If you live in, or are visiting South East Queensland, you'd have to be hiding under a big dark rock not to have heard about the hot black marlin bite. Most fish are in the 15-30kg range and hopefully they will stick around through the Gold Coast Light Tackle comp 16-17 January before they head further south (we'll catch up with them again as slightly bigger models at Port Stephens in Feb/March when we are chasing the stripeys).

On the whole, the Sunshine Coast seems the more consistent, with cleaner water. But there are still magic days to be had on the Goldy as well and so close to shore, as you can see from my picture above - a little black on Sunday jumping off the Miami shoreline. We've seen 4.5 metre Quintrex Hornets with bow mounted electric motors more suited to bream fishing the Broadwater getting amongst the marlin!

On the Sunshine Coast - Capt Dave on Cabolito's perfect run came to an end just today. Dave and his anglers had a 100% conversion rate with 12 from 12 until today when they went 4 from 6, and still tied up in time for lunch. That amounts to 16 from 18 bites in five days (one miscellaneous sailfish in that bunch as well as three blues). Great fishing - most fish a first marlin for the anglers. No doubt they are now hooked like the rest of us. Dave says Cabolito seems to be making the right noises as it is certainly raising them!

Also off Mooloolaba, Smithy on Triton IV has been plucking away at the marlin too even on bottom fishing trips averaging one a day. Smithy also reports many other Sunshine Coast boats getting in on the action, including Keneka going 7 from 7 and 9 from 11 on recent trips. Smithy ventured down our way on Monday and can attest that our water is not as good as what they are fishing in up there. Maybe when the pumping South East-ers come through next week they'll push some clean water through.

On the Gold Coast, while some days you may come home with just one or two like we did on Sunday, other days it's firing. One boat off Burleigh had more than 10 up on Saturday but Sunday was slow. Then Monday fired again a little further wide with Capt Ross on Lucky Strike reporting 10 from 10 - another great day's fishing! All of above average size and including one who managed to get himself caught and released twice in the one day. Boats that have been fishing for blues have also been rewarded with some action.

We are taking off again for the New Year for some more fresh water fishing fun - keep the reports coming in, I'll catch up when we are back.

Have a happy and safe New Year - see you in 09!

The team on KEKOA travelled home to the Gold Coast on Monday evening, finally home after a very long season away. Capt. Luke saw a couple of little blacks swimming on the surface at Point Lookout on the way through so decided to throw a couple of baits at them and went two from two. After hitting the coast at 6pm and listening to the action reports for the Gold Coast area (including a tinny who went 8 or 9 Monday!) I was able to talk Capt. Luke and Dingo in to getting up early one more time and by 6 am, we were back on the water. We trolled up, we trolled back, with two from two bites and raising another two, and back in the marina by 10 for the much dreaded Christmas shopping.

Also enjoying a fabulous weather day on the Gold Coast was the Gold Coast (or just about the whole of the Gold Coast - boats big and small everywhere - it was wonderful!) and boats also home from the season now including Reel Chase, Mistress and Castille.

Some photos from Dingo and myself of the fish we switched and we switched roles behind the camera/rod. Plenty of fish still around. Apparently the afternoon bite Tuesday was red hot. Hopefully, many more opportunities to enjoy the action over the rest of the holiday break.

For our Southern readers, get ready, the little blacks are on their way!

Back up on the Sunshine Coast, DG once again braved the 25kt winds on the weekend for the first day light tackle fishing on the Cabolito Sunday going four from four on little blacks. And home in time for lunch.

Fishing just 8 mile off Mooloolaba, Dave was able to find marlins for the four guys on board that had never caught a marlin before - now they have!

Steve sent me this picture of a 362kg (816lb) blue marlin weighed at Coffs Harbour yesterday on a 32ft Cabo called Matador on 80lb.

This is a pretty significant catch. There haven't been any fish this size caught for several years (with the exception of Ultimate Lady's fish which was caught more than 550 miles off the Australian coast).

So far it seems there has been blue marlin caught off South East Queensland and Northern NSW for every month this year.

It's a very good sign that its shaping up to a good summer season for the blue marlin, as well as the juvenile blacks!

Dave Granville sent a note to say that he finally got to christen Gotimon yesterday with a couple of solo blacks. He went two for two - one being a solid 60kg fish which gave him a real workout on the spinning rod. This is the beauty of the summer with the little blacks on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, they are so accessible and you don't need a big boat (or a crew for that matter) to catch them!

