Waking up to gorgeous weather on reef yesterday, everyone on board (well for us anyways) was dreaming of big marlin and great seas and that’s certainly what the reef produced for us. Proving again why they call it the home of the Giant Black Marlin.
Day 2 of the Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic was another example of the great big game fishing that can be experienced here on the reef, any time from late September to early December each year (thinking of booking for next year? Visit the boat directory.) Yet another top day with a total of 23 tags reported for the day including 2 fish at 1000lbs, 1 at 950lbs and 2 at 900lbs!
And outside the tournament, another big fish with one that Capt. Chris “Sharky” Miles on Levante put at 1100 plus yesterday as well for angler Warren Keinath as one of 2 from 3. Well done all!
In tournament fishing it started off quite quickly with Bite Me the first to get on the board with a 500lb fish at Number 10 Ribbon, but soon after there was a steady bite at Number 7 Ribbon which started off with a 300lb-er for owner Reg Moore on Capt. Kim Andersen’s charge Duyfken and then got bigger again. Capt. Bill Billson’s Viking II hit the scoreboard with a 500lb-er at Number 7 and Capt. Ross Finlayson’s Top Shot with a 750lb-er. And that was all just in the first hour of fishing!
And for the rest of the day it was steady steady. Some highlights were a 900lb black marlin for Paul Axa on lunchtime. Then the early afternoon bite started. On KEKOA, we hooked up a nice fish for angler Alex Kaiko that Capt. Luke put at 900lbs getting the fish satellite tagged as the call-ins came thick and fast. About 20 minutes later, we hooked up to another bigger fish that kept us, and angler Brian, very busy for the next two hours. And although we didn’t get a tag in her for the comp, we got her up on the leader for Ben who was instructed not to let go for a very relieved Brian.
During the time, Castille III settled in for a fight with a fish that Capt. Brad Craft put on the mark at a 1000lbs for angler Stewart Burroughs that was also satellite tagged. While Capt. Ashley Wallis Kalira was notching up the numbers with his third tag for the day to put him ahead on countback from Capt. Daniel Carlson’s Little Audrey who also scored three for the day including a big fish for tournament regular Ken Klein that Dan put at 950lbs, also Sat tagged!
And again with more than an hour to go, right up the very top at Hicks Reef, Capt. Dan McCarthy’s Moana III had also hooked up to a big fish, that they got a Sat tag in just after cease fishing 1.5hrs later, that Dan put at 1000lbs for angler Richard White.
And its not only about points on the board. The Zac team on the 28foot Defiant were unlucky not to get on the board. Changa reported a couple of encounters including a big fish that ate the little skip scaley on shotgun cleanly and they settled into the fight nearly having her to the boat within 5 mins. But with only 3 on board it was too hard and she took off and sulked low and rubbed off close to the leader after being on sunset for most of the fight.
What a day!
The standings are: In the lead, Kalira on 5 tags, on countback to Little Audrey also with 5 tags. Top Shot is next on four from Amokura also on 4. On 3 tags Althaldo from Castille III. Next are Duyfken, Viking II, Hellraiser and Moana on two. And on one each are: Think Big, The Joker, Iona II, Reel Easy, Bite Me, KEKOA, Kaizen, Onsite, Iceman and Illusion.
Once again you can follow the action on my Twitter feed. I’m also feeding the tag reports back to tournament base in Cooktown who are updating the LIGFC website with the results which you can access via the homepage here.
I haven’t received any pics from other boats from yesterday as yet but I will add in tomorrow if I do. (Updated: received from Castille of their big fish and added in.)
