Season's first marlin tagged and released.

The season’s first striped marlin was tagged and released at 0830 hours Saturday 6th December.

Fishing out from Tutukaka along the 600 meter contour, angler Kyle Ridling fishing on  the 4.85 metre Surtees “Yonkers” tagged an estimated 90kg stripey. The catch gives Kyle and The Whangarei Deep Sea Anglers Club the NZSFC trophy for first marlin of the season.

SST maps are indicating a good patch of warm water is heading down the north-east coast and the water temps reached up to 21.8 degrees later in the afternoon. The marlin was caught in cooler, quite green water however.