It seemed like the summer marlin season was never going to heat up but over the weekend it has, just in time for the tournaments.Sunshine Coast: Capt. Rob Smith (Smithy) reports some good fishing this weekend. On Saturday, the 7.2m Kevlacat Reel Capture doing a spot of social fishing with lenseman David Granville on board went 4 from 4 on the little blacks livebaiting seeing 6 in total. They added another in the morning Sunday which left some wanting more. Jeff Oates who was on board Reel Capture in the morning, went out again in the PM on his own 4.5m centre console Simple Plan going 1 from 3. Ymer was 3 from 5 and home for lunch while Bring it On went 2 from 4 on the troll before heading in for the lunch-time function and back out for another fish livebaiting after.Earlier in the week the boys on Reefhunter II went 3 from 3 at the 8 mile, Ymer one from 5 and Jeff got another solo on Simple Plan. Smithy on Triton IV has been keeping very busy on the mackerel front, bagging out on spotty mackerel for the last few days and smashing the spaniards (after the brilliant mackerel fishing we had up north for the Cairns season I’m not surprised!) On Sunday after bagging out on spotted mackerel he ran to the marlin grounds for one little back, mack tuna and wahoo keeping his guests very busy and very happy as always!The Bribie Island Tournament of Champions was held 7-10 January and was taken out by Mooloolaba Game Fishing Club boat Animal with three tagged black marlin as well as some other species on countback from Bribie boat Compromise also with 3 and Blue Black with 3 both also with field goals. Gold Coast: Capt. Jim reported finding a stray 40kg black on Wednesday and Capt. Simon on private boat Brilliant Company had the same off Jumping Pin over the New Year, but it finally looks like the rest of the gang are moving in. Capt. Ross McCubbin on Lucky Strike fished both Saturday and Sunday for more promising results. At Jumping Pin on Saturday he went 2 from 3 (40kg) in 50 metres. Ghostrider fished 90 metres for a black and a blue and Barco at 200 metres (where plenty of bait is also showing up) for a 400lb blue.On Sunday, Lucky Strike added another two off the Pin where they were joined by Tsunami with three and Mistress for another two. The Gold Coast Gamefishing Club’s Light Tackle Masters is coming up this week so hopefully the fish will still be around.The Port Macquarie Golden Lure tournament is underway and Brad tells me a few blues have been caught amongst the 30 boats competing. Two tags leading Tag & Release on Day 1 and 2 fish also for the Capture division. After Day 2, Iona II is shadowing the leaders with a 140kg blue, missing a nice sized stripey on 30lb and raising another 5!Mark Griffiths and his team on board Magic tells me they are fishing the capture division for the first time this year and are in the lead for the Heaviest Lure so far with a 159.8kg blue marlin for Simon. Mark says the weather has been glamour and that there have been plenty of blues, pods of stripes and the odd black thrown in for good measure (including a black of about 118kg that was weighed yesterday.) There have also been plenty of monster yellowfin about with two weighed yesterday in the 70kg+ range and heaps of dolphin fish giving crews a bit of grief taking the marlin lures.Looking forward to hearing how the rest of the week goes.Further south, after a disappointing start to the summer season it looks like the striped marlin might just be coming on as well. The Pup, at home in Bermagui reported his first stripe for the season yesterday. Kalira travellng through Batemans Bay reported seeing a good number so they are there, raising five or six at a time, but not catching too many. They released the one stripey on the way through.Over in Weipa, Capt. Ben (Notso) Bright is keeping us up-to-date and looking forward to our trips over there from late March in the new KEKOA. In the last few days he has released a sail and jumped off another and raised a couple of un-hungry blacks as well all from his 5 metre barra boat!

The new 56 KEKOA had its first dunking on Wednesday for sea trials and here she is looking sleek in the water. It will come back out again early next week for the finishing touches and be officially launched some time in January.Its been amazing to see the transformation and we can’t wait for it to be finished! On the fishing front, still a little quiet down here in SEQ with the little blacks yet to make their presence known in numbers. There have been a few around but no big concentrations. Likewise, outwide there have been a few blues as well. Capt. Ross on Lucky Strike released one yesterday around the 500lb mark and had a bite out of a black and said there are also plenty of dolphin fish out there.Photo left: in the water at the Townsville Motor Boat Club without the bimini top (to come of course).

The latest issue of BlueWater Magazine will hit newstands in the New Year (Jan 6) and for those eagerly anticipating my 2009 Cairns Season Recap (recapping on the season for the professional charter fleet), you’ll find it within. There are plenty of big fish photos included as well.

“Each year from September to December, the grounds between Cairns and Lizard Island, along the outer edge of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, provide your very best chance to catch a marlin of over 1000lb. The 2009 season was a good one for the professional charter fleet and many anglers caught the fish of their dreams.”

On a separate note I wanted to mention that while we were still up north, Dr. Julian Pepperell released his labour of love titled “Fishes of the Open Ocean” (and illustrated by Guy Harvey), perfect for your family fisherman’s Christmas stocking. Annie’s Books on Perergian has signed copies for sale at $59.95, also available online from various other retailers. I got my copy this week for a certain someone for Christmas and I can’t wait for Christmas Day for him to unwrap it again so I can have another (longer) look through!

We first met Julian many years ago when he was the head of the tagging program and travelled around to the different tournaments to promote it. He is now one of Australia’s best known marine biologists and a world-wide authority on large oceanic fishes. More recently been heavily involved in the pop-up satellite tags, collecting very valuable data from those. Julian has always maintained close contact and a great rapport with the fleet and we wish him the very best with the book!