Best bycatch ever.

[Coddie]

So I was fishing off Cairns with a mate yesterday morning, we were bottom bashing around one of the local reefs with a couple of Mackerel lines out (ganged pillies) suddenly my line went for a run, picked it up, set the drag, hooked the fish then SPLASH the fish breached, I just caught a glimpse then again another breach I saw a sail and bill, I screamed to my mate, woo hoo, got a Sailfish! After about a minute of tug and war it decided it had enough and head south, it started tearing line off (50lbs Braid) I tighten the drag a little as I can see the mono backing, I tell my mate to start bringing up the anchor as we're going to have to chase it. I get down to my backing then I manage to turn the fish, I start gaining line and tell my mate not to worry about the anchor, a few minutes later we get some colour, I get the fish next to the boat, that's not a Sailfish, it's a freaking MARLIN! I nearly fell over. We scramble to get a camera but my mate's not that savy with a camera so I say, lets bring it in, as my mate reaching in to grab the bill, he dives down, then up, leaps against the boat and swims away.

As a guestimate, he was about 2.2 meters long (half the length of the 5m dory we were fishing from) and judging from the colour I'd say Blue Marlin.

I now proudly am the only one out of my fishing buddies that has caught a Marlin and what a fluke, on a dirty old pillie meant for a Mackerel.

So share your similar stories as I'll be telling this one to many.

[Pazz01]

Hey Coddie,

Not a bad by catch, at least you've caught one.

My old man caught a sailfish on a mongrel old ganged pillie destined for a trout on a handline. Pretty big one about 1.5-2 metre mark.

Unbelievable.

Pazz

[Scott nthQld]

Similar story happened to me wide of Cape Cleveland off Townsville about 2 years ago. Same scenario, bottom bouncing with an unweighted pilly out the back and BANG!....only differences are I first called a marlin and it turned out to be a sailfish, but mine was only about 1.5m long. That was on 30lb braid.

Same thing happened too, i wanted a photo with the fish in the boat, so my mate (also a member here) reached over and tried to grab the bill......head shake and gone.

[Coddie]

Similar story happened to me wide of Cape Cleveland off Townsville about 2 years ago. Same scenario, bottom bouncing with an unweighted pilly out the back and BANG!....only differences are I first called a marlin and it turned out to be a sailfish, but mine was only about 1.5m long. That was on 30lb braid.

Same thing happened too, i wanted a photo with the fish in the boat, so my mate (also a member here) reached over and tried to grab the bill......head shake and gone.

Funny thing was I was explaining to my mate who didn't see the fish jump that it had a Sail and a Bill so it has to be a Sailfish, can't be a Marlin, lol.

[Jarrah Jack]

Makes you wonder what fish hasn't taken a pillie. I go to great lengths chasing fresh bait and often the fish will be just as happy with a humble pillie.

Would be a real blow if supplies of those disappeared.

[greenie.77]

Fishing for bream with surface lures 3kg trace 3kg mainline and caught a 70cm jewie.....on a surface lure!!!!

[Moffy]

Nice Work!! - caught off the reefs here out of Cairns - more likely to be a Black Marlin than a Blue though - but awesome capture all the same.

[Coddie]

Nice Work!! - caught off the reefs here out of Cairns - more likely to be a Black Marlin than a Blue though - but awesome capture all the same.

Are small blacks more blue coloured when young? I no nothing about them really, also any idea what a 2 meter model would weight roughly?

[Scott nthQld]

Are small blacks more blue coloured when young? I no nothing about them really, also any idea what a 2 meter model would weight roughly?

Funny you mention that, apparently blues and blacks look very similar when they are little. The only sure fire way to tell straight up is to see if the pectoral fin folds into the body, the pec fin is 'fixed' or doesn't fold down on a black. Probably the only useful thing that i gained from the Fishing WA show.

No idea what it would have weighed though, maybe 25kg? Would have to ask one of the billfish guru's on the forum

[Coddie]

The pectoral fins stayed out so you're probably right, Black Marlin. I found a calculator of fish weight according to size here;

http://www.csgnetwork.com/fishsaltwtcalc.html

Useful tool to have really.

[onerabbit]

My only confirmed bill-fish so far ( a striped marlin about 6 foot to the mouth ),
took a yellowtail that had been floated at least 20 times that day,
it's eyes were hanging out on it's cheeks whenI put it out that last time.

The fish played with it for 4-5 minutes before I finally found weight,
then all hell broke loose,
there was a huge thrashing on the surface, which my mate called for a shark....
then 7 fantastic leaps from the fish...STRAIGHT AT THE BOAT,
I was winding like mad but still couldn't keep up, when the fish made it's last jump.....
and landed only 30 feet from the boat and still coming......
my mate had backed up behind the windscreen leaving me standing alone, wondering what to do next,

FORTUNATELY, at this point the fish threw the hook & went it's own way,

I have never been so happy to loose a fish.

I know I have hooked other, bigger marlin, but will never forget that one.

Muzz