The prodigal son returns

On Sunday 20^th February, Carl and I headed off to the Gold Coast to have another crack at those marlin. Reports were that the bait had thinned out and that the fish had moved too, but it was the only weather window we were going to get, so we going regardless.

At 5am, we left the Seaway and headed due east on a 30km run. On arrival, our fears were realised. There was hardly any bait showing. To top it off, the current had come in so with a 10knot SE wind blowing, the conditions were a bit sporty.

After persevering for a while, we managed to get a few big yakkas, but no slimies. It was better than nothing so I rigged up a couple and put them out. Our drift was pretty fast so we covered some ground in a short time. This was going to be a long day…

The morning passed with no action so I suggested we run a long way north and just drift down the line hoping to bump into a stray fish. We had just cracked open an ice-cold beer when the surface line went away. I fed it a bit and tightened up. Carl took the rod and had a fairly easy fight with what I assumed was a skippy. When the leader came up, Carl said that it was a yellowfin, so it was with great relief that I put it on ice for sushi later that night. We have not been that chuffed with a small fish in a long time.

Hoping that there were a few more around, I took us to the top of the drift where we could put out fresh bait and finish our beer. This time, the drift was quiet. We were nearing the end of the drift when the deep line on the heavy tackle went away. After hooking up, it stayed deep and made a slow, consistent run. We were both on the same page and thought… “Shark”. A few minutes in, the run stopped and the line angle came up. We were both like … hold on … what’s happening here. Carl managed to gain a lot of line and soon the fish was on the surface a short distance away. Unfortunately, we could both see the brown shape… but it was pretty short for the size sharks that were normally around this area. Only then did we see that it was a good size cobia. This was Carl’s first one, so we did not want to stuff it up. We had the fish on the leader a few times but it would then go on a short run. Not wanting to pull the hook, I was very soft on the leader and after the 6^th or 7^th time, did I get a shot with the gaff. I wasted no time lifting it into the boat where it continued to fight on the deck. Eventually we could subdue it and get it on ice. What a great first of the species, and out day was suddenly made - anything else would be a bonus.

Carl with an 18kg Cobia

We made another drift, hoping there would be some action on the tide change, but the only other action we got was from a big shark that kept us busy for 45 minutes on mega drag before chafing through the leader.

We headed back home with some great eating fish. Lets hope the bait and the marlin return after this rain as it would be nice to get a few more before the summer ends.

X marks the Spot

On Wednesday 9th February 2022 at 3:30am, Carl and I left Ormiston enroute to the Gold Coast. We were keen to try for a few more marlin while they were around. It took us just over an hour to travel the 75km to Sea World boat ramp and after prepping the boat, we launched and headed out through the Seaway at 5am. With the outgoing tide, there was a fare bit of swell, but we followed the local boats and were soon on our way to Spot X. It took us an hour to do the 30km run and on arrival, the water was a bit green with minimal current. 

I sounded around the marks from the previous trip but there was nothing on the sounder. I worked my way South, tacking the 80m depth line. There was another boat a fair distance away so I moved in that direction. Soon, James Holt from Reel Extreme Charters on “Chasing Tail” also arrived in the same area so I knew we were in the right spot. We finally started marking bait and Carl sent the jigs down. Almost immediately he went on with some nice mackerel. With the slow current, we stayed on the spot for quite some time, catching quite a few baits. When the showing stopped, I headed back up to where it started. I also put out 2 livies, one deep and one near the top. The deep line was just set when the reel gave a short burst. I fed it a bit then tightened up and went on. Carl took the rod while I cleared the other line and started the motors, ready to follow the fish. Luckily it didn’t take too much line but came up to the surface and made a few great jumps. It was a small black marlin of around 30kg. There were a few technical difficulties during the fish when Carl lost his footing and fell over board, but luckily it was just a bump in the road as he fought and finally released his second ever marlin. All in all, a great job. 