Look at the pic - one hand on the rod, one on the wheel. Dave is an awesome photographer, but I have no idea how he managed to get this great action shot together. We're looking forward to a solo blue marlin photo in a year Dave! ;-)

Update: Dave tells me that this picture was taken by Brent Higgins from his new 4.5m tinny Kartika. Brent has also been taking advantage of the great fishing close to Mooloolaba and in the two trips last week he caught 5 blacks and a sail from 8 bites.

Capt. Ross on Top Shot sent a note about his latest trip out off Cairns returning last night. He spent some more time out amongst the tuna aggregation proving the fishing is still going well from Cairns - as it often does at this time of year. Over the three days, Capt. Ross went 4 from 10 including 3 blacks at 700, 600, 250lbs and one blue at 300lbs. There are still more tuna than you can poke a stick at and on the jigging they caught a few bigeyes with 2 over the 90lb mark and a yellowfin at 80lbs. Awesome stuff!!!

 

Capt. Ross also says there have been a few big blacks still around on Linden Bank and Jenny Louise and after light tackle fishing (for sails and the like) over the next few days, he's hoping to get back out there soon.

Meanwhile back down south here, the run of smaller blacks continues as well. Capt. Tim on Tradition was bringing the boat home yesterday and released 6 from 7 in the trip south from Cape Moreton. Back up at the Sunshine Coast, Capt. Rob on Triton IV scored one for the ladies, going one from one yesterday for angler Jodie Diefenbach who won the trip as part of Bev Chiffens' Lady Anglers comp at Awoonga Dam - plus 6 spanish mackerel to keep them busy as well! Today the Sunshine Coast's solo trailerboat challenge today with Matt Withers taking it out with 2 blacks.  Also at last count, The Phantom were 4 from 6 and Ofishal Business with two blacks.

Well the black marlin fishing is still on fire on both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts - it's shaping up for a summer of fun.

Unfortunately though, at least the Gold Coast boats were foiled in their attempts to get out there again on the weekend with strong winds warnings in effect. But late last week, there were a few able to squeeze in some days before the weather came through. Private boat Brilliant Company with Capt. Simon Carosi was on fire Friday tagging 8 from 9 on lures - made even the more amazing considering there was just Capt. Simon and super-angler Marcus on board. Then they backed up again with another 4 from 5 on Saturday morning! Just outside the seaway - awesome stuff! On Reel Chase we also made it out for a couple of hours in the morning downpour Friday (the only wet day of the week!) for just the one solid bite on the teaser which we switched onto a deadbait for some acrobatics before the tag and release.

MORE REPORTS IN: Les Corby tells me they made it out in the strong winds yesterday as well on Reel Deal at 37 Riviera and managed 4 from 5 off Jumpinpin and southern end of Nth Straddie. Fishing nearby they saw Lucky Strike hook up several times. Perry was also out on Comotion on Sunday going 4 from 4 and Dan and the boys went 4 from 6 on Saturday on the old Too Easy.

On the Sunshine Coast, the fishing was good for the weekend tournament. Smithy tells me the winning boat Luna tagged 12 fish in the two days including 9 on Day 1, runner up Rum & Coke tagged 9 and third place, with Smithy on board, Reefhunter II with 7. Some very good results!

With the wind dying down today, no doubt there will be more boats out there again this week.

And back up North, Brett on Watchdog tells me that there are a few fish still around on the Bank. On a day out early last week they went 1 from 3 - successfully releasing a fish around the 300lb mark and missing one in the 800lb range.

It just gets better and better!

Capt. Smithy reports from the weekend off Mooloolaba that Scott Trafford's 36' Blackwatch Watch Ya Problem went 3 from 7 on Sunday and The Phantom had two before lunch with most boats seeing plenty of fish - even the mackerel fishermen off Noosa were hooking up on trolled pillies!  Bring It On, another SCGFC boat on its maiden trip christening the boat with one black and missing a couple of others.  The Phantom took the honours on Saturday with 5 tagged black marlin and a number of other species, and Luna went 3 from 7.  On board Triton IV Smithy went 2 from 4 - plus 4 dollies and a bonus snapper from a bit of bottom bashing in the morning - bringing his total to 7 for the week.  And on Friday, another local Sunshine Coast 6.2m Kevlacat owned by Luke Carter had a blinder going 6 from 10.

More WEEKEND UPDATES: Reports from Coffs Harbour that the bait is in Port Stephens-like plague proportions and the striped and blue marlin action is red hot. Speaking of Port Stephens, I heard another boat got 8 on the weekend down there too!

Photo: Michael Mackenzie and his little black on board Triton. 

Fresh from the news from Smithy last week that the little blacks were going off at Mooloolaba, we said they couldn't be far away from the Gold Coast, and it turns out they were not. They are already here.

