February 2020 Red Sea Tuna Bomb popper Test Trip

I was finally able to get a Fishing trip/Vacation in on the 20th-23rd of Feb. I found out about this trip with only about a months’ notice from the guy that runs these mother-ship expeditions out of Hurghada, Egypt. He also runs a tackle store in Dubai call Knot Big Enuff/KBE.

I was able to figure out what all I was taking tackle wise only a couple days before the flight. The wife complained about how much stuff I was bringing. My tackle luggage ended up weighing 64#’s not including the rod tube.

We flew in on the 19th. of Feb. and make it to the Hotel where the wife and kids will stay while i’m out on the water.

I meet up with Hesh, and joined the others on the mother-ship. Were we talked about the game plan for the trip, the weather and what to expect. We were assigned boats and fishing partners. The guy I was going to be fishing was a guy named Craig from Australia. This Guy was a popping and jigging machine. I could not keep up with this guy.

Here’s the Summary report. The full report and photo’s below. 4 nights 3 days of fishing with KBE Expeditions on the Red Sea.

Day 1

GT’s (2 out of 3)
Snapper (1)
Queen fish (1 out of 2)
A couple coral trout
Lots of missed fish

Day 2

Gt’s (7 out of 11) with lots of missed bites
Bluefin Trevally (1 out of 1)
Lots of missed fish.

Day 3

Gt’s (1/2 out of 2) leader to the boat. A few missed hits
Coral Trout (1)
A few missed hook ups

We make it back to the mother-ship. I say goodbye to the guys, and head back in with the fishing boats to meet up with the wife and kids to re-pack for the next day’s travel.

Day 4

The Family and I start our ancient Egypt trip in the Valley of the Kings then off to Cairo a couple days later.

Gear Used

Rod: The older OTI Tuna sniper 8’6″ 60-80 Class
Reel: Shimano Saragosa 20000, spooled with VARIVAS, Avani Casting PE [Max Power] 78# with 150# fluoro

Rod: V-Tophai GT Monster 8′ 150-200g lure weight.
Reel: Shimano Twin Power 14000, spooled with VARIVAS, Avani Casting PE [Max Power] 64#

Lures used

H4L Tuna Bombs
H4L wingman
H4L Texas Toothpicks

Full Report:

Day 1

The Mother-ship leaves the dock early and makes it’s way up to the first anchorage area were we will launch from over the nest few days.  

The seas rough in the fishing area, but fish-able we fished the reef edges. I had one of the prototype poppers I’ve been working for the last year called the Tuna Bomb / Fat Daddy. 

We started drifting the edges of the coral reef walls. Cast after cast Craig are doing a rotation casting from bow to console. We were close to the transition area on the corner of the reef. Where I able to make a cast to the corner after a couple of pops all hell breaks loose. I get tight holding on to the reel spool as the boat works to pull us away from the reefs. I fight the fish for a couple of mins before the hooks pull. Craig was the next guy up to bat after we reposition back for another drift. He was throwing a hot pink popper which got nail on his first pop. Craig didn’t give this fish and inch and fought this GT to the boat which was est. 66lbs / 30kg plus 

The popping slowed down so we switch up to lite tackle to try to catch some dinner. Which Craig was able to catch this snapper looking fish that I don’t remember the name of? 

The Gar/needle fish seemed to be all over everything I was casting. I did catch the first ever queen fish for this area, from what Hesh told me. After that we headed back for lunch break. After lunch we headed out to a nearby reef with a couple of shipwrecks on it. Popped and casted awhile longer then changed thing up to do some jigging for Dog tooth tuna. Jigging we had a couple of miss’s and a hook up with another GT and not a doggy which we were searching for. We call it for the day and head back for dinner and get to bed early cause 430am come quick.

Day 2

We start with breakfast and guess what’s on the table bananas. It’s time to test this myth. I eat a couple along with other stuff. We jump on the boat and head out across the red sea towards the other side of the shipping lane. The plan was to do jigging that day to trying to get a Dogtooth Tuna. Our first drift we start out drifting a 200ft drop off near a reef wall. While drifting we get within casting range of the reef and the guide just tosses out a popper near the reef wall and after a few pops big 66lbs/30kg GT comes up and inhales his popper. We are able to get the boat pulled away from the reef and now the grind of fighting these super strong fish to the side of the boat takes effect. We get the fish over the rails snap a few photos and release to fight another day.

