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Click HERE to check out Bugatti Reef on our location guide
Click HERE to check out the 2009 April Bugatti Reef Trip Report
We will visit Bugatti Reef in April 2009 as part of our Coral Sea Lagoon Explorer trips

TRIP REPORT compiled and written by fishing guide Roderick Wolmsley. The images above were taken by Rod, and are just a small sample of what was caught on this trip.

Short Trip on the 51ft Fascination, with 4 guests.

The return trip a day prior on the Odyssey was and absolute pleasure with light to variable winds for the duration of the voyage from the reef to Mackay harbour. So why could I not seem to get the much-needed rest for the return trip out on the Riviera. I kept thinking about the weather forecast and hoping that it would not affect the fishing. The forecast was for a major westerly change that afternoon and we had experienced some amazing Gt fishing leading up to the change. As we readied the game boat for the drive out trip the weather became more ominous and the westerly was howling through the trees by late afternoon. Thankfully it had moderated to a steady 18 to 20knots by the early hours of the morning when we threw the ropes lose and headed for Bugatti Reef, the change in weather was sure to have an effect on the fishing. We arrived at the Bugatti reef system at around 10 in the morning with our 4 fishermen for the trip, Jay, Matt, Le’and Chris feverishly preparing rods and rigging lures.

We would be focussing on casting for GTS for the start of the 3 days fishing and then deciding on changing this strategy if the GTs deciding not to play the game. Tim Baker was the skipper for the trip and I was the deck hand. As the boys rigged up I suggested one of then rig up a stick bait as the weather might have shut the fish down a bit and they may not be as keen to eat poppers. Tim manoeuvred the boat along the reef and spotted a likely looking patch of fusiliers. Jay and Le’ started casting off the bow and Matt and Chris down the back with the intention of rotating the strike as they caught fish. Everyone starting with poppers and after several halfhearted swirls on the poppers by GTs two of the guys quickly changed to stick baits. At the next spot Le’s stick bait, a 100 dogtooth was monstered by a good size fish, which had him hanging on for dear life. The hooks stayed in and the first fish of the session was quickly photographed and released. Jay was next and his stick bait disappeared as it was engulfed with water going everywhere. Unfortunately for Jay this fish turned out to be a large Spanish mackerel and it chopped his leader off in double quick time. Exit one stick bait. After rigging another lure Jay was unceremoniously dusted up by another Spaniard that exploded on his lure on the first twitch. Spaniards 2 Jay nil. The GTs seemed hard to tempt and although Tim saw numerous fish look at the lures from the fly bridge, not many committed to striking.

A change of plan was called for. Jay set up a lighter rod and reel and rigged this with a 1-ounce TT jighead and a soft plastic. It was very interesting to see him pull 2 good GTs off spots that the other guys had already fished with poppers and stick baits. Both fish were touch and go and almost had him in the reef but good rod work by Jay and top driving skills by Tim kept the fish away from the reef. Le’ finished the session off with another GT that fell to the 100 dogtooth stick bait.
The following 2 days were similar to the first with a few GTs coming to the boat after an explosive early morning trolling session. Several shark mackerel and a spaniard were caught on Rapala X-Raps as well as 1 Doggie of around 20kgs. This fish had Tim backing down hard as the fish emptied the Shimano Torsa in double quick time. The speed and strength of these fish are truly amazing. We also saw two Dogtooth tuna have a go at stick baits on the cast but did not hook up. We haven’t really caught these fish at this location at this time of year before so it was awesome to see them showing themselves in this way.

On one of the afternoons that we anchored up and readied the boat for the evening a pack of GTs popped up at the stern and started doing laps around the transom. Matt had a bait in the water quick smart and unfortunately was rubbed off on the transom just as quick by a good fish. It took another 30 minutes of burly to get one of the other fish to eat a bait again. Unfortunately it took the lightest rod we had on the boat and once again Matt was left with the task of winding in 60m of slack line after being unceremoniously cut of on the reef.  He made up for it the following morning when the GTs decided to turn it on again, knocking two over on poppers in almost as many casts. At the end of the 3 days fishing everyone on the boat was well and truly knackered with the bruises to prove it and we turned the Riviera’s bow towards Mackay for the trip back. The highlights of the few days were relived over a meal of Coral Trout and Sweet lip with plenty of laughs. Numerous visions stick in my mind from the trip but 2 main ones persist; and they were the 30kg GT that ate Le’s stick bait only to dump him unceremoniously on his butt when the hooks pulled and watching a 20 plus kg Doggie follow a stick bait to the boat turn on its side and then swim away. As I type this report I am itching to get back out there and have another crack.

Rod and the Nomad Team.

All material copyright Nomad Sportfishing Adventures 2009