The tournament is scheduled for 13th - 14th April and we encourage everyone to get behind our tournament this is the biggest fund raiser for the club for the year. Rules & entry form can be found on our website at https://sgfc.com.au/2019-peter-goadby-memorial-tournament-rules-entry/. On the fishing scene it looks like things are finally starting to change with a number of blue marlin being caught up and down the coast so hopefully the big blue will turn up right on cue. Remember last year Ron & Ivan capturing there massive 338kg Blue marlin on 24kg, then Rabbit the year before 348.5kg on 37kg, Alex Nuttal ‘s Australian record 236kg on 15kg in 2015 and the list goes on. We have an outstanding record of big fish, maybe not quantity of fish but we sure do have quality. I would also like to thank all the club sponsors and advertisers that have got behind the club and supported our magazine. The new look Tightlines is still an evolving work in progress. We strive to give you the best fishing magazine around I hope you enjoy it and embrace it With a flat start to the fishing season this leaves all trophies up for grabs and should make for a good finish with three central zone rounds still remaining. The Poros trophy is based on point score days the last one being the 1st weekend of May winning boat will go up on honour board at club. The newest trophy added to Sydney game fishing club the Tennessee II, is based on line class on point score days so boat achieving highest scoreacross all the line classes. For further details you can look up on our website. I look forward to catching up with everyone at the Peter Goadby Tournament. (PS. Congratulations Elena Smart on your New Record: NSW, Australian - Wahoo 45kg on 24kg Line) Tight lines Tiddles
The Peter Goadby Memorial Tournament 2019 presented by Little Audrey Charters is rapidly approaching and this year we are proud to announce that we have a massive $50,000 up for grabs for a Blue marlin over 250kg! There are also a number of other changes which we hope will see this year’s tournament be our biggest and best yet. Sixteen prize categories, Champion Boat Tag & Release with prizes down to 4th place tag, Boat Under 8-meter prize category, Ladies prizes plus juniors something for everyone but only if you’re in it. We are also proud to announce an added bonus for those boats and crews who don’t enjoy the raft up. This year you will be able to fish from your home port. You don’t have to raft up at club if you don’t wish! That said the raft up has always been one of the best attractions to Sydney Game and any boats wishing to come back to the club for a raft up are more than welcome.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Calendar of Events SGFC March 2019 23rd - 24th Bluewater Classic - Central Coast GFC + Central Zone Weekend 26th Committee Meeting April 2019 2nd Club Meeting 6th - 7th Summer Pointscore Weekend 13th - 14th Sydney – Peter Goadby Tournament + Central Zone Weekend 20th - 21st Summer Pointscore Weekend 28th Committee Meeting May 2019 4th - 5th Summer Pointscore Weekend 4th - 5th Port Hacking 100 Tournament + Central Zone Weekend 7th Club Meeting 28th Committee Meeting
This could be you! $50,000.00 Cash if you register and catch a blue marlin over 250kg in the Peter Goadby Memorial Tournament at Sydney Game Fishing Club 2019
288.7kg
The International Game Fish Association 2019 IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee Dr Julian Pepperell
Throughout his distinguished career in marine science, Dr. Julian Pepperell has undertaken numerous projects on the general biology, life history, movements and stock structure of pelagic fishers, including tunas, billfish and sharks. The majority of his work has been conducted in collaboration with the Australian government, universities and state fisheries departments as well as with other universities around the globe. He developed the Australian Game Fishing Tagging Program, which at the time was the largest such project in the world. Perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments was developing a code of practice for recreational fishing in Australian in 2007. Dr. Pepperell has been the keynote speaker at numerous important recreational and commercial fishery conferences and symposia over the last three decades and has acted in a leadership or advisory role in nearly every major workshop, symposium or conference on highly migratory species at a national and international level since 1992. Dr. Pepperell received the IGFA Conservation Award in 1999 and is also the recipient of the Rybovich Lifetime Conservation Award from The Billfish Foundation. He is also a member of the Cairns Game Fishing Hall of Fame.
