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Popping and Jigging for Monster Fish Around the World

One of the world’s leading popping and jigging specialists shares some of his amazing catches from some of the best fishing destinations on the planet.
Immense yellowfiin tuna on a poppper and spinning gear
Yellowfin tuna — 220 pounds
Ascension Island
Shell Shaping popper
saltywatertackle.com

Arguably no angler is more passionate about popping and jigging than is Sami Ghandour, an enthusiast who started Salty Water Tackle, based in Sayreville, New Jersey. The shop, which does a large mail-order business, not surprisingly specializes in popping and jigging lures, rods, reels and other gear. Its customers know that Ghandour can offer informed advice to help them make choices; his blogs from adventures all over the world reinforce that experience-based opinion. From a few of those trips to many of the planet’s best popping and jigging waters, Ghandour here shares 20 impressive images, among them catches that most of us would consider spectacular, and even more so on spinning gear. Ghandour has led many anglers on his adventures to amazing catches, which gives Ghandour “the ultimate satisfaction watching their dreams become reality.”

Yellowfin tuna feeding frenzy Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama
Feeding frenzy
Yellowfin tuna
Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama
saltywatertackle.com
Gargantuan giant trevally from Socotra Island off Yemen
Giant trevally — slightly under 125 pounds
Socotra Island, between Yemen and Ethiopia
Unidentified stickbait
saltywatertackle.com
Prime fishing grounds seen from the air — Raivavae, French Polynesia
Pristine Reef Fishing Grounds from the air
Raivavae, French Polynesia
saltywatertackle.com
Massive dogtooth tuna caught on a jig off Tanzania
Dogtooth tuna — estimated 235 pounds
Tanzania Unidentified jig
Mady Alexiou
Angler strains against a huge giant trevally off southern Oman
Hooked up to a giant trevally later estimated at 90 pounds
Southern Oman
CB One stickbait
saltywatertackle.com
Amazing Napoleon wrasse before its release in French Polynesia
Napoleon wrasse
Tahanea Atoll, French Polynesia
Hot’s Drift Tune jig
saltywatertackle.com
Big bull mahi caught on a popper, Panama
Dorado (mahi)
Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama
Amergari stickbait
saltywatertackle.com
Blue marlin leaps skyward off New Caledonia
Blue marlin
Between New Caledonia and Chesterfield Island
Trolling
saltywatertackle.com
Sport-fishing boat has close encounter with a humpback whale
Humpback whale (excitement of a different kind)
On the bluefin grounds off Cape Cod, Massachusetts
saltywatertackle.com
Huge bluefish caught off New York with Capt. John McMurray
Bluefish
New York
Nikita Ghandour with guide John McMurray
saltywatertackle.com
An immense malabar grouper caught in New Caledonia
Malabar grouper
Belep Island, New Caledonia
Hot’s Drift Tune jig
saltywatertackle.com
Large green jobfish caught in Indonesia
Green jobfish Indonesia
Unidentified jig
saltywatertackle.com
A pair of gorgeous ruby snappper caught off Tanzania
Ruby snapper
Tanzania
Unidentified jigs
saltywatertackle.com
Scary-big houndfish from Diego Suarez, Madagascar
Houndfish
Diego Suarez, Madagascar
saltywatertackle.com
Jumbo coral trout caught on a jig
Coral trout
Raivavae, French Polynesia
Unidentified jig
saltywatertackle.com
A big sweetlips emperor from French Polynesia
Sweetlips emperor
Raivavae, French Polynesia
Unidentified lure
saltywatertackle.com
Fortune jack caught on a jig in Panama
Fortune jack
Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama
CB One G2 jig
saltywatertackle.com
Clown-triggerfish-Madagascar
Clown triggerfish
Madagascar
Unidentified jig
saltywatertackle.com
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