his run, Brian makes a massive boost to turn him and, in the process, breaks the butt of his rod. He is
now at the mercy of this beast of a fish. With no leverage he leans his pole
against the bow of the boat in an attempt to regain control. Things look bad
and Brian is clearly exhausted and at a stalemate with his opponent. In a
show of a never give up attitude Brian starts to turn the rotor of his reel with
his hands. To be clear, he is manually winding line on his spool without the
handle to gain every inch he can. Again the fish digs in, letting Brian know
he’s in it till the end.
Now What? Like Calvary charging in Ladd steps in, grabs a hold of the first
third of the rod and tells Brian, “I boost you crank!” This fight isn’t over
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Lawai‘a Magazine
just yet. With two of them battling a true warrior, the fish is
finally brought to its knees and surfaced. The size of the GT is
overwhelming and unbelievable, it takes three people to boat
the monster and adrenaline kicks in with screams of another
victory that could be heard all the way to Kona. Pictures are
taken and the King of the Reef is tagged and released.
It seems that the cries of victory were heard in Kona where
an east coast fishing machine has been living for the past
seven years. I get a call from Nathan Tsao out in Kailua-Kona
telling me he’s heard the news that the bite is on and he wants
to tango with big GT’s. A week later Nathan arrives in Honolulu
and through the night we determine a plan of action, which
includes the testing of some of the heaviest gear we have
used to date. We both come to an agreement that to try and
stop a big GT, we need brute force against brute force - finesse
tactics are no longer plausible.
Morning breaks and with the battlefield in sight you can
sense that they are waiting for our arrival. Who? Monster GT’s.
With everyone’s eyes looking forward with anticipation, the
boat ride is silent except for the hum of the engine and the
sound of the bow cutting through the waves. Today is going
to be tough and conditions are not favorable. The forecast
calls for 10-20mph winds with higher gusts and an incoming
high surf advisory in the afternoon for north and east facing shores. We arrive and it looks like I’ll have to stay in the
driver’s seat to ensure we’ll be ready to position the boat
should a rogue wave head our way. Nathan is given full access
to the bow and the hunt begins. Immediately he gets a strike
that stays on for a few seconds then shakes off - a good sign.
An hour passes then strike number two, a thirty pounder is
manhandled into the boat in no time, barely testing Nathan’s
setup. Minutes later, what looks to be a 60lb GT shows his face
to defend his territory. Another hour passes and Nathan hooks
a nice 12lb Omilu that is brought in as if he were bamboo pole
fishing from a pier.
It’s 12:30pm and with the rising swell and gusty winds, our
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43
has held on and we’ve stopped the fish. Both angler and
fish have been brought to the breaking point. Now it’s time
to finish it. With a last burst of energy from Nathan, the GT
is raised and brought to the side of the boat. Not to be outdone, the GT makes a short bursting run, catching Nathan
off guard and a loud gunshot sound is heard. In a daze, we
look around to see what has happened and we notice that
Nathan’s pole has snapped about a foot from the top and
slid into the water. Three cranks later we are able to leader
and land this great fighter. Pictures are taken, thanks are
given to this great GT, and we release him to his home.
time seems to be coming to an end. I need to make a decision - head
in or make one last drift? Then, as if on cue, the current changes to
the direction I’ve been waiting for all day – so one last drift. Nathan
is told to get into position as this is the drift we’ve been waiting for.
The boat is repositioned and confidence is high. I gesture to Nathan
to let him know this is it - this is what we’ve been waiting for.
A few minutes into the drift a depth charge explodes beneath Nathan’s lure, leaving him screaming, “100 pounder!, 100 pounder!” As
we turn to look at his lure, a site I have seen before unfolds. The
Release the GT
In Hawaii the ulua is one of the most sought after game
fish and stories of battles from land and sea with this
champion have been told for decades. It is only fitting that
this great fighter be released to fight another day. Releasing a GT shows great respect for a fish we love so much.
After the battles, we look back on how exciting the strike
was, how hard the fish fought, and mistakes we’ve made.
Nothing beats the anticipation of doing it all again. Carpenter, the foremost leader in GT rod and lure manufacturing
has a motto which defines GT lure fishing:
“Keep Casting and Never Give Up!”
ocean opens up again and Nathan’s lure disappears into the mouth
of a beast that has been unleashed from the depths of the ocean.
We immediately jump into position as the fish makes a short powerful run away from us, ripping line out, then takes a turn toward us
and straight down. This GT wants to head home. Nathan tightens
the drag and calls for full reverse. I yell overridden with adrenaline,
“Yeah! Hold on Nate!” Time to separate the men from the boys. I
reverse the boat, focusing on keeping Nathan’s line off the nose of
the bow which puts extreme pressure on him and the fish. Nathan
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