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.

Sit down and grab a coffee, this is going to be a long one!A very promising day at Linden Bank came true for Iona II, but for the rest of us, it was all anticipation but no result – marking lots of bait and lots of fish in the area but raising little. Still, after watching Adam fight two good fish including a 800lb-er for John and this big one (below) that Capt. Adam called 1050lb for Norm, we’re keen to get out there again today. Both John and Noel from Newcastle are new to marlin fishing but something tells me they’re hooked now! Two pictures of Noels fish at 1050lbs on Iona 2 Tuesday. Also nearby, Capt. Kim on New Moon caught a very nice one that he called 900lb ( below left) for angler Jason Carter from Townsville and had another bite while Capt. Darren on Allure released a smaller one in the morning as well. Photo from Ben of New Moon’s 900lb-er and one I took of Iona 2′s 800lb-er for John. Capt. Tom on Ultimate Lady went for a wander out wide and ended up with three good fish including two big ones at 950 and 900lb and a 400lb blue! Starting about 30nm east of Fin Reef, just outside the GBRMPA line trolling north outside the green zone they ended their day wide of Norman Reef where we spent the night in the glass calm conditions.At Jenny Louise, Shaka released one about 300lbs and jumped off another around 500lb.Up at Number 10, Capt. Dean on Castille III reports loosing a big fish after 10 minutes when the hooks pulled while Capt. Trent on Iona (original) released one at 900lbs. Trent has Ian and James Bladin on board this week. Its good to see them both back on the reef. Capt. Dean also told us that although Iceman had a quiet day yesterday, Capt. Bob enjoyed a successful double header the previous day including his biggest fish of this season.I had a chance yesterday to speak to Capt. Haydon Bell on the Release. We’d been hearing chinese whispers of his good fishing from time to time but yesterday I was able to confirm it’s all true! In his last trip alone (which ended in Cooktown for changeover yesterday afternoon) fishing up the top they released 11 in 8 days fishing with 4 over the 900lb mark! Awesome stuff!I also caught up with Capt. Chris (Sharky) on Mauna Kea after his trip with light tackle specialist Mike Levitt which ended Monday. In the 7 days they teased 15 fish and had 7 on of record class (fishing 4 & 8lb) including an estimated 800lb-er they fought for 2 and a half hours. They managed to get the double out of the water before the lines parted.

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.

On Reel Chase its been a while since we’ve put the TowCam cameras in the water but with the weather easing off yesterday to glamour conditions, we did and were rewarded with some more good footage for the vault. Heading wide to avoid the outgoing tide and dirty water we found plentiful tuna outside Spur Reef and as with the last time we live baited, our first tuna only just made it into the peg before we had a bite. Unfortunately this was no grander (this size marlin was more suited to live yakka than tuna), and even though it ate the bait twice, it preferred to give it back than fight us. Further north of the famous Bus Stop, we encountered a number of tailing marlin and boats around us were hooking up. Soon after we had the bite of a good sized fish on the underwater camera. Unfortunately after a solid hook-up it all went pear shaped and the ‘flexible coupling let go’ With the baits straight back in, we continued to mark good fish and watch Watchdog and Reel Ripe battle fish. Watchdog released 1 from 4 at approximately 400lbs, unfortunately missing the bigger fish, all three that Brett put in 1000lb class. Reel Ripe went two from two for Richard Latchford from the UK and Jamie Pitmiller from NY. After releasing the smaller fish at 200lb the boys decided to have a sneaky champagne toast to celebrate the end of a successful trip when the snap from the rigger interrupted the celebrations. Soon after another at 800lb-er was released, well and truly ending the trip on a high. Later in the day, heading down the Ridge towards the anchorage and beer o’clock. We turned on some tuna to watch Capt. Tim Dean on Calypso hook up right next to us releasing a 700lb-er, one from two for the day, after a short fight. Very soon after, back on Reel Chase we got the bite, again on the big bait, and Julio was able to convert his third try of the day releasing one at 450lbs, his very first marlin after many years of trying.Pictures: a compilation of stills from Monday’s footage on the TowCam tow camera and pole cameras on Reel Chase.Capt. Dan on Moana III on an overnight trip ventured out wide among the long liner fleet and reported a lot of big eye and yellowfin tuna along with whale sharks and although he saw marlin being caught on the long lines, didn’t raise any himself.Down south, David Granville reports the Hervey Bay competition on the weekend was a big success with the winning boat, Keneka winning with 7 blues in the two and a half days of fishing. David reported seeing 3 fish over 800lbs and that most were in the 5-600lb range.

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.

Brett on Watchdog fishing Mario and Con at Linden Bank for Mario’s Birthday trip saw 4 good fish and releasing what Brett called the ‘fish of the season’. A 500lb-er that fought like a 1000lb-er at one stage just missing landing in the boat. The boys also dropped another 200lb-er just beyond leader range.Also at the Bank, Hattitude released two at 600 and 250lb and Reel Ripe got a small one on a bait rod.At Ribbon Number 9, Castille III went one from three as well.

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.

Fishing the Light for the first time this season Capt. Dan reports its looking good with the boys on Moana III releasing one at 400lbs. Nearby, the boys on Hot Shot did the same and missed a big one. On Opal Ridge Kalira released another at 300lb for Capt. Ash Wallis and the boys. Wide of Number 2, KEKOA went one from three and missed the bite of another big girl right at the back of the boat. Allure got one wide of Number 3 and Blue Dog with Graham, Carmen and Perry on board released two wide of Number 4 including one at 650lbs.The boys have also been getting into some good dogtooth with Capt. Dean on Castille sending me this picture and the boys on Askari who came into Cairns last night spending the last couple of days on the dogtooth. Calypso also in Port last night and returning out today reporting a fish a day.Back on the Gold Coast, Vince on Barco went one from one blue marlin yesterday about 450lbs in 860 metres as well as a spearfish later in the day with a lot more water between blues this year than last. On Thursday they also went 2-1-0 south of Jims.

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 had that headline ready, someone just had to catch the right fish. And the gong goes to the team on Tradition with Capt. Tim releasing a big girl on the Marks on Number 10 yesterday that he called 950++ for Doc. Congratulations guys!On Linden Bank Spartacus released this one (right) and Adam on Iona 2 also released a smaller fish on the Bus Stop.