They say a picture tells a thousand words. If “they” are correct, the photo of a traveling angler with grin from ear to ear aboard The Hooker releasing blue marlin under the watchful eye of Capt. Skip Smith speaks volumes. It’s an exotic image like this snapped off the beaten path that triggers the adventurous spirit in all of us.
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Photo courtesy: Anthony Goulding
By Barry Alty
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.
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
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
By Capt. Chris Donato
Polynesians have been fishing the waters of Samoa for many centuries, traditionally with homemade canoes, bone hooks and hand lines. Yet only in recent years has sportfishing kicked off in Samoa, an unspoiled Blue Marlin hot spot worthy of attention.
Independent Samoa is located in the Southwestern Pacific and is one of the largest islands in the Polynesian chain. It is located about 600 miles northeast of Fiji and is made up of two main islands, Savaii and Upolu. Our 37-foot Merritt is based out of Salani Surf and Fishing lodge on Upolu’s south side, where we run charters mainly focusing on Blue Marlin.
