The Blue Marlin bite continued last week at Port Stephens the fish 
moving South with the current as the week progressed and extending down to Sydney. Amongst the Blues there were quite a few Spearfish and some good sized Black Marlin along with Mahi Mahi and the occasional Wahoo. In short nothing much has changed since the week before.
For those fishing the Newcastle tournament there seemed to be a bonanza of fish but on closer scrutiny it was apparent that for everyone who was lucky enough to have found the Marlin there was someone else with the equivalent bad luck.
Back at Port Stephens were I was fishing we found the Marlin East and North of the Port up to Almark on Friday and by Sunday the concentration was down around the Newcastle canyons. The fish generally around the 100 to 150kg range by no means large for Blue Marlin, there were most definitely some bruisers amongst them, and fairly easy to handle providing you could get the hooks to stick. These Marlin were hitting the lures like express trains and personally I think that because there was and is so much bait around they are hitting out of aggression rather than hunger just using their Bills.
Where they’ll be this week is anyone’s guess. The change in weather and the Southerly blowing this week could send that Southerly current anywhere but if it keeps moving South it will certainly liven up the Broken Bay tournament providing the weather plays ball.
Until next week,
Ivan
Anyway back to reality, though the Kings still reign off Sydney being found in numbers schooling around the harbour with Salmon amongst them, mostly undersize but for those that know there are some good ones to be found – good bait being the sec
Offshore Sydney the fishing remains patchy, the water being relatively cool for this time of year. But the occasional Stripy is turning up and some large ones at that, Warren Night of ‘Midnight’ tagged one of 130kg. plus after first calling it a Blue, a common occurence. Big Dollies are ranging about, Warren’s daughter taking a 17 kg. specimen in 15 kg. line for a potential Women’s record.
Though the fishing off Sydney is hard going at present Port Stephens is starting to happen, I don’t have exact details yet but I have heard reports of multiple taggings but I don’t know if they were Stripes or the inshore Blacks which are increasing in numbers along the coast and apparently going off at South West Rocks which augers well for the Interclub and points South in the coming weeks.
