Montebello Islands September 2011
I just got back from a pretty amazing trip to the Montebello Islands with the boys from Carpenter. The main focus of this trip was GT popping but unfortunately poor weather restricted a lot of us to the confines of the sheltered islands however, the Japanese on the larger boat braved the winds and were rewarded with some amazing captures. I think all of us, including the Japanese were surprised with the sheer size of some of the fish we encountered on this trip. The biggest fish to be measured was a very fat 126cm fork length although a bigger fish was caught but not measured. I really don't have the enthusiasm for a long drawn out report and I'm sure most people are more interested in the pics anyway so here are just a few highlights from my experience.
First and foremost the best aspect for me was having the privelege to fish alongside Kenji Konishi from Carpenter Rods Japan. What an honor! Quite possibly one the most humble people I've met. I spent the better part of a day fishing with him and learned so much. Catching a fish is just a bonus! Watching this man tie an FG knot was amazing!
Spent a day out at a reef on the mothership in horrible conditions casting poppers for GT's and got to see my best mate catch his first ever GT. I was standing alongside when he hooked up an was amazed to see a pack of about 6 GT's go absolutely mental over his popper until alas, the smallest of the group hooked up. Some of the bigger fish looked twice as big as the one that hooked up so I figured it was a fish of around 20kg. Well... this fish really made Sam work and I began thinking it was a much larger fish. When it was landed it turned out to be around 35kg (a confident call by one of the Japanese)! Some of the other fish in the group must have been 50-60kg. Also this same session I lost a 230g Orion bigfoot to the biggest red bass I've ever seen in my life, this thing was a beast.
I spent a lot of time casting small stickbaits inside the islands on PE3 when the weather was shocking and had a ball catching all sorts of reef species and had some obligatory smokings by some rather big Spangled Emperor in 1m of water, so much fun!
A huge thanks goes out to Jim for organising the trip which was more of an adventure than anything else. The 6 hour journey to the islands on a trailerboat in a 25 knot southwesterly is not something I will forget in a hurry! Amazing food every night just topped off what was already an trip of epic proportions.
Enjoy the pics.
What a 45kg+ Monties GT can do to a Gamakatsu GT Recorder and 250lb split ring
New Grouper boys record Spanish Mackerel on topwater lure
Kenji Konishi hooked up to a 45kg+ GT on Carpenter Monster Hunter MH80H
Not bad for a first GT, eh?
Surfs up!
Kodak the resident QLD Groper, named so because he ate a camera out of a divers hand.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
magnificent pics!
its been about 10 years since Ive been into the Montes but I pass them by regularly for work!
bitten
Posts: 803
Date Joined: 07/04/10
Offshore industry?
Offshore industry?
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Top trip, was waiting for the
Top trip, was waiting for the images to filter through and they're sure worth it.
adam87
Posts: 291
Date Joined: 16/05/11
WOW!
verry nice pics there
looks like yous had a great time!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8672
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Tops
Thanks for a top report Jay
Markie
Posts: 2153
Date Joined: 06/08/10
awsome stuff, awsome fish
awsome stuff, awsome fish
Adam Gallash
Posts: 15648
Date Joined: 29/11/05
Geebus
Dem some realt GBusses, cheers Jay!
Site Admin - Just ask if you need assistance
r.gates
Posts: 573
Date Joined: 15/11/10
What a place....
Great report and some brilliant pics....surely a place we should all visit, at least once!
Gotta put this place on my bucket list...thanks for sharing your experiences there.
regards
rusty...
If life is boring, you must be doing it wrong!
Paul Cunningham
Posts: 103
Date Joined: 14/07/09
Hey Jay, Looks like an
Hey Jay, Looks like an amazing trip. I can't believe what a paradise that place is.
What camera set-up do you have?
Paul
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
There's a bit of a mix here
There's a bit of a mix here Paul, all my pics are on my Canon 1000D which is soon to be upgraded, some of these pics are by Yoichi Mogi who was using a Canon 1D MKIV & Canon 5D MKII.
sea-kem
Posts: 15010
Date Joined: 30/11/09
This is one of the best posts
This is one of the best posts I've seen in a while. You lucky lucky bastards. That is fishing nirvana. Top job guys!
Love the West!
SamC
Posts: 2013
Date Joined: 30/08/06
Phuck me, good Gs on our
Phuck me, good Gs on our doorstep! Top fish for sure. Bet it was such a pleasure fishing with master himself.
Rate the Pandora's Jay?
Cheers,
Sam
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Yeah mate I love the Pandora,
Yeah mate I love the Pandora, gotta let it sink a bit before you start the retrieve though.
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Awesome pics as usual Jay,
Awesome pics as usual Jay, looks like a pretty solid trip. Well done!!
bod
Posts: 2319
Date Joined: 03/05/06
speechless
seriously speechless.
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Great pics Jay. Some mind
Great pics Jay. Some mind blowing fish there.
harro
Posts: 1959
Date Joined: 07/02/08
OWNage
you boys so serisouly just hammered this forum, with pure quality.
they are some amazing fish and pics, thanks guys, wow,.
:::: Bass Hunter ::::
Bones76
Posts: 476
Date Joined: 03/11/08
Great pics Jay - some huge
Great pics Jay - some huge fish there... love those bent rod pics.
The Japanese boys still using Stellas by the look of it? Did any of them try out / using the new Saltiga?... Interested to know what the Japanese boys use for reels with the new saltiga's out and the old Saltiga/Stella debate still ongoing with the new 2010 model out.
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Hey mate all the Japanese
Hey mate all the Japanese were still using the Stella and didn't seem very interested in the new Saltiga when I spoke to them about it.
