The Beast ‘OFF’ The East
For those who read my last story “A Marlin Well Earned” will remember me mentioning beginners luck when it comes to Marlin fishing. Well April 1st 2018 was definitely a day of beginners luck for my crew Shin and Yoshi, both were out here from Japan on a three month training programme with the Waikato Rugby Union. With very limited english (basically none), both had never been on a boat before, I decided a day out game fishing on my FC4.65m boat Mini Chiefie would be a great introduction. What would unfold as the day played out was truly a once in a lifetime experience!
With a good forecast out off my local port of Whitianga I decided to head into an area I had caught a 152.4kg striped marlin last season. This time of the season the Coromandel fishes really well live baiting with Skipjack tuna, so that was the plan of attack.
As we headed out the water was really warm and blue for this late in the season, especially in close. Out went the gear in 80m with a spread of 2 marlin lures up in the riggers and 2 skippie lures in close. We managed to pick up a few skippies in the morning but with the amateur crew most were lost at the boat through poor technique and some bad luck. We managed to finally get one aboard and into the tuna tube, I rigged him up with a 300lb leader and a VMC 16/0 circle hook. The bait sign was really good all morning, marking plenty of bait balls on the sounder and the birds were also very active in the area. Time to deploy the secret weapon “Our live Skippie”. The tough little bugger survived a 2 hour shift but didn’t manage to entice a bite. The decision was made to put him back in the tuna tube and continue to work the area in the hope of picking up some fresh baits. After about an hour of trolling the area, which was still loaded with great bait sign we got our shot! Marlin came in and grabbed the short rigger but with all the excitement of the bite the crew had forgotten the process and failed to push the drag up meaning we missed our chance. Bugger! We continued working the area, I spotted another Marlin in the gear but no bite this time. I check our skippie and I can’t believe it he’s still kicking, so it’s time for round two. As I deploy the bait Im full of confidence of getting the bite, little did I know it would only take about 15 seconds! As I’m tidying up the last of the lures “Bang” the rigger releases, Here’s our bite! The line slowly runs out, getting hold of the rubber band used to clip into the rigger and can feel our skippie is in great distress. As the line angle starts to come up before my eyes the Marlin inhales our skippie as he breaks the surface, in this moment I scream to my crew “Marlin”!! Quickly picking up the rod as the drop back runs out the Shimano Talica 50 starts to scream, I give him plenty of time to eat the bait then slowly increase the drag. The feeling of being tight on a big marlin consumes me! “We got him on boys”
Shin is the lucky angler so I pass him the rod, fit the harness, give him a small pep talk and a couple of pointers. I could tell it was a good fish as I had a good look at it on the bite and the aerial display it gave us on its first initial run. With my limited japanese and the crews limited english we get through the fight quite smoothly considering. Then as we get it close Shin makes the call to boat the fish, so with a tough battle on the leader the gaff is sunk and then the Marlin gives my boat a good makeover. The next battle was the three of us trying to pull it aboard, after a big effort the fish is finally in the boot. As we head off to the wharf to weigh our catch Im asked to give an estimate of the weight over the radio, My reply was “it will go 100kg”. How much more, I didn’t know but I knew it was a goodie.
Easter crowd at Whitianga wharf watching ‘The Beast’ being lifted out of Mini Chiefie.
What was waiting for us at the wharf was the easter crowd, a lot more people than I had anticipated. With the weighmaster taking one look at the fish, now bagged up on ice. She asked “are you sure its a Striped Marlin and not a Blue Marlin?” I replied with “na its a stripey”. She then proceeded to tell me that they will need to get the bigger scales as the ones she had brought down were only rated to 150kg. I was quite taken back as I didn’t think it was going to go that big! Then as the fish was winched out of Mini Chiefie I got my first real appreciation of how big it was. The scales were zeroed and then just as the weigh master had suggested they maxed out, so the bigger scales were sent for. With the bigger scales now zeroed it was the moment of truth, how big is this fish? What is it actually going to weigh? The look on the weighmasters face as the scales settled was that of disbelief, 190.4kg the biggest Striped Marlin caught out of Whitianga in over 50 years! I truly once in a lifetime fish and to do it on my boat Mini Chiefie, with first time crew that don’t speak english, on 24kg tackle is something I still struggle to believe!
Watch the action unfold in the YouTube link below…
