The 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament delivered four days of challenging conditions, big fish, plenty of laughs and one very memorable trip for Fishing Superstore's own Kim Ferrie.
Fishing aboard Top Catch with skipper Ben Miles and crew Amanda and Matt, Kim headed into one of the biggest events on the Queensland game fishing calendar with one goal: put a black marlin on the board.
And that's exactly what happened on Day 1.
Day 1: Last-Minute Magic
It was a cracker of a first day for the Top Catch crew.
The boat went 1-1-1 on a black marlin, with Matt Wallace on the rod. The fish came right at the end of the session, with the crew hooking up at around 4:50pm.
Talk about leaving it late.
Conditions were reasonably good, with winds around 10 to 15 knots, although the ride home was a little choppy.
With 14 boats recording a release from a fleet of 50, Top Catch had its first fish on the board and was in good company heading into the rest of the tournament.
There were plenty of fish tagged across the grounds, with an estimated 20 or more on the day. The exact number was hard to confirm, as some of the larger boats were fishing further north and outside radio range.
For the Top Catch crew, though, the important number was one.
One black marlin released.
Day 2: Into the Wet
Day 2 started with a bit of rain, but conditions soon turned into a much more pleasant Cairns day.
The crew stayed at Opal Island that night, so there was no chance for an update until the following day.
After getting a marlin on the board on Day 1, the focus was simply on putting together another solid day on the water and seeing what the fish would deliver.
Day 3: The Fuel Pod Incident
Day 3 didn't produce another marlin release, with Top Catch finishing 0-0-0.
The crew did, however, put a solid 140 cm wahoo in the boat towards the end of the session.
But it was the run out to the fishing grounds that gave us one of the biggest stories of the day.
Conditions were seriously testing, with around 2 metres of swell and winds gusting up to 25 knots.
Coming over the back of a wave, the boat took a decent hit, and the side-downs holding the fuel pod to the bow gave way.
Fortunately, the fuel pod floated.
Unfortunately, it meant the crew had a fairly serious recovery operation on their hands in hot conditions.
They eventually got the pod back onto the marlin board, then transferred the fuel into another pod on deck.
Not exactly the extra activity you plan for when heading out for a day of black marlin fishing.
With just one day remaining, it was all still to play for.
Day 4: Signing Off
The final day brought more wet weather and less-than-ideal conditions.
Top Catch finished the tournament with another 0-0-0, but they weren't alone. The tough conditions affected a large part of the fleet, with around 80% of boats reportedly going without a release on the final day.
After four days of fishing, it was time to head back to the dock and celebrate with the rest of the fleet.
For the Top Catch crew, the tournament ended with one black marlin release, a quality wahoo, a memorable fuel pod rescue and plenty of stories to take home.
A Big Thank You
A tournament like the Cairns Black Marlin Tournament is about much more than the fish.
It's the early starts, the long runs offshore, the changing weather, the big seas, the teamwork on deck and the camaraderie between crews.
Kim would like to thank everyone from the club and the Fishing Superstore community who followed along during the tournament. The messages, advice and encouragement throughout the four days were genuinely appreciated.
And of course, a massive thanks to the Top Catch crew — skipper Ben Miles, Amanda, Matt and Kim — for a memorable four days chasing black marlin in Cairns.
One fish on the board on Day 1.
A wahoo on Day 3.
A fuel pod rescued from the ocean.
Four days of fishing.
Plenty of stories.
That's game fishing.
Until the next one.
Fish On!
