# Marlin at SWRocks



## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

This is a pic of the first marlin I have landed ( in January). I've had them jump and drop the hook but this year I got serious and focused on these and Cobia.. Took me 2.5 hrs because I went soft on it not wanting to loose it. It got in the current and washed through the gap at Fish Rock till I came out the other side and got it up. Used 13.2 k line with live yellowtail. I ended up about 12 K from where I started and a kind boatie loaded my yak, fish and me in his craft and delivered me home. Since then I've landed and released 2 more in much better fashion. Like all fish, the first one is the hardest.


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## pcsolutionman (Apr 9, 2007)

Nice stuff mate Id love to get into something that size from me yak.


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## rawprawn (Aug 31, 2005)

Wow. I hope you have that photo in a frame over the bar. Nice fish.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Very nice fish Grant, well done

Cheers Dave


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Bloody sensational Grant

When in January did you land it and when did you land the other two?

Up here we had a really short run in mid-late December. Then another short run late January. What made our marlin season even worse was the wind and really bad currents early on.

Everything lifted in late Feb but the Marlin were gone. Bummer because we were hanging to get one to the yak this season.

Are your cobe techniques different to kings?


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

awesome fish.i managed to hook into 3 over the short marlin season of the gold coast.one even managed to tow two kayaks over 6km out,before the leader parted.i reckon i was a bit unprepared this season for them,lesson well learnt for next december.with regards to sw rocks ,i would like to make a kayak trip down there.is the area kayak fishing friendly of trial bay?.are there easy launch sites?what distance do you paddle to get fish? what are the currents like from a kayak perspective? is there an easy exit point should you get caught by wind?.any info would be great thanks


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## DiveYak (Feb 5, 2007)

Unbelievable :?  :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Still waiting for mine to come along!!


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## Dan A (Aug 29, 2005)

grant ashwell said:


> This is a pic of the first marlin I have landed ( in January). I've had them jump and drop the hook but this year I got serious and focused on these and Cobia.. Took me 2.5 hrs because I went soft on it not wanting to loose it. It got in the current and washed through the gap at Fish Rock till I came out the other side and got it up. Used 13.2 k line with live yellowtail. I ended up about 12 K from where I started and a kind boatie loaded my yak, fish and me in his craft and delivered me home. Since then I've landed and released 2 more in much better fashion. Like all fish, the first one is the hardest.


Nice one grant, top fish from a Kayak, I am thinking of heading up there soon to try get some nice Kayak fish.

Dan


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Awesome stuff Grant
Please tell us more on the best way to land them from a yak


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

here is a shot of one of the marlin hooked of the gold coast.As you say the first fish is the hardest,and when it is a first of that species a learning curve.The problem i expieranced that day was that the marlin went deep,and my rod never had enough lifting power to raise the fish.Also i have been told to try and get ahead of the fish and pull from the front,and not from behind.(some fast paddling required).for them i will be upgrading to 100lb leader with 6 to 8/0 circle hooks bridle rigged.i have upgraded to a much shorter rod,with heaps more lifting power,that i know works as it had been tested out on some nice yellowtail kings.also i noticed sometimes i didnt know i had even hooked the fish as the drag didnt initialy go off.only after the jump that i saw did i realize it was hooked,but then on the second hook up the drag screamed and then the fish leeped out of the water.i took it as whether the fish takes of towards you or away from you?.do you troll with your drag tight,or do you free spool the livie?
cheers


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

I've got lots of questions to answer but that was my purpose-to say that if you are really keen and determined, it can be done and I'm happy to share.. I'll run through in order of question. This one caught 26th Jan . Other 2 early April. One smaller. One bigger. I use the satellite imaging to fish when water is warm ( and I can get away which is generally Fridays) Same drill for Cobia-very slow troll but only to 50m deep. Different fighter, my best 22kilo and awesome at the gaff. I take it easy and they eventually rise up. Trial bay is very yak friendly-on the right day. Esp early before the wind. I think it fishes better in light nor easters but I don't live there so? I launch at the beach right under the jail. I've had good yellowfin within 300mt of shore. I have been out with 30 odd other boats and I was the only yak. Tons of stuff written about SWR by greater experts than me.. Other fishy spots are Point Plommer and Hat Head. I have been out to 10K and once jigged a marlin on a raider out there (lost it) Generally now, I stick to 60mt depth max. Current is best when running to the south. Jig bait where I fish-look for the pack of boats. I'd say take a week in Feb and camp-$35 a site at the Jail.. Big fish it is best to try and plane them up and you are right in that they can be ahead of you before you know it and strike. Marlin almost seem gentle in their take compared to the rest. I hold my line , 1 in each finger tip to feel the baits fear. On the Penn, drag is set but bail off. I use 2 rods, 1 with a breakaway sinker 10mtr up the line. 
The important thing is that these fish only come infrequently and everything has to be exact. I sometimes tie my knots 3 times before I'm happy. I use light circle 7-8/0 or gamakatsu saltwater fly hook 6/0 for penetration. I don't use a leader nor swivel.. Drags have to be perfect-- one marlin, a bluefin and a yellowfin and I found the drag washers in the Penn had part disintegrated. I hone all the metal washers in the reels to get perfectly flat. I could bore you forever now that I've found someone who is interested.


