Larkin Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 This post was recognized by mrsswordfisherman! "Superb planning, persistence and effort produces the Marlin. Well done!!" Larkin was awarded the badge 'Superstar' and 500 points. Gday Raiders! I’ll start off by saying What a fight!!! Anyone that has read my reports over the years knows that I love this great sport of ours, and that I love to do it off a JetSki. Over the last year I’ve been preparing, with the goal of landing a Sydney marlin off a JetSki! I know marlin have been caught off a JetSki up north, and down south out of Kiama ect, but I believe this may be the first off Sydney. The last 4-6 weeks I’ve been on a marlin chase. Keeping an eye on water temps, weather, currents and baitfish numbers. I’ve been joined by a couple of mates on occasion, and other times on my own. I’ve trolled the edge of the shelf in over 650m and in close at some local known spots. The night before I told myself that tomorrow is the day - I’m catching a marlin! I felt it, I knew that it was going to happen! My mate had wanted to chase Dollie’s at the fads so he shot straight out from botany at first light, while I launched from Port Hacking. I had wanted to get some large slimies, but only managed yakkas/cowanyoung. Good size though, around 25cm. I started by trolling an 8 inch skirt out to the 90m mark where I had found large baitballs the previous week, but it was barren this time. Mate called me up on the radio, and I headed off to meet him at the Hacking Fads. No bait anywhere on the way out, stopped at a few spots that have held bait in the past, a klm before the fads…nothing. Trolled wide around the fads, slow trolled a large livie too. Again nothing. Decided to try for Dollie’s as my mate lost 2, and had seen some big ones swimming about, but they just wouldn’t take any baits. It hit 10.30, so rode over to my mate - told him I was going out for a ride around 3klm past the fads to an area I had sounded up bait in the past, & that I would be back in half an hour so we can head back in. Put out a couple of marlin skirts, a JB little dingo 8” in Evil colour and a Pakula mini sprocket 9.25” in lumo. Trolling the lures I noticed a small bait ball around 20m wide, then 500m away a bait ball around 30m wide, and a further 500m I went over one that was quite big - bait stacked around 60m wide and up around 30m off the bottom. I drove over, kept trolling a few hundred meters, then had that voice telling me to go back. Stopped, wound in the lures and turned the ski around. I traced back and there they were - lots of bait down low. I tie on a 10oz snapper lead using an elastic band to the snap swivel, grabbed the largest baitfish I had ~ 25cm, and down it went to the bottom. At this point a marlin dances out of the water 15m away from me. I hit the buttons on both my GoPro and Insta 360 cams. Grab the radio and let my mate know. I decide to raise the bait higher, grab the rod start to wind up, and the rod suddenly feels heavy, starts to bend and line peels off for a second or two …. then zzzzzzzzzzzzz and its all on!!! Never heard the reel scream non stop - out comes 250m of line in a few seconds and it starts dancing off in the distance. Aerobatics show like a gymnast! The surface fight goes on for 10minutes, at which point I get the fish close to the ski, it looks at me and says no! its not over, then the deep battle begins. This battles goes on for 35 minutes - half way through my mate finds me and starts videoing too. I’m spent, and my arms are dead wrestling it up from the deep. 2m gain, 10m loss as we fight back and forth slowly grinding the line up a hard fought meter at a time. I yell out to my mate “I can’t go on any more” and he yells back some words of encouragement to the likes of “you’ve got to fight on, this is your dream fish”. This gives me the determination to fight on. And fight on I do, and at the point my arms are about to give in…. it comes to the surfaces. I leader the fish around and grab the bill. It’s spent and I’m spent! My next thought is to get this magnificent creature swimming again. I guide it along side the JetSki, bent over with one hand holding its bill and the other on the accelerator I swim the fish for a few minutes making sure water is running through its gills. I feel it’s ready and I release… I see it swim down and I’m ecstatic! What a rush!! two thumbs up to my mate and I can’t believe what just happened. My first black marlin!! approx size was around 2.5m full length, tail to bill. Weight I estimate at around 70-90kg Gear used: MC Works 15kg rod DE626TSZ - all that tuna Spin 6’2 PE 5-8. Stella 14000, 88lb saltiga braid, FG knot to 130lb momoi leader, then 150lb to snelled 9/0 Trokar TK4 circle hook. Depth 150m, sea temp 24 degrees 27 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onearmedfisho Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 well done mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Great report @Larkin You must feel very pleased with yourself 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restyle Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Dream fish for most, congratulations mate 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey299 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Wow congrats Chis on this great catch! Your persistence definitely paid off and glad you friend was around to get some photos. Hope to see the video soon if you plan to publish it. Congrats again! 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XD351 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Mate that’s epic ! Congratulations! And an awesome report with fantastic photos! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 That is a terrific effort Chris, certainly your efforts and time have paid off. Great work. 👍👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlbertW Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Awesome catch! Would love to hook into one of them in the future 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bessell1955 Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Great catch and release. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackfish Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 That’s a great achievement and congratulations. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Hornet Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 That’s nuts mate!!! Congrats on an awesome catch and release. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaitDropper Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 What a great report. AND a fantastic result, very happy for you. A first Marlin is always something you remember, whether fishing from a boat or indeed a dam Jet Ski !! amazing. I remember mine like it was yesterday, but it was actually near 40 years ago.. Well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R E G I C Y C L E Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Awesome fish, even better to have done your homework and put the hours in to get the result! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little_Flatty Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 What a wonderful achievement Chris and a fantastic report, with wonderful photos too! Congrats on your first Jetski marlin! Inspiration for us all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 4 hours ago, onearmedfisho said: well done mate Thanks mate! 3 hours ago, mrsswordfisherman said: Great report @Larkin You must feel very pleased with yourself 👏 thanks Donna! was a dream fish - happy it all went to plan. 3 hours ago, Restyle said: Dream fish for most, congratulations mate Thanks Restyle! Certainly a dream come true. 3 hours ago, Yowie said: That is a terrific effort Chris, certainly your efforts and time have paid off. Great work. 👍👍👍 Thanks Dave! Been working towards this goal for a while. Yesterday everything just came together. Thats fishing eh! 3 hours ago, AlbertW said: Awesome catch! Would love to hook into one of them in the future Thanks Albert! You’ll get one mate! 3 hours ago, bessell1955 said: Great catch and release. Thanks Bessel! Seeing it swim away was just as good as the capture! 2 hours ago, Blackfish said: That’s a great achievement and congratulations. Thanks Blackfish! Always wanted to catch one, now can’t stop thinking about it. Lol 2 hours ago, Green Hornet said: That’s nuts mate!!! Congrats on an awesome catch and release. Thanks Green Hornet! was an adventure that’s for sure! 2 hours ago, BaitDropper said: What a great report. AND a fantastic result, very happy for you. A first Marlin is always something you remember, whether fishing from a boat or indeed a dam Jet Ski !! amazing. I remember mine like it was yesterday, but it was actually near 40 years ago.. Well done thanks Baitdropper! yeah, it totally is a different fish to the others. From its dance to the long battle! Something I won’t forget either. 👍 4 minutes ago, R E G I C Y C L E said: Awesome fish, even better to have done your homework and put the hours in to get the result! Thanks Regicycle! Journey is half the fun! Seeing the fish swim off was the icing. 4 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said: What a wonderful achievement Chris and a fantastic report, with wonderful photos too! Congrats on your first Jetski marlin! Inspiration for us all! Thanks Mike! Loved every second of it mate! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wazatherfisherman Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Awesome fish, great story, unreal photo's- fantastic effort Chris! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Ct Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Outstanding work Chris, well done. One to remember for a long time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 5 hours ago, whiskey299 said: Wow congrats Chis on this great catch! Your persistence definitely paid off and glad you friend was around to get some photos. Hope to see the video soon if you plan to publish it. Congrats again! 👏 Thanks Brad! don’t know how he found me in time, lucky it was quite flat out there. Said the yellow ski stood out - which is why I purchased that colour. yeah, I’ve posted the hook up video on a Facebook fishing site - the format on here doesn’t like huge video files. Plan to make a vid on my YouTube - I’ll post a link here when I get a chance to edit all the footage. 1 hour ago, wazatherfisherman said: Awesome fish, great story, unreal photo's- fantastic effort Chris! Thanks Wazza!! building my adventure stories, one fish at a time! Glad you enjoyed mate! You should hear me go off on the hook up lol will try to upload the clip on youtube and link it here. 1 hour ago, Isaac Ct said: Outstanding work Chris, well done. One to remember for a long time. Thanks Isaac! Yeah, won’t forget this anytime soon mate! The fight of these fish is something else. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 23 Author Share Posted February 23 Here’s the hook up vid 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burger Posted February 23 Share Posted February 23 Congratulations Larkin! Awesome effort and thanks for sharing with us! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 24 Author Share Posted February 24 5 hours ago, Burger said: Congratulations Larkin! Awesome effort and thanks for sharing with us! Thanks Burger! The down deep fight was hard work! As soon as I’d try to give the biceps a rest, it could feel it and started to pull more 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whiskey299 Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 On 2/23/2024 at 8:41 PM, Larkin said: Here’s the hook up vid Awesome stuff Chris! Thanks 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sydney Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Wow mate this is just spectacular. stoked for you what a wonderful time that must’ve been 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larkin Posted February 25 Author Share Posted February 25 5 hours ago, Mike Sydney said: Wow mate this is just spectacular. stoked for you what a wonderful time that must’ve been Thanks Mike! Seeing a marlin jump out of the water 15m away and then decide to take the bait was crazy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Clain Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 Fantastic report and great hookup video!! What a great read and viewing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now