Well, it’s definitely not on fire, but there have been a few more reports of marlin and sailfish in the north in the last week or so as the light tackle season gets underway and the weather eases allowing boats to explore the grounds.

Off Townsville, Elektrakusen ventured to Bowling Green for the first time this season for a lone sailfish late last week.  Chris reports that there is bait on the northern grounds and that Townsville Bulletin fishing newsman Eddie Riddle has reportedly raised a couple of blacks there in the last week.  Further to the north off Lucinda, local legend Peter “Mutta” Mammino has reportedly been raising a few around the reefs, tagging two small black marlin and a sailfish.

Off Cairns, Square Bear pulled the hooks on an angry little black marlin Friday and also raised a sail.  Tara also tells me that Steve on Hellraiser  likewise had a couple of bites from little blacks in the paddock.  Grant on Cjig also took advantage of the better weather for a trip out jigging on the shelf.  Grant says there are still a lot of Spanish about as well as mac and yellowfin tuna but they didn’t raise any marlin.

Meanwhile another Cairns local Shan took his 5.8m runabout Extreme out to enjoy the fine weather with similar results. Shan reports losing a small 20-30 kg black on near Oyster in the first five minutes after setting the teaser which broke him off by darting under the teaser.  He also had a free swimming/sunning sail of around 30kg cruising alongside just east of Pixie but it wasn’t interested in eating.

Heading North, Sydney based Little Audrey has begun its trip north for the upcoming Cairns Heavy Tackle Season. Capt. Daniel Carlson and crew are spending a few days on the Gold Coast before the journey continues.  Dan tells me on the way through they released their first GC blue marlin of the season for first time angler Tom Murray, a solid 650lb-er which was released in 15 minutes after a great jumping display!

The August Black Marlin Fishing Blog newsletter is coming out in the next few days. If you haven’t already subscribed, you can do so here.

**Update: Joe Joe’s Capt. Tim Ryan tells me that Saltaire lost an estimated 400lb black marlin at Opal Ridge on Sunday…. there are some bigger fish around already!

After a week of pretty blowy weather in the north, the next few days forecast is for glamour conditions. And so hopefully some of the fleet will be fishing and reporting back with more little black marlin releases.  The Yorkey’s Knob Light Tackle Slam, due to be held over the weekend, had been postponed to August 20th.

Square Bear braved the weather to fish on the weekend and raised two little blacks as well as catching a bunch more mackerel.  Tara reports that they boated 3 spotted mackerel and released 5 undersized Spanish.  On Saturday they raised a little black (20kg) that did not eat in the paddock.  On Sunday they caught 19 Spaniards and raised a 30+kg black on the long rigger but ended up pulling the hooks.

There have also been reports of a blue marlin on the Gold Coast, as well as more striped marlin seen, and yellowfin out wide.

On another note – technology moves fast (in the rest of the world – if not in Australia…the NBN will never reach the reef!) Starting today, SportFisherman.com are live streaming the White Marlin Open which runs August 8-12. Live streaming!! You can check it out via the link below – if you are in need of an office distraction today!

http://stream.sportfishermen.com/2011-white-marlin-open.html

They also live stream a bunch of other tournaments, you can check it out on their website at www.sportfisherman.com

Hailey’s photo of her twin sister Hutton’s first sailfish!

Following up on Day 3 of the trip, the girls stayed home while Dad Terry and Dingo headed 15 miles off shore to try help Terry Fohey catch the last billfish he needed to finish his billfish slam (every species around the world). Set up with 80lb braid, 10lb  lead weight, light sticks and mac tuna belly for bait, they hooked up on the first drop in 1700 ft of water. Soon after Terry boated a sword with a 48 inch short measurement to complete his world slam – an awesome feat.  Big congratulations to Terry (and Hailey and Hutton too!) and thanks to Dingo for the report!

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Meanwhile, Broome FC has been hectically trying to keep up the live updates but great fishing is getting in the way!  Day 2′s recap was missed however Day 3 was reported as 146 sails raised, 110 strikes, 85 hookups and 56 tags as well as 11 marlin raised, 7 strikes, 5 hook ups and 1 tagged.  Sounds like its hotting up!

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And, more Aussies fishing overseas: The annual HIBT is once again underway out of Kona, and Aussie anglers are well representated.  Day 1 results were 16  blue marlin tags and 1 weighed as well as a stripe and short-nose spear each tagged and a yellowfin boated.  Looking forward to hearing how the rest of the tournament pans out!

