Summer and the Mighty Marlin go hand in hand. Reports and contacts are becoming more frequent each day. Black Marlin are showing up inshore around the bait schools though not many have been caught yet. Out wider Striped Marlin are coming down the coast with the warmer water and Mahi Mahi are turning up in numbers around the many ‘secret’ FAD’s.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been out a couple of times this week with different results. On Christmas eve I took Levi and his friend out on a beautiful day weatherwise. Unfortunately as often happens on perfect days the fish were shy. Inshore the water was still coolish even though there was plenty of bait. I went out looking for warmer water.

It never really did warm up, the best temp. I got was 21.8C but it was a good colour so in 80 fathoms out went the lures. Well, after several hours of trolling and seeing the occasional bait school, lots of Dolphins, a few Manta Rays and no Marlin it was time to give up our hunt for the mighty marlin.

The weather then intervened and I didn’t get out for another couple of days. Again there was lots of bait inshore in fact there were schools of Slimies on the surface at the Heads. The water was still coolish so I went back to where I’d been previously. This time however it was rough, blowing 20 to 25 knots from the North-East and there was a colour change with a slight increase in temperature. The lures went out and I watched as one of the clients slowly turned a light shade of green. His friend, Walter was immune andraring to go.

I don’t know if it was the rougher conditions or not but there was bait and it was high up.

About half hour into the troll the lure on the short rigger took off at a rate of knots and just kept going. I actually thought it was a Blue. Walter’s friend took the rod and the greenish tinge slowly took on a reddish hue as he fought to both stand up and keep winding as I backed up into the sea. We eventually tagged the fish, a Striped Marlin and not even a big one, which had been tail wrapped. A little later on we had another Stripy come into the spread, have a look at all our lures, hit the lumo and after a decent run just drop off – now that is frustrating. By then Walter was sympathising with his friend  whose greenish tinge had returned and called an end to the fishing.

We ended up raising six Marlin, hooking two and tagging one. Ben Dullard in his boat Markoo tagged one near us.  Also a  couple of others boats around Terrigal encountered some Black Marlin in close. There is obviously some really good water just to the North. From Norah Head up to Port Stephens those fishing for Marlin are having a lot more success than us. Hopefully over the next few days that current will move down and closer to shore.

Also the much vied for Sydney Game Fishing Club’s trophy for the first Marlin tagged has finally been taken out. Congratulations to the winner Michael Kirby, in his boat Gale Force, who tagged a Striped Marlin off Terrigal on his way to Port Stephens.

Finally I wish all and sundry a Happy New Year and hope the next one is as good if not better than this one…

Tight lines,
Ivan

LINKS to…

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N.S.W. Bluelink

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