The Magnificent black marlin is the undisputed prized big game fish in Australia. Its fighting qualities are ledgendary. It is identified by its very thick deep body which is rather rounded near the head, and has a short thick upturned bill. The black marlin is steel blue above and white below, but colour is not much help when identifying black from blue marlin, as the black will be a brilliant purple or blue across the back when fighting, sometimes showing distinct stripes on the silver sides. The infallible test is the pectoral fin, which is rigid in the black marlin and cannot be folded down. Other fins can be folded and recessed into indentations to streamline the fish, reducing resistance.
The black marlin mainly grows to about 5m and 680kg.The Australian record is 654.08kg caught by Michael MaGrath in Cairns on November 1st, 1973. The world record stands at 707.6kg with a fish caught in 1953.
They are normally fished with trolled baits but the smaller fish will strike at lures. When the hook bites haome you are surely in for a lively time. The flesh of the black marlin is white and good eating.
The blue marlin grows to about 600kg. The Australian record is 417.60kg caught at Batemans Bay by David Lieghton on January 16th,1998. The world record stands at 624.14kg.
Blue marlins are more enthusiastic about lures than the black marlin. They are tremendous fighters, producing great aerial dispalys and long runs.
The average striped marlin caught weighs about 91 to 136kg although the record stands at 224.10kg. The Australian record is 191.50kg caught by Bill Schroder on March 28th, 1992 at Merimbula.
Striped marlin will readily take a lure, and when it does, it fights like fury, making mighty leaps and doing everything possible to throw it. This is how the marlin earned their title "the prince of gamefish". The striped marlin will fight until completely exhausted, when it will lay along side the boat to await its fate.
Most of the sailfish in our waters are about 36kg. The Australian record is 88.75kg caught by Ian Bailey on February 11th, 1987 at Lord Howe Island. The world record is 100.45kg.
Most sailfish are respected for their fine fighting qualities. They are usually caught on light rod and gear for tag and release. Sailfish will readily take a lure and they put on a great show when hooked, leaping about and fighting with great vigour.
The Australian record is 124kg caught at Bermagui by Bruce Farmer on June 6th, 1993. The World record is 176.35kg.
Yellowfin are caught by trolling lures or live baits.They are always fished with full gamefishing tackle as they have great stamina and speed.
The Australian record is 47kg caught at Sydney by Bernard Mulloy on April 12th, 1987. The world record is 71.89kg.
Wahoo are well known for slicing baits within millimetres of the hook time after time. They are snake-strike fast and are a recognised game fish.
The Australian record is 31kg with a fish caught at Port Stephens by Ray Bourke on February 16th, 1981. The world record is 39.46kg.
Dolphinfish will readily take a lure or trolled bait and once hooked will fight hard, dashing about with spectacular leaps. They love cover of any kind and are likely to be found wherever there is debris in the ocean.
This page was last modified on April 19th, 1999
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Yellowfin Tuna are dark blue above the lateral line and silvery below, with elongated spots. The fins are bright yellow and sometimes have dark tips. The flesh is not especially good eating, unless cooked properly, as it tends to be a bit meaty.
Wahoo have an elongated body with a long snout and a single row of sharp serrated teeth in both jaws. They are beautifully marked with violet stripes in the water but fade to grey after death. Wahoo are very good to eat.
Dolphinfish, also known as 'mahi mahi', are an odd shaped beautifully coloured fish. They light up like a neon sign when chasing a bait but the colour changes to a dull grey after capture. They are very good eating but need to be bled soon after capture and kept on ice.
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