A story by Adena Levi While planning a family holiday in Hawaii in December last year, we could not resist the opportunity to fish in the famed waters of Kona. We booked with Captain Jason Holtz of Pursuit Fishing Charters (highly recommended by Karen) for a day in December - usually known as the low season for Marlin in Kona. Off we set at about 6.50am on the pristine boat on a gorgeous Hawaiian day with water temperature at 20c. At about 7am the lines were out and we started trawling for Marlin. Hold on a second - what? Only 10 minutes from when we left shore we were able to start fishing! We were in 500m in no time. So different to the 1 hour travel to commence fishing off Sydney. We could still see people and cars on the coast! But wait it gets better...by about 7:15am we had our first strike. A lovely blue of about 100kgs decided to pay us a visit and much to our Noah’s (age 8) delight, an opportunity to catch his first marlin had presented itself. First marlin for the day tagged and released. All within half an hour or so of leaving shore. Next up was another blue - a smaller one of about 60kgs. Still, Jonah (age 13) was more than happy to claim it and it was tagged and released too. We continued to troll and this time it was my turn to hook up a 400lb model per the Captain’s estimate. Alas the mighty fish was too clever and got off the hook due to a suspected bill wrap. By 11:20am we had gone 6-4-2 on blues. We continued until about 3pm but there was no more action. We were thrilled though with our day - especially as this was low season. A great first Marlin for Noah!
A Holiday In Kona
Swim Map for the Black Marlin Yellowtail Kingfish crossing the boarder A yellowtail kingfish originally tagged in South Australia has recently been recaptured. Keen spear fisher Bryce Clifton caught the kingfish while diving offshore of Currarong on December 20 2018. Tipping the scales at a solid 13kg and 118cm the fish was Bryce's personal best. Despite a significant amount of growth, Bryce still noticed the yellow NSW DPI tag. and contacted the department to report the recapture. A search of the database revealed that the fish was originally released over a year earlier (422 days) at Port Augusta, South Australia. The Kingfish was released by Adelaide Game Fishing Club member Luke Thompson fishing aboard Off Duty. After a quick photo, Luke measured the fish at 116cm and 14.8kg. During it's time at liberty the kingfish swam an incredible 675 nautical miles (~1,250km) straight line distance from the original release point. When travelling such large distances, it is not uncommon for yellowtail kingfish to lose some condition. In this case, despite growing 2cm, the fish had lost 1.8kg.
Welcome to the latest edition of Tag Times This newsletter has the latest information on interesting recapture movements of tagged fish. If you don't want to receive this information please click unsubscribe at the bottom of the email. Please be advised that the Game Fish Tagging Program has moved location. When submitting your completed tag cards please send to PO Box 4291, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450. You can contact the program by calling 02 6691 9602 or via email at gamefish.tagging@dpi.nsw.gov.au Season Summary The 2017/2018 game fishing season ended on June 30, 2018 and resulted in over 13,000 fish tagged and over 220 fish recaptured. The top ten species tagged are given in the table below:
Luke Thompson with his 116cm Yellowtail Kingfish
and angler Shane Gageler estimated the fish to be 20kg with a lower jaw fork length of 150cm. Upon recapture, the fish was estimated to be the same length but had grown by 2kg in weight. The arlin had travelled an incredible straight line distance of 2866 nautical miles (~5,300km) having spent only 86 days at liberty.
Kurt with his PB Yellowtail Kingfish
Swim map of the recaptured YTK
TagTimes February 2019
Sydney Kingfish Recaptured 4 Times A juvenile yellowtail kingfish tagged and released in the Parramatta River by young gun Gianni Lo Guidice on 8 September 2018 has been recaptured…. for the 4th time. Including the original tag and release the fish has now been caught an unbelievable 5 times in just 126 days. The recapture summary is as follows: Originally tagged Parramatta River on 08/08/2018 @ 70cm - Recaptured and released 42 days later in Sydney Harbour 20/10/2018 @ 71cm - Recaptured and released 44 days later in Sydney Harbour 03/12/2018 @ 71cm - Recaptured and released 9 days later in Sydney Harbour 12/12/2018 @ 71cm - Recaptured and retained 31 days later in Sydney Harbour 12/01/2019 @ 73cm Overall the fish spent 126 days at liberty and traveled an estimated straight line distance of over 15 nautical miles (~27km) between release and recapture. These recaptures really go to show how tough these popular sports fish are.
