Giant Blue Marlin Lost On Broadbill On Monday Off Sydney

[Ross Hunter]

Monday was a superb day as we pulled a bunch of Bloodshot lures in 150 fathoms...We were targeting a blue marlin .The Koden sounder redded out with a small bait patch as I pushed Broadbill's bows for Browns Mountain. It's funny how sometimes the grass is greeener on the otherside. In 170 fathoms we had 24 defggrees as I got closer to Browns the temp fell off a degree. Oh! Well we're this close I thought may as well have a look around the mountain. We continue trolling at 7 knots. a big spray of lures as well as a witchdoctor fizzed away out the back. It was quite on the radio... One spearfish and a big 20kg dollie but no marlin reports.

I along with Billfisher we trolled a couple of mile wide of Browns with no luck. In the back of my mind I thought of the bait patch in 150 and wondered why I left it and made the decision to return to it . All the great blues we have caught ( the biggest at 297kg is still the heaviest in Sydney waters).....See www.gamefishingcharters.com.au Go into "Fishing stories and Hints section" to read about some early blue marlin history off Sydney inc the first ever weighed at Botany Bay in the early '80's Nearly all the big blues we have caught in the past 25 years, we have caught inside 200 fathoms as a matter of fact we have caught some great blues in 90 fathoms. One of the great blues I remember in the early '80's was caught by the late Jack Paton at The Peak in 50 fathoms The fish weighed 160 kg.

It is a furphy that you have to go to the badlands to catch blues.

I dialed up the mark on the plotter and turned west back to the bait patch. As we approached the mark having had a very quite day the big fellow appeared smashing the lure with a vengeance that only blue marlin are experts at. A sort of wham bam thank you mam........It had hit the fan and fit it good 200 then 300 then 400 as the 240kg to 260kg fish ploughed through the oceans surface time and time again . I had Broadbill backing up hard even before we had the last lure in off the rigger. Wild screams from the elkele;';'pit as the big fish jumped clear time and time again. Then the worst thing that can happen to a charter skipper we snapped line. ..I cannot repeat what I said but it was not pretty . We break line maybe once a season and there always is a sad postmortem about it.

Sure it can happen but it shouldn't we always fish a kilo less drag than recommended to pevent this from happening . We came to the conclusion that maybe the wear and tear of the 90 marlin we tagged at Pt Stephens may have left a nick in the line we just did not notice....Predictions for the next week or so some good Blues out wide. We also saw some small fin jumping outwide.

Ross hunter

[ophet]

Great report Ross, shame about the big blue. It would have been an awesome site... A lesson to be learned for everyone, every bit of your tackle needs to be in good shape, when tested by a beast.

Good to see some YFT showing up, I think everyone is hanging for the season to start up again.

Edited April 11, 2007 by 445F

[netic]

Great story......love reading bluewater stories..shame about the lost fish...can only imagine how big she would have been...

[Jaybee]

Respool the big guns and get out again eh Ross.

Good report mate.

Cheers

Jeff

[Martin]

Bad luck on busting off Ross. A least you have comfort in the knowledge that it is not a common event on board.

Hope your next round produces one to the side of the boat.

Cheers

[blue marlin]

Bad luck there ross i know what its like to lose a big fish the broken bay tournament this year we got spooled on 37 in two minutes.

[kw367]

Then the worst thing that can happen to a charter skipper we snapped line. ..I cannot repeat what I said but it was not pretty . We break line maybe once a season and there always is a sad postmortem about it.

Sure it can happen but it shouldn't we always fish a kilo less drag than recommended to pevent this from happening . We came to the conclusion that maybe the wear and tear of the 90 marlin we tagged at Pt Stephens may have left a nick in the line we just did not notice.

The fact that you are so hard on yourself about the line breaking is a testament to what a professional skipper you are, Ross. One broken line in a season of 100+ Marlin is pretty good odds in my book! Keep up the good work!

I've seen the torture your gear goes through day in day out, my 3 and a half hour fight with a YFT on "Broadbill" last year springs to mind!

[Reel Addiction]

Good news on the fin there ross might have to do some investigating this weekend!!

[Guest Reely]

Awesome read Ross, did the line snap or the fish jumped onto the main line, thats what i heard? Just curious. Some nice fish out there at the moment. Blues seem to be the norm, Some short billed spearfish out there too! Baby blacks in close, one was hooked 500m from Sydney Heads, 55kg. Well done. When is someone gonna get that grander?? Its only a matter of time!

Edited April 11, 2007 by swordfisherman

[blue marlin]

Get a grander off sydney and youll never have to buy a beer in a fishing club again.

[Guest Reely]

Anthony, SL-12's open up at 7-8kg, they are only good on a 15kg rod. use 24kg and they will open up. I hate them for that reason, when using 24kg, other hooks are better, Katanas are ok, but the good old 7691's are my favorite, wont open and they have pinned every fish so far without any lost hook ups. Fingers crossed.

[Guest Reely]

Yeah Athony, i sharpen the hooks(7691's), but i have used unsharpened ones and faired ok. THe Katanas are pretty good, but i would just stick to the 7691's, thick i know they are, but they still get the fish, and you dont have to worry about them opening up. I would be even worried with Katanas opening at some point.

K.