Fishing on Saturday, Capt. Ross McCubbin on board Lucky Strike released 5 East of the Seaway in the clean water at 28 fathoms. On Sunday, In Deep, fishing in the shallow - and dirty - water near jumping pin released 5 as well. Ross also tells us that Tsunami and Little Audrey were also fishing in the area and got into a few as well.

Can't wait to get out there!

Up at Cairns, Capt. Laurie and the team on Ningaloo capped off another great marlin season on the reef with a black marlin for angler John on the final day of their trip and season on Linden Bank. Capt. Tom and Ultimate Lady have also returned to the edge after their extended sojourn out wide. Wednesday the team got a small blue about the 150lb mark on a lure and later battled a 950lb black for three hours before she broke the line, winning her freedom.

Off Townsville, Capt. Luke and the team on KEKOA had some great popper fishing on the outer reefs releasing some good sized GT's and yellowfin tunas as they fished their way into town. Luke also heard from the guys on board the original Phantom (Blackwatch) fishing nearby who went one from three black marlin. And Capt. Dan also told me that the Ultimate had some action out there as they fished their way through heading for Yeppoon this weekend.

Down on the Sunny Coast (Mooloolaba) the juvie blacks have also arrived. Smithy (Capt. Rob) on Triton IV tells me that it's been red hot for the last week on the 50m line and a bit further out with most club boats getting one a day at least and seeing in the 3-8 range. Smithy also tells me that the best conversion he's heard of over the last week was on Scott Trafford's 36 Blackwatch who tagged 3 blacks and a sail last week. In the past three days on the water, Triton tagged 5 and saw a number more. Sounds like it's time to get out there!

Triton's fish come out of the water for a quick pic before being released on the Sunshine Coast, Thursday

The little blacks aren't too far away from the Gold Coast either. Capt. Jim says that soon as the warm blue water (still Cape Moreton north) pushes down the coast towards the Gold Coast Seaway - probably in the next two weeks - the little blacks will come with it. There are already a huge schools of bait stretching from Jumping Pin north to Point Lookout. Once the little blacks find these bait schools we'll be catching a few a day down here too. Can't wait!

Just a quick update this morning with reports from the two 47 O'Brien's. Capt. Luke on KEKOA goes into the final day of their trip today, leaving Myrmidon to head into Town(sville) and sportfishing their way in. Adding to the Monday tally with another two black marlin Tuesday at 600lb and 200lbs. And back up at Cairns, Capt. Laurie on Ningaloo released another small black yesterday for Mark their angler. from Philly. Still lots of tuna action on the Bank.

Capt. Tom on Ultimate Lady made the most of a late season run out with the tuna boats going 3 from 3. Arriving late afternoon, they released a 250lb-er straight away and it was quiet until the tuna got active again at 5:30pm when they released two more at 500 and 100lbs. The 250 and 100lb fish mark Lance's (aka Wetspot) first and second black marlins.

Tradition's Capt. Tim also gave me a quick call again yesterday to update me on the fishing at the Bank and Opal Ridge. Apparently a few good fish being seen as he missed the bite of another good sized one yesterday. Capt. Tim also also reported that Capt. Ross on Top Shot fishing on Sunday had a great day going 3 + 1. Three blue and one black marlin. There certainly are a few blues around!

On the Gold Coast, a few of the local boats made it out in the ideal conditions Sunday including Vince on Barco who went 1 from 4, blue marlin, and another going 1 from 6. Capt. Jim told me it all looked very good as he straight-lined it home to the Gold Coast on Reel Chase and managed to raise one on the way through (home now). And, Darren also reports that the blues have made it down to Port Stephens already as well with one weighed at 149.5 on the weekend, and another at about 180 a couple of weeks ago!

And back to the black marlin fishing, Capt. Luke with Scotty on board KEKOA had a better day at Myrmidon off Townsville going two from three and getting some good sportfishing in too with some monster mackerel.

Good news from Capt. Laurie (Wright), fresh from his induction over the weekend who returned to Linden Bank on Sunday - and back into some of the best action the Ningaloo crew have seen in weeks. With plenty of yellowfin tuna around, Linden Bank is shaping up exactly as you'd expect at this time of year. After the day off to regroup from the Hall of Fame night's celebrations Ningaloo and the Boss headed out of the Cairns leads on flat calm seas but with plenty of thunderstorm activity in town. A great first day of charter, releasing a 900lb-er for angler John and missing another bite.

Fishing close by, Capt John Phillips on the Chamois Free released another nice marlin estimated at 600 pounds. Things are looking up at the Bank again!

Other pic: Capt. Luke sent me this mobile phone picture of Cairns as he left Port Saturday. Plenty of storms around then too!