July is the time for renewals ,so please make sure you don't overlook your invoice. July also see's us run into the second month of our Tuna slam, the prize pool has increased to over $5,500 and the current heaviest Yellow fin Tuna is at 57.4kg to Andrew Pakel who was fishing aboard Groundswell. July is always a good month for the Tuna, in recent years this is also when the Bluefin have turned up. Only time will tell. There have also been some excellent recent captures made by members that have braved the elements & got out there. In particular the Boys on Casey landed a nice Mako shark 303kg on 15kg. This is a new club record for angler Micheal Dobson. The the boys on-board Reaper landed a massive 578.5kg Tiger on 15kg, this effort sees the boys enter the 1000 lbs club, congratulations Matty & Jadyen Hudson. We also had an impressive catch for one of our newest members, young small fry member Admad fishing on-board the boat The Butcher. He landed a 21.90 kg short bill spearfish in June (not a lot of members have experienced catching a short bill off Sydney and I can probably safely say no one has experienced catching one in June). Well done to Admad who is only 8 years of age! August 7th & 8th is the Mako tournament. This is always a fun tournament and hopefully we will be able to run another smooth tournament. We already have in place that boats don't have to come back to the club, you can drop off paper work and return home or at this stage you can raft up to the club.
1/7/2021 New leader for the Tuna slam congratulations to Andrew Paykel on-board Groundswell 57.4kg on 24kg
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Tightlines Tiddles
Calendar of Events SGFC July 2021 1st Membership fees due 1st Annual Tuna Slam continues + Winter Pointscore continues 27th Committee Meeting Augest 2021 1st Annual Tuna Slam continues + Winter Pointscore continues 3rd Club Meeting 22nd Club Presentation 31st Committee Meeting 31st End of Annual Tuna Slam
by Greg Wall
Focus on..."Malekula II"
Another club boat that's been making a splash lately is "Malekula II" (dad joke style - pun intended). Malekula II is an O'Brien 34 (O’Brien boats have been building quality Australian made boats in Townsville since around 1981). The boat is owned by fellow SGFC Committee member Edward Aspden. Ed also works in IT and has a love for anything techy as do I. You may have also seen Ed down at the club house chatting about Sea Surface Temperature (SST) charts , Chlorophyll, Altimetry (Sea Surface Height Anomalies) and Ocean Currents and how to make sense of it all. Some informative talks. Most people will check out all of this data before they head out for the day. Ed has taken it one step further by installing a 3G/4G/4GX Wireless Router with SIM Card and WiFi connectivity to allow him to get updates typically up to 30+ Nautical Miles out to sea. With a quality Marine Antenna mounted high at the top of the tower he can constantly monitor RipCharts during the day and see updated info rather than guessing what might have happened since leaving port. Another bonus for the crew is that by connecting to the boat's WiFi they remain connected to the internet for most of the day and can monitor Facebook and even upload pictures and content live as the action is going down! (better coverage seems to be available far north or south of Sydney).
Malekula II is also fitted with DFF3D and TZT2 MFDs as well as a 1kw conventional transducer. The 1kw is very good at marking game fish, DFF3D very good at marking bait and showing which direction it is heading. The DFF3D marks approx half the depth you are except either side of the boat 20 (e.g. 80fa depth or set the depth and it will also make 40fa either side of the boat). The day I went out on Malekula II consisted of crew Edward Aspden, Peter Garrett, Ben Hart, Jay Kim (from Fishing Station) and myself but all in all was a quiet day with only some large stripies to report (see above right image from the day). It's a beautiful boat if you are lucky enough to be invited out for the day on her (marlin and tuna shots were from previous catches).
Boat Name
Malekula II
Owner
Edward Aspden
Model
O’Brien 34
Registration
AIV505N
Body Colour
White
Fly Bridge (Y/N)?
