Andaman Islands...

[MuskieBait]

You're looking at the butterfly jigs...I'm looking at the $1000 Daiwa Saltiga Dogfight spinning reels they were using

Topwater heaven for sure...but also physical hell. Casting 4oz lures all day is not fun...jigging 8oz jigs all day is not fun...but if you do hook up, you also have to get them up and away from the reef FAST...that's a lot of punishment...and that's why they use some very massive drag pressure...and requires top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art, $1000 saltwater spinning reels.

It really is a very niche pursuit...but I'm glad I had a chance to experience something similar to that...big rods, big reels, big jigs...and very fast and repeated jigging action...drop a jig down to 300+ feet of water (we were fishing in 130m of water), rip and reel the jigs up 20m from bottom (about 30-40 cranks), then drop again and repeat...all day...solid 6 hours of jigging...and if you get a hook up, your arms are already tired jigging with a 30+oz reel and who knows how heavy the rod weights with a 14oz jig...and you have to fight this fish on 10+lb of drag trying to keep it off the bottom...and trying to get that fish in before the sharks get them...hanging on with all your might for 15 minutes, hanging on for dear life...hanging on since you know you spent $2000 for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...and now it's here...and the fish is on...and this is your day...and your muscles are screaming in pain and you risk tearing muscles and ligaments...sucker for punishment I say...



Shark bit samsonfish...40-50lb fish...one single bit across the body...there are some big sharks down there!



Big gear, big fish...9000 size spinning reel spooled with 50lb braid and 80lb fluorocarbon leader...5'9" parabolic action vertical jigging rods (short rods are better for vertical jigging - less torque = less physical stress on the angler)...and 14oz knife jigs.







Worth every blood, sweat and tears though...and worth every hard earned penny to get there to catch one. Fish of a lifetime...this is where you don't want gear failure when you spent over $2000 to get there for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...