FRIDAY THE
13th (BLACK MARLIN FRIDAY) The season is starting to
get into full swing and the best areas at time of writing were the
Middle Ribbon reefs, Linden Bank and Euston Reef.
The full moon
traditionally sees a couple of slow days on the edge of the reef
until it starts to wane, and this year it fell on Friday the 13th of
October so it was with some trepidation, I set to sea with a more
then thorough check of the engineroom anticipating a day full of
disasters.
The wind had fallen away so I made a decision to
head for the seamount some 90 miles East of Cairns, and leave the
normal grounds for the first day of a four day trip with Aussie
anglers Ivan and Jason Karizaic. I pulled the engines back about 20
miles short of the seamount as a commercial boat catching yellowfin
reported a lot of marlin in the area. About 6 miles short of the
seamount the "Shotgun" Purple Pakula lure disappeared and reappeared
with 650lb of Black Marlin hanging of the back of of it. Jason took
the rod to the chair and after 15 minutes of bedlem it was tagged
and released.
Peter Lacy
captain of the Real Screamer was a couple of miles ahead and as soon
as his lures passed over the 40m pinnacle of the mountain a 900lb
Black ambushed him and was subsequently released.
I caught a
couple of 20lb Yellowfin and started to livebait about 1/2 mile
north of the mountain, I saw the Reel Screamer release another fish
around 600lb, when my livebaits became nervous and the right rigger
release snapped, the crew retrieved the left bait with a very large
black marlin ,hot on the yellowfins tail, I suspected that it was
the same fish and this was confirmed when we pushed the drag up
slowly, the line came tight and line started to trickle off the
reel. Soon an enormous head appeared with the 20/0 circle hook
firmly lodged in the corner of the mouth, "holy shit look at the
size of it" was the word of the moment, after 24minutes of awesome
jumping in calm seas we planted a tag in the huge shoulders and the
fish was released and Ivan joined the "Grander Release Club" We
noted a conservative 1150lb on the card. The real Screamer released
another fish around 200lb before we anchored on the mountain for the
night.
Bring on friday
the 13th on a full moon anytime!!!!
Kim Andersen -
New Moon - Cairns Australia
|