No – does have a tower
Length or OAL
10.78m
Width or Max Beam
3.7m
Material
Fibreglass
Engine(s)
2X Cummins QSB 6.7
Total Weight
10.5 Tonnes
Cruising Speed
24kt
Top Speed
35kt
Fuel Capacity
1950L
Cruising Range
425NM
Mooring Type/Storage
Berthed at Sydney Boat House
Malekula II Boat Specs
13-6-21 Congratulations to the boys on Reaper, weighing a 578.5 kg Tiger Shark on 15kg line. Mighty effort boys I think the angler was Jayden Hudson
14-6-21 Well done to new Club Members The Butcher who managed to get themselves a nice Short bill spearfish weighing in at 21.90kgs on 24kg line to the young fella Ahmad
10-6-21 We have our 1st leader in the Tuna Slam Gobble De Hook has just weighed a 47kg yellow fin. Angler was Ben Hartz . Well done to Peter Garrett who has christened his new boat today as well.
23-5 21 Massive thank you to Tshukudu and their lovely crew last Sunday which enabled me to catch my first yellowfin tuna within 10 min. Just joined SGFC in the last month or so and I am really impressed by all the support and knowledge that I have been given. Isaac Caruana Zarko Mitrovic and Gerard Searl. Let’s get some more!
Vale Rodney Washington
It is with regret that we record the passing on June 14, 2021 of our past Vice President, committee man and boat-owner Rodney John (Rod) Washington of “Great Western” fame, aged 82 years. Rod joined Sydney Game Fishing Club in 1978 and over many years participated in the Club’s activities, both fishing and social. He had several vessels carrying the “Great Western” name notably his big Choy Lee. His boats represented the Club atthe NSW Interclub events at Port Stephens and at some of the Central Zone competition venues. The team’s specialty was shark and yellowfin tuna fishing, which they did with some success regularly winning various annual competition trophies. He also represented the Club at the 1986 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) held out of Kona, Hawaii. The SGFC team was not particularly successful at the event, but well and truly drew the attention of the locals, and the other competitors, with their enthusiasm and social skills. Rod was a successful motor vehicle dealer with two sizeable sales yards in the western suburbs of Sydney. Perhaps the “Great Western” name had its origin from these locations rather than from the well-known bubbly beverage much loved by ladies of a certain age at the races!Legend also has it that an early morning tourist sight around the locations where the boat was moored was Rod and the crew unloading particularly smelly berley boxes, and loads of tackle, from the boot of his beautiful Rolls Royce. In past years Rod enjoyed the company of his old companions at the annual “Dinosaurs ”functions held in the Clubhouse, a venue that was very familiar to him from his VP days as Chair of the Social Committee. Rod unfortunately had indifferent health in recent years and at the time of his passing was in medical care at Erina, on the NSW Central Coast. He will be remembered at SGFC as a colourful character who loved his boats, the ocean and the company of his fellow anglers and “boaties”. John McIntyre. June 2021.
The Fishing : East Coast Game Fishing can be divided into seasons all of which are dependent on the meanderings of the East Australia Current which is really a series of giant eddies with smaller spin-off eddies and being as fickle as they are cannot be defined by exact dates… Winter: As the year progresses : June – July most of the tropical species have moved on. There is still the chance of a Striped Marlin. The Yellowfin and Albacore are at their best and cubing is the way to catch them. Co-incidentally the current has slowed and Gem fish have arrived at Browns on their spawning run. Blue and Mako sharks also turn up feasting on the spawning Gem fish. This is an exciting time to go fishing. Their are not many sights more spectacular than watching 150 + kilo of Mako’s summer saulting 20 feet in the air and hoping he/she doesn’t land in your boat.
