Catching Billfish 101

[nickstock]

Hi guys,

After moving to Cooktown a few months ago, the time has come where I am looking for new target species. With the up and coming Billfish season rapidly nearing for this neck of the woods, I have decided to set a goal for myself to catch a Marlin and Sailfish.

These are two species that I have never targeted before and hopefully this year will be my time

I am asking for advice and any tips or techniques that you may like to share. With the focus on catching a 'Grander' Black Marlin, the local Sailfish and small Blacks go relatively untargeted.

Any prior knowledge of what depths, water temps, lure spread, baits, currents & conditions would be greatly appreciated.

Obviously, finding bait on the sounder is a good start but how can one distinguish the difference between say a school of Fusilier’s and a school of Yellowtails or slimies?????

I have read as much as I can about catching smaller Billfish but still have a long long way to go.

Cheers,

Nick

[finding_time]

Nick

The first bit of advice i'll give you is to join the local game fishing club, all the info you need will be available there as well as the option of fishing on other boats where the learning curve will be much steeper. I and many members on this site spend all summer chasing billies but conditions and styles may be differant up that way with regards the shows on the sounder you target and how you target them! I know down here you find the bait and stick with it at all cost but i've heard that sometimes up there this will only result in bycatch and more bycatch so a differant approch is needed! Smithy will be the guy to help you out i think as he deckied for a season up there last year as welll as fished the townsville comp!


ian

[nickstock]

Thanks Ian,

I was talking to a mate of Smithy's up here about joining a local club but he said that they don't really organise many things due to a small town of 1900 people and many of whom work away in the mines ect making it hard to have club days.

Hopefully Rob will see this post and put up a few pointers about his experience in F.N.Q

Cheers Ian,

Nick

[Wahoo]

Nick, if you can or have the chance, go on a charter with the Viking II and chat to Bill, he is QLD gun in this sort of stuff, i dont think i come across a guy that knows more about it than Bill

Daz

Ohh: he has one hell of a game boat

[honda900]

Nick,

Search Ausfish, there was a great post on here about what lures to put out, distance, colours etc for bill fish.

was well worth a read. The bits I remember, dark colours out the back further, light colours in the wash, second wave behind the boat.


regards
HOnda.

[TunaKing2008]

a few pointers for you hopefully to steer you in the right direction. firstly 3 ways to target them lures, livies and sead/skip baits i have used all 3 and found that lures and skip baits are the mst effective generally due to distance covered however in saying that i will only use livies if bait is holding in a particular area. best livies are stripped tuna and slimies i fish two baits off outriggers with a fair bit of drop back. lure wise dont go to big alot of people go straight to the 12-15inch "marlin" lures i have had my best success with 7-9inch lures of the 30 odd marlin we took last year on lures 25 were taken on the smaller lures. my favorite is a pakula lumo in the 8 inch size. whilst trolling lures i also run at least one skip bait outwide off a rigger. if the fish are spread out and not holding in one area troll lures if consistent reports are coming from ne area use livies and stay small with lure sizes

[finding_time]

Nick,

The bits I remember, dark colours out the back further, light colours in the wash, second wave behind the boat.


regards
HOnda.

Hey Honda

You just got that a little turned around. As a ( very) general rule you want your dark colours in the wash as they will stand out against the white water and your lighter colours and fluros out in the clearer water. You more aggresive larger fatter lures should be in closer with your lazy more slender lures out in the clear water( saying all that though some days i do run darker lures in other positions). Your right about the distances though start the first lure at about the second pressure wave back, and then every wave back from there. Remember the boat is your best friend when it comes to bill fish, it will attract them better than any teaser , dont get your lures to far from it! ( common mistake)

[Smithy]

On the inside last year we got a couple on Morning Reef I think. That must be between Pt Douglass and Cooktown. I think Russ had heard about a pod of sails two years ago that started off being seen south of Osterland and then working up through Egret etc. to Cape Bedford over a couple of weeks. Any of those shoals or reefs in the middle of the paddock areas. Probably any of your Nannygai areas on shoals that hold bait. They are the areas they sort of fish off Cape Bowling Green and out of Lucinda/Cardwell etc. Up at Cairns last year they were getting heaps of juveniles in the paddock near Green Island.

I'd be getting in with Steve who has Hellraiser the 28' Bertie. Also Andrew from the Iceworks is keen to do it but doesn't get trolling crew too often and has to end up bottom bashing all the time. Get Russ organised too. He has done heaps down here.

[nickstock]

Thanks for the spread advice fellas. Are they any specific lures that are a must have?

TunaKing2008,
Thanks for the pointers on lure sizing. I spoke to a young bloke that targets marlin from a 5 meter boat off Cairns. He (Matty) works at Northern Angler in Edmonton and sold me his number 1 lure for small Billfish. It was a green skirt approx 6 inchs long. He also used to guide out from Gove (N.T) and said that they are deadly on Sails and Small Blacks up there too.

Thanks Daz,
What sort of dollars are you looking at for a charter? As you know, I am pretty skimped with getting the new boat built ect. but a charter may well be the best investment I spend.

Smithy,
I was hassling Russ today. He just got his new motor fitted on his small boat and is keen to target Sailfish out of it with me this season. Russ also mentioned that he will introduce me to Steve from Hell Raiser.

I had no idea that Andrew was into fishing. I purchase all of my drygoods and seafood that I use at the restaurant from him. I have to place an order with him in the morning so I will hound him for ideas too.

Any other advice is well and truely appreciated,

Cheers fellas,

Nick

[cuzzamundi]

Mate also, next time you're down in Cairns, go see Jack Erskine. That man has been around forever and is an absolute guru when it comes to chasing big blacks...or any gamefish for that matter.
Cuzza

[nickstock]

Does anyone know of a good book/s or dvd/s that show how to rig skipbaits and also how to use them to reach their full potential?

Can you use any fish or are slim shaped fish like Garfish and Slimies better suited?

When I am bottom fishing out around Osterlund Reef, I often see schools of small oceananic Queenies come up around the boat. Would these be suited?

I tried to slow troll a Tarpon of around 40 cms without much success, as I made the mistake of freezing it prior and it turned to mush.

Cheers,

Nick

[nickstock]

Nick,

Search Ausfish, there was a great post on here about what lures to put out, distance, colours etc for bill fish.

was well worth a read. The bits I remember, dark colours out the back further, light colours in the wash, second wave behind the boat.


regards
HOnda.

Hey Honda,

I don't seem to be able to find the thread that you mentioned. What section was it in and do you remember the thread title?

Cheers,

Nick

[nezevic99]

Go to Peter Pakula's website. he's got huge amounts of information on there, from how to find fish, how to rig, lure placement, fighting fish and more. There is also a forum where you can ask questions and get answers from the man himself.

[finding_time]

Yep Peters web site is full of info the "Between the Lines" cd is great and is now available online for free! One thing to remember though is that there is more than one way to skin a cat and this is not always apparent reading Peters info! For example when the bait is balled up and down deep live baiting is very very successful but i dont think you'll find much about live baiting on that site!!!

Here's the link
http://www.pakula.com.au/index.php?o...p=5&Itemid=223


Ian

Ps. Not alot on skip and swim gar either so that's my long corner and short rigger gone to start with. Sails love GAR!!!

[Smithy]

What'd Russ repower the Hornet with? 4 banger?