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Simon brings a Blue alongside to remove the lure hook while another ready to switch at the teaser. Update: After hearing reports of multiple Blue Marlin bites over the past couple of weeks we were very keen to get in on that action. And, after a quick phone call to Kekoa regular Steve, we were on for a weekend on the shelf! Steve flew up to join us Friday evening and it was early to bed for an even earlier start on Saturday. Venturing through the seaway in the still dark, the sun came up on the trip out to help guide us to where we were headed – it was a glamour day on the water. Barely had we set the pattern when we had our first bite and quickly released our first Blue for the day off Point Lookout. This set the trend for the rest of the day – or at least until lunch when the bite slowed down significantly. On Day 1, we had raised a total of 14 fish for 9 bites and 4 tags. To answer you Rob – we switched three of the four, barely clear of the transom, and jumped off another after a spectacular bite from an over-excited 300lb-er. Saving us the long run back to the Gold Coast for the night, Capt. Luke guided us safely through South Passage Bar to anchor at Amity Point on the northern end of North Stradbroke. On Sunday, anticipating another early bite, we once again rose in the dark and found ourselves in the strike-zone just on 7am. Unfortunately the fish were onto us and the early bite wasn’t to be repeated. Venturing a bit further south and closer to home in preparation for the Southerly change we once again found fish just north of Jim’s Mountain. Both fish were raised on the lures and we released another excited line burner just as the wind started to kick in. Our only Blue for Day 2 as we decided to head home. As the wind came up – Deputy Capt. Simon mentioned that this was the perfect weather for Yellowfin Tuna. And lo and behold it really was! After an explosion on the left, Steve boated a nice 70lb-er – enough for sushi and more. Simon removes the hook from a Blue alongside while the boys brace the tuna and themselves in the weather for a quick photo.

This post was imported into WordPress from my old Black Marlin Fishing Blog website without any accompanying photos. If you’d like to see the original post, with the accompanying photographs, go to the original Black Marlin Fishing Blog site and navigate to the post using the archive navigation links on the right-hand-side.

Final day of our Port Stephens season started with catching bait at Little Island giving us a chance to bid final greetings to the rest of the regular fleet and fellow bait-fishers including the boys on board Freedom, Billfisher, Broadbill and Calypso. After bringing a nice haul of slimeys on board we set out for the grounds..a whopping 200 metres away!! Unfortunately the promise of the preceeding few days did not eventuate and by late morning we had set off to wander in the direction of Broughton Island where the teaser once again caught the attention of a beautiful fully lit-up Striped Marlin. The standard deployment of a live bait assured Angler Russell of an instant hookup. After a lengthy fight (and even calling in back up angling reinforcements) the fish was tagged. Unfortunately that was it for our final day. Back home on the Gold Coast we are gearing up for some Blue Marlin action after a busy weekend by all reports out wide. Fishing inshore for little Blacks on Kekoa on Saturday, Capt. Luke was listening to radio reports of an array of hook-ups and tags, wishing he was there. This weekend he will be as Kekoa joins the fleet off Cape Moreton. Stay tuned!!

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While the action in the car park has definitely slowed, it appears its beginning to hot up inshore with the little Blacks and offshore with the big Blues. On Wednesday we travelled from Broughton Island to Seal Rocks in close and then turned out wide for no Marlin but a school of Dolphin Fish on the fish traps kept our anglers Neil and Brendan busy. However as we ran in, we marked a few Marlin on bait schools closed to Little Island that looked promising.So on Thursday we started fishing 200 metres east of Little Island and caught our first Black Marlin for Angler Rick while still setting the baits. The second one soon followed for Angler Mark and that was our day. Great reports from Grant on board Kiaua tagging 4 from 6 in the area between Little Island and Broughton Island and Johnny Denver on the Freedom tagging three north of Broughton Island including one of 100kgs on 15. Rick’s Black jumps away from the boat while Mark’s tries to join us on board. Reports from Bob Jones on Fascination fishing wide at Almark Mt. in 500 fathoms plus recorded a large number of Blues and Spearfish tagging one of each on Wednesday and getting another four bites from Blues on Thursday with a couple of fish in excess of 500lb with a couple lost due to light tackle limitations. One of the Dolphin Fish and Neil’s on fire.

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We made it out in the weather – even so, we did indulge in a 3 hour lunch break!Persistance in the afternoon with team B paid off with a missed bite from a Striped Marlin and then tagging a small Black Marlin for Greg which again gave us an aerial display at the back of the boat. All the action happened within 500 metres of Little Island, right in front of Port Stephens Heads.Captain Jim thinks that with the large amount of bait in front of the Heads and North of Broughton Island and the beautiful blue 24 degree water, the fishing should finally break loose in this area over the next couple of weeks.

This post was imported into WordPress from my old Black Marlin Fishing Blog website without any accompanying photos. If you’d like to see the original post, with the accompanying photographs, go to the original Black Marlin Fishing Blog site and navigate to the post using the archive navigation links on the right-hand-side.