Blacks and Stripes

I went out yesterday not knowing what to expect. Prior to the weather last week there had been a good Marlin bite with both Blacks and Stripes along with Blues being found. So, the expectation was high but what affect had the weather had.

As we left the Heads the water temperature was good and the water dirty as to be expected. As we went out the colour changed from dirty green to a clearer green but even out at seven hundred fathoms it only got slightly better sadly never going blue. However the temperature did reach twenty-four point six.

We put the lures out just inside the Nine Mile to check out the FAD but nothing showed up except some small Kingfish so we headed for the 12 Mile.

As we passed over the reef we got a cracking strike on the Brad ‘J’ on the shotgun. I nearly jumped out of my chair, the last thing I expected was a hit in this dirty green water. But there you go, the last thing you expect when you least expect it. Anyway, no hook up. I did a couple of laps with no result so headed out to wider grounds hoping the water would clear.

We went out past Browns and headed North not having seen anything of any interest. No birds, only very scattered bait and no blue water but lots of dead plankton lines, what some call coral spawn.

In the distance I saw something popping up between swells. As we got closer I could see it was some sort of trap but it was in two hundred fathoms. Whatever it was it made for a great FAD.

Barracuda

On the first pass while I was watching the lures I saw a fish leap out from behind the lure and hit it. My first thought was that it was a Wahoo as I’d seen this happen before, and until they brought it to the boat that’s what I thought. However, when it hit the deck it was apparent it wasn’t a Wahoo, it was a Barracuda, a ‘Great Barracuda’ of around twenty kilo’s. Normally found around reefs and tropical seas, what was it doing in two hundred fathoms down here.

While we were fighting the C’uda some big Dollies came up to the boat. They hung around to watch the fight, but sadly we didn’t have any bait so we just watched, thinking we’d get them on the lures later.

Later came and as we passed the ‘trap’ we had a hit but it was only a small Dolly, then as I slowed, the rigger went off with a bigger fish which we all thought was one of the big Dollies. But to our surprise it turned out to be a Yellowfin of ten to twelve kilo’s, dinner at least. I did several more laps around the ‘trap’, we caught a few more smaller Dollies but the big ones didn’t show.

On the way in I went past the Botany FADs and though I saw a couple of bigger Dollies they couldn’t be enticed. I know the fish around a FAD can be easily spooked but I’m pretty sure we were the first if not only boat in that area yesterday. I don’t know why they didn’t come up. The water was definitely warm enough, maybe it was the colour or the algae, but that’s fishing, nothing is for sure.

Tight lines,

Ivan

• All lure used unless otherwise specified are Pakula Lures .

Weather and Sea State :

Buoyweather
Bureau of Meteorology
Radar
Seabreeze
Weatherzone
Weathercams
Ripcharts
C.S.I.R.O.
N.S.W Bluelink

Fishing Tackle :

Pakula Tackle
Global Tackle
Otto’s Tackle
Melton Tackle
Aftco
Campbell’s Pro Tackle

Electronics :

Furuno
Keogh’s Marine Electronics
Olectric Systems

Home…

A January Marlin for Jack and his friends. A great way to start the New Year with a January Marlin.

Jack’s Marlin…

It was a real pleasure to go to sea the other day with Jack and his friends. The weather actually played ball which was a pleasant change from the last few days out.

Reports were varied off Sydney but there was a good bite happening to the South and listening to channel 82 was quite frustrating not just because of the chatter but because the bite was just that bit too far for me to get to.

However, we headed off in the general direction of the Southern Canyons after putting the lures in at the shelf. I was surprised at how much cooler the water was compared to the previous time I was out and the current was pushing up from the South.

After a few hours of nothing, hardly any bird life and only some scattered bait, I moved out to deeper water where the water temperature slowly rose and went that beautiful blue that we want to see. Some life showed up in the form of dolphins and the occasional mutton bird and small patches of bait.

Anyway, to cut a long story short after frustratingly listening to the reports now just a few miles South of us the ‘Lumo’ on the rigger screamed off. We had a good-sized Striped Marlin heading East. After the usual turmoil of getting the gear in order we dutifully released the fish and set off again looking for another. Sadly though we did get another strike we didn’t hook up.

The bite was continuing South of us with a few Blue Marlin taken amongst the Stripies. I also heard of a few fish taken around ‘Browns’ and further up the coast near the ‘Bait Station’ however South was definitely the place to be.

Tight lines,
Ivan

Weather and Sea State :

Buoyweather
Bureau of Meteorology
Radar
Seabreeze
Weatherzone
Weathercams
Ripcharts
C.S.I.R.O.
N.S.W Bluelink

Fishing Tackle :

Pakula Tackle
Global Tackle
Otto’s Tackle
Melton Tackle
Aftco
Campbell’s Pro Tackle

Electronics :

Furuno
Keogh’s Marine Electronics
Olectric Systems

Home…