130 kilo’s of East Coast Bluefin tuna…
THE FISHING YEAR – AMBITION CHARTERS Game Fishing on the East Coast of Australia…
At some time towards the end of July and into August we might even get a run of Bluefin tuna. These large tuna are migrating up the coast and average 70 to 80 kgs. with more than a few over 100kgs. When they arrive is totally unpredictable and when they are here are very hard to locate. The only answer is to be out there come hell or high water. The only thing you can be sure of with Bluefin is that by the time you hear they have arrived it is too late – they have been and gone…
11 Facts About Mako Sharks BY MARK MANCINI DECEMBER 18, 2018
The scales behind the gills and along its sides are flexible; they can bristle up wards at an angle of over 60 degrees, and there’s some evidence to indicate that shortfin makos use these scales to manipulate the flow of water around their bodies, reducing drag still further. These adaptations help the shortfin mako reach speeds of at least 31 mph. Unverified estimates put the top speed of adult shortfin makos at 45 mph or more, and a juvenile shark was once estimated at 60 mph (though that measurement might not be 100 percent reliable). Just how fast the longfin mako can swim is unclear. Fewer researchers have studied this fish in detail, but due to its longer fins, the shark is probably slower. 4.MAKO IS A WORD WITH MĀORI ROOTS. Shark tooth necklaces and earrings were traditional attire in the culture of the Māori of New Zealand.Makois Māori word that can mean either “shark” or “shark tooth.” Longfin makos are not known to occur in New Zealand waters, but shortfins frequent the area, with the fish being especially common around the northern end of the country. are rather short, so they don’t create much drag—all features that combine to allow the sharks to slice through the ocean with ease.
1. THERE ARE TWO SPECIES OF MAKO SHARK. For over 150 years, marine biologists thought there was only one type of mako shark: the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrhinchus), which got its scientific name in 1810. A second mako—the longfin mako (Isurus paucus)—wasn't recognised as its own separate species until 1966. Identifying the second species took so long both because the makos look similar—both are open ocean predators with conical snouts and bluish-grey skin with white underbellies. They’re also found in many of the same areas (they prefer warm waters, and typically hang out in tropical or subtropical portions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans). One way to figure out which is which is by comparing the flanks: The longfin mako is so named because, as the name implies, it’s got much longer pectoral fins. It's also a longer shark overall. 2. THE LONGFIN MAKO IS THE SECOND-BIGGEST LAMNIDAE SHARK. The Lamnidae family includes the salmon shark, the porbeagle, and the great white. In terms of size, a full-grown great white, at 19.6 feet long, is the biggest. Next comes the longfin mako, which has a maximum known length of 14 feet. Even the biggest shortfins reach just 12.8 feet long. 3. SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK CAN REACH SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 31 MPH. The shortfin mako is built for speed. Its body has a streamlined, bullet-like shape that minimizes water resistance, and its pectoral and dorsal fins are rather short, so they don’t create much drag—all features that combine to allow the sharks to slice through the ocean with ease. are rather short, so they don’t create much drag—all features that combine to allow the sharks to slice through the ocean with ease.
bluefish remains turned up in 67 percent of their stomachs. The sharks will also go after squid, tuna, and billfish, plus the occasional dolphin or porpoise. They're also known to attack swordfish and sailfish. Unfortunately for the sharks, those fish use their sharp beaks to impale attackers. Shortfin makos with stab or puncture wounds are a common sight; one female shark was found dead with a broken-off sailfish beak lodged in her eye. Reports of similar injuries on longfin makos tell us that this species also has an antagonistic (and probably predatory) relationship with powerful swordfish. 8. SHORTFINS SOMETIMES JUMP INTO BOATS. Big, fast, and tenacious, the shortfin mako is a prized game fish around the world—but grappling with one is quite the challenge for anglers. “The feel of most sharks on a fishing line is like hauling on wet laundry or trying to lift a cow,”wroteJawsauthor Peter Benchley. “Fighting a mako has been compared to riding a bull or wrestling an enraged crocodile.” It gets even tougher if the fish go airborne. Shortfin makos can reportedly leap up to 20 feet out of the water, often after getting caught on a fisherman’s line. That leads to a lot of weird-but-true headlines about makos who have propelled themselves onto boat decks. In 2013, a hooked shortfin weighing 303 pound shopped aboard a private fishing vessel off the coast of New Jersey, causing $5000 in damages. Four years later, a 10-footer was released back into Long Island waters after it had burst from the ocean and gotten stuck under the guard rail of a Charter boat. are rather short, so they don’t create much drag—all features that combine to allow the sharks to slice through the ocean with ease.