We reposition closer to the reef wall no more jigging it’s popping time. 

I get the first cast in and only 2 or 3 pops my Tuna Bomb gets slammed not sure how big the fish is. We pull away from the reef after I start to fight the fish to the boat I can tell it a good fish but no monster after a couple mins I get the fish boat side and it turns out to be a Bluefin Trevally. My first one ever and a bucket list fish as well. A few photos and back in the water it goes.

We move farther up the reef to make the drifts longer. After a few cast from Craig and I. I was about to cast down the reef Craig was working his popper then turns his head around to look back I watch this massive GT come up and take his popper. I start yelling strike! Craig tries to reel down on the fish fast to set the hook but the fish spit the popper. We move maybe 30 yards down the reef I cast, and about put my Tuna Bomb on the reef. A couple pops and the water explodes I watch the fish come out of the water miss the popper but I keep working it again the fish is all over the popper chasing it down. The fish turns hard on the popper, and I set the hooks hard. Now I need to stop this freight train from taking me into the reef. We again pull away from the reef wall and go vertical in the fight. Now this fish had some weight to it. After a few mins the GT is at the side of the boat. Over the rail it comes and we est. 50-55lbs/23-25kg couple more photo’s back in the water.

After this fish I need to take a water break. Craig get back to it and gets hit hard but while were trying to pull away this monster start ripping drag off his Dog fight reel. Craig tries to palm the spool but this monster takes him in the reef and breaks him off. We finish out our drift Craig gets hit hard but after a few seconds it’s gone a clean cut on the leader. Craig got cuda’ed, by this time its lunch time. So we moor up at a dive anchor and take a 30-45min needed break.

After lunch I give Hesh one of my wood finish color prototype poppers. We head back a little further up the reef. My first cast boom a big GT smashes the popper. Get the fish over the rail after a good fight. This one we bust out the scale which I was told we had all this time it weighed 62lbs / 28kg. We took a few more photos and release the fish.

At this point I was beat up and needed a break. So I let Craig work the reef for a while not too far down in the drift. He gets hit hard. This time we are able to get the fish out of the danger zone. We get the fish in the boat est. it to weigh around 55-60lbs / 25-27kg few more photos back in the drink.

At this point Hesh meets up with us from the other boat they hooked a big get on the popper I gave him.  Hesh wants to head farther up to an intersection reef that has current ripping off of it. 

After a little boat ride we make it and you can just tell it’s going to be fishy. I switch over to the other prototype Tuna Bomb called Slim Daddy and on the 2nd cast I’m hooked up fighting a nice GT in fast current which makes it very difficult. Finally get the fish over the rails for a couple photos and back she goes. 

We make another drift Craig drops another one, and just after that I’m hooked up again to another 55lbs / 25kg. 

We move up to the top end of the reef were I hook up again this time on a stickbait. This fish was on the small size so I tell the Capt. No need to move away. Craig makes another cast at the reef and get hooked up so we are double up but the hooks pull after a min into the fight. After this we go for jigging were I had a brief hook-up but no more for me the guys on the other boat got a moon tail grouper I think it’s called. After this we called it and had a 45min run back to the mother-ship.

Total for the day

Me 1 Bluefin Trevally, 5 GT’s (6 for 6)
Craig 1 GT (1 – 6)

 

Day 3

The wind picked up a lot. Which made fishing the reef very hard. We fish near protected waters the first part of the day. Hesh caught a very nice Cubara / red snapper on a big stickbait.

We were fishing near a panicle reef I came tight on a fish which turned out to be a cool color Coral Trout. Another first for me.  We started heading south and hit a reef were Craig hooked into a monster in shallow water while trying to up away Craig locked down the drag. The Owner ST-76 hook straightening out. At this point I’m done I’m more passive fishing my back and shoulders were toast. As we move down the reef edge Craig gets hooked up again we get it boat side right as we are about to try to pull it in. The fish shakes its head and the hook pops out, and the fish is gone. That was about it for the rest of the day we had a couple more misses but no hook ups. The wind and waves had us pushed off but I’m sure we could have added a lot more fish

All in all it was my best GT trip.