Lots happening all over and its not too long until many in the Cairns marlin fleet are fishing for the big ones. Capt. Tim Dean’s Calypso has started his season up at Lizard and Number 10 and while Tim says he hasn’t found any blacks on 10 yet he is filling the bait freezer and having fun with a few sails.  Although some heavy tackle has started, light tackle isn’t over quite yet with Yorkey’s Knob hosting the AIBT and their Light Tackle Slam next week (11-15 September).

Townsville Game Fishing Club members enjoyed some action on the weekend post tournament with blacks for Igconito and Zuri who also tagged a sail. Trailer boat TeeJay also fished Monday for a little black as well. Reminder one more in the North Queensland light tackle tournament calendar is upcoming with the Innisfail Billfish Tournament September 26-28.

In Weipa the sails are back as the club counts down to their Billfish Tournament 5-7 October. Yesterday DJ and Linda (Jay) tagged 9 on Get N Any while Darryl French on Wine Down added to his solo season talley with another 5. Plenty more club boats in on the action last weekend as well.

The club has also been notching up the recaptures with another three recorded at intervals to recapture at 2 years, one day short of 1 year and 6 days!

Also on sails in the west, Dampier’s Scott MacGowan on The Wench has likewise enjoying another busy season. On Sunday he added another 7 following up from 12 tags on Saturday and tagging another 28 over the previous weekend!

Back off Queensland’s Fraser Island, Capt. Russel Caphorn’s Kaizen is heading north for the marlin season with Jamie and Michael Behrens on board. Jamie reports they put the lures in at the Waddy Canyons off Fraser yesterday and found a patch of fish nth of that spot going 2 from 3 with a black and a blue marlin both to son Michael. Jamie said he did well on 60kg in the chair at only 14!

The Graham’s Chaos also fished yesterday in the good weather for a 250lb black to Gary Graham.

Also in recapture news we have the details of a recapture from myself on Senshi of a little black marlin back in early June that was caught by young Luke Vesco on Mistress the week before. Fishing nearby the same weekend SCGFC Reel Crazy also recaptured another of Mistresses fish.**

Back home on the Sunshine Coast both MGFC and SCGFC club boats have been finding the fish. Jamie reports that some black marlin to 100kg with some sailfish mixed in with them have been reported with the big schools of slimys keeping them there.

Last week SCGFC’s Preposterous went 3-3-3, all blacks including two micros and 120kg+ fish on 15kg.  Alex Fenwick’s Never Home also fought a similar model for 3+ hours before the lines parted on 8kg but were successful on a sail estimated at 30kg that was a recapture of club junior Bryce Bartelson’s fish tagged on Pitch Black in April from the same area.

**Very sad news also with the recent passing of Mistresses Barry Alty after a long battle with cancer. Barry has spent countless hours on the water over very many years and will be very sadly missed. Vale Barry!