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.
After spending a few days in town hearing the reports from the fleet, it was great to get out amongst them, and even better, to be amongst the fish.Things didn’t start so well with a smaller fish that we managed to jump off twice, once on each bait. However, the next aggressive bite mid-afternoon had Kevvie on the board with a beautiful 450lb-er hooked perfectly in the corner of the jaw with an 18/O circle hook. A few more tentative bites and follows later – there are still plenty of fish on the bank – including a nice fish that wanted to check everything out but not eat, a ‘not a bad day’ suddenly got better. At 5:30pm we got another very aggressive bite from an 800lb-er that pulled the scad off and then charged in to eat the huge scaley just off the transom. 20 minutes later Dave had released his equal biggest fish. He didn’t have it easy, with a blistering 500 metre run on the strike, and some hard coaching from the gallery. Meanwhile on the other boats: Moana III started the day off on the Bank early with a 700lb-er before lunch while Capt. Tom on Ultimate Lady staked his turf on the middle of the Bank and worked it religiously producing three fish – including this big one they unfortunately lost on the wire (below left) and other they fought into the dark. Capt. Bill on Viking II released a 300lb-er early before introducing his clients to yet another big fish which Capt. Bill called well over the mark. After five big jumps on the wire and she went deep and 88lbs of drag could not stop a blistering 300meter run. The size of this fish had its tail beat hitting the end of the wind on (a video still of the absolute monster below right). On Too Easy Capt. Russ had the bites from the big fish, estimated at 700 and around the mark, but unfortunately could not convert. Meanwhile, at the bottom Ribbons, Capt. Laurie reported a quieter day with his team on Ningaloo making the most of a bite out of a good size fish to released an estimated 700lb-er.
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.
Well its still all happening from Linden Bank to Opal Ridge and on to Number 2 and 3 Ribbon Reef. Seems like school was out and all the fish were tailing along with the majority of fish seen being small but a few good sized girls among them. Moana III caught one estimated 800lb and jumped a smaller fish off between the Bank and the Ridge. Mistress went 4 for 4 on little guys at the Ridge – including one blue marlin – unusual in so close. And The New Allure also released a big fish at the bank before returning to port. Ultimate Lady is here and fishing although reports were a little ambiguous, managed a couple of smaller fish. At Number 2, Kianja raised a lot of small fish and saw plenty more tailing releasing two – 300 and 600lb – for the day. Capt. Steve also reported boats everywhere with lots of bites. Ningaloo went 3 from 8 bites on smaller fish as Capt. Laurie spent the day dodging other game boats. UPDATE: Since we are still at the marina (Cairns Marlin Marina is currently without power which makes is a little difficult to re-fuel), I have the opportunity to provide an update with a couple of reports that have just come in.From Pete, news that Gorilla caught two beauties at Number 1 yesterday at 850 and 900lbs. Depending on who you talk to Sparrow had an awesome day at Number 2 with ‘plenty’ including a big one. And Capt. Bill and the team on Viking are still enjoying the bank with yesterday’s fishing bringing their total to 6 for this four day trip including 4 over 850lb. The late bite is winner for the team, Sunday they were 0-0-0 at 6pm and 4-2-2 by 6:30. Yesterday, another good one at 850lb and a little guy who reeked havoc on the new paint job~!
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.
Not too much to report this morning as a lot of the fleet are in town for changeovers and a short reprieve from the weather. The good news is that they weather looks good for later in the week – and for longer than a day. We can’t wait! Capt. Dan on Moana III sent me this little pic of this little guy that he released on the way to Linden Bank from Jenny Louise, bringing him into the boat briefly to retrieve the lure. Capt. Luke on KEKOA also released a little guy at the Bank adding to his total for this trip – now 12 in 9 days.On the big fish side, Capt. Ashley on The Ultimate released an 800lb-er at the Light and Capt. Laurie on Ningaloo has been releasing a few little guys in the middle Ribbons as well but yesterday managed two including one at 900lbs for their lady angler Mary.There was a huge number of tailers sighted at the Bank again Monday proving the fish have really shown up in numbers now. We are out again tomorrow and looking forward to getting our piece of the action!
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.
I owe my headline today to Capt. Bill who had an outstanding day yesterday with a twist – bringing a bit of a hit and miss theme to today’s report. After releasing a solid 850lb-er earlier, the Viking team hooked up on a fish that Terry and crew wanted to put in the Boat. Then a most bizarre thing happened. As they were about to grab the leader, one of the following male fish got the line caught in its mouth and started jumping next to the boat, getting caught up in the whole thing breaking off their donkey of a fish. The small fish was released while caught up in the line and leader, and the big girl owed it’s male partner a big thank you. In Capt. Bill’s 25 years on the reef – he’s never seen anything like it!More great news from Iona II which left Capt. Adam with a big smile on the dial as the team returned to port yesterday – topping off a great few days of fishing with 5 at the Bank yesterday. 550, 500, 400, 200 and 100lb – the little guy who Adam told me they had to switch onto a queenie because the big baits were too big! That’s awesome fishing and proves that the fish are coming through in numbers. That’s what we want to hear!Capt. Luke on KEKOA released two smaller fish also at the bank and had trouble setting the hooks in a number of others. And Capt. Kim on New Moon lost one estimated at 800lb on 50lb. Capt. Dan on Moana III at Jenny Louise caught one at 450lbs from three. Not much talk from the lower Ribbons at all and Capt. Dean on Castille, who had ventured back up to the top, lost two nice fish – pulling the hooks on one and jumping the other off – at second corner on Number 10. At least TowCam gave them some great footage of the bites (below). Hopefully more fishing sticking today. (For those who notice an update here – apparently I can’t read. Congrats to the team on board Mistress who have taken out third place in the GFAA Highest Point Scoring Boat in Australian Waters – Tag and Release for 2007/2008.)
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.
Lots of fishing reports in for Saturday. And the news is all BIG!At Linden Bank, boats took advantage of what Capt. Luke on KEKOA described as the “best weather day that he can remember this month” to fish long and hard. After raising a couple of big fish – including one well over the mark only to heartbreakingly spit up the scad – 80 year old angler Martin hooked up on the fish of his lifetime releasing an estimated 900lb-er after a short fight pushing 45lbs of drag. With still three days left to go on this his first trip down under, Martin is sure to top off what has already been great trip having caught seven of KEKOA’s nine fish in the last seven days himself! Left: Martin’s 900lb-er on KEKOA on the leader with Deckie Adam. Right: Team KEKOA are also getting some more great TowCam footage of some other bites Nearby on the Bank, Capt. Bill on Viking also took advantage of the weather, and a break from the marlin rats of earlier in the week, to release his third BIG fish of the season that he said was knocking on the door. (Hopefully some photos to come) Likewise Little Audrey took a break from their rats too releasing another BIG one Capt. Pete called over the mark. Capt. Adam on Iona II returned to his honey hole for more big fish action (Update – released one at 350lbs and pulled the hooks on a really nice one), Capt. Brad on The New Allure released two to 450lbs and Joe Joe were kept busy with plenty of bites including a double hookup of a marlin and yellowfin tuna – the marlin chowing down on the un-cleared skip bait still in the water – to an unfortunate end. Moana III had a few bites out of smaller fish further down at the light and Jenny Louise.But speaking of Moana – Capt. Dan kindly sent me a pic of their big fish from Trinity Opening Thursday. Capt. Dan’s Russian anglers are certainly finding success on the GBR. They caught a couple of nice fish in the middle last year including this one I took a shot of from neaby on Reel Chase. Thursday’s fish Capt. Dan put at over the 1100lb mark and the same anglers finding success in 2007. Meanwhile yesterday, the bottom of the Ribbons was also seeing some action. At Number 2, Capt. Steve on Kianja pushed the bar with an estimated 850lb-er for angler Pete on 130lb stand up (below left). Capt. Tim on Tradition fought a nice one for over an hour before losing the battle while at Number 3, Capt. Jared once again steered Shaka in the fishy direction with a 450lb-er early for John, and later, taking advantage of that magic time late in the day when many of the boats have already departed for anchorage, for this 850lb-er which also gave an aerobatic show (below right). Kianja and Shaka’s fish: both estimate 850lbs and Number 2 and Number 3 Ribbon Reef. Oh what a day! You wish you were here, don’t you?