5. MALE AND FEMALE SHORTFIN MAKOS SEEM TO AVOID EACH OTHER. Beginning in December 2004, biologist Gonzalo Mucientes and his colleagues spent four months gathering data on sharks in the southeastern Pacific. Unexpectedly, they found adult shortfin makos practicing sexual segregation. On one side of an imaginary, north-south line between Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the Pitcairn Islands, the team discovered male shortfins almost exclusively. The other side yielded many more females than males. Another study noticed this same kind of sexual divide among shortfin makos in the north Pacific. Scientists theorized that adult shortfin makos steer clear of the opposite sex for extended periods so the females who aren’t looking to reproduce can avoid harassment from males. 6. SHORTFIN MAKO GROWTH AND MATURATION RATES ARE SLOW. When they're born—after a gestation period that is believed to last 15 to 18 months—shortfin pups are 25 to 28 inches long. According to a 2009 study, males become full-fledged adult sat between 7 and 9 years of age, but females don't hit that benchmark until they're between 18 and 21. The species has an estimated lifespan of 29 to 32 years—so when a given population of shortfin makos declines, the slow maturation rates can make it difficult for these fish to bounce back. 7. SOME MAKOS HUNT SWORDFISH. You might say the shortfin mako enjoys fast food: The shark is a quick carnivore who chases down other high-velocity fish. Bluefish are a favorite meal: In an examination of 399 shortfin mako carcasses, are rather short, so they don’t create much drag—all features that combine to allow the sharks to slice through the ocean with ease.
big Mako shark built to swim as fast as the fastest fish in the sea and everything about him was beautiful except his jaws.” A fight ensues between man and beast. Santiago kills the shark, but not before it rips off 40 pounds of marlin meat, thus guaranteeing that other predators will flock to the corpse. 11. FLORIDA RESEARCHERS ARE USING MAKOS TO PREDICT ELECTION RESULTS. Who needs polling data when you’ve got prognosticating sharks? Researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, use satellite tags to survey wild sharks. In the fall of 2016, the scientists decided to advertise their program by using tracking data from two makos to try and predict the outcome of that year’spresidential election. Both fish were named after one of the candidates and it was decided that whichever shark had swum the farthest between September 26 and November 1 would be declared the winner. Within that time frame, the Donald Trump shark swam 652.44 miles to the Hillary Clinton shark’s 510.07. The school used the same method to try to determine the outcomes of Florida’s 2018 Senate and gubernatorial races, crowning Ron DeSantis and Bill Nelson the winners. (DeSantis won; Nelson did not.)
9. ONE SPECIES IS PRIZED FOR ITS MEAT. The shortfin mako puts up a good fight, but that’s not the only reason why fishermen target them. “They’re unlucky enough to be one of the few shark species that is commercially viable for their meat,” wildlife ecologist Michael Byrne told Popular Science. Shortfin mako meat has a swordfish-like taste and has long been used as an ingredient in everything from stews to fish tacos. Longfin mako is sometimes eaten as well, but according to the University of Florida, longfin meat is considered to be lower in quality. However, the longfin is still actively hunted down for its namesake fins, which can fetch high prices as decorative items. If a species can be fished, it can be over fished. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies both mako species as “vulnerable,” a designation it reserves for animals that might soon become endangered. Many of these sharks get accidentally captured when schools of tuna or swordfish are reeled in by large-scale fishing operations. Also, scientists think the shortfin’s slow maturation rates have contributed to its decline in many areas. 10. ERNEST HEMINGWAY WROTE ABOUT THEM. In The Old Man and the Sea—one of his final works, and the novel that won him a Pulitzer in 1953—Hemingway wrote a mako shark into a scene with the book's main character, Santiago, a Cuban fisherman who is trying to land an Atlantic blue marlin. He successfully harpoons one, but nearly loses his catch to a mako: “The shark was not an accident. He had come up from deep down in the water as the dark cloud of blood had settled and dispersed in the mile deep sea. He had come up so fast and absolutely without caution that he broke the surface of the blue water and was in the sun … He was a very
How will NSW benefit from harvest strategies? Harvest strategies are a best-practice approach to fisheries management decision making, and an effective way to balance the ecological, social and economic outcomes of fisheries management across all sectors into a single framework for better decision making. They provide increased certainty to all stakeholders about how a fishery will be managed over time. This allows planning for the future and reduces the likelihood of uncertainties and changes that will impact on the profitability and sustainability of the fishery. A harvest strategy provides certainty and transparency for all fishery stakeholders, particularly about how decisions are made in fisheries management. Creating improved certainty and transparency has benefits for a fishery: It contributes to creating a climate of trust between fishery stakeholders It reduces tensions between stakeholder groups It allows fishery managers and fishers to operate with greater confidence and efficiency It allows for greater business planning by commercial fishers as the fishery management responses to various levels of fishery performance are documented and more predictable. A well-constructed harvest strategy allows for more efficient and proactive decision making even with the uncertainties that are inherent to fisheries management For further information please read our brochure on Fisheries Harvest Strategies in NSW (PDF, 1137.33 KB).
What is a Harvest Strategy? The NSW Department of Primary Industries is partnering with commercial, recreational and Aboriginal cultural fisheries across NSW to develop tailored harvest strategies. Harvest strategies are used all over the world and have been adopted in most Australian fisheries jurisdictions to improve fisheries management and the outcomes for fish species and fisheries. A harvest strategy brings together the key scientific monitoring, assessment and management measures used to make decisions to achieve defined objectives, including those related to the intensity of fishing activity to be applied to a species or catch to be removed from a fishery. In simple terms, a harvest strategy provides a decision making framework to ensure that fishery managers, fishers and other key stakeholders consider and document the responses to various fishery conditions (desirable and undesirable) before they occur. This promotes transparent, proactive and decisive management that avoids ad hoc, reactionary or delayed decisions. A harvest strategy is a transparent and consistent decision-making framework that specifies the pre-determined management actions necessary to achieve the agreed ecological, economic and/or social and cultural management objectives. A harvest strategy can be developed at the species or fishery level to bring together commercial, recreational and Aboriginal fishing in an integrated fishery or stock management approach.
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/ Harvest Strategies
New Club Record + (20 to 1) 23-5-21 Swansea Michael has broken a club record that has stood since 1984. Cracking day 303kg mako on 15kg line big thank to the boys Mitch Liddall Adam Daniel and Cooper and a big thanks to Stephen Liddall for letting us take his boat awesome day boys.
Why Dogs Are Better Than Wives 1. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, “If I died would you get another dog?” 2. If you pretend to be blind, your dog can stay in your hotel room for free. 3. If dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away. ********************** 1. Dogs enjoy petting in public. 2. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24-hours a day. 3. Dags find you amusing when you’re drunk.
Good and Bad Good: You came home for a quickie. Bad: Your wife walks in unexpectedly.
Q: What makes men chase women they have no intention of marrying? A: The same urge that makes dogs chase cars they have no intention of driving.
Basic Bar Terminology “CAN I JUST GET A CLASS OF WATER?” (FEMALE) (I am really annoying, but cute enough to get away with this.) ****************** A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
Sharing A young man saw an elderly couple sitting down to lunch at McDonald’s. He noticed that they had ordered one meal, and an extra drink cup. As he watched, the gentleman carefully divided the hamburger in half, them counted out the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them. Then he poured half of the soft drink into the extra cup and set that in front of his wife. The old man then began to eat, and his wife sat watching, with her hands folded in her lap. The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs. The old gentleman said, “Oh no. We’ve been married 50 years, and everything has always been and will always be shared, 50/50.” The young man then asked the wife if she was going to eat. She replied, “Not yet. It’s his turn with the teeth.”
Bad and Worse Bad: Your wife wants a divorce. Worse: She's a lawyer.
A Queensland Police officer stopped at a farm in Maleny, and talked with an old farmer who was working on his tractor. He told the farmer, "I have suspicion that there is cannabis growing on your property and I need to inspect your farm for illegally grown drugs right now." The old timer said, "Okay officer , but please don't go in that field over there.", as he pointed out the location. The Queensland Cop verbally exploded saying, "Mister, I have the authority of the State and Federal Government with me !" He instantly opened his police wallet to produce his badge and arrogantly displayed it in the farmers face. "See this badge mate?! This badge means I am allowed by law to go wherever I wish.... On any land! No questions asked! Do you understand ?!!" The farmer nodded politely, apologised, he continued working on his tractor. A short time later, the old farmer heard loud screams, looked up, and saw the cop running for his life, being chased by the farmer's big Brahman bull with the biggest horns in town...... With every step the bull was gaining ground on the officer, and it seemed likely that he'd sure enough get gored before he reached safety. The officer was clearly terrified. The old timer threw down his tools, ran to the fence and yelled at the top of his lungs..... "Your badge, show him your BADGE!!"
SAINTLY WHISPERS
Welcome to the latest edition of Tag Times This newsletter has the latest information on program updates and interesting recapture movements of tagged fish. When submitting your completed tag cards please send to PO Box 4291, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450.You can contact the us by calling 02 6691 9602 or via email at : gamefish.tagging@dpi.nsw.gov.au Season Summary The 2019/2020 game fishing season ended on June 30, 2020 and resulted in over 10,200 being fish tagged and over 410 fish reported as recaptured. Considering the impacts of Covid-19, this is a fantastic effort. Stay tuned for the 2019/20 annual report which will be released soon! The top ten species tagged for the season are given in the table below: NSW DPI would like to thank all those involved in the program and values the continuing support of all anglers involved.
Notable Recaptures Tuna Tales. Yellowfin & Albacore Recaptures From time to time the program is lucky enough to receive details of recaptures that come from remote regions of the Pacific Ocean. Recently, a game fish recapture form was submitted by a researcher from the Japanese Fisheries Research Institute. The fisheries researcher had received a tag from a skipper of an international longline vessel who had just returned from a long-distance fishing voyage throughout the Pacific Islands. During this trip the commercial vessel managed to capture a mature tagged yellowfin tuna whilst fishing an area known as the Pocklington Trough, which is east of Rossel Island, Papua New Guinea. A quick search of the database found that the tuna was tagged at the Southern Canyons offshore of Port Hacking, NSW. The fish was originally caught on 17 July 2016 by Gina Cleaver, who was fishing aboard her brother Chris' boatDouble Edge. The juvenile tuna was estimated it to be only 5kg when it was tagged whilst upon recapture the fish weighed 61kg, highlighting the impressive growth rate of yellowfin. The fish spent 1649 days at liberty and was caught over 1330 nautical miles (~2460km) from its original release location.
Zane Levett with a perfectly tagged South West Rocks Kingfish
TagTimes May 2021
Rossel Island, Papua New Guinea. A quick search of the database found that the tuna was tagged at the Southern Canyons offshore of Port Hacking, NSW. The fish was originally caught on 17 July 2016 by Gina Cleaver, who was fishing aboard her brother Chris' boatDouble Edge. The juvenile tuna was estimated it to be only 5kg when it was tagged whilst upon recapture the fish weighed 61kg, highlighting the impressive growth rate of yellowfin. The fish spent 1649 days at liberty and was caught over 1330 nautical miles (~2460km) from its original release location. Juvenile yellowfin tuna prior to tagging
Following on from the long-term yellowfin tuna recapture. The Game Fish Tagging Program has also recently received information about another incredible tuna recapture. This time however, it is from an Albacore tuna. The Albacore was released by Eden S & GFC boat, Sea Mode and was recaptured, offshore of New Caledonia in the Coral Sea! The fish was originally measured at 60cm and estimated to be 4kg when it was tagged by Ross Cooper whilst fishing offshore of Merimbula, NSW, on 10 June 2017. The fish was recaptured on 5 February 2021 by a New Caledonian commercial vessel that was fishing north of the Chesterfield Isles in the outer Coral Sea. The skipper of the vessel kept the fish aside for Caroline Sanchez, a fisheries researcher that works for the Oceanic Fisheries Program of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. The details of the recapture were then forwarded to the program. Upon recapture the fish measured 99cm fork length and 20.7kg. Additionally, Caroline also took otoliths, muscle samples and gonads from this fish as part of her ongoing research into tuna species.
Yellowfin Tuna Swim Map
Striped marlin swim map
Golden Lure Recaptures The annual Port Macquarie Golden Lure competition was held between the 8thand 16thof January 2021. This year the competition was held in favourable conditions which allowed 59 boats and 247 anglers to participate. Across the week of fishing there was
Nick Dillon's trans Tasman striped marlin prior to release
Striped Marlin Major Movement Milestone A striped marlin originally tagged by gun angler Nick Dillion has recently been recaptured. This recapture was particularly exciting for the program as it’s the first time an east coast tagged striped marlin has been recaptured across the Tasman. Nick (pictured) caught the fish while fishing wide of the Gold Coast, QLD, back in September 2019. The fish was quickly subdued on heavy tackle and was estimated around the 100kg mark. The fish was quickly brought alongside the boat where the hook was removed and the fish was tagged. After a quick couple of photos, the fish was swum boat side and subsequently released in excellent condition.
Fast forward to 6 February 2021 the fish was recaptured by angler Courtney Lightfoot fishing aboard Hook & Bullet. The fish was recaptured offshore of Manukau Harbour which is on the north island of New Zealand. The fish was retained as it was deep hooked and in too poor condition to release. During the processing of the fish the bottom half of the tag was found embedded in the flesh. It was subsequently reported to NZ fisheries scientist John Holdsworth who forwarded the details to the program. Upon recapture the fish weighed in at 102.8kg.The fish spent 521 days at liberty and was caught more than 1175 nautical miles (~2175km) from its original release location. There have been over 290 reported recaptures of striped marlin, but this fish is the first to be recaptured off the west coast of New Zealand. Recaptures like this are important for improving our knowledge on population mixing and stock structure.
Albacore Tuna Swim Map
Rebecca Roberts' black marlin recapture onboard Reel Action.
176 black marlin, 15 striped marlin and 7 blue marlin tagged and released. Additionally, there were 9 sharks and 28 other game fish (mainly dolphinfish) tagged. With such good numbers of fish being tagged it was likely that we’d get a recapture reported. In the weeks and months following the competition the program received recapture details of not only 1 black marlin but 4 black marlin, which is an amazing result. The two short term recaptures (6 days) recaptures help to demonstrate that post release survival is typically good, especially when the fish is handled with care. The two longer term recaptures also demonstrate the dynamic movement of black marlin along the east coast. Favourable currents and environmental conditions allow them to move large distances in relatively short periods of time. It should be noted that all of these fish were re-released after they were recaptured. The four recaptures are summarised in the table below:
Mitchel Kerr with his recaptured Striped Marlin prior to release
Jervis Bay Striped Marlin Recaptures Jervis Bay or “JB” as it is more commonly known, has been one of the more popular ports for game fishing anglers over the past few years. Throughout the spring and summer of 20/21 there was a consistent striped marlin and black marlin bite on offer for both local and travelling anglers. Along with a large number of tag cards being submitted, there have also been nine striped marlin reported as recaptured offshore of JB. Unfortunately, we don’t have the full details for three of the recaptures as the tag cards are yet to be submitted. The other six recaptures are summarised a side:
Club In Focus - Ulladulla GFC The Ulladulla Game Fishing Club is one of the most recognised clubs in NSW. The club operates out of the picturesque and relaxed coastal town of Ulladulla. Ulladulla is located in the Shoalhaven region of NSW. During the season it attracts a large contingent of boats from the city as it’s only 2 and a half hours away from Sydney. It has relatively close access to the continental shelf and many productive inshore areas which often hold excellent numbers striped marlin and black marlin. Ulladulla is also well known for its tuna fishing during the cooler months, with many yellowfin tuna caught from the area year on year. Key Tournament The Ulladulla Game Fishing Club hosts the annual Jess Sams game fishing tournament. Keep an eye out on the NSWGFA website for the 2022 dates. www.nswgfa.com.au/tournaments.php Tagging contribution summary (2010-2020) The Ulladulla GFC has been a valuable contributor to the program. Over the past 10 years the club has tagged more than 900 fish, with the vast majority being billfish species. A summary of the top 10 species tagged, along with the top 10 contributing boats can be seen :
Husband and wife duo Tom and Chloe Laurence on board their trailer boat Tomahawk.One of the most consistent billfish tagging boats over the last 5 years on the East Coast.
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. 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: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/resources/fish-tagging/game-fish-tagging/gamefish-recapture