Brendan Monks Posted January 6, 2021 Share Posted January 6, 2021 (edited) The weather was looking okay for a morning sesh fishing solo and I was thinking of chasing some dollies at the FAD, or trolling some lures down the 140m line from Terrigal to Broken Bay. I decided to message a mate to see if anyone else was heading out. He invited me to jump on his small Haines ‘The FAD’ which I took up the offer straight away (Beats fixing the flat tyre on my trailer!). 🥳 We mucked around all morning trying to get his boat sorted and were finally on the water by 6:30am. The water stayed cold until we got to the edge of the shelf and we put out a spread of 4 lures and a bird teaser without any real plan for the day (And expecting to be blown off the water by 11/12 o’clock) we trolled up towards the Southern Canyons. The morning session was quite uneventful apart from a hit from one Marlin that popped the band from the rigger but didn’t stay hooked up! We worked the area for a bit as he wouldn’t have felt the hooks but had no luck raising him again. We kept pushing north marking no bait but seeing dolphins everywhere, we tried trolling around a drifting container and coal ship as this has previously worked for us! We came across a large current line and right on the tide change the Coggins lure running in short corner was annihilated by a healthy Striped Marlin, I was quickly into the rod and harness as we didn’t want to let it run too long in these rod holders (Running 8kg drag). My mate quickly cleared the spread and teaser before chasing it down! We soon had the fish at the front of the boat on the leader 4 times before popping in a tag, it looked slightly larger than the Marlin we had caught the week before and estimated it around 70kg. It had become wrapped under the tail and belly, so we tried driving off it to get a few quick pics before release, next minute the dacron off the wind-on leader had become caught in a roller on the rod! 😑 In the matter off a few seconds the line had pulled out and the Marlin was slowly gliding back to the depths with my brown/red Coggins lures still attached. My mate quickly reversed down and I dived in grabbing the wind-on that was still attached, the water was cobalt blue and looked to never end. Up in front, the Marlin was thrashing underwater as I tried to get the wind-on to my mate in the boat, next second the snap swivel wore through the chaffing tube and 200lb leader – I’ve never heard or had this happen before! We quickly put the spread back out and continued trolling the area, we could see the dolphins chasing the bait across the surface – One even repeatedly hitting it with his nose in the air before eating it 😲, but there were no iridescent blue fins amongst them. A day I’ll never forget going 2-1-1 on Striped Marlin, as well as seeing my first free swimmers on the surface 4 different times! (Pulled lures across their noses for no interest at all) and a little swim chucked in over the shelf. If anyone finds that Coggins lure… 😉 Cheers, Brendo Edited January 6, 2021 by Brendan Monks 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Great report. Super photos. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielsydney Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Great report. Smashing them at the moment well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendan Monks Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 2 hours ago, Rebel said: Great report. Super photos. Well done. 2 hours ago, danielsydney said: Great report. Smashing them at the moment well done. Thanks guys! Now's the time to get them @danielsydney You've got me keen to chase squid outside! 😁🤤 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerialangler Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Fantastic report and experience thanks for sharing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoods Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 Thanks Brendan - another great report showing the rest of us how to do it. Tight Lines. Hoods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendan Monks Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share Posted January 8, 2021 20 hours ago, Aerialangler said: Fantastic report and experience thanks for sharing 7 hours ago, Hoods said: Thanks Brendan - another great report showing the rest of us how to do it. Tight Lines. Hoods Thanks guys! 🤙 Definitely don't know how to do it! Just get out at any opportunity I can. More time on the water = More chance of catching one 😁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquibblyDibbly Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 Great underwater shot. Gopro on a stick? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendan Monks Posted January 11, 2021 Author Share Posted January 11, 2021 On 1/8/2021 at 6:39 PM, SquibblyDibbly said: Great underwater shot. Gopro on a stick? Yep, just on an extendable pole 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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