First black for 2017

Saw a small window in the weather today and headed to the Gold Coast. I headed NE out to 36 fathoms and started trolling ENE. Went all the way to the 50s E of the pin and saw very little bait. Came back in to a reef I know in 50 m NE of the pin bar and found a massive bait ball from about 40 m to within 10 m of the surface. Youbewdy! 5 passes with the lures for nothing so I pulled the lures in and dropped the bait jig. Got a tailor and some small bonito, so I bridled a bonito on a circle hook and slow trolled it around the area for 30 minutes. Nothing. I was following the chat on the radio undecided whether I should head back out to the 36s to go back South or stay closer in. Some of the chat indicated some good bait closer in so I headed down that way but I never saw much more than a few small schools. About midday now and I was getting ready to pull the pin. I pulled the teaser in and noticed that it had more bill marks on it. At least it is raising fish. Kept going in towards the seaway and the short corner went off and a black was jumping. Happy days! Solid fish that I call for 30 kg and took me about 25 minutes to get it boatside and unhooked. Got a couple of photos but not easy solo. Lure was a Pakula cockroach in yakka.

Well done mate, great solo job.
I need to get out there to catch my first billfish soon.

Max

Good effort well done.

Those cockroachs in yakka and lumo green are my go to at this time of year ,great work mate single handed ...matt

Great stuff awesome fish those blacks I'm heading out solo from south passage tomorrow I hope to replicate
your catch ..once again nice fish mate

Another photo kindly taken by a nearby boat which had been watching the action

Thats an awesome fish, hoping to get into some soon as well!
Thanks for the report.

Well done Jeremy!

Cheers

jim

Jeremy,

Well done- nice fish

Great stuff awesome fish well done
:thumbsup::thumbsup: