Lizard Island: A Trip That’ll Be Hard to Beat

G'day Guys, Jake here. Back in January, we jumped aboard Kiama for a liveaboard fishing trip with Topwater Sportfishing Charters, skippered by Jase and with Rocky running deck and cooking up a storm. We were chasing fish on the flats, over the reef edges, and into the blue... topwater casting at its best. Between destinations, we trolled for doggies and whatever else wanted a swipe, and by the end of the trip… well, let’s just say the camera roll was overflowing.

Teasers, Trolling & Mayhem

Even though we were there for topwater casting, the trolling runs between spots lit up. Demon Lures timber models, Bangers Teasers chains and flops all got crunched. We raised wahoo, yellowfin, Spanish mackerel, and doggies including Brett's below! At one point, we watched a Spanish mackerel launch itself clear over the outrigger chasing a raised teaser. The GoPro was running, but it missed the shot by a metre too high... still hurts.

More Fish Than We Could Believe

We’ve fished some serious places, but nothing could prep us for how fishy these reefs were. Every single cast felt like something was going to climb on. GTs, red bass, coral trout, wrasse, cod, emperors, trevally, you name it. Fish were boiling behind lures and smashing others that barely hit the water.

Stickbaits Lead the Way

The West S120 was the standout, with Pink Disco Stu leading the charge. Dan stuck a big Napoleon Wrasse on one, a seriously cool fish to cross off the list. One of the most heartbreaking moments came when Brett landed a metre-plus coral trout on the FS35 in Kibinago, but nobody was watching and it slid back in off the front deck before a single photo. A fish of a lifetime, and now part of Taco Tackle legend. We still tell Brett it never happened.

Prototype Testing: The Malus 120 & Dana 150

This trip was also about testing new gear. The Malus 120 pencil popper casts long, tracks beautifully on a burn or sweep, and gives loads of options depending how you work it. I hooked a proper GT on it, best of the trip for me, but it ran me over a bommie and broke loose. Dan followed it up by landing a small GT, saving the last prototype from disappearing too.

The new Dana 150 Diving Popper also got a solid workout. Dewy couldn’t keep fish stuck, despite getting belted on it all trip. Eventually he switched to larger trebles and finally got one. Dan had a cast earlier and stuck one right away just to rub it in.

More Highlights

We could keep listing fish, but here are a few more standouts:

• A monster cod eating the lure out of the mouth of a Jobfish, the cod was landed

• Jake with a chunky coral trout on the 60g Huay in Kibinago.

• A triple GT hookup with Jake, Brett, and Dewy all landing one at once.

• Rocky and Jake doubling up on GTs—one jet black, the other pale silver.

• A big red bass with a FS50 in Whitebait hanging from its jaw.

• And of course… Rocky hooking himself with a treble. It wouldn’t be a trip without at least one.

Final Word

Massive thanks to Jase and Rocky from Topwater Sportfishing Charters for putting us on the fish and keeping the energy high. Rocky’s food was next level, and the whole experience just reinforced how insane our reef systems are when you’re in the right place at the right time. We’re already thinking about the next trip.

The Gear

• Yamaga BlueSniper PE 2 to 8
• Tenryu Spike XPG PE6-8
• Handmade timber lures from West Coast Poppers (or checkout our West Dealers)
• Shout Straight Point Treble 33 Hooks
• Suteki Crafters (Barbed Assists)
• Apparel from West Coast Poppers and Taco Tackle
• Varivas Ocean Record Monofilament Leader - 140lb and 180lb
• Varivas Avani Casting Braid PE 2 to PE 8
• Hyper Ring GT Split Rings (generally size 5 to 6) and BB Swivels (generally size 4 to 5) Ten Mouth / NT Swivel
• Trolling Lures by Demon Lures
• Sunglasses worn by Jake, Dan, Dewy and Brett on the trip by Waterland
• Flops and Daisy Chains by Bangers Teasers