Update on “Bendy”
In case you didn’t see yesterday’s report on our little mate “Bendy”, scroll down to the next post for a pic of this juvie black caught off Cape Bowling Green on Rose Red during the TGFC Predators comp over the weekend. Anthony has kindly answered some questions I had with regard to how the fish acted despite his spinal limitations. Anthony said that the fish fought like a juvenile black marlin should spending most of its time in the air. The fight didn’t last too long and you could not of picked there was anything wrong with it though it did swim a little strangely when it came close to the boat.
I also heard from both Dr Julian Pepperell who has not encountered it on a marlin before though he has encountered a sail off Broome and a yellowfin with considerable bends. Sam Williams, who is also doing the fin sampling says that teleost fish (a class of ‘bony fish’ that includes virtually all the world’s important sport and commercial fishes – yes I had to look that up!) developing lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis, and broken/cracked vertebrae, similar to human cases of scoliosis, are not uncommon and can be caused by physical injury, environmental, nutritional, infection, or genetic heritability.
So there you go. Hopefully Bendy shows up again some day as a recapture (and re-release) so we know how he goes.
More Weekend Reports
Off the Gold Coast: Glanville Heydenrych was also out Sunday on his Ocean Instinct spending most of the most of the day trying his luck for a daytime sword. Not to be though he took a few hours to fish for a blue and managed to get 1 blue and also jumped off a small stripe.
On the Sunshine Coast: Sunshine GFC’s Club Captain Brent Higgins reported Michael Lassen on Jim Bob released 3 billfish and several dollies while Paddy and the boys on Catapult released 2. Other boats including Jubilado, Double Haul & Shearwater also successful on what was a mix of sailfish and black marlin. Darren Martens continued his great junior season with a sailfish as well.
Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic
Good news for the big marlin fisherman with the Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic tournament director Bob Lowe confirming this week that the tournament will go ahead at the island this year despite the devastation caused by Cyclone Ita earlier this year. The dates for the tournament this year are the 11th to 18th October 2014.
Entries are now open online and tournament Information and rules can also be found there.
I’ve added the tournament to the calendar as well as a “Save the Date” for next year with the tournament scheduled for 17 to 24 October in 2015.
Photo at top one I took during the classic in 2012 – Afishionado’s Tim Ballintine on a nice one. Tag your photos on Instagram and Twitter #LIBlackmarlinclassic!
