The Cairns Season has well and truly wound down and some of us are enjoying some down time at home after several months away (keep an eye out for my professional fleet season recap in the next issue of BlueWater out in early January). But we are looking forward to some little black marlin action on the Sunshine and Gold Coasts.

Capt. Rob “Smithy” Smith on Triton IV tells me they have arrived on the Sunshine Coast. The Maratimo Billfish Bash 2009 was held out of Mooloolaba last weekend and was won by the Relax team on board Pacemaker with two tags. While only one was tagged Saturday, there were 9 tags on Sunday with another 20-30 lost.Smithy had his first black marlin trip of the season this Sunday and bagged a 60-70kg black off Noosa – a bigger fish amongst the smaller models (pic below). On Monday he had another couple up but no conversions and also maxed out on dolphin fish on the FADs.

Also on Sunday, Smithy tells me that a boat called Eleanor went 8-6-5 off Cape Moreton on the little ones and that a couple of blue marlin were tagged on Friday so they are still around too. Smithy also sent me these photos of junior Sunshine Coast GFC angler Daniel Brooks in action on Ymer during the recent Hervey Bay Tournament at the Waddy Canyons. After 1 hour 35 mins on stand-up 37kg tackle, the estimated 200kg blue (440lbs) was released. Congratulations Daniel on a great efffort!

No word yet on whether they’re making their presence known here on the coast although Capt. Jim on Reel Chase arrived back last night so I may find out yet. In other new, the new KEKOA is on for sea trials early next week and I should have more photos soon. And season footage to come as well, probably after Christmas.