InTheBite

Au-Struck: A Journey Along the East Australian Current

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The coast of Port Stephens.

By Kelly Dalling Fallon

If there were to be a national billfish of Australia, it would certainly have to be the black marlin. But our famed east coast has so much more to offer beyond the Great Barrier Reef heavy tackle fishery that immediately springs to mind when anglers fantasize about traveling to the other side of the globe. World-class numbers of blues, stripes and juvenile black marlin exist, as well as a flourishing broadbill fishery. Realistically, visiting anglers can experience stunning action every month of the year.

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Old Salt: Capt. James “Bubba” Carter

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Capt. Bubba's boat, the Tijereta, a 43' Island Boat Works yacht, in a harbor

Photo: Pepper Ailor

By Carol M. Bareuther, R.D.

Captain James “Bubba” Carter’s father didn’t want his son to become a sportfishing captain. No way. “No money in it,” Eddie Carter told his 18-year-old son, who by then already had his captain’s license. So the two shook hands on an agreement: Bubba could run his dad’s boat for the summer if he’d do a year of college. So come fall, off Bubba went to the University of South Carolina.

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The End Game: A Leadering Expert Breakdown

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The distance between your hands should not exceed the length of your forearm. When done correctly arms need to be bent, down low and by your side. Photo courtesy Kelly Dalling Fallon

As a traveling mate, you never know when and where fishing will take you. You can be releasing 35-pound sailfish one day and get the call to go to Bermuda the next. Even for those with a wealth of experience, leadering big fish on heavy leader can be a dangerous proposition. Before tangling with a sea monster, there are a few things you should know.

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No Worries Mate: Working a Season on the Great Barrier Reef

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Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

By Dave Ferrell

Grander marlin popped up like ants at a summer picnic this past November on the Great Barrier Reef, providing lucky anglers and crews with some of the best black marlin fishing they’ve seen here for some time. According to Granderwatch.com, boats took or released 15 fish over 1,000 pounds this year, with two weighing over 1,200 and one topping 1,400! (And the way they routinely let go of 900-pluses on the Reef, you can rest assured crews caught plenty more). The 1,431-pounder, caught on the Too Easy II on November 29 with Capt. Russel Gage at the helm, narrowly missed Capt. Peter Wright’s Australian-record fish weighing 1,442-pounds caught way back in 1973!

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Jan/Feb Issue 2019: Hitting the Docks Now

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Forget about New Year’s resolutions… InTheBite is straight to the point in 2019.

Grab a copy of the latest Jan/Feb Issue, hitting the docks now!

Emerging Billfish Destination – Fraser Island, Australia

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Fraser Island, Australia: Emerging Billfish Destination

Photo courtesy: Anthony Goulding

The following is a guest post provided by Australia’s Barry Aulty. Owner of the Mistress, a tournament-winning charter boat captained by Brett Alty (Barry’s son), Aulty provides a sneak peak an emerging destination that boasts the possibility of super slams and large blue marlin. Add this one to the list of wish list destinations….

By Barry Alty

Location

Fraser Island, located off Australia’s eastern Queensland coast is a National Park with pristine rainforests and inland lakes of varying hues. Stretching nearly 75 miles, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world.

How to Get There

Hervey Bay is the step off point for Fraser Island. It has a well serviced airport, a range of resorts, hotels, motels and restaurants, and is an easy four-hour drive from Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city. It is a 4WD paradise accessible by barge from the nearby town of Hervey Bay.

Photo courtesy: Anthony Goulding

The Fishing

Fishing Fraser Island is most popular during the months between July-October. Local runabouts have tagged and released juvenile black marlin, up to 30 a day, near the northern end of Fraser Island just outside of the Breaksea Spit.

The established juvenile black marlin fishery has recently been supplemented by the discovery of a well-rounded adult marlin fishery as well. The waters are marked by the presence of a lot of bait and multiple species of marlin. The blues have averaged around 400-pounds with our biggest to date circa 700. The Stripes have ranged from 240 to 300-pounds. They climb on like blues– none of this tap tap tap nonsense!

Photo courtesy: Anthony Goulding

Any place where you can catch an average of nearly three marlin a day is a fantastic, world-class fishery. What makes it even more incredible is that there are four species available with Pacific blues and blacks being the most predominant, followed by stripes and Pacific sailfish.

The Mistress, skippered by Captain Brett Alty who has driven Gameboats in Perth and the Gold Coast in Australia, has explored the waters offshore of Fraser Island. Capt. Brett says ” I have never seen anything like this, so many species available and Blues and Blacks in big numbers by any standard. There will definitely be a Grander Blue here somewhere.”

Mistress began fishing again off Fraser Island beginning of March 2017. The day before my 73rd birthday, in December, we tagged our 100th blue marlin for the season (which started in July 2017). As of March 2018, the boat’s total was 136-marlin.

Photo courtesy: Anthony Goulding

The Mistress is a family affair. Captain Brett Alty is Barry’s son. According to Barry, Brett’s birthday present for his father will be a grander blue. We hope it’s a good birthday and look forward to reporting the present! ITB