Wide North Of Sydney

[Benyo]

Went wide out of broken bay and south to the shelf little sloppy on the way out. Water was unusually cool and green all the way out to the shelf. Ran into a few schools of striped tuna and managed 5 of them over 100 fathoms. Water did not start to lose the green tint until well past the shelf. Burned a lot of fuel looking for better water. No temp or current edges to speak of. Did anyone do any good over the weekend or at least find some decent water?

Rob

[Bentstik]

Went wide out of broken bay and south to the shelf little sloppy on the way out. Water was unusually cool and green all the way out to the shelf. Ran into a few schools of striped tuna and managed 5 of them over 100 fathoms. Water did not start to lose the green tint until well past the shelf. Burned a lot of fuel looking for better water. No temp or current edges to speak of. Did anyone do any good over the weekend or at least find some decent water?

Rob

We went out off Botany and out to the shelf, water was 23 to 23.8 all day. Managed 4 stripey's 1 bonny and 1 frigate and not much more to be seen. Water was on the greenish side outwide but on the way back in at 80 fathoms in the arvo the water had a better colour to it but still nothing. Tanoa fishing out of Sydney went north and tagged a blue approx 90 kg and dropped another fish.

Heard another boat out of botany got a 80 to 90 kg striped marlin late in the afternoon. Thats fishing always next week.

Cheers Bentstik

Edited March 14, 2010 by Bentstik

[boattart]

Went wide out of broken bay and south to the shelf little sloppy on the way out. Water was unusually cool and green all the way out to the shelf. Ran into a few schools of striped tuna and managed 5 of them over 100 fathoms. Water did not start to lose the green tint until well past the shelf. Burned a lot of fuel looking for better water. No temp or current edges to speak of. Did anyone do any good over the weekend or at least find some decent water?

Rob

We fished from Botany as well. Colour wasn't great but improved outwide and got temp up to high 24 degrees. Managed to raise a nice striped Marlin which looked to be hooked solid but did a few spectacular jumps as we cleared the deck and threw the hooks.

[pauljm]

We trolled all afternoon off sydney in greenish water....all zeros again...... im starting to think we are doing something wrong or is it just that ever since i bought this boat there hasnt been many billfish around? Its getting real damm frustrating!

[Bentstik]

We trolled all afternoon off sydney in greenish water....all zeros again...... im starting to think we are doing something wrong or is it just that ever since i bought this boat there hasnt been many billfish around? Its getting real damm frustrating!

Don't worry buddy, your probably doing nothing wrong its just called patience, it will come dont worry about that and when it does it will have been worth the wait. Goodluck and keep tryin.

Cheers Silvo - Bentstik

[Benyo]

I think my thermometer on the finder must be off I was showing 22-22.5 at best and went 3-4 miles past the shelf? Or maybe that was the problem I was fishing the nexus of cold water and could not escape no matter which way I went. Still looking for my first and running out of season. I plan to be on the water every weekend until I hook one. I may have a few "sick" days if I start running out of weekends. I am usually running 4 skirts Blue silver, Lumino, Green/gold and Purple 6-10 inch size and I am constantly looking at the spread going nuts because it looks textbook smokin and divin and I can see the strike it in my mind alas only tuna and small dolphin. Maybe I need to up size to get the fish to come in?

Any advice greatly appreciated

I am happy to relay information on the radio if anyone would like? The boat is "On Point" be great to have a chat while I burn fuel. ha ha

Rob

[sanger]

We trolled all afternoon off sydney in greenish water....all zeros again...... im starting to think we are doing something wrong or is it just that ever since i bought this boat there hasnt been many billfish around? Its getting real damm frustrating!

Thats gamefishing!!! It was 4 years before i got my first marlin. It will happen though and it will be all the more special when it does!

[pauljm]

I think my thermometer on the finder must be off I was showing 22-22.5 at best and went 3-4 miles past the shelf? Or maybe that was the problem I was fishing the nexus of cold water and could not escape no matter which way I went. Still looking for my first and running out of season. I plan to be on the water every weekend until I hook one. I may have a few "sick" days if I start running out of weekends. I am usually running 4 skirts Blue silver, Lumino, Green/gold and Purple 6-10 inch size and I am constantly looking at the spread going nuts because it looks textbook smokin and divin and I can see the strike it in my mind alas only tuna and small dolphin. Maybe I need to up size to get the fish to come in?

Any advice greatly appreciated

I am happy to relay information on the radio if anyone would like? The boat is "On Point" be great to have a chat while I burn fuel. ha ha

Rob

Yeah we are running similar lures up to 12 inch but personally i think its more a case of being in the right place at the right time.... we have had about 5 strikes this season with no hookups.... no strikes or action at all in the past few outings but i think all that rain over late feb. didnt help the situation at all.....i am also happy to share info while on the troll....i might not be out this weekend but if u guys are out sms me on 0412779065 the night before or early morning and we will work out a channel on the vhf..... by the way it is probably stating the obvious but its well worth trying to catch some slimeys/bonito/stripeys and givin them a go on the slow troll as well....none of those 5 fish ever appeared before lunchtime is worth noting as well.... any strikes or sightings we have had this year all seem to happen in the arvo.... makes it hard in a trailer boat like ours.....good luck.....Paul

[Croydon]

Hi Payatz,

I know exactly how you feel. Last season I raised 4 marlin, hooked 3 and lost them all on lures! This season I haven't been able to raise a fish. Went out today off Batemans Bay, trolled skirts, baits everything I could think of and still 0's! But as they say that's game fishing. It is disheartening but i've put too much time, effort and money into it to give up now. Just gotta keep bashing away at it. All the best and good luck.............Dave

[Benyo]

Will do Paul

Maybe i can avoid this (see attachment)! I guess the thermometer was not off. I don't know if this falls under bad luck or bad captain but I could not have picked a worse place in the ocean to fish if i tried!

I If i went 5 miles north or south i would have been in better shape I think. Lesson learned spend more time looking for good water and less time trolling in unproductive water?

Rob Temp.pdf

[runamuk]

Hi Guys,,

What was the current doing out on the shelf off Botany? Was it still doing a good 2 to 3 knots or has it backed off?

[pauljm]

Hi Payatz,

I know exactly how you feel. Last season I raised 4 marlin, hooked 3 and lost them all on lures! This season I haven't been able to raise a fish. Went out today off Batemans Bay, trolled skirts, baits everything I could think of and still 0's! But as they say that's game fishing. It is disheartening but i've put too much time, effort and money into it to give up now. Just gotta keep bashing away at it. All the best and good luck.............Dave

Yeah no-one said anything about giving it up!.... i have an awesome day everytime we go out....love getting out wide so once a few more fish hit the deck it will be even better....

[boattart]

Hi Guys,,

What was the current doing out on the shelf off Botany? Was it still doing a good 2 to 3 knots or has it backed off?

G'Day Dave. Was still trickling to the south but not 2-3 knots. Should be out tomorrow so will give you and update Friday.

[reelmagic]

Hi Guys,

As you all would know, hook ups with striped marlin on lures are usually very low.

Try skip baits and teasers.

You will get most on skip baits and just about every one on teasers.

regards,

dale

reelmagic.

ps AND you still have to be where the fish are????

[Benyo]

Dale,

thanks for the tip. I will show my ignorance do you drag skip baits and teasers while looking for fish or only after you find them ( bait schools or fining fish). Stupid question number 2 how big a tuna is too big for skip baiting? 40-50 cm ok or too big.

Thanks

Rob

Edited March 17, 2010 by Benyo

[Croydon]

Hi Dale,

Thanks for the tip much appreciated. I've started most morning with lures and switched to skip baits of slimies, bonito and small stripped tuna I've caught in the area I'm fishing but still missing out. Even tried slow trolling them as livies but not a hit. Them's the breaks i guess, just gotta keep pluggin away. But your advice is on the money I'm sure. Thanks......Dave

[kinggame]

Went off sydney on thursday...

plenty of good water about... 60 fathoms was 24.5

100 fathoms got up to 25.5

No marlin but caught plenty of good sized dollies off the fad.. think its 2-3km SE of 12 mile reef.. fish all over it...

think it was to calm for marlin... like a pond out there

current runing hard 2-3knots south... looking the goods

[reelmagic]

Dale,

thanks for the tip. I will show my ignorance do you drag skip baits and teasers while looking for fish or only after you find them ( bait schools or fining fish). Stupid question number 2 how big a tuna is too big for skip baiting? 40-50 cm ok or too big.

Thanks

Rob

Hi Rob, You only need to skip the bait that is around. EG. slimies at port and JB, Kiama OR if you are out wider and get a small stripey or two, say 500 - 550mm then skip him for a blue!

We skip baits when looking for bait schools at jb and port. Run a teaser program when bait is not around. If they are around , we definitely use teasers and pitch baits or livies if available.

dale

[reelmagic]

Hi Dale,

Thanks for the tip much appreciated. I've started most morning with lures and switched to skip baits of slimies, bonito and small stripped tuna I've caught in the area I'm fishing but still missing out. Even tried slow trolling them as livies but not a hit. Them's the breaks i guess, just gotta keep pluggin away. But your advice is on the money I'm sure. Thanks......Dave

Hi Dave,

Sounds like you are doing the right thing. We pretty much do the same, BUT always use big garies rigged with a small skirt on the nose as a skip bait, or a McWog on the nose OR rig with a ball sinker on the nose and swim them. Also, they go ok for a pitch as well! Live stripies are hard to hook up marlin as they really need more time to get them down, stripes play with them a bit. However, go the blues!

The fish have to be there anyway............ if you get a stripey or two, live bait the area and then more on!

tight lines,

dale

Edited March 20, 2010 by reelmagic

[boattart]

Hi Guys,,

What was the current doing out on the shelf off Botany? Was it still doing a good 2 to 3 knots or has it backed off?

Hey Dave,

Fished yesterday and current was around 1.5 knots out wide but notice someone else comment here that it was 2-3 knots around the FAD. Not sure where it starts to back off but not much cuurent wide. I gather you're fishing this weekend. If you want more info give me a call. Matty and Nathan have my number.