What Went Pear Shaped #4 - Catching Marlin, Not So Easy

Bite Me has a group of four anglers from Australia on board and is trolling a variety of lures and baits looking for a pack of wahoo.

A big Yo-Zuri Bonita on the short corner, a Lurestreet Classic Redhead on the long corner, A Pakula Cockroach on the short rigger and rigged garfish skipbait on 3 feet of 7x7 SS wire on the long rigger. This is a good spread to find wahoo as well as pick up the odd Spanish mackerel or yellowfin tuna.

Skipper spots some birds hovering about 500 yards off the reef and decides to head out to check out what's going on. Looks like tuna. The anglers put out a 5th rod down the middle flat-lining a small tuna bullet.

As soon as Bite Me reaches the spot, four rods load up and everybody gets real busy real quick. Couple of minutes later we have a skipjack, a small yellowfin, a large rainbow runner and a small wahoo on the deck. Lures are going out again fast. Interesting though...not normal to get such a mix in exactly the same spot....

All goes quiet for a few minutes and then suddenly the skipbait on the long rigger disappears and the Penn International 30lb outfit loads up and starts to howl. Hmmm, almost forgot we had that skipait out there in all the mayhem, nice big yellowfin maybe ?

A few seconds later with the angler at the transom, rod in hand and taking the strain, a blue marlin of about 250lbs roars out of the water and charges towards the boat. Skipper guns the boat as the blue blasts across the surface on a typical blue marlin furious charge.

All eyes are on the blue as the line which is almost tight to the fish suddenly parts and whiplashes up and back at the transom. The blue is gone.

The double comes back but no snap swivel at the end. Just a slight kinks in the line where the snap was tied on.

What Went Wrong

We left a wahoo skipbait out, rigged on a short piece of wire clipped directly to the double and headed out to a bait ball in 400m of water. Skipper was thinking yellowfin or stray wahoo but there was a chance that we might get hit by a marlin and the small wire wahoo rig had little hope of surviving. The blue's bill was longer than the wire rig so inevitably, with no heavy mono leader, the snap swivel / Double knot came into contact with the marlin's rough bill and bye-bye marlin.

In My Humble Opinion

Its a catch 22 situation. Wind-on mono leaders are suicide in wahoo pack country. They absolutely always get bitten off. That short length of dacron flying through the water is as good as any lure and is always hit by wahoo. The colour coded ones are the worst of the lot. The dacron splice is just about the right distance away from a hooked up wahoo to tempt another strike from the pack. You can tie or crimp a mono leader to the wire wahoo rig but inevitably, it is another connection through a solid ring or swivel that is just asking to be hit by a wahoo. Using blackened fittings helps but it is mostly the bubble trail created by fittings rather than the fitting itself that draws the strike.

Clipping the wire wahoo rig dirctly to the snap swivel on the double puts any bubble trails close in to the hooked up wahoo during the fight. Its how we minimize bite-offs, but be prepared to wave bye-bye to the occasional blue marlin !

Its horses for courses and swings both ways. If you are fishing short wire rigs for wahoo and a blue jumps on, you are in about as much trouble as if you were fishing mono leaders for blues and a wahoo jumps on.

When you are fishing out here, there is no such thing as a perfect all-round rig.

Adrian was born on the island of Cyprus and graduated to his first rod & reel at the age of five. Having fished around the world from the Arabian Gulf to the North sea and English Channel, he finally settled for the tropical waters of the South Pacific around the island of Kadavu, Fiji Islands. Director of Matava Resort Gamefishing, he skippers 'Bite Me', the resort's 31ft DeepVee Gamefishing vessel and thoroughly enjoys exploring the light and heavy tackle fishing around the island and Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef. An IGFA Certified Captain, he advocates tag & release and is a keen supporter of the IGFA and the Billfish Foundation.

Adrian Watt
IGFA Captain
http://www.GamefishingFiji.com

Pacific Blue Marlin - Lures That Work Here In Fiji

When trolling lures for Blue marlin aboard 'Bite Me', we run a standard spread of four lures off bent butt chair rods and use Penn International 80STWs. We run a long and short corner from the transom rod holders and a long and short rigger from the chair. Sometimes we run a teaser such as a spreader bar or a Pakula Witchdoctor.

We never run a shotgun. We always aim to tag & release all billfish and use Billfish Foundation tags. We generally use lures that imitate or approximate to the baitfish in the area such as skipjack & Yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi or flying fish.

Although We use wire rigs a lot because of wahoo, we don't double the wire inside the skirt to make a stiff rig. We just use a single wire to the hook allowing some flexibility and swing. Lures are tooth-picked or hooks set with the point or points upwards. Two hook rigs have the hooks offset at about 45 degrees.

Our recommendations are for normal general fishing on a reasonably calm day in bright or slightly overcast weather when targeting fish of any size. This is what works for us. Its not necessarily what will work for you !

SHORT CORNER

We tend to use this position more as a teaser or to tempt a monster fish with a monster lure.

