My first Marlin

[Fisherman02]

howdy fellas
rob (mackmauler) picked me up at my house this morning for a day offshore, I didn't have high hopes as we didn't get too much last time. Boy was I in for a surprise! Put the boat in and headed out on the way we saw some splashing in the water. Rob told me it was tailor and to rig up the Penn. I dashed up the front and rigged it as fast as i could rob tied on the lure and cast out. He started retrieving stop-start then suddenly I heard the drag yep he was on! Then it let go then something else got on, fell off then third time lucky brough in a legal tailor chucked it in the bucket bled it and into the eski. Another cast out another fish. I had a go and sure enough they weren't feeding on the surface but down deep so let it sink a bit. Got on and the fish stayed on (lets just call it plain skill) brought it in cast out and hooked up again (skill again LOL) Then nothing. So we decided to proceed with the main event MARLIN. Headed out long journey bla bla bla bla bla. We arrive at the spot having done a high speed troll set up the outriggers and continued trolling slowly. Sea breeze started getting up so we started heading back. At about 23 metres rob was just about to tell me to start winding them in when suddenly the outrigger bent back. The line unclipped and the drag went off. I looked at my rod and sure enough I had one too!!! A double hookup in 23m of water unbelieveable!! After 20mins and a lot of jumps and splashing Rob brought his fish in first. We decided seeing as none of us had tasted marlin that we should keep it. Rob gaffed it with no problem at all which surprised me! But as soon as that 40kg, just-over-2-metre-fish came into the boat and felt that cold steel on his skin he went psycho flinging expensive rods around the boat whacking the eski tearing the material on the boat with its spike. We quickly subdued it as quickly as possible and as humanely as possible considering its size and sheer power. But the fish that I had on had not finished yet. The fish leapt out of the water 5 times in total and tail walked a couple of metres maybe more and robs around the same. It then went deep and I struggled to keep pumping and winding. Finally after another 10mins (35 mins in total maybe more) sure felt like more! We got the marlin on the side of the boat me and rob decided we should definetely let this one go 30kg of meat would be enough! Rob pulled up his lure and cut the line leaving the hook. Anyways to cut a long story short rob filleted a just over 2 metre fish with a 15cm (or therebouts) knife. So please if you speak to rob congratulate him on a fantastic job. I understand that there are people who think killing marlin is cruel. But you must remember that

1. I only intend to keep one marlin
2. Its only another fish
3. It's not going to waste we are eating it

anyways good to be back on ausfish again!

cheers jack

[jaybee]

top eating piece of meat jack although we usually steak them, just watch out for the fine little hairy bones nothing like a marlin steak on the bbq with garlic butter and lemon juice, finding plates big enuff for the steaks can be a bugger though.well done
cheers.

[Smithy]

Good stuff Jack and Rob!

Where did you get them?

We were off the Gold Coast all weekend in a couple of Blackwatches and had 5 Billfish hookups from 6 shots and tagged 3 out of the 5. Lost one after 45mins and the other after 1:10. Both big fish were around 70kgs on 8kg line.

What line were you guys using?

[Big_Kev]

Good one Jack .
You and Rob should be able to get a feed or two there .
I must say it would have been a bit tense when that big marlin went off in the tinny . Especialy when you still had one on .
Good filleting to rob .
Cheers Reel

[mackmauler]

Our spot was off the pin bar, Everthing was right for a bite out there, birds some bait and a great current line, we were actually in 30m when they jumped on, drifted into 23, so it was quiet shallow, I lost count of the jumps Jack 5 ???

I havn't seen enough to estimate the size, but they were nice fish, we used 10kilo tackle. Might have some pics shortly.

Cheers Guys.

[SteveCan]

Congrats Jack and Mack!

Sounds like one of those better days that you can remember with pleasure for a long time.

Wish I was there too

Cheers
Steve.

[mackmauler]

This is the one we kept.

[mackmauler]

TAKE2.

[adriancorrea]

Good catch guys
Jack your becoming a regular pro there with all ya catches lately.
well done once again

Tight Lines
Adrian

[Fisherman02]

hey rob
when ya gonna put the other pics up
cheers jack

[mackmauler]

Jack in action

[aquarius]

Good effort Rob and Jack......The ultimate quest in saltwater fishing and ya didn't have to go to Cairns to catch them.
Hey Rob, now you can eat marlin for the next 2 weeks..lol
A change from those spotties ay.
Jacks been giving me a ribbing saying his marlin was bigger than mine....the kids getting a swollen head..lol # .
Cheers #Brent

[mackmauler]

Another angle.

[mackmauler]

Jack with the twin to his marlin, full credit to him for releasing his to fight again.

[bugman]

Bloody hell. I get spotties and Jack gets Marlin - Something is sure not right here. Mack you want to explain that to me !!!!! .

Congratulations to both of you. A double hook-up of any pelagic is awsome but to be marlin was a wonderful job.

I guess there's always next time for me.

Bugman