I headed back to the top of the drift and set the lines again. Carl went about catching mackerel so that we could stock up the freezer for the Spanish mackerel (cuda) season. Our drift line had changed a bit, so I put the motor in gear and headed north, slow trolling the baits. A few minutes later, we had a pull on the deep line, but after fighting it straight up and down for about 20 minutes, we were sure it was a shark, so I parted off and headed back to the drift. James was drifting next to us and had also had some action, releasing 2 marlin. This gave us an idea of the best drift line, so it was with little surprize when the deep line went only a few minutes into the drift. The line angled up immediately and another marlin tore up the surface. I had the fish on a 50lbs standup rig, so it was a pretty quick fight and withing a few minutes, I had released my first Aussie black of around 30kg. This was great fishing and it was only 9am. 

Chasing Tail

On the next two drifts, we had 2 big sharks eat the bait and waste some of our time. We also had one marlin tangle in the leader, missing the hook. But on the next drift, we got lucky. There was another small boat next to us and we were having a friendly chat when Carl’s string of mackerel was stolen by a marlin that we had marked near the surface. Moments later, the shallow line when away and I hooked up. The fish came flying out the water between the two boats and took off greyhounding. The lines were cleared and Carl gave chase. This was a bigger fish, around 80kg so I had my hands full. We stayed close to the fish and within 20 minutes, had it on the leader. As Carl reached out to cut the leader (with Greg Edward’s 1000Lber Tackle leader cutter) it cleared the water to go on a run. The leader just touched the blades and parted as planned with the fish still making a few jumps before realising it was free. That was #3 for the day! 

Our livewell was looking a bit empty, so Carl went about catching more livies. On his 3rd or 4th drop, he lost his string of mackerel to another marlin, so we were sure we were in the right spot. I looked on the sounder and sure enough, we were marking a fish. As I looked back, the deep bait revved and the reel went away. We hooked up and Carl took the rod. It was another small fish so chased after it and we managed a quick release on another small black. This was insane fishing. 

That's a wrap.

As the day went on, the bait showing thicker and thicker. Several boats were hooked up to marlin and there were also quite a few prodigal son (Cobia) and dorado caught. Over on our boat however, it was very quiet. We had not had a pull in 2 drifts, so I sounded around and stopped in the area that we had a few fish in the morning. Carl had just put the deep line out with quite a heavy sinker. I noticed the line had gone slack, so I told him to put the drag up and wind like hell! The line came tight again and the rod keeled over. We were hooked up. The line angled to the surface and another marlin showed itself. This was a better size fish, probably around 50 or 60kg. It gave a great show before tail wrapping and going deep. Luckily we had the right tackle to horse it to the surface where I could unwrap the leader and revive it. 

By now it was 1:30pm and we had a long trip to get home, so we could not spend too much time on the grounds. We did make another drift, but didn’t have anymore action so we called it a day.

Spot X lives up to its reputation

On Tuesday 25^th January at 4:45am, Greg Edwards (aka Muddy) and I launched “ABF” off of the Gold Coast. This was the first time I had launched out of the Seaway so I was glad to have the guidance of someone who knew the area.

 The goal for the day was to target black marlin that were currently congregating on the bait shoals offshore. After leaving through the seaway, we headed due East towards Spot X. It would be a 30km run, but after 15km, the water looked really good, so we put out a spread of small billfish lures and continued on our intended course. Unfortunately, there was no action on the lures but when we arrived at Spot X, there were a lot of boats with several of them hooked up to marlin. This was great news!

There was a N – S current so I headed North through the boats, looking for bait showings. What I saw on the sounder was pretty spectacular. There were mackerel from the surface all the way to the bottom, 80m down. This huge shoal continued for quite a distance and when we arrived at the northern part of it, we stopped and very quickly caught a few mackerel. 2 of them were rigged up and we drifted over the shoal. It was a pretty quiet drift but finally, just as we were going to up lines, Greg had a pull on his livie. After a short feed, he hooked up. There was only a short run then it came in easily. Definitely not a marlin, but a skipjack. It soon become apparent that there were not only marlin on the bait shoals, but a lot of skipjack too. By the end of the second drift, we had caught 4 of them. To try and avoid them, I headed further north to a different patch of bait, hoping that we would have better luck.

A boat next to us went on with 2 dorado, so I put out a surface bait to see if there was another one for us to catch. The line was scarcely out when the line got heavy and the reel started running. I freespooled a bit but nothing happened. Just then, Greg’s reel went away. He hooked up and the line angled to the surface. I put up the drag and wound like hell to clear the line, but the line cut through the water towards where Greg’s fish was. It had eaten both baits. Luckily, mine pulled free and we could continue with just one rod. I had just cleared the last line when the fish stuck its head out the water. It was a nice size marlin of about 65 or 70kg. I chased after the fish, but it sounded and remained deep for most of the fight. After putting some big pressure on the fish, it surfaced and jumped a few times, in the process getting tail wrapped. The fish was close enough to the boat that we could get the wind-on leader onto the rod for a tip, but just then, a big shark appeared from the depths. The marlin must have seen it and took fright, going down deep. The shark faded off and eventually, a long 45 minutes after hooking up, it surfaced again for a few jumps where it luckily unwrapped. It still took another 15 minutes before I could grab the bill and remove the hook. It was a difficult fish, but it was still the first one on “ABF” in Australia.

On the next drift, the lines were just set when Greg and I both went on with skippies. They were both unceremoniously released and the drift continued. Just as we were coming off the end of the bait, we went on with a fish that took a lot of line in a hurry. We gave chase but soon realised that we were hooked up to an undesirable… Greg was on sunset drag with his fingers on the spool applying maximum drag, but the shark would not budge. After 35 minutes, I put gloves on and grabbed the line to try and pop it. Only after getting most of the line back, did the big swell and a surge of the fish meet, luckily resulting in a breakoff.  

We regrouped, had a cooldrink and headed back up to the top of the drift. Out bait stocks were low, so we decided to catch a few more for. As luck would have it, the bait shoals had moved during the long fight and it took us a while to find them again. When we did, we caught about 15 mackerel and one big maasbanker (yakka). With the pressure of getting a fish off our shoulders, we could relax on the next drift. Now that we had enough bait, we could put out a third rod, so I took a blind scoop out of the live well and caught the only yakka we had. I saw it as a sign to use it so I rigged it and put it out. The rod was hardly in the holder when it bent a bit and the reel slowly ran. With the rod still in the holder, I fed the fish a bit and then put the drag to strike position and wound into the fish. The rod bent over as the fish started moving away. Line was steadily leaving the reel and the line angled to the surface where another marlin jumped halfway out the water. I passed the rod to Greg and cleared the other line before starting up the motors and giving chase. This fish was also a difficult one, fighting deep for most of the fight. It only jumped a few times, enough for us to get a good look at it. After a 45min fight, I had the leader on another 70kg black. I wrapped it and held on while the marlin swam next to the boat with all its lights on. I leant back on the leader and the added pressure sparked a sudden surge from the fish. I wasn’t about to let go, fearing another extended fight, so the light leader popped without too much hassle. 2 for 2, not too shabby.

While I was chasing after the last marlin, I marked a few fish on the shallow side of the bait shoal so I stopped the boat up current of it to intercept. Just as the bait started marking, the deep bait went away. We were convinced that it was a marlin just by the speed of its first run and big head nods after hooking up. Unfortunately, it was like deja vu ending with another forced breakoff.

By now it was 13:45 and we were approaching the turn of the tide so we were hoping it would switch on. It seemed like the bait balls were a bit more condensed, and just as we were on top of the highest point, we had another slow but steady pull. I tightened up and the rod bent over. The fish stayed on the surface and headed into the current. When it finally did start taking line, there was a splash on the surface and a better size marlin stuck its head out. We were hoping for a quick shot at the leader, but again, the fish was stubborn and stayed down deep. Grep put big pressure on and after 20 minutes, before it came up. When it did, I had the boat right on top of it. It cleared the water like a Polaris missile. Moments later the leader came up and Greg wound it onto the reel, but as quickly as it came on, it flew off. The fish swam around the boat making spectacular jumps as it went. We chased it down and eventually managed to get hold of the leader. I wrapped it and held on until something broke. On closer inspection, the circle hook had straightened and then snapped. With that it was 3 for 3 on an 80ish kilo black.

We were on a bit of a roll, so it was back up to the top of the drift and sure enough, 10 minutes in, 2 rods went off. One was a skippie that was very quickly released. The second fish was definitely not a skippie and took a lot of line. We followed it for some time and when we got directly above it, it sounded and after half an hour still had not moved it so, not wanting to waste more time on another shark, we parted off and headed back to the seaway.

It was a great day off the Gold Coast and one that I’ll remember for a long time.