Target Species Marlin - Where? Port Stephens Australia
My name is Captain Ross Hunter, having fished these amazing waters for over three decades I am convinced that this magnificently picturesque place is one of the most productive marlin fisheries in the world and for us lucky New south Welshman, it's right on our door step.
Imagine catches of 16,18 and 21 marlin in a day or 248 for a season, that is world class by anyone's standards. The average size of a Pt Stephens striped is around 80kg and these double figure, per day numbers are achieved by the charter fleet every season from January to late April. Each summer season there are many charter boats that travel from as far as Cairns to the north and Batemans Bay to the south to join us locals at Pt Stephens.
These boats target the abundant stocks of blacks; blues (and the most predominant marlin) the striped on all types of tackle, be-it fly fishing, spear fishing or conventional tackle.(P) Many of my long time friends are in this regime,very experienced skippers and the most respected marlin captains in the world, all turn up on que- Captains Glenn Hunter on Billfisher, Jim Dalling on Reel Chase, Tim Dean Calypso, Scott Thorington Freedom, Bill Billson Viking 11, Brian Felton Inya Dreams Cory Hard Maunakia, Bob Jones Fascination 11, Paul Whelan Devil's Pride, Sparrow Denham Square Bear, Biggles on his boat and yours truly on Broadbill we all drift in and out for the season.
Us Captains love the place, not just for its beauty in landscape but also for its camaraderie. The charter industry works well in this Port, there is a lot of harmony between skippers and that always works well, no petty jealousies, just a bunch of likeminded skippers wanting to catch fish, many of us not seeing each other for most of the year then catching up for a couple of months doin' what we do best and that's catching marlin..
In the long run "Happy customers,smiles on dials …that’s what I'm talkin' about". And we get that from catching marlin and we do work together to achieve that end result.
I recall Jim Dalling calling me up and saying from his vantage point on the tower of "Reel Chase" "Come over here Roscoe there's a bunch of stripes on a bait ball'. We caught several fish in a couple of hours, both of us going backwards chasing a hot fish, most of the time.
However it is not just the brilliant marlin fishing, it is also the superb scenery of the place that I never get sick of looking at, it really is a breathtaking port to leave from and then come home to after a busy days fishing.
The heads, that are made up of Headlands and Islands are remnants of an extinct volcano from a long forgotten dinosaur era. The highest mountain to the south Tomaree forms an embattlement that protects the mariners from bad weather, making the port a most safe passage for our boats.
To the north Yaccabah with its picturesque, almost vertical mountainous slopes and giant wind eroded gorges that the sea pounds into with great force sending plumes of spray forever skyward., a most spectacular sight as we steam to the bait grounds at first light. The colours of these beautiful steeped cliffs changes constantly with sunlight, depending on the light of the day.
Then there's Cabbage Tree Island with its western rain forest and gorges full of cabbage trees, home of the tiny Goulds Petrel and a resident family of white bellied sea eagles, Little Island and Boondelbah Island they all form the breathtaking oceanic entrance to the Port.
Over the years there have been many milestones, Broadbill's twenty one marlin in a day in February 2005. A day when a bait ball was found with an estimated 80 striped marlin working it up all day, all we had to do was to back up to it and throw two live baits in and immediately hook two 80 to 120kg stripes up.
There also has been many World and Australian records on all kinds of tackle all caught from this world class fishery. The area constantly produces record catches of stripes and juvenile black marlin (fish to 150kg) and some "honker" blue marlin up to 350kg But there are other species that are targeted and they are mahis, yellowfin and cobia and they come in XXXOS size as well.
Pt. Stephens hosts the largest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere 'The NSW Interclub" 250 boats turn up and fill the port in February each year. To compete in this extremely well organised event.is a busy and exciting affair. Local boat "Born Free" winning in '07 with Captain Tim Dean at the helm It is a most spectacular sight when all these boats from 6 metre trailer boats to 50metre fuel guzzling battle wagons gather together to fish these waters.
If it is a fisherman's holiday you want and you also wouldn't mind coming back with "Your arms dangling like those of an ape from the stretching they'll get during your stay" then visit us at
PT.STEPHENS you will not be disappointed.