1. MBT custom made monster - Silver over yellow - 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

2. Pakula Smokin Jo - Blue Silver/ Green Gold - 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

3. Marlin Magic Mirror Big Dog - Purple - 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

LONG CORNER

1. Hollowpoint Goblin - silver/green/gold - 1 x 12/0 wire rig

2. Pakula Rat - Black/Red - 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

3. John Lau Good Head - Blue yellow / Redyellow - 2 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

4. Top Gun Ball bearing Nightmare - Clear Purple tint in water / Black Gold - 1 x 12/0 wire shackle rig

SHORT RIGGER

1. Joe Yee Apollo - Evil - 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig

2. Black Bart Hot Breakfast - Blue white / pink white (yellow stripe) - 1 x 11/0 wire rig

3. John Lau Talibung - Black/Red - 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig

4. MBT Tulip - Blue white / White - 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig

LONG RIGGER

1. Hollowpoint Cabo Killa - Purple - 1 x 10/0 wire rig

2. Mould craft Wide Range - Purple - 1 x 12/0 Wire rig

3. Pakula Sprocket - Lumo - 2 x 10/0 wire shackle rig (this lure picks up a lot of wahoo)

4. Wellseys Hypahead Large Talai - Black/Gold - 2 x 11/0 wire shackle rig

Where we get our lures:

* Palm Fishing Australia

* Wellsys Tackle

* Melton International Tackle

Lure Manufacturer Links:

* Pakula lures

* Hollowpoint Lures

* Marlin Magic Lures

* Wellsys Lures

* MBT Lures

* John Lau Lures - Contact John at jaslau@yahoo.com

* Black Bart Lures

If you want to know what the top Australian skippers use, check out the lead article in the Feb / Mar issue of BlueWater magazine, http://www.bluewatermag.com.au/

Adrian was born on the island of Cyprus and graduated to his first rod & reel at the age of five. Having fished around the world from the Arabian Gulf to the North sea and English Channel, he finally settled for the tropical waters of the South Pacific around the island of Kadavu, Fiji Islands. Director of Matava Resort Gamefishing, he skippers 'Bite Me', the resort's 31ft DeepVee Gamefishing vessel and thoroughly enjoys exploring the light and heavy tackle fishing around the island and Great Astrolabe Barrier Reef. An IGFA Certified Captain, he advocates tag & release and is a keen supporter of the IGFA and the Billfish Foundation.

Adrian Watt
IGFA Captain
info@matava.com
http://www.Matava.com
http://www.GamefishingFiji.com
http://www.GameFishingFiji.blogspot.com

Virginia Billfish - White Marlin, Blue Marlin and Swordfish

Virginia is known for its billfishing, including white marlin, blue marlin and swordfish. These three magnificent fish are found in practically the same areas and it's even possible to catch all three fish on the same trip, although triple headers of billfish are rare events.

White marlin tend to weigh around 30-60 pounds and feed on a variety of smaller baits. They are very intelligent fish. When hunting prey, white marlin display neon colors and change to an aggressive posture. A hungry or agitated marlin will charge and bat its bill at a baitfish or trolled lure.

Blue marlin are much larger, up to 1000 lbs, feeding on larger baits. Blue marlin are brightly colored and are known for their dramatic leaps and deep runs. Most local blue marlin are over 100 pounds and feed on fish such as small yellowfin tuna, false albacore, mahi mahi and other fish. A sign of potential for blue marlin fishing are pods of skipjack tuna. Skipjack tuna are the smallest of the Virginia tuna, ranging from about 3 to 18 pounds. The fish are sought after by fishermen because they are among the favorite prey of blue marlin.

Marlin migrate into Virginia waters in early summer with peak fishing usually occurring in late summer through early fall. The fish may be widely scattered but when conditions are right, marlin congregate around sources of food. Ideal conditions occur when Gulf stream water moves into the area, bringing weedlines, temperature breaks and pods of small fish on which marlin feed.

Virginia anglers fish out of Chincoteague Island, Wachapreague, Oyster, Norfolk or Virginia Beach. Chincoteague Island charter boats may travel about 40-70 nautical miles to reach marlin, While boats from more distant ports may travel as far as 100 miles to reach the fish. Anglers search for marlin and swordfish in deepwater areas such as the Baltimore, Poor Man's, Washington or Norfolk Canyons.

These structures have amazing features which produce conditions that attract several types of fish and other ocean life. West of the canyon walls are shallower but still productive areas. Near the canyon walls, the bottom becomes steeper and rockier. Fish congregate along the dropoffs to catch food that is caught in the hard running current. Along the edges are lobster traps which are marked by orange buoys or "lobster balls". The buoys attract mahi-mahi, also known as dolphin fish. Not only are the mahi-mahi excellent fish to catch, but they also attract the larger marlin which feed on them heavily. A trip by a buoy can be uneventful, or one or more lines might be attacked by mahi mahi, tuna, marlin or other fish.