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

thanks for that.i am not bored.we could go on for ever.good to find somebody who likes to target decent fish.i have also had some strange looks out there from boaties,but when you hook up they are amazed.!!!!.pretty cool.we must keep in touch,and when i make a fishing trip down there we have to catch up
cheers


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Fantastic catch!!
Now we're talking the big guns of fishing!!!


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

thats just....fair-dinkum....unreal. 8)


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## Last-One (Jan 15, 2007)

Mate thats awesome> how did you bring the other two in or did you release them?


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## garrick (Sep 2, 2006)

In my book you have achieved the ultamite mate. WELL DONE!!! Since I too am interested in all the finer details I was thinking, Can it be arranged that there be a special section (like fish of the day) where all of this can be discussed. Maybe call it the serious fish section or Splitting the men from the boys LOL or something.

I really would like to see a section dedicated to serious fish. Maybe there should even be decided before hand what fish are acceptable for this section.


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## whoohoo (Feb 3, 2006)

You're a legend mate! I've been happy getting a few spottie macks,etc but you and Couta have raised the bar. It's going to be hard catching "guppies'
from now on.


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Thanks Grant - Love the idea about holding the line.

I've had a few baits billed by beakies and I think your strategy may have paid off.

Our techniques are very similar so I guess its just a matter of luck and time.

Either way, good onya and hopefully we'll meet in SWR in Feb when the current is working. Up here the water looks good for tomorrow but I suspect the beakies are South.


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## Wattie (Apr 30, 2007)

Well Done, that is something I could only dream about before the sheets become a nasty...................no I think I will stop there!

Good one.


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

Thanks for the encouragement guys. It's been a long haul to get to this stage. In reply to the questions, I will no doubt be fishing at SWR sometime in Feb (and Dec, Jan, March. I often drive up Friday mornings because i have the day off. I always camp the first week of School hols in April) I would be pleased to talk about this type of fishing on this site or in person. My computer knowledge and etiquete is pretty limited so someone else would have to kick it off. I released the other 2 fish. I keep cobia though because they freeze well. 
Another thing worth considering is the leader-or even if it the best thing to use one. I don't. I topshot with a co-polymer line called Izorline. It seems very abrasion resistant. One of the penn 10x or Suffix would probably do the same.
I think a sounder is really useful to identfy bait schools so that you can do circle work around them.
Also learn to bridle up with rubberbands-size 16 is what I use.
Cheers.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Grant you have a PM.


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## brayden (Mar 24, 2007)

thats an unreal catch.. im going up to south west in march hopeing to get into the blacks.... last year i was there i seen a boat pull in just a head of a black.. u must be pretty crazy to be out there on a yak


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Grant - did you get my PM?


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

No. I did not get your PM. Im a complete novice at this. I tried to send to you and Funda responses but obviously it did not work. I'm trying it a different way this time.
My inbox is empty though -my son checked as well
Keep me informed..

If only I could compute as well as I fish

Grant


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## Guest (May 9, 2007)

:lol: yeah even after 8 years these things still confuse me, but the fishing is getting better.

Anything I can help you out with mate? just let us know wassup and your sure to get all the help you need 8)


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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QlpoOTFBWSZTWcY5V58AABRfgAASUCGACgAgGAo/5/+gIAByIkyGjTaTIZGEMA1T1NomnpDJoEYMjQgDvUGUl/0mvWDCPbk2xiiCbtYrIQgOGrzenNoqwZDHEhtQUTRBe0OkeChR7w/rw11qnaYrk79KzxtyuCyEqhBQBYK2RtLm4u5IpwoSGMcq8+A=


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## Guest (May 11, 2007)

Hi Grant,

Got your pm this morning and replied mate, my reply is sitting in my outbox so i know you havnt got it yet.

Hope you get the gremlins sorted soon :wink:


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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

Excellent fish Grant, bloody well done!!!!!!!

I would say most of dream about getting a Marlin from the Yak and you have gone and done. What's you next "dream fish"?


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

A big Cobia is my dream. Something over 35kilo . There is something evil about them and they frighten me around about gaff time. I see that there have been some solid ones caught at SW Rocks this week. I was there last Friday and had 2 big fellows under my yak in 6 mt of water whilst burleying with bread for livebait. Think it might have to wait til next season now unless a bit of warm water and flat seas combine next Friday.

Cheers

Grant


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

:shock: that fish looks Unreal mate
that's all I can say about it "*unreal*"
a picture tells a thousand stories


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## SeanAtCrescent (Apr 13, 2007)

Congratulations Grant - incredible feats off a kayak and thanks for sharing the detail - I think you have many of us dreaming (and squirming a the thought).

I live at Crescent Head (between Hat Head and Pt Plomer & have fished off each, albeit fairly close to shore and in calm seas) so if you ever want to team up for a fish off here give me a shout (my contact details are in the profile). Good cobia have been coming out of the bay and reef north of Pt Plomer. regards


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## Game fisher (Jul 5, 2006)

Congratulations Grant 

The photo is worth a million bucks


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