The giant trevally can snatch birds out of the sky.
Anglers around the world put the giant trevally (Caranx Ignobilis) on their bucket list of saltwater game fish species to target. These fish are apex predators in the tropical waters they call home. They are also pure muscle, making them one of the hardest-fighting fish pound-for-pound, on the planet.
One of the things that makes them so exciting to target is the fact they do a lot of surface feeding. In truth, this species is so proficient at it, they have even learned out to snatch low-flying birds out of the air in a spectacular leap. It may sound crazy to believe, but BBC Earth has this behavior documented on film.
These GTs know the terns are flying about this area. Many are young and inexperienced to the dangers lurking just beneath the surface. That is, until it is much too late.
This fish goes by several different nicknames including the giant kingfish, lowly trevally, barrier trevally, ulua, and more. Most anglers simply call them "GTs" for short. Seeing them in action like this reminds us why these fish are so popular with fishermen and women worldwide.
The giant trevally is one of the smartest predators currently swimming the world's oceans, as you saw here. Not many fish target fish above the surface of the water like this. In addition to being strong and smart, this species grows to large sizes. The IGFA currently recognizes a whopping 160-pound, 7-ounce beast as the all-tackle world record. It was caught off the coast of Japan in 2006. This is a warm water species that prefers hunting on coral reefs, drop-offs, and atolls. It ranges throughout much of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
It can be found around the Hawaiian Islands, but the main destination point for anglers is the Eastern coasts of South Africa. Especially in the Seychelles. Anglers usually target them using large surface poppers. Most anglers say it is an exhausting way to fish due to the size of the lures, but extremely rewarding because the strikes are so aggressive. This species is also often found in the fisheries of Northern Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines. It's worth adding a trip for giant trevally to your bucket list if you are looking to target one of the strongest fighting fish on earth.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: PETA IS NOW GOING AFTER FISHERMEN
WATCH
