North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Trolled South Gutter today and didn't get a strike, but Justin Jones and crew trolling nearby scored a small black marlin and some extra strikes off a pod of fish that came up.

Hopefully Jonesy will post a piccy and report

Great stuff.
Sounds like you guys have worked out where the fish are hiding and how to hook them.
I would love to see some photos.

Just got this email from Jonesy ...

*****
We ended up with five strikes, lost three baits to billies after a pod came up. We fed two baits to billfish and landed the one small black with another small marlin having about six attempts to swallow the swimming mullet down but we failed to hook up.

We only lost one bait to mackerel which was great.

I have attached the photo of of the small black.

*****

Good to know that there is a few around. What is an average size Black for off Darwin? Are they all small fish or do some bigger ones come through with them?

Most are small, around 10-30kg.

The picture attached is the biggest I have seen off Darwin, taken by Tynan Bartolo on an Arafura Bluewater Charters trip at South Gutter. So bigger fish are there.

Not going to get anything much bigger than this one, I would think.

I suspect there are quite a few sub-10kg marlin off Darwin - they might required specialist methods - eg skipping sardine baits on 4kg outfits

Seen pictures of Fog Bay blacks that weighed 2kg, so there may be a spawning ground a little further out to sea.

Gday - was out sth gutter on friday too for my first go at billies - only one strike on a skipping gar but not sure what it was.

Found the macs in a deep hole (180 ft) herding baitfish near the bottom - got a couple of big spotties (the biggest Ive seen) for the esky and a few big powertails too - they certainly go hard - sharks were a problem though.....was fighting a six footer on 8kg when you came past matt.....had a have a couple of coldies afterwards

Ah, I remember seeing you bent over on something big - we both said at the same time with a laugh "noah".

Good that you found some fish, we trolled that school of tuna that was hanging around, but the billies were all behind the green Xtreme with Jonesy in it.

glad to provide some entertainment my deckie was chuckling too - he couldnt believe I didnt snap my wilson stroker when I thumb locked it to get it close enough to cut it off - tough rods those wilsons - I would prefer not to use wire so the noahs will bite me off and leave me alone but when the mackies are around there is not much choice....

We started trollling earlier on from the east end of the gutter - working towards some marks I have in that deep hole - the only other times Ive been out there (only twice before) we were the only boat within cooee but this time I find the Tsar and Hammer sitting very close I'm sure they probably thought I was muscling in but honest I was working my marks

we worked the skipping baits around the tuna also thinking (hoping) that billies might be shadowing them but no luck - will get out there again in a fortnight or so for another go.....I realise that nailing one will take time and persistance...and it ceratinly beats being at work