b'FeatureBlack Magic Tackle Pro Team member Wesley Van der Herik moved to Australia from Canada several years ago to take on giants from his jet ski and recently completed a mammoth 20,000km fishing roadie over 78 days.I ve been living the dream,stunning national parks along thecaptured on camera, but I was too battling pelagics in some ofway, it felt like the stars aligned. Ibusy drowning in exhilarationAustralias most breathtakingpacked up my jet ski, fishing tackle,both from the fish on the line and waters. From the turquoiseloaded the car, and then hit the openthe encounter of a lifetime!shallows off Ningaloo Reef toroad, fueled by the thrill of the chase.the rugged beauty of Broome,The scenery shifted dramatically asGT POWERmy 20,000km road trip startedwe moved north. Adelaides cityscapeTargeting GTs became my obsession. from Tasmania and up todisappeared, replaced by ruggedNothing compares to the adrenaline Western Australia, which was nothingwilderness, sprawling beaches,rush of casting a popper and feeling short of epic. Heres how it all wentand a sense of adventure thatthat unmistakable smack as a GT down and why it left a permanentelectrified the air. But the real magiccrashes into it. The first morning I mark on my soul as an angler. began when we hit the turquoisereturned to a newly discovered GT waters of the Ningaloo Reef.spot, the sun was just grazing the JOURNEY TO REMEMBER One remarkable day, we foundhorizon, painting the sky orange. The What sparked this grand adventure?ourselves swimming with whaleglassy sea mirrored my excitement, Well, its simple really. Ive watchedsharks, those gentle giants of theand on just my third cast, I hooked countless videos of anglers dreamsocean. I was reeling in a reef fishinto my biggest GT yet. The fight was come to life at Ningaloo, wherewhen I spotted a massive sharkunreal, raw power surged beneath the reefs teem with life and giantfin approaching. My heart racedme, a pure test of both strength and trevallies (GTs) hunt in the shallows.as it swam beneath my jet ski, andtechnique. Surrounded by curious The remote Northwest was high onI could practically feel the waterturtles and schools of fish, I knew this my bucket list, and when my partnerparting for it. It was a moment ofwas fishing heaven, another moment expressed a desire to explore thepure awe, one I wish I could haveetched in my memory forever.Black Magic Pro Team member Wesley fishes from a Sea Doo jet ski and has even landed a 130kg swordfish from a jet ski.46FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE'