"GT Ice Cream" Lures . . .

[Cor]

Hi Dave,
Here our average size of Bonita is about 4 - 8 lb.
We generally use a small, wide, shiny iron type lure retrieved fairly slowly if compared with YT.
They are voracious feeders and often take anything, including surface lures.

Enjoy your trip and good luck.

[smnaguwa]

Interesting video from Japan on shore fishing for yellowtail.

[DougK]

got a big GT in Australia on one..



basically like to fish these same way as the old Creek Chub Striper Strike, as slowly as possible while keeping it at the surface. I've seldom done well with either lure retrieved fast, though there are fish that like it fast, don't have much experience with those though.

thought it might work on pike here in CO, so far no go..

[jurelometer]

got a big GT in Australia on one..


basically like to fish these same way as the old Creek Chub Striper Strike, as slowly as possible while keeping it at the surface. I've seldom done well with either lure retrieved fast, though there are fish that like it fast, don't have much experience with those though.

thought it might work on pike here in CO, so far no go..

Nice fish Doug!

My experience is that what GT want will vary based on the spot, the current and the prey.  If they are spooky, a lure that makes less disturbance fished slowly might help, but it but it seems that the consensus for the GT ice cream is to fish it fast.  For slower stop and go retrieves, a cup faced popper would be the standard recommendation.


Despite their reputation, GTs can be quite the scaredy-cats, especially in calmer and shallower waters.  Even an unweighted fly landing too close can freak out a jumbo GT on the flats. 

As I noted before, I personally did not find the action of the GT ice cream that compelling at lower speeds.  I would be surprised if it worked well on ambush predators like pike.  And no way a pike is capable of running down an ice cream at the speed where the action starts to shine. Just my opinion, and the fish get the deciding vote.


-J

[oc1]

I bought one of those for my son because I'm a sucker.  He trolls for papio (GT under ten pounds).  He wasn't impressed and says he catches best with a popper trolled very slowly.  His idea of slow still has the popper splashing and doing occasional sommersaults.  I tell him that is bad form... almost as bad as holding a spinning reel upside down.  He tells me to relax because there is nobody to see him.  He catches a LOT more than I do.

Here, the norm for whipping (repetitive casting) for papio is to use a bubble float for weight and light grub, then crank as fast as you can