NSW DPI would like to thank all those involved in the program and values the continuing support of all anglers involved. Here is hoping for a great 2018/19 game fishing season. Top Taggers The top taggers of the program for the 2017/18 season has been published online and can be accessed by following the below link. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/gamefish-tagging/taggers T-Shirt Competition Be sure to get your images in for the next competition which will run until the end of April 2019. Email your photos of correctly tagged game fish species to gamefish.tagging@dpi.nsw.gov.au. Please let us know if you are happy for us to share your photo in this newsletter or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NSWDPIFisheries/ Exciting Black Marlin Re-Capture: Seal Rocks to Northern Mariana Islands. A juvenile black marlin released by Shane Gageler aboard Newcastle & Port Stephens GFC vessel Whitedog has recently been recaptured. Interestingly, the marlin has crossed the equator during its travels making it a very unique recapture for the program. The marlin was released on 13 March 2018 off Seal Rocks NSW, and has been recaptured by an Indonesian longline vessel fishing around the Saipan Seamounts, off the east coast of the Northern Mariana Islands. Skipper Josh Souter Shane Gageler releasing a Black Marlin that went on to be recaptured
Southern Bluefin Tuna heads across the Ditch A southern bluefin tuna (SBT) has been reported as recaptured. An observer from the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in New Zealand retrieved the tag from a commercial fishing vessel which had been fishing off the coast of Tauranga, New Zealand. After some quick correspondence with the New Zealand observer, the details of the recapture were determined. The SBT was originally released on 28 February 2016 by Adelaide Game Fishing Club angler Jay Dent offshore from Rocky Island in South Australia. After a quick fight on 24kg line, the fish was quickly tagged and subsequently released in excellent condition. The fish was estimated to be 96cm and 15kg. On 27 November 2018 the fish was recaptured by a New Zealand longline vessel in the area known as the Tauranga Trough. Upon recapture the fish was estimated at 112cm & 24kg. During the fish's 877 days at liberty it had travelled an estimated straight line distance of 2073 nautical miles (~3,800km). Swim map of recaptured Southern Bluefin Tuna
Becoming a member of SGFC If you would like information on the club or would like to become a member of the Sydney Game Fishing Club please contact 02 9337 5687 or alternatively email: secretary@sgfc.com.au Recapture forms If you do happen to catch a tagged fish, be sure to report it either over the phone on (02) 6691 9602 or online by using the online recapture form linked below: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/fish- tagging/game-fish-tagging/gamefish-recapture Each recapture provides vital information which is essential to improve the understanding and management of valuable game fish and sport fish species. Details of the distance that the fish travelled and its growth are sent to the anglers who first tagged the fish and the anglers who recaptured it. A recapture certificate is also issued, along with a hat or t-shirt for those really exciting recaptures! Don't forget to return your tag cards This is a great time to remind everyone to return their tag cards to their local game fishing club or back to the tagging program. We are still awaiting the original release information for many species from past seasons. Please have a look around and send back your completed cards, even if they are several years old as they may still match up with recaptured fish that we have on the database. Also, please keep us updated with fish that you saw were tagged but were unable to retrieve the tag from. It is still useful to log this information so that we can get a better overall estimate on the number of recaptures that are taking place.
