Komodo Channels Firing: GTs, Dogtooth, and Tuna on the Bite

This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Komodo fishing report. Out around Komodo today the sea has been in a pretty good mood. Light southeast trade winds kept things manageable, with a gentle chop building in the afternoon as the breeze picked up. Offshore the blue water line is still close, and surface temps are sitting in that sweet tropical band where pelagics like to cruise. Skies were partly cloudy, with enough sun to fire up the bait schools but not so much that it cooked you on deck. The tide swung from a weaker morning movement into a stronger afternoon push. Around Komodo those channels can rip when the tide is running, and that’s exactly when the fish wake up. On the slower part of the tide the bite eased off, but once the water started hurrying through the passes, the feeding switch flipped. Sunrise came early over the eastern islands and the sunset window gave us one of the better bites of the day, especially along the drop‑offs. Fish activity has been solid. Charter skippers in Labuan Bajo and local island crews have been reporting good numbers of **GTs (giant trevally)** smashing bait along the current edges and reef points. Dogtooth tuna have been hanging deeper on the outer reef slopes, with a few solid fish boated by jigging crews working metal vertically in 40–80 meters. There are still **yellowfin and skipjack tuna** pushing bait balls offshore, and a couple of boats raised small **black marlin** and sailfish on trolled skirts, though hookups have been hit‑or‑miss. On the reef, anglers have been picking off **coral trout, red bass, and various snappers** on both bait and artificials. The numbers aren’t crazy wide‑open, but the average size has been respectable, and the fish are strong in that Komodo current. For lures, think noisy and bold. Stickbaits and popping plugs in natural baitfish colors with a bit of flash are doing damage on GTs and tuna. Big cup‑faced poppers thrown tight to the pressure points, ripped hard across the wash, are getting those violent surface eats. For jigging, 100–200 gram knife jigs in blue, pink, or glow dropped into the current line and worked fast are producing dogtooth and amberjack. Soft plastics on heavy jigheads, 4–6 inch paddletails in white or sardine patterns, are great for reef edges and mid‑water predators. Best bait right now: fresh **scad, small mackerel, and squid**. A livey slow‑trolled along a current seam is still king for dogtooth and big trevally. On the bottom, cut bait strips and squid are putting snapper and emperor in the box when the jig bite slows. A couple of local hot spots to keep on your list: - **Karang Makassar area and the nearby current lines** – famous for mantas, but when the tide is pushing, those same lines hold GTs and tuna. Work poppers and stickbaits along the rips and any surface activity you see. - **Around Batu Bolong and the outer reef edges toward Castle Rock** – when conditions are safe, the upwellings and deep structure here are prime for dogtooth, GT, and mixed reef species. Vertical jigs and live baits along the drop‑off can be explosive. Plan your main efforts around the stronger parts of the tide, especially first light and the last hour before dark. In between, switch to bottom fishing or lighter tackle around the calmer reefs to keep rods bent. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn