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We have been in port for a day off – back out again on Saturday morning – and so reports have been few since we are not out there. Overall it seems the fishing has slowed again over the full moon but it will hopefully improve again as we get away from it in the next few days. Capt. Tom on Ultimate Lady took a trip out to the Sea Mount and caught a little guy on the way. Today they are heading north. Shaka tried a new tactic to change their luck Thursday by rigging up anglers Craig and Eben’s lucky fishing gnome Grimble Crumble with a circle hook – but to no avail – read John’s full story of Canadian luck here. On Number 5 Ribbon, Tradition also released a smaller black and reports a bit of fun bait fishing in the morning with a 90lb spanish mackerel. And all the way up on Number 10, the team on Castille are enjoying the good weather again and other spoils of the reef with a seafood feast behind No Name last night. The team plans to venture up to Day and Hicks Reefs today before heading into Lizard Island to climb Cook’s Look tomorrow (This is the lookout that Capt. Cook climbed to on his voyage up the east coast of Australia in order to navigate his way through the reef). On the bright side, the good weather that came through yesterday looks to continue through next week and so we can enjoy some more glamourous days on the water.Photo: This what Lizard Island looks like on a nice weather day from the climb to Cook’s Look.
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 a days wait in trying conditions, we finally got Becky hooked up to her very first black marlin yesterday – a stubborn 200lb-er. Twice he went deep and twice she dug in and pulled him back up and by the end of the fight settled into a good rhythm in the chair. Darren deployed the TowCam pole camera and again we got some good footage around the back of the boat as well as the release. Shaka caught another little one nearby and Mistress had some more luck on the Ridge with a 400lb-er released and raising an 800lb-er up later that unfortunately missed the bait before fading away. On the Ribbons, Capt. Laurie also steered angler Henrick to his first marlin on board Ningaloo. Becky in the chair and James on hand to tag her very first black marlin Wednesday on Reel Chase.
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.
We have Becky and Baxter on board with us for a couple of days on their Honeymoon trip around Australia. And although we had a few look-sees and followers on our downsea (yes the weather is up yet again) troll, no solid bites. We trolled from Jenny Louise downsea past the Light. Today we’ll fish the Bank again where there was a little action again Tuesday. Shaka sent me this picture of Craig’s second marlin estimated at 400lbs. I’m thinking Reel Chase can at least claim a hand in this fish which came trucking at 100 miles an hour and swam straight past both the scad and the rainbow runner on the shotgun before piling onto the big bait. This big bait being one of two we traded with Capt. Jared for ice the other day. (John tells us both have resulted in marlin now!) Angler Craig had a serious fight on his hands but handled it well and the fish was tagged and released in great shape.Fishing down Opal Ridge, Mistress has also had a good day going two for two on smaller fish bringing their total to three for three for the first two days of the trip. Good going guys!Elsewhere, the reports are slow again. Capt. Luke on KEKOA headed in to Cooktown for changeover yesterday and told me he left things very quiet in the middle. Capt. Laurie on Ningaloo had the bites, but just couldn’t keep the hooks in the fish.
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.
Those reading at home will be happy to hear that Australia snuck from behind to take out the Agrichem AUS vs BRA Challenge that we had on board the two boats when the Aus team on Reel Chase released another overexcited (taking the big bait) 250lb-er for Paul with just a couple of hours left on the clock. There were celebrations over great food including the coral trout that the boys on New Moon had caught especially at Cafe China last night.Also at the bank, Shaka released another first marlin for angler Craig in the suddenly freshening conditions. It was only Day one of the trip and so hopefully there are many more where that one came from. Paul fights on board Reel Chase and Craig’s marlin on board Shaka (photo from John) At the top, KEKOA released another smaller one from 4 bites – all of smaller fish. Ningaloo also lost one in the same size bracket at the back of the boat. We’re all still waiting for the big girls to show their faces again. Moana fished the Light for three bites including one from a bigger fish but I did not hear that the hooks stayed in any. Sam sent me a couple of video links – this one and this other one being from the season he spent on board Assegai with Capt. Luke. Thanks Sam – I’ll get those up on the video page soon. Lastly a quick shout out to Jamie and Josh. We first met Jamie when he fished with us on board Reel Chase at Port Stephens in Feb 07 and he proved himself to be both a very capable and very enthusiastic fisherman (here he is with his lucky stripey). He is also a very capable and very enthusiastic videographer. Luke and I ran into Jamie and Josh again early this year when we went Murray cod fishing at Jimargie in northern NSW where they were putting the final touches on their gorge fishing DVD which has just been released. And so if you are into that type of fishing, when you’re not marlin fishing of course, I encourage you to check it out.
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On the bank, the two boats with all the action continued their run again Sunday. Tim on Reel Ripe releasing another two and Adam on Iona II with two as well to 450lbs – Iona II back into the anchorage nice and early to leave the rest of us in with a chance! The Australia boys fishing on New Moon got one back on the Brazilian boys with a real little one bait fishing – approx 20kgs. Of course the debate raged into the night as to whether a bait fishing marlin counts in their little comp. Regardless, the Brazilian boys still lead on countback. Today is our final day of the trip, so let’s hope the fishing makes it a real competition!Out at the Sea Mount, Capt. Dan on Moana spent a rocky night for some early action, missing two fish, including one when a wahoo ate the swivel mid-fight. On the way back in to Jenny Louise last night he had released two smaller fish. Broadbill had better luck on the way to the Sea Mount Saturday releasing two fish including an estimated 800lb-er. Another great shot from Rhino on Iona (although the camera phone is getting a bit cloudy)and the Brazilian and Aussie teams enjoy some sushi I prepared for them last night. Up on the Ribbons, Capt. Biggles on the (old) Allure boated a fish that went 880lbs on 50lb. Capt. Dean on Castille told us about his trip out to Boganville including a double header of good sized yellowfins, and catching another blue marlin back on his way back into the edge. Capt. Luke on KEKOA is still enjoying the morning sportfishing with GT’s on poppers and unfortunately losing an 80lb dog tooth that ate the popper right at the transom with the bite on video. The afternoon marlin fishing a bit slower but the team still releasing a 200lb-er and missing the bite of a much bigger fish.On the tournament front, word is that the fish have shown up in good numbers for the Caterpillar Hot Current Game Fishing Tournament currently underway in Coffs Harbour – although days two and three were called off due to high wind and seas – with 51 boats and 212 anglers taking part and a number of blues and striped marlin released Saturday. Here’s hoping the weather gives them a break for the final days.