Club in Focus – Sydney GFC The Sydney Game Fishing Club was formed in 1952 and is situated on the end of the wharf at the picturesque Watson's Bay in Sydney Harbour. The club consistently has over 400 members with around 80 boats in their fleet. Key Tournament The Sydney GFC hosts the annual Peter Goadby Memorial Tournament. This year the tournament will be held on the 13th & 14th of April. More information can be found on the club website: http://sgfc.com.au/event/sydney-gfc-peter-goadby-tournament/ Tagging contribution summary (2008-2018) The Sydney Game Fishing Club has been a valuable contributor to the program. Over the past 10 years the club has tagged over 4,650 fish. A summary of the top 10 species tagged, along with the top 10 contributing boats can be seen below:
Boat Name Owner Model Registration Body Colour Fly Bridge (Y/N)? Length or OAL Width or Max Beam Material (Plate or Fibreglass) Engine(s) Total Weight Top Speed Fuel Capacity Cruising Range Trailer Boat Storage Location
Lady Audrey Phil and Vicky Webster Hatteras Motor Cruiser LA114N White Yes 114 ft (34.74 metres) 7m (21ft) FibreGlass 3 x Cat 3412 Shaft Drives 198 gross tonnes (dry) 22kts 24,800L 2,500nm No Birkenhead Point Marina
“This article continues looking behind the scenes at some of our club boats and their skippers”
Here are some basic specs on this boat:
She’s definitely a lady. In fact I would say more a princess or a queen and she is going to need a lot of pampering to keep her in the style that she has become accustomed to. While not officially a fishing boat (not at all really) she is definitely part of the SGFC fleet and we are lucky to have her. I’m talking about of course the wonderful Lady Audrey owned two of our main sponsors Phil and Vicky Webster from Little Audrey Charters. Lady Audrey herself is simply stunning and serves as the Mothership and base of the Little Audrey Fishing Fleet. It is literally a floating palace and the lounge/dining room on the ship (officially a boat becomes a ship when you can fit another boat on it) would put most houses lounge rooms to shame. The entrance at the rear of the ship has two spiral staircases leading up to the main level. Alternatively a submarine style door leads down into the massive engine room housing 3 x Cat 3412 Shaft Drive engines producing a mind numbing amount of power to push along 198 (dry) Gross Tonnes along at a comfortable 22 knots. Like everything else on this ship, the engine room is impressive and you could spend ages just in awe looking at the pure grunt in there. The back deck on the main level is the perfect place to enjoy a sip of your favourite ale and watch the world go by. In fact due to the generosity of Phil and Vicky that’s exactly what many of us did up at Port Stephens a few weeks ago as our hosts opened their doors and bar to all the SGFC Team fishing Interclub that weekend. Then, after Interclub was officially called off due to severe weather conditions and the cyclone further north, a few more beers were sipped that evening till the wee hours. Behind the back deck is a cocktail bar, an ample sized lounge room and a formal dining area with the huge kitchen the other side of this. Stairs lead downstairs to the bedrooms below with the master bedroom including an en-suite with spa bath and two WC’s and hand basins. A few stairs up and you are presented with a console that resembles the inside of a 747 aircraft and seems to look just as tricky to understand it all. We’re not done yet as another level upwards awaits your inspection. Quite possibly the real party area. The very top floor contains a large outdoors lounge area at the rear, a cocktail bar surrounding, as you would expect, an outdoor spa bath big enough to house a quite few friends and some good times. With the music pumping and the beer and wine flowing it’s quite the party ship and as it turned out, ended up being a home away from home for our members serving as a floating Clubhouse up at Port Stephens. If you ever get the chance to go on board and have a look around, you won’t be disappointed. She is truly a beautiful girl and worth inspection.
By Nick Otway Over the years, I have been emailed various photos of whaler sharks caught by game fishers that are the subject of a record claim with a request to identify the animal. For many whaler sharks, this is not an easy task because of the many similarities in body colouration, shape and form. On some occasions, this has led to the shark being identified as one of two or three species with the most likely culprit being suggested based on prior catches and other information. The identification of whaler sharks relies on information concerning the size, shape and relative position of the various fins, the presence (or absence) an inter-dorsal ridge of skin between the first and second dorsal fins, the shape and number of teeth, and skin colour just to mention a few. So how can whaler shark identification be improved using photos especially for those captures that are the subject of a record claim?
I suggest that a good way forward is to take photos that maximize the key identification features listed below and include a scale bar (such as a knife) in the photo with the actual measurement of the scale bar used provided in the email. Suggested photos for identification: · Side shot – a photo taken of the side (lateral) view of the entire length of the shark; · Head shot – a photo taken in front of the shark with its mouth open to show its teeth; · In between – a photo taken of the belly and including the pectoral and pelvic fins; and · Top shot – a photo taken from above the back of the shark showing the two dorsal fins and the skin in between. Hopefully, the acronym in the above list of suggested photos may provide a ready reminder for the photos taken in the future.
