I saw a Marlin yesterday !!

[Iyadiver]

Boys,

We were on the boat heading to our regular hunt area and saw a fin of a Marlin. This is my second time I saw something like this. The last time was many years ago and I was line fishing then.
I trolled and cast but it was not interested.

When we sae it first time yesterday, we then assembled the gun, the float line, float and the breakway. It took so long to prepare them under such exciting circumstances. Prepare one of the MT3. It was in reel model so we switched to breakaway mode. Pump up the float and so on, took forever. By the time my friend jumped in the water, it was gone. I was with him with my baby MT0 for kill shot gun, no float ,no reel...........just the gun with 4 of 9/16" rubers and my modified 3/8 shaft with 9/32" forward part like Hawaiian shaft. My Apollo 11 shaft.

Later we spot it again after 10 minutes and two of us jumped in. The green water viz was no better than 21 feet. We were looking at the fin for direction heading. My friend speed up when he spotted the fin but he made so much noise with his fin, the Marlin made a reverse turn and I SAW IT !!!!, I was on the right side of my friend. It was all so shiny like the belly of a tuna, +-20 feet ahead of me just hovering under the surface Should weight about 60-80 pound. I don't know what kind of Marlin that is. This is my first vew of a Marlin underwater. Have seen Sailfish and Whaleshark once. The crew said Black is most likely. I shouted to my friend but his ears were underwater and I would not shoot and risk loosing ( again ?? ) my beloved baby MT0. When I put my head back in water, the Marlin was gone. One lesson learnt. The moment the boat leave the pier. There must be at least 1 gun ready for freedive breakaway mode with the float and all set, regardless fish or no fish.

If I were holding the MT3, it was a good range for it...
This kind of surface encounter will be the only kind suitable for our extremely poor freediving skill. he he he.

My regular pinnacle was stormed by the strongest current I have ever experienced in this area. About 2 knots. This is not common. All sand and silt were blown from deep water and viz in some area was only 2-3 feet. I saw a doggie of 20#, aimed my long #4 Riffe but I the safety was accidentaly pushed "ON", those side mounted safety is no good. I feel like removing the safety, I never use them anyway. So much of a weekend.

IYA

 

[Dogmatrix]

Good to hear you are seeing some good fish IYA!!! Also good to hear you held off on a long shot (for the MT0) at the marlin, that would take some self control and respect!

Was their any bait ect around the marlin or was he/she sunning or something?

Cheers Rob!

(PS should get to try my riffe on sunday.. isn't setup like i want it yet.. but it is ok for a few trout ect as is. (and also to do a little practice to see where the shaft go's!).

Rob

 

[Iyadiver]

I think the Marlin was sun tanning... .
My Captain said they often see Marlin doing that.

If my MT0 was rigged in breakaway mode and has a float attached, I will try to swim closer and fire away !!!. Imagine a Marlin that size landed using an 81 cm gun.....must be very memorable.

The sea was so flat, it will be easy to get a good shot. However I don't know if it will allow me to get closer. Well, at least I saw one of the "hot" babe of mother ocean and swam 6-7 meters from it. This won't happen everyday to everyone.

Let me know how ur MT5 is doing. I can't wait for mine.

 

[Rax]

Marlin...

I have seen 5 of them resting at the surface. This was outside Boracay, Philippines about 3 years ago. The first thing we saw was the dorsal fins. When we came closer we saw that it was 5 baby marlins estimated to between 75 and 100 kg or 180-220 lb. When talking to some local people I learned that they now and then see smaller marlins resting, swimming slowly or playing lazily at the surface in the area. We stayed with them for half an hour and then left. The fish was still there.

 

[Iyadiver]

Rax,

It must be an awesome experience........
I guess if say they are that friendly at that sun tanning period, shooting one will be of no ethics ??

Our biggest national record on line and rod is 199kg only, and that is a black Marlin. I have seen much bigger ones during my days when I sold yellowfin Tuna. The long liner caught some very big ones but it is damn far offshore in very deep water and no spearo will ever venture that far.


IYA

 

[Rax]

IYA,

Yes it was great.
All marlin species are more or less treatened so I guess that is also one reason not to kill them. In some areas they are however still abundant. Unfortunately this make people in these areas believe that it is ok to kill them.

To my understanding tunas, marlins and sailfish populations that are overfished will become more local. What I mean is that in the whole area where they could be found before they will be very rare except for a few smaller areas where they will still be lots of them. This means that the populations are in a very vulnarable situation.

One example of this is the meditaranean tunas. As late as the sixties we had the bigger specimens visiting the swedish westcoast every summer following the big shoals of makerel. Since not so many tunas grow really big anymore we have no more tunas here. I have only heard of one sighting the last ten years.

It really doesn't matter if someone will shoot one or a few but...

For interesting info on treathened species and how we could do to choose the right fish for eating, spearing and fishing check the Montery Bay Aquarium webpage www.mbayaq.org

The big marlins in your area can be found north of the Philippines where they pass June-August every year. One of my friends hooked one while trolling from a local banca (like an outrigger canoe) a few years ago. After a 12 hours and in the middle of the night he had to cut the line. In the afternoon one of the guys in the fishing club arrived in his helicopter he estimated the fish to be about the same size as the boat.

When it comes to fishing Indonesia is very famous for very big tunas. I now the guys from Singapore like to go there fishing for tunas.

