Fishing On The Weekend Pretty Average

[Ross Hunter]

Hi Raiders,

Having just trolled 200 nautical mile everywhere from Browns to the southern canyons for a couple of boxes of stripeys a few rat dollies. I am convinced that you have to be a little lucky to catch a marlin or for that matter any living creature in the isotherm that is running to the south at the moment.It was a tough weekend for Broadbill and Billfisher with the Glenn the only boat that raised a marlin and that was in 70 fathoms at the back of Hargarves. I went out bright eyed and bushy tailed on Saturday to do battle with another big blue. like last week, but all we saw was 24 degree bluewater and plenty of it.

Very little bait around the Mountain, no birdlife a barren bluewater desert, very frustrating , however when you raise the bar and target one specie "If there not there then you ain't gonna catch 'em" I guess .

On Sunday we fished in close around the bait schools we used garfish, skipped slimeys and mullet but never saw a marlin. Lots of sauries and loads of pilchards and 23 degree bluewater.

I recall catching 32 marlin in three days inc 13 in a day off Botany Bay in April '97 and the same scenario existed back then, lots a pilchard, bluewater up to the shoreline and in came the stripes and we had a ball.

I can vividly remember having two fish hooked up, backing down with four stripes tailing in our wake All were caught around the wave rider off Kurnell in late April on the full moon and that's next week...Keep our fingers crossed that it may happen again . That was a wild time back then.

The good news is that this water off Sydney is moving southward and if the next flow does move down it will bring some beaut. marlin fishing and even the start of the yellowfin run.

I spoke to my friend and partner in crime Captain Tim Dean at Pt Stephens and he told me they caught 10 stripes last week and when I rang he had a 240 kg blue on for the past 1.5 hours and that's only 85 nautical mile northward

April/ May are great months for stripes and blues so do not despair it still could happen.

We have just written some handy hints on our site on Blue marlin, striped and this week black marlin as well as dolphin fish, kingfish, cobia and more. check out www.gamefishingcharters.com.au go into Fishing Techniques There are some great photos and maybe some helpfull hints.

The weather yesterday was ordinary in the afernoon with seas that were calm but threatening storms and a huge water spout that formed only a couple of miles from us..I have some photos and will send to Stewy Hopefully he can post them here.

Congratulations to Goeff Manson's boat "Spindrift" they caught and released a striped at the Peak yesterday. The only marlin caught from a swag of Botany Bay Boats.

Don't give up it's going to fire.

I've got a few days off so I'm going blackfishing in the Georges with Stew and lookin' forward to it (I've got the weed Stew( that's green weed I'm talkin' about)

[Guest]

Gadddddddday Ross ,shame about the lack of Billfish action .

You and I will have to score a few Blackies to make up for it

Should be a fun day tomorrow

Cheers Stewy