Innisfail Day 1 results at bottom.
Reports are that the first grander black marlin of the 2011 season has already been released for Capt. Rick Eustace’s on Billfish earlier this week. Rick reports fighting a fish that he put over the 1000lb mark for 3.5 hours and 9 miles, fishing into the dark with the fish only breaking the surface the one time. A BIG start to 2011!
From up the top of the reef, I spoke to Connor who is working his maiden season on deck on board Kaizen (with another Cairns newbie Lachlan). They spent the night on anchor at Lizard Island after another top day yesterday releasing a black marlin for skipper Russell Caporn’s brother Chris that they put at 900lbs!! They also released a smaller ‘rat’ at 150lb and raised a couple more fish. On Friday they released ar 200lb fish in addition to the 200lb-er they released on Thursday already reported.
Connor said the wind has been a relentless, but the fishing are more than making up for it and–what more could two greenhorns ask for than a start to these season than this?! It’s a lot different from what they are used to with the smaller fish at home! And it’s worth mentioning at this point that the fishing back ‘home’ on the Sunshine Coast is just kicking off as well. SCGFC President Brent Higgins gave me an update on their season opener and tells me it was Chris Stallon of MBT Lures fishing on Think Big who tagged a sailfish that actually pipped the boys on Reel Capture (with a striped marlin) for the first fish of the season. Brent says this is great news with the Spring Shootout now only 2 weeks away and with water temperatures on the rise.
As for the tournament that is currently underway, four fish were tagged on Day 1 of the Innisfail Billfish Tournament (3 sailfish and a black marlin). Castille III lead the scoring off with a sail released at 9am after a short 4 minute fight. Next Jim’n I released an estimated 30kg black marlin after a 1 hour 40 minute fight. Reelly Black released one sail out of a double and Townsville boat Striper rounded up the billfish scoring for the day with a very first sailfish for Clayton Pearce. In addition, there were also about 20 gamefish weighed. (Did I get that all right?) Good luck to everyone competing for day 2 today!