Photos of tagging Whaler Shark on Tantrum for some Juniors (click the photo to the right for a video)
Photographic Whaler Shark Identification and Record Claims
Striped Marlin Anatomy
A - Bill - smaller than blue, about twice as long as the length of the lower jaw B - First Dorsal Fin - as high as the body depth and black dots throughout C - Second Dorsal Fin - slightly posterior to second anal D - Paired Keels - base of tail (Caudal Peduncle) E - Tail - smaller than blues at same size F - Second Anal Fin - slightly anterior to second dorsal G - First Anal Fin - three fourths to as wide as body depth H - Pectoral Fin - larger than blues at same size I - Pelvic Fin - Longer than black or Blue marlin J - Gill Plate (operculum) K - Vertical Bar System L - Simple Lateral Line System
The pectoral fins of the striped are pointed, fold easily against the body and are slightly shorter than the longer pectoral fins of the sailfish. Striped marlin pectoral fins are generally straight, with a slight curve on the bottom. However, they are not as curved as the blue or black marlin, nor are they as wide as the blue or black marlins. The striped marlin has the most pronounced vertical line markings, hence the name. Generally fourteen to twenty vertical stripes from the true gill plate to the caudal peduncle. The stripes are prominent lavender to blue in color and they appear wider than the stripes on sailfish and seem to be made up of various size dots to form lines. The striped can "light up" to a very brilliant lavender to purple. The other marlin have the ability to "light up" but not to the same intensity as the striped marlin. The body scales are covered with a layer of heavy skin so they are not easily seen. The scales are single or unbranched, similar to the black marlin’s only smaller. Natural History: The food of striped marlin is predominately fishes, squid, crabs and shrimp. The latter three make up lesser portions of the diet than do fish. The spear of the marlin is sometimes used as a weapon for defense and as an aid in capturing food. Wooden boats frequently have been rammed by billfish, and in one instance the spear penetrated 18.5 inches of hardwood - 14.5 inches of which was oak. When it uses its bill in capturing food, the striped marlin sometimes stuns its prey by slashing sideways with the spear rather than impaling its victim, as some believe. Since marlin cannot yet be accurately aged, the age and duration of different life stages cannot be determined. Females are reported to reach first maturity at 50-80 lb.; it is not possible to determine onset of sexual maturity in males because change in the size of testes is slight. Striped marlin are believed to spawn in the northwest Pacific and migrate eastward as juveniles, which would account for the abundance of smaller fish in Hawaiian waters. Fishing Information: Most striped marlin are taken by trolling artificial lures in areas they are known to inhabit. Blind strikes are generally the rule, but one can occasionally tempt a "finner" or "sleeper" (marlin swimming along the surface) to strike if lures are trolled past the fish. Live bait such as tuna, dorado or mackerel also work well but requires more effort since the fish must usually be first spotted visually. Once a striped
Striped Marlin
Family: Istiophoridae (Billfishes) Genus and Species: Tetrapturus audax Range: Striped marlin occur in tropical and warm temperature waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. On the west coast of the United States they range as far north as Oregon, but are most common south of Point onception, California. They usually appear off California in July and remain until late October. They appear to be predominant species of Kenya, Mozambique, Mexico, Ecuador and New Zealand. Commercial fisheries catch them all the way across the Pacific. Striped marlin have traveled up to 31 miles per day. The longest southern migration was 1,153 miles from the tip of Baja near Clipperton Islands in seventy-one days. The longest migration of any billfish was by a striped marlin, tagged and released near the tip of Baja, and then recovered 200 miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands three months later, a distance of about 3,120 miles. Most of the striped marlin wander in the ocean alone, but, as with all marlin when breeding, they may be in pairs or schools. Description: The body of the striped marlin is elongate and compressed. The upper jaw is much extended, forming a rounded spear. Smaller than the blue marlin, the striped marlin has a dark steely blue back that is lined with dark cobalt blue or lavender stripes (coloration varies with location)
fading to a silvery white underside. Of the billfishes that occur in California waters, the striped marlin is difficult to confuse with the others. Marlin have scales, fins on the belly, and a rounded spear which set them apart from swordfish which have no scales or ventral fins and have bills that are flat. Sailfish have an xtremely high dorsal fin not found among the marlins, and shortbill spearfish do not have the long spear on the upper jaw nor the body weight of the marlin. The striped marlin normally develops conspicuous stripes along the sides of its body after death. This feature is unique to striped marlin. The first dorsal fin at its highest point, is from 75% to a 100% of the body depth, measured at that point on the body, with the length going back to almost the second dorsal fin. The striped marlin's dorsal fin is generally higher in its total height than other marlin species. The dorsal fin has many dark black to purplish-black spots scattered throughout with a light purplish or violet blue background. The anterior part of the dorsal is pointed like the blue marlin. The second dorsal is slightly posterior to the second anal fin and is also pointed.
