Big Game Fishing - Jigging - Popping worldwide

I have to start by saying though that one of our Club members, Mike Dicken, is fortunate enough to be able to divide his time almost equally between Belgium where he’s currently resident – his wife, before retirement, taught at the ‘American’ school’ just outside Brussels – and Port Stephens. Mike’s wife has daughters, and grandchildren, in both places. Lucky man! And Mike spends his time in Port Stephens bowling – the ‘flat green’ variety – and pier fishing.

But recently, given the incredible Marlin run off Port Stephens on Australia’s East Coast, he was tempted offshore on a shared charter aboard Calypso skippered by Tim Deans. (Here’s Tim’s web site - http://www.marlinfishingaustralia.com.au/.) Port Stephens about a three hour drive North of Sydney in New South Wales.

Well lines went in at 9am and within 10 minutes they’d had their first hook-up from a small Black Marlin. And the fishing continued in that vein! By 1:30 the four anglers had had 15 strikes, hooking up 14 and landing or releasing 12 – three Black Marlin and nine Stripes all in the 2 to 300lb range. Mike personally, fishing 50lb stand-up gear, released three Striped - two in the 200lb range and also a 300 pounder.

So not quite equally that catch three of our members took in Cape Verde in April 2008 when they released 15 Blue Marlin from 22 strikes on Amelia - SCBI - Cape Verde Results - April 2008 - but still impressive fishing!

It sounds as if the fishing though off Port Stephens is still GOOD. At the weekend they held the local Club - http://www.npsgfc.com/ - held their Luhrs sponsored tournament – 198 boats competed ranging from 4 metre trailer boats through to a 76’ Warren. As well as the Marlin – Blues, Blacks and Striped - 136 tag and release cards were submitted – they did quite well with the Sharks. Blues, Tigers and Makos were reported with the best fish brought in a 274kg (604lb) Mako.

Children are also encouraged to fish the tournament and here were some of the highlights:

• An 11 year old boy had his first Marlin, a Black of 108kg.
  

• A 12year old girl caught her 17th Marlin, a Striped of 98kg.
  

• And a 14year old girl fishing on her father's 6.8 metre trailer boat played and boated a 418kg (921lbs) Tiger Shark, just 20kg. short of the junior world record.