Robert

 

[Iyadiver]

Hi Robert,

The common tuna in my country is YellowFin and Big Eye. Very rare we get Southern Blue fin. Supposedly one of our sea is the migration path for those yellowfin Tuna. I think it is the Banda sea. North West of the Australian continent.

I fish the Indian Ocean side of Java island where Jakarta the capital city lies. In a year there will be about two months of Yellowfin surface feeding frenzy. I tried to land one but they hang around at the green water near the river run off. The viz was bad at 3 meters or less. Can't see anything in the water. Tgis year was the best the local had in the past 10 years.

Bali and Manado (south of Philiphine ) is also where the yellowfin tuna is abundant, at least for the sportfishing commnunity. 50kg is common size and I know some have landed 80kg, which is big for Indo area.

The longliner which operates in Jakarta, will fish all the way to Australia Christmas Island and Sri Langka water of the Indian Ocean.

Jakarta is the capital city and where the money is. However the really big fishes are not found here but rather in remote area where the economy does not allow good sportfishing gears and boats. Before the introduction of cynide, bomb fishing and the current level of pollution, I may say that Indonesia could be one of the best fishing ground around. If you know the geography, we have Pacific Ocean to our east, Indian Ocean to our South and many more fine seas all around the long country.

I gave up sportfishing quite a few years back. I like spearing because I can choose the size, species and I don't take much home. I also enjoy the roller coaster ride they offer. Lately I been targetting only big Dog Tooth Tuna and Spanish Macekerel. The Japanese cook of the restaurant where I bring those fishes to be cooked told me that Marlin is a fine eating fish. I never tried Marlin because in my days when I used to sell YF tuna to Japanese restaurant, they are still considered lousy meat by the locals. I wonder why there were no request by the Japanese cook back then for Marlin.

If I am given the chance again to be able to spear my first Marlin in a fairer condition ( for the Marlin that is ), I will take at least one. It is not only for my own hunting desire but I want to try the meat too. I don't know how to measure "abundant" in respect to the Marlin population in my hunting area but they are not that rare for the trolling boys and the traditional fishermen.

Thanks for the link.

Regards,
IYA

 

[Rax]

Hi IYA,

I agree if one take one or a few marlins no big deaL. I would do it myself. As a sportsfisherman I caught some sailfish but released all except one. Mainly because it was in areas where I could not take care of the fish properly. Just make sure you will not teach the locals a new very efficient way to kill marlins. I guess it is like in the Philippines that they will kill all of them if they can.

Marlin meat is very tasty. Tender, juicy and tasty. As with the yellowfin tuna it tastes also very good as sashimi. When I go sportfishing I use to keep some wasabi powder in my tacklebox. When you catch the fish just slice it and put it on ice for 15-20 min and mix some wasabi. Tastes great. The marlin is excellent for BBQ. My favourite for big fish like this is to BBQ the head. I just cut it into two pieces (one side for each piece) and marinate it for a day before the BBQ. It is very good to put on the table if you sit and share some beers with your friends.

Compared to other areas it seems like the Indonesian-southern Filipino waters are some kind of growing up area for marlin. They are as you say fairly common. In other areas like spain/canary island they are very big but not so many.

 

[Rax]

How about the dogtoths? Are they big? They can be up to 1.8 m long and are regarded to be one of the strongest swimming fish around. Good eating?

I like spanish mackerel. They are very tasty. In the Philippines they call them Tanigue. My wife is Filipina and I lived there for 4 years.

 

[Iyadiver]

Hi Robert,

Dog Tooth Tuna is YUM YUM. If the head is soup in Japanese dark brown version........WOW !!!!!!!! Makes u beg for more. Philiphine has lots of Dog Tooth Tuna, I seen their catch on the Riffe website photo album.

I love narrow banded spanish mackerel too and when done super spicy with lots of cut and grinded red chilly, it is the BEST !!

I have not shot any yellowfin tuna ( I fished them though ) or any other tuna to compare the power of a dog tooth tuna to any other known tuna.

Dog tooth tuna is a resident pelagic so I can find them all year round when the condition is right, it is just a matter how many I will see and how big they are at that given day.

If I am not wrong the IGFA record on rod and reel is 122kg. Spearing record is 83kg in Australia.

The power when compared to Giant Trevaly, the Dog has got a faster acceleration and more towing power. Spanish Mackerel is a sissy when compared to a dog, weight for weight.

Find "Big Fish Battle Damage" under Hunting Equipment, perhaps a month ago, I posted there of my biggest Dog to date. Another thread to look at is "A big tuna took my MT3 away...." under the Spearo Board, about two weeks ago. It tells a lot of my hunt with the Dogies.

No one I know shoot Marlin in Jakarta. I know all the seasoned hunters in the city, either expat or locals. It is a small community. In Bali maybe, it is hell of a better place than my Indian Ocean hunting area.

I must try that Marlin BBQ you mentioned. Salmon done that way in Japanese restaurant is sure finger licking good....

The biggest known and abundant Black Marlin a grand pounder upwards location must be the Great Barrier Reef Australia. There are a few wealthy Indo sportfishing boys who regularly join the annual Lexus Big Game tournament there.

If anyone has a live on board vessel with 4,000 miles range and 30 days endurance capability. The eastern and western end of Indonesia can be explored. Some phenomenal fishes could be found there, I am sure.


See Ya