rportelli Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 (edited) Finally cracked my first Marlin!! Dropped a big dolly early but then more than made up for it with my first striped Marlin on my own boat! Yew! Two rookies got the job done with a couple of close calls! ( now know why you need a crew of at least three) ... For those out there without much experience its worth the effort : After a few trips of pretty much staring at lures and water for hours to the point of no hope yesterday seemed different. Within the first half hour exiting Sydney harbour and deploying our spread we saw a free jumper. Excited that we actually saw a Marlin increased the confidence that they really existed. It was not until two hours later heading north from 12 mile did the lightest rod buckle over and my mate was into a nice dollie. Just as all the rods were cleared my mate curses and the silence as it was lost at the boat! We continued north zig zagging depths I'd heard of fish that had been caught at... Then that sweet sound of the tyrnos screaming line....then all the things I've heard read clicked in: -Punched the boat to ensure it stayed Hooked... -Mate took the wheel and then I cleared the rods - keep pressure on the fish Problem number 1: reel was gettin low so we turned the boat and chased it (600m not much left on the spool) Problem number 2: fish headed back under the motor so we had to stop lift the motor and thankfully it stayed attached Problem number 3: big boat heading straight towards us.. Lots of hand waving and cursing and he got the message The next 30minutes was a battle of gaining and losing line until it slowly swam up next to the boat. Problem 4: getting it into the boat... Held onto the tail for dear life while my mate with gloves slid him over the side from the bill! Once safely on the boat the high fives and screams of finally getting on the board! Edited January 26, 2016 by fishnitup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
australianslug Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Great work! Where abouts were you fishing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Congratulations! That feeling will stay with you from your first to your next and everyone after that! Well done Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 You have a drink can in that pic why not expand on this report and enter it into Catch of the Month? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickman Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 congrats the smile says it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaClH2OK9 Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Very well done. What a beautiful big fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scent Blazer Lures Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 well done, very nice, yeah definitely easier with a few people on board Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojo4fishin Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Congrats on the awesome catch..Has anyone eaten Marlin before? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fisholb Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Congrats on the awesome catch..Has anyone eaten Marlin before? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yes i have eaten a striped marlin...rated it at 3 out of 5...got a very strong taste when i cooked it pan fried and cut it like steak...i prefer the mako...Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GH1952 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Concratulations on your first marlin, as scratchie says the feeling will stay with you forever and is what helps when you have all those days when you draw a blank. As to eating them I've tried blacks, blues and stripped Marlin and think they all taste pretty crap sort of like eating dry cardboard. If we ever bring another in we will smoke it as I've been told they taste ok smoked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raysenior Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Well done top result !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rportelli Posted January 27, 2016 Author Share Posted January 27, 2016 Fishing north of Sydney harbour in 65 fathoms! Trolling 6-8 inch lures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmlm Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 What an experience. I was lucky to be steering during this epic time(and although extremely jealous ) my buddy deserved to be on the end of a fish of a lifetime. He put many hours into research, from depth to skirt selection to location to time of day etc. When we hooked up it was absolute pandemonium and after a few "Marlin, Marlin" shouts we tried to compose ourselves and his pictures tell the rest of the story An amazing experience and it will be very hard to beat...unless it's me on the end of the line Thanks buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erroll Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Well done mate. A huge box ticked. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyL Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 So know one has asked the question Do you know what it is Striped ,Black or Blue.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rportelli Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 From my amature eye ... Striped! In the water it had bright blue stripes and fin bright blue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finin Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 May even be a juvenile black. Fish probably 70 odd kilo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innersea Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 I agree with finin - obviously without being there it's a bit tricky, but it looks like it has fairly rigid pectoral fins and a slightly smaller dorsal fin (than you would expect on a striped) which are pretty good indicators. The stripes can confuse everyone but even blacks have stripes which can look pronounced when the fish is "lit up". Also agree it's about 70kg. Just MHO though - I could be wrong??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Well Done mate !!! A Top effort for you & your mate !!!! Would been quite a job getting it into the boat ...LOL.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaClH2OK9 Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 The current record for a black is 130cm.. ( insert whistling emoji here ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotbite Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Hi Fishnitup........mate definately a Stripe Marlin, looking at the shape of the pectoral fins & dorsal fin. Also the length of the lower jaw. May be 60kgs, they are nearly always skinny. A great fish. You will now have "Marlin Madness".............The only cure.....get alot more!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepy Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Striped marlin . Shape of fin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickybeak Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 You always remember your 1st Marlin with all the mayhem and not really knowing what's going to happen next Well done guys now get another Stickybeak Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rportelli Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Now time for the next one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike89 Posted February 16, 2016 Share Posted February 16, 2016 Beautiful fish. Must have been a crazy ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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