Marlin Fire up North!

Like many other game-fish clubs in NZ, the Bay of Island Club has been finding the 2002-2003 season a tough one. The Americas Cup has kept tourists in the south and until very recently, game fish, particularly of the beaked kind, have been scarcer than hen’s teeth.

But a week or so ago, everything began to change: the marlin arrived, tournaments became success stories and club coffers began to fill.

Out on the water, the annual ladies tournament saw four marlin landed on each day of the two day contest. The best, a stripey caught on Hikanui, tipped the scales at 128kg. The Bay Swordy Club was delighted with the tournament.

On Sunday, at least three further beakies bit the dust. Ian Adam caught the best fish of the day weighing 120kg on board the old lady Otehei. The old man, John Chibnal, skippered the old lady. Other boats to feature on Sunday were Pure Adrenalin and Strayline.

Monday, the first day of the Hospitality Trades Tournament saw a further seven stripeys tagged and released with two weighed in. Gary Robinson on Magnum caught the best fish of 138kg.
A good number of Cape Brett kingfish have also featured in this contest with most tagged and released. Harold Inch fishing on Patriot landed a best fish of 15kg. Ken Mooreland, fishing on Major Tom 2, landed a 10kg albacore.

Of interest to the keen fisho, no blues or black marlin have featured yet this season with the stripeys significantly bigger than usual. However, there are unconfirmed reports of blues and blacks lost.

Mahimahi are starting to feature under the flotsam and jetsam of the outer current lines. Late though the season may be, its certainly getting off to an explosive start.
Meanwhile, out west, where the fishing is the best, mega-size striped marlin have been featuring.

If the east coast guys thought their fish were big, wait ‘til you see the results of the Hokianga contest held over the weekend.

With 17 marlin landed, 5 were T&R with a further 12 weighed in. First prize winning fish featured Ken Coulter on Dreamcatcher with a monster of 152.1kg. Second prize went to Bill Milich on Crazy days with another elephant of 151.8kg and third prize went to Ken Coulter again with a shrimp of 150.8kg.

How about that? And that’s not all! Fourth prize featured Harry Barlow with another piper of 126.2kg and fifth, Warren Huband with one of 125.6 kg. Both Harry’s and Warren’s catches were their virgin marlins. Well-done guys!

In rare, lake-like conditions, I’m told that five more were caught out west over the weekend but weighed in at Ruawai and Dargaville. I’m looking forward to finding out if any marlin have hit the Taranaki coast yet, much as I predicted they would this season in an earlier pre-Christmas column.

Safe fishing!

Steve Radich.