Black Marlin - New Fishery ?

Some time ago, Bite Me Gamefishing was contacted by Peter Mumford, a regular Australian East coast black marlin fisherman who was looking for a week away with the family, but just as importantly, the chance to explore new waters in search of his favourite species, the black marlin. Peter had landed a number of huge fish (including granders) on the world famous black marlin fishing grounds of Queensland Australia and was looking to find a new fishery.

Aboard Bite Me, we occasionally head well offshore and successfully target Blue Marlin on 80lb class bent butt chair tackle but looking for a grander black along Kadavu island's Great Astrolabe Barrier reef was going to be a whole new experience for us.

Having spent years trolling small light tackle bait rigs on the outer reef slopes for wahoo and sailfish, we had few encounters with big blacks but on one occasion, we did meet a monster that showed us they were there....just not interested in our small rigs. Fishing one afternoon from the smaller inshore boat, we trolled a large skip bait on 15kg gear that was taken by the largest fish I have ever seen, I huge black marlin. Somewhat reluctantly I picked up the rod that was now looking pathetically flimsy in the face of this fish and struck. The black didn't even notice. She cruised up the prop wash, spat the bait and idled under the boat. We all gawped over the side and saw she was actually larger than the 16ft boat. She was there or thereabouts, a grander and the most extraordinary sight, right under our noses.

What's more, the resort's divers have occasionally returned with stories of huge marlin encounters...and the pictures to prove it. One of my colleagues skippering the charterboat Wai Tadra tagged a black on the Kadavu seamount estimated at 950lbs. There is no doubt that large Black Marlin cruise the Astrolabe Reef but targeting and catching one was another matter.
Peter's interest gave us the perfect opportunity to give it a serious try.

We didn't muck around. We flew in Glen Gardener, a friend and professional deckie from Sydney Australia who normally works the deck leadering marlin aboard the charterboat 'Bounty Hunter'.

Glen brought with him and extra 18" flying gaff and two of Bounty Hunter's 130lb chair rods.

We fished 'Cairns style' in that we spent the mornings catching and rigging bait, the moved to trolling big lures around lunch time. Lures such as MBT's 22"Buddha and Pakula's big Smokin Joe.

Early afternoon, the time we most expected a bite, we switched to just one skip-bait and one swimming bait on the 130s

The weather frustrated our efforts for the first few days and we were confined to working the lee side of the island. Fishing so close to the reef, we expected heavy tackle losses to wahoo, mackerel and barracuda but Interestingly, with such big lures and baits out we found that the normal razor gang that just destroy skirts and baits generally tended to shy away. What's more, although bites were infrequent, they were always from super-sized fish. I was astonished when we landed a 100 pound Yellowfin Tuna that smashed a Lumo Smokin Joe just 30 yards from dry reef. Super-sizing the lures was weeding out the small fry and finding big fish where we didn't expect them.

Finally the wind eased. We woke to a calm overcast dawn, caught bait, carefully rigged our offerings, checked all our top-shots, re-checked all our drag settings and headed out to our prefered fishing grounds that were just 10 minutes away, right in front of the resort. It didn't take long. At 12:55 the skip-bait on the left rigger was engulfed in a ball of spray as a billfish left a hole in the wake. Everybody sprang into action. Peter grabbed the howling outfit and made for the chair as the fish swam away with the circle hook rigged bait. When all was ready, the drag was eased up, the circle hook lodged in the corner of the fish's jaw and 300 pounds of angry black marlin took to the air.

I have seen and fought many blue marlin but this was my first black and the differences were amazing. Blues eat hard and fast then pick a direction and go go go with no intention of ever stopping. If you do manage to stop one, they then often sound on you and it can turn into a slug-fest. By all accounts, Blacks are totally different and this fish fought like a typical black. They charge around, mostly on or just under the surface with no clear battle plan and love nothing better than to put on a show for the photographers. They are as acrobatic as a Pacific Sailfish and as strong as an angry bull. What an amazing fish, and right here under our noses.

It took us one hour and ten minutes to bring the leader to hand. We had her in close fairly quickly but she was so green and therefore a serious danger to the crew, that we eased off and took our time. At 320lbs she smashed the existing M-130 Fiji National Record and Peter decided to weigh the fish. The first ever documented Kadavu Great Astrolabe Reef black that I know of tipped the scales just shy of 320lbs. Hardly a grander but what a start !

It is our intention to take every opportunity to continue fishing for Kadavu island's Black marlin and to tag and release enough to paint a clear picture of their habits and seasons.

Given the sightings by divers and our own experiences of huge Black marlin here, our aim is to find Fiji's first Grander. Sometimes its fun being a charterboat skipper.....

The Gear:

• Penn International 130
• 130lb IGFA Class Greenspot Dacron
• 300 yard 130lb Torture IGFA mono top-shot with 6ft plaited double to Yo-Zuri HD Ball Bearing snap swivel
• 18ft 600lb Momoi Marlin Hard leader to 16/0 Mustad 39960BL Tuna Circle Demon hook.
• Baits - Shark Mackerel (Scad), Narrow Barred (Spanish) Mackerel