Swordfish complete the trio of billfish that swim off the coast of Virginia. These fish have tremendous strength and stamina, testing the limits of the most experienced anglers. Swordfish may vary from perhaps 4-10 feet in length, reaching weights of several hundred pounds and rarely exceeding 1000 pounds. Swordfish are found in the deeper offshore waters, feeding in extreme depths during the day and coming near the surface at night. Like marlin, swordfish move with temperature changes, becoming most common in late summer and fall.

One of the only predators of swordfish are large mako sharks. Several cases of shark attacks on swordfish have been documented of the Virginia coast. Makos seem to be skilled at catching swordfish basking on the surface. The shark attacks from behind, biting off the tail which leaves the swordfish disabled. The shark then eats its fill and leaves the rest of the fish to scavengers.

Swordfish are caught mostly at night, in the deeper areas of the Virginia offshore canyons. On overnight trips, anglers typically set one or more lines at various depths. Nighttime swordfish rigs usually consist of a large circle or Southern tuna hook on a cable leader. Swordfish baits include whole squid, mackerel or other small fish. A glow stick is added to the leader a few feet above the bait. Inline weights may also be added on the line to control the depth of the bait.

Anglers fishing the waters off the coast of Virginia almost always release both blue and white marlin. In fact in some areas the arrival of a dead marlin to the dock is considered highly offensive. As for swordfish, the decision to kill or release a legal sized swordfish is usually a matter of personal preference. The American swordfish fishery is one of the few fishery management success stories, with a recent comeback of the fish after their stocks plummeted due to overfishing. Hopefully future harvests will remain within reason and Virginia will enjoy good fishing for all 3 species of billfish.

For more on Virginia offshore fishing, visit Tools of the Trade Charters, Shammy Sportfishing and Chincoteague Island Virginia.

Reviving Billfish - Tips You Need to Know When Releasing Sailfish, Swordfish, and Marlin

Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish we brought to the boat.

It was about 8:30pm and we had been set up for about 45minutes when we had our first bite, the second balloon at 150' baited with a dead squid started to scream. My brother Rocky was on the rod and the instant he pushed the drag up to strike, which on our rods is set at 25-30lbs of drag, the fish stopped and Rocky cranked the fish in effortlessly. Less then five minutes later we had a small swordfish boat side. We couldn't see the hook and since this fish was brought to the boat so quickly we didn't want to put this green fish through any trauma.

Rocky handed me the pliers and I clipped the leader as close to the swordfish's mouth as possible. The swordfish kicked away and seemed to be fine, then less then a minute later on the other side of the boat we spotted the swordfish belly up. We pulled in the drift anchor and moved the boat to the swordfish. Rocky grabbed its bill and brought it along boat side. I put one engine in gear and Rocky held the fish's bill underwater in the hopes of reviving this small swordfish. After a minute or so of attempted reviving, the swordfish just became even more copper colored, stiff and lifeless. We realized there was no hope of reviving this fish so we brought him in the boat. Once he was in the boat we inspected the fish and the hook which we decided to cut was just a little bit inside the corner of its mouth and not bleeding what so ever. Since this fish was brought to the boat in minutes and received no trauma from the fight or from us upon release made us believe that this fish must have had heart failure.

Incidents like this are rare, especially when the fight time is kept to a minimum. But, they do happen and it reminds us that even though we are conservation minded and try to practice good catch and release, there is always a chance that a caught fish will not survive after being released.

There are many things we as fisherman can do to try and ensure a healthy release for any billfish we catch. For one, whenever we get a green billfish to the boat which we are planning on releasing simply cut the leader as close to the fishes mouth as possible and as quickly as possible. Holding any large billfish along boat side is one of the most dangerous things we can do in the sport of fishing. When a mate leans over the gunwale to hold a boated billfish, especially on a boat with high freeboard, he or she can seriously injure themselves and the fish. Billfish struggling along boat side often damage their eyes, bills and gills banging against the side of the boat. This is why simply cutting the leader as close to the fish's mouth, is much safer for the fish and the people on board.

Any attempt to remove the hook from a billfish can do much more harm then good to the fish. Poor attempts to remove the hook from a struggling fish can cause sever bleeding and bruising to the fish. So, unless you have a smaller billfish at the boat and you can clearly see that de-hooking the fish will be an easy task due to where the hook is placed, simply cut the leader as close to the fish's mouth as possible, it will have a much better chance of survival.

In the event you try and de-hook a smaller billfish, attempt to de-hook the fish while its head is underwater. Once a billfish's head is above water it will violently thrash its head.

When you are about to release a billfish if it's not struggling to get away, is not lit up and has a copper color, grab the fish's bill holding the bill and the fish's head under water then put the boat in gear so water will run through the fish's gills. Once the fish starts to kick on its own or starts to struggle, gently let go of the bill and let it swim free.

Never consider a billfish dead, always try to revive the fish as it may just be exhausted from a long battle or unconscious from lack of water (oxygen) running through its gills.

TightLines,

Captain Vinnie La Sorsa
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charter
http://www.GoodFellasCharters.com

http://www.Go-Sportfishing.com