marlin is located, the angler should cast a bait in front of and past the fish so it can be reeled back towards the animal. Strikes usually result from properly presented live bait. Most striped marlin anglers prefer Pacific mackerel as bait. The best California fishing locality is in a belt of water which extends from the east end of Santa Catalina Island offshore to San Clemente Island and southward in the direction of the Los Coronados Islands. Other hot spots include New Zealand and Baja California. Temperature Range: 70 - 86 degrees F. Conservation: Like all billfish species, the striped marlin population has been significantly reduced as a result of intense commercial and recreational fishing pressure. As populations of billfish decline, many organizations are working to protect these amazing blue water hunters. Several conservation groups are proposing area closures and establishing conservation zones for billfish protection. While catch and release practices are more prevalent these days, many fish are still being killed. Other Common Names: striper, marlin, nairagi, Pacific marlin, spikefish, spearfish. Largest recorded: 13.5 feet, 339 pounds (California); 494 pounds (New Zealand) Sources: Marine Sportfish Identification, California Department of Fish and Game, 1987; FishBase, FishBase Consortium, 2001; Billfish, Saltaire Publishing, 1976
SAINTLY WHISPERS
Love the SAINT LoL Love THE SAINT Love THE SAINT
SAINTLY WHISPERS Two Irishmen walk into a pet shop in Dingle, they walk over to the bird section and Gerry says to Paddy, 'Dat's dem.' The owner comes over and asks if he can help them. 'Yeah, we'll take four of dem dere little budgies in dat cage up dere,' says Gerry. The owner puts the budgies in a cardboard box. Paddy and Gerry pay for the birds, leave the shop and get into Gerry's truck to drive to the top of the Connor Pass. At the Connor Pass , Gerry looks down at the 1000 foot drop and says, 'Dis looks like a grand place..' He takes two birds out of the box, puts one on each shoulder and jumps off the cliff. Paddy watches as the budgies fly off and Gerry falls all the way to the bottom, killing himself stone dead. Looking down at the remains of his best pal, Paddy shakes his head and says, 'Fook dat. Dis budgie jumping is too fook'n dangerous for me!' THERE'S MORE. ... Moment's later; Seamus arrives up at ConnorPass. He's been to the pet shop too and walks up to the edge of the cliff carrying another cardboard box in one hand and a shotgun in the other.. 'Hi, Paddy, watch dis,' Seamus says. He takes a parrot from the box and lets him fly free. He then throws himself over the edge of the cliff with the gun. Paddy watches as half way down, Seamus takes the gun and shoots the parrot. Seamus continues to plummet down and down until he hits the bottom and breaks every bone in his body. Paddy shakes his head and says, 'And I'm never trying dat parrotshooting either!' IT IS NOT OVER YET.... Paddy is just getting over the shock of losing two friends when Sean appears. He's also been to the pet shop and is carrying a cardboard box out of which he pulls a chicken. Sean then takes the chicken by its legs and hurls himself off the cliff and disappears down and down until he hits a rock and breaks his spine. Once more Paddy shakes his head. 'Fook dat, lads. First dere was Gerry with his budgie jumping, den Seamus parrotshooting.... And now Sean and his fook'n hengliding!'