Cocos Bones - The Return

Had another cracking trip to the Cocos Islands in January, product testing several new Flig colour schemes.

Went for a fortnight and lined up a couple of mates who were keen to do a week each, back to back. We did six days with the guide (Rizan from Chasing Island Tails) and the rest was self guided. We caught fish every day.

As always the hospitality and warmth of the local Cocos Malay population was first class. Had a new phenomenom this trip with the local kids (and several adults) keen to clean me out of any spare fligs I had. Sold a few mid trip but held them off till the afternoon before I flew home when they cleaned me out of everything I had left. Their instagram feeds since then have been a joy to look at.

Highlights were plenty but some of the main ones were Brad's PB of 72cm on the first day, Brad raising the bat at 50 bones on his maiden trip, Brad's cracker permit on flig, Eric's nice sightcast barracuda and plenty of good bones, a 3kg mud crab that Eric (a chef) turned into a feast, a 75cm bone for myself, sight cast flats fugu and so on.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

If you're after any specific info on the trip, send me a message. 

 

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WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.

Jigs available online in my web store!

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Posts: 955

Date Joined: 26/03/17

 Unreal! That is the stuff of

Thu, 2024-02-29 11:23

 Unreal! That is the stuff of dreams! Awesome pics!

sunshine's picture

Posts: 2589

Date Joined: 03/03/09

World class bone fishery

Thu, 2024-02-29 11:39

 We loved our stay there precovid and the Malays made us so so welcome even cooking us meals without chilli, garlic or strong spices. Brilliant snorkelling and diving too particularly the mantas 

uncle's picture

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Date Joined: 10/02/07

Good to see

Thu, 2024-02-29 12:22

 all the pies together, great post

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all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs

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Date Joined: 16/05/09

 Slugger would have spat his

Sat, 2024-03-02 08:59

 Slugger would have spat his breakfast out with that comment uncle. Nice fishing boys .

big john's picture

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Date Joined: 20/07/06

Identifying

Sat, 2024-03-02 10:08

Like a lot of people I know, Brad is no longer identifying as a West Coast supporter. 

____________________________________________________________________________

WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.

Jigs available online in my web store!

Posts: 2071

Date Joined: 16/05/09

 He will come back around,

Sun, 2024-03-03 07:12

 He will come back around, but not this year.

slugger's picture

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Date Joined: 17/02/11

dont put me in that pies basket

Sat, 2024-03-02 17:42

 ive got all my teeth, a straight nose and clean rap sheet 

Alan James's picture

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Date Joined: 30/06/09

Another great trip BJ

Thu, 2024-02-29 13:25

As has been said - awesome pics

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Faulkner Family's picture

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Date Joined: 11/03/08

Looks like a magic place to

Thu, 2024-02-29 13:59

Looks like a magic place to go. It's on my bucket list but it seems to be bloody deep.

Some crackers there. Great fish and as usual great pics.

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RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together

crano's picture

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Date Joined: 04/11/09

Nice pics

Thu, 2024-02-29 17:53

 I went there in november and loved it. We found the bones love hermit crabs.

big john's picture

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Date Joined: 20/07/06

Haha

Thu, 2024-02-29 20:26

No real challenge in that Crano.

____________________________________________________________________________

WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.

Jigs available online in my web store!

Livewire's picture

Posts: 296

Date Joined: 25/11/16

 Mate what a trip. Location,

Thu, 2024-02-29 19:54

 Mate what a trip. Location, flats fishing heaven and tackling  a 3kg mud crab would be life and death match awesome

big john's picture

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Date Joined: 20/07/06

Jurassic Park

Thu, 2024-02-29 20:27

Crab was straight out of Jurassic Park. 

____________________________________________________________________________

WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.

Jigs available online in my web store!

twitcher's picture

Posts: 6

Date Joined: 13/02/12

Did you measure the shell.

Fri, 2024-03-01 08:01

 John, These days if a crab is bigger than 200mm across the caracapce it is officially big.

Hard to tell. A 203mm crab won a comp here last year but guessing a 3 KG crab would be 220mm or bigger.

I weighed a 170mm last year because it was heavy and it went 1.4KG

Did you measure it ?

big john's picture

Posts: 8749

Date Joined: 20/07/06

Estimate

Fri, 2024-03-01 09:16

Nah, didn't measure or weigh it. Just cooked it and ate it.

Weight estimate was from my offsider Eric, who is a chef. 

____________________________________________________________________________

WA based manufacturer and supplier of premium leadhead jigs, fligs, bucktail jigs, 'bulletproof' soft plastic jig heads and XOS bullet jig heads.

Jigs available online in my web store!

davewillo's picture

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Date Joined: 08/09/16

 Some great fish and

Fri, 2024-03-01 11:43

 Some great fish and beautiful photos BJ!

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 PGFC member and lure tragic

Brock O's picture

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Date Joined: 11/01/08

Looks a very relaxing few

Sat, 2024-03-02 09:20

Looks a very relaxing few days, that food does look tasty.

slugger's picture

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Date Joined: 17/02/11

cracking trip

Sat, 2024-03-02 12:37

 First time chasing bones, big learning curve sighting them but BJ was a wealth of knowledge and after nailing a few on BJ's Captain Smith Size # 1, tried a few different lures, complete waste of time, as 'Smithy' just nailed Bone after Bone. Wont waste my time or money using anything else from now on, John makes a highly durable and effective flig. Thanks BJ

Posts: 823

Date Joined: 22/07/10

 try fly fishing ,the choice

Sat, 2024-03-02 16:37

 try fly fishing ,the choice of flies is mind boggling. ;)

Posts: 823

Date Joined: 22/07/10

 try fly fishing ,the choice

Sat, 2024-03-02 16:37

 try fly fishing ,the choice of flies is mind boggling. ;)

uncle's picture

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That was supposed

Sat, 2024-03-02 18:31

 To read pics, billy

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all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs

Posts: 2071

Date Joined: 16/05/09

 That makes sense now uncle.

Sun, 2024-03-03 07:10

 That makes sense now uncle. Could never see him being a pies supporter. He has been pretty quiet about the trip but will no doubt be hearing a lot more now the report is here.