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
that looks bloody awesome.
that looks bloody awesome. absolute horses!
curious to know weather anyone swaps out the trebles for single hooks ???
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Hey mate, nah everyone using
Hey mate, nah everyone using trebles.
Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
Sick photos as always Jay,
Sick photos as always Jay, thanks for posting.
Love the airborne mack!
scottland
Posts: 3039
Date Joined: 10/05/10
Holy crap
They are some monster spaniards i think it was lucky your mate got that smaller g for his first rather then the 50 kg specimens haha
i support two teams eagles and whoever is playing the dockers
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Top shelf Jay
some great fish as usual from you guys.
I bet that's a trip you'll remember for a long time.
Lamby
Posts: 3145
Date Joined: 04/08/09
Holy sheet! For some shit
Holy sheet! For some shit weather you boys seriously made the most of it & some!
Well done Jay
damo6230
Posts: 2029
Date Joined: 07/06/08
Awesome Trip Jay
Some killer photo's there
How does one top that........
Elora Danan
Posts: 379
Date Joined: 15/03/08
Jeebus....
This is amazing. Definetly something you'll marvel at for a long long time. Water is so prestine and clean an such awesome photo's Jay. Deadly!
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
As usual you get into the Geez
Awesome Jay and about time you got into a few monsters again buddy.
Neels
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
hit n run
Posts: 261
Date Joined: 30/12/09
awesome trip jay you guys got
awesome trip jay you guys got onto some horse G trains im heading up there in 9 days so will hopefully get some good ones. hows those loaded up shots some great photos too well done
It used to hurt when I got cock in my ass......now I can take three at once and not feel a thing!
uncle
Posts: 9487
Date Joined: 10/02/07
awesome photos
mind you the fish arn't bad either, love that shot of the macko in the air
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
Spectacular!
Always look forward to your reports Jay.
Most enjoyable and some stunning pics.
Cheers Pete
tailor marc
Posts: 2979
Date Joined: 27/09/06
Very very nice!! Really sux
Very very nice!! Really sux looking at this while im stuck at work hahaha
My photography pictures... http://westernhorizonsmedia.wordpress.com/
aalfred
Posts: 669
Date Joined: 13/06/09
Nice Pics!!!!!
Nice Pics!!!!!
micktree
Posts: 228
Date Joined: 13/11/07
great pics
great pics and great post
Daisy
Posts: 789
Date Joined: 24/01/08
Finally found some real big
Finally found some real big Pilbara fish, congrats Jay.
The view expressed in this post is that of a self opinionated bullshitter and does not reflect that of this website, it's owners, mediators, other members or anyone else for that matter :-P
Browny
Posts: 316
Date Joined: 04/01/11
WOW!!!!!!!Great fish at a
WOW!!!!!!!
Great fish at a place that is on my bucket list!
Thanks for sharing!
I just love Exmouth: Its a quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem!
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Thanks for all the comments
Thanks for all the comments guys.
I am off to New Caledonia in a week and a half so stay tuned for another report.
Albee Mangles
Posts: 985
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Awesome report Jay!
You guys certainly owned the place!
Dont you have a day job anymore mate?!
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
I do, but 2 weeks on 2 weeks
I do, but 2 weeks on 2 weeks off roster...
mullows
Posts: 738
Date Joined: 25/12/08
Great stuff there Jay,
Great stuff there Jay, awesome pics and some fine fish in that lot. Looks like you covered a lot of the bases over there. How deep was the water where your mate picked up the jobby?
Cheers
Mullows
The Older I get the better I was :-)
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Hey Mullows, jobbie was in
Hey Mullows, jobbie was in 35m.
mullows
Posts: 738
Date Joined: 25/12/08
Nice and shallow mate,
Nice and shallow mate, figured not too deep with the plastic. Would love to get into them next time we are over there.
Cheers
Mullows
The Older I get the better I was :-)
jay_burgess
Posts: 4648
Date Joined: 18/08/05
Yeah mate green jobfish
Yeah mate green jobfish aren't a deepwater fish like the Rubies and Gold-Band.
STEVE231
Posts: 1443
Date Joined: 05/01/10
Top stuff Jay!! Great report
Top stuff Jay!! Great report .
uncleben
Posts: 187
Date Joined: 06/01/09
Love your work
Love your work
dirtball
Posts: 49
Date Joined: 26/02/11
SICK
SICK
leesfishin
Posts: 233
Date Joined: 27/03/11
great report
great report
Dicko
Posts: 219
Date Joined: 07/10/10
Ditto
Ditto everyone elses comments...pretty bloody awesome!
nana nana nana nana fishing!!!
Lucky Tim
Posts: 2536
Date Joined: 28/11/07
sick Jay. I was speaking to
sick Jay. I was speaking to Daz about this trip and the size of the fish amazed me.
What a magic place, even when the weather is shit.
rockoe_
Posts: 140
Date Joined: 02/09/10
great report,what was the
great report,what was the name of the charter and do you know if they operate in november?
Robert Jennings
Posts: 11
Date Joined: 06/12/11
Monte bello islands
Hey guys going there twice in 2012 july and september with blue juice charters , looking at those pics i am going to have to get some heavy duty gear,just getting so fired up,i think this will be a awesome trips. Huge G.Ts wow serious stuff,so cool,cant wait.
quindieselbrad
Posts: 329
Date Joined: 01/09/10
1 word!
speechless :)
Catchn dhuies off the smell of an oily rag :)
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Holy shiiit
Magnificent Jay. And to think, i was tickled pink with my 4 lizards from the Swan today. Until i saw your post. Great trip.
Dave