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Lastly, for those who aren’t subscribers, the July newsletter went out last week and you can see it here.  I also have some exciting new features coming up over the next two months and subscribers will get the announcement first so if you would like to sign up for the monthly newsletter, you can do so in the sidebar on the rights.

Weekend report including some re-capping from yesterday’s newsletter:

• Fishing off the Gold Coast, Mistress released a blue marlin they put at 120kg on Saturday and another blue about the 140kg mark and a spearfish on Sunday. Rodney says they also raised another blue when they were clearing the lines and that a trailerboat nearby also tagged a blue on Saturday while other boats also had shots.
• The Newcastle Port Stephens GFC held their Northern Zone overnighter on the weekend.  Dave reports that one boat tagged an estimated 20kg broadbill which was caught on a live slimy (Brent says they also lost a much larger one after an intense 20minute battle) while Dave and the boys lost one as well.  The marlin have been a little more scarce although there were a couple of stripes reported.
• James from Solitary Islands GFC tells me that the marlin fishing has been a little quiet off the Coffs Coast as well.  While the weekend weather played the game perfectly allowing plenty to fish both days over the weekend, the fish didn’t return the favour in kind. A few reports came through of yellow fin in the 25-35kg range and Alcatraz fished the Sawtell Canyons and raised a small but lively blue which was missed before they had another chance with a larger fish taking the short rigger.  Unfortunately this one also threw the lure a short while into the fight – Blue Marlin 2, Alcatraz 0. Thanks James – better luck next time!
• Elsewhere down south of the border (NSW), the attention has turned to the big tuna although they have largely absent thus far. Instead a few stripies made a show off Norah Head and Batemans Bay among others. And Capt. Ross Hunter’s Broadbill released a stripe off Sydney on Thursday as well. In Tassie, the run of big bluefin is eagerly anticipated and while there were a few big fish caught earlier in the week at Eagle Hawk Nest – 104kg, 106kg, 143kg and others in the 80′s and 90′s – it slowed down again in the latter part.

I’m starting the weekly sked a day early today as we will likely be out of phone/internet range for a couple of days from later tomorrow as we head a bit further afield.  I’ll add any more reports that come in today here as well.

• A few boats out braving the rough conditions of the last few days finding the blue marlin on the Gold Coast.  Dan reports from Larva who went two from three blue marlin off the Gold Coast on Friday.  They got the tag into the first which they estimated in the 600lb range but dropped the second before the tag beside the boat.  They gave it away at 2pm but the boys on Murphy’s Law reported that the ocean came alive at 3pm and they tagged a blue just before sunset having missed a double header earlier.  You can watch Dan’s Larva Lures promo video from their blue here.
• Rod braved the rough yesterday to fish Murrifin wide of Sydney for a blue that he put at about 140kg.
• Craig reported from the Canberra Yellowfin comp at Bermi but it seems like the big tuna are thin on the ground (water) so far. Day 1 was cancelled due to the winds. Day 2 saw a 489kg tiger shark and a pending Australian record spearfish captured and another couple tagged (and a broadbill to the team on Hot Shot with Capt. Ian “Wobbles” Ford, which was caught on a pilchard!) There have also been 4 striped marlin tagged and 40 odd ‘baby’ yellowfin (the heaviest 26.2). On Day 3 (Monday) the conditions were picture perfect. The heaviest tuna indeed ended up being the 26.2kg fish caught by Batemans Bay junior Josh Hay (who also took out the Champion Junior award in the T&R section). What a great weekend for Josh who also won the 50k boat in the lucky angler draw! Heaviest marlin was a 112.2kg striped marlin on board Tri Cat (Craig tells me the fish jumped into the boat and speared the angler too – though nothing too serious!) The most tuna tagged wend to A Salt Weapon. Unfortunately, as Craig reports, it was a very slow weekend for most boats!
• And for your viewing pleasure, I found some time on the weekend to edit some more footage from our 2010 Cairns Giant Black Marlin season on board KEKOA while the boys were out smashing the barra (just over 600 to 109cm in 5 days!) Enjoy!

• And the Australian connection: Capt. Tim Richardson reports that his American crew member Scuba Steve who worked the deck for him on Tradition last season was part of the team with with Capt. Zak Conde that weighed an 1151lb blue marlin in Cape Verde yesterday.
• I’m not the only one who has been busily trying to finish off editing footage from last season. Capt. Tim has put together a three part series of his season. Part One is below:
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• The sailfish are still frustrating the anglers at Broome in the West eating frustratingly small bait and being difficult to switch. Their season is yet to really take off and we can’t wait until it does!