AT THE beginning of the year I said I was going to do more fishing this year so I could write about actual events and not just events that were told to me or something that I have heard about.
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So last weekend I went fishing and just happened to cross of a number from the bucket list.
Thursday last week Marty Asmus, Jamin (DR “Jasmin”) Forbes and I went to Bermi to try our hand at a little marlin fishing.
Marty and I left at lunch time with Dr Jasmin leaving a bit later.
We took the trusty Tournament 1800 that I have had since 2012 and had a whole 29 hours on it.
The set up of the boat is very user-friendly, good size resting/storage area up the front,
Huge amount of fishing room, large live well, rocket launchers, 16-foot out riggers, couple of good sounders, both with GPS and the mighty 135 Honda.
Marty and I arrived at Bermi at about 5.30pm and like a couple of excited school kids we thought we are going to catch a couple of fish before the guru arrived.
We grabbed the key to the motel, didn’t even unpack the car, straight to the boat ramp and off to Montague at 7pm and started jigging for kings.
It wasn’t long before we had a couple on the boat, they were only rats but the trip started well.
Marty hooked what looked like a very good fish and was giving him some curry and after about 15 minutes it was at the side of the boat - unfortunately it was a door mat (stingray) with a nasty big barb, and was carefully released.
We kept fishing until dark, traveled back to Bermi (lucky the Tournament is also set up for night travelling), got back to the motel at about 10.30pm and there was already five boats in the parking lot with ours being the smallest.
Some people really need to learn how to park … we maneuvered the boat to the parking lot and unpacked then Dr Jasmin turned up 15 minutes later.
A bit of friendly banter, planned out the next day and off to bed.
Up bright and early, just before daylight, grabbed some tucker, put the boat in and headed out to the 12 mile.
The weather was not pleasant - I have to admit I did feel a bit queezy, not crook, but not 100 per cent. We found a couple of bait schools and caught a dozen slimeys, set them up on the rods and we were fishing.
Didn’t take too long for some action and we had a hit on the outrigger, but it didn’t stick.
Half-an-hour later one of the Tiagra’s screamed and I was on strike, set the hook and had weight, about 50 metres at the rear of the boat a two-metre Mako leaped about a metre out of the water ... 20 minutes later it’s at the side of the boat and released, back into it.
Half-an-hour later we are on again, set the hook and started clearing the deck, unfortunately about 30 seconds into it the hook pulled, so now we are nil for two for marlin.
Marty put the bait jig down, and when bringing up a couple of slimeys, a huge flash right at the boat and a marlin took the slimeys and the bait jig, so now nil for three.
We landed another five makos with a couple really showing some acrobatic skills jumping around the four-metre mark.
Just before dusk we went to Montague and caught a couple of kings that were destroyed by seals – it seemed like there were more seals than fish.
Back to Bermi and off the water at 6.30pm.
Grabbed a feed and back to the motel where there are now nine boats, and once again, some people really need to learn how to park.
Bit of tucker, planned the next day again and off to bed.
Next day up before the sparrows and on the water, a large swell and some wind, so not overly comfortable but more than manageable and back to the 12 Mile.
Set up and it wasn’t long before we were onto another nice mako, released and at it again.
About an hour later I saw a flash at the Right Hand outrigger, Dr Jasmin driving and Marty resting.
I didn’t want to sound too excited so I just went “ohh, ohh, ohh” and the Tiagra screamed its head off.
Dr Jasmin set the hooks and I grabbed the rod and with that a striped marlin about 10 – 12 feet headed for the sky about 100 metres behind the boat.
I said “gosh look at that”. I asked for the gimble and I was also offered the harness, me being me and a little bit stubborn - no never – said I didn’t need it, aren’t I stupid?
Twenty minutes later all I could feel in my arms was burn, my mouth was as dry as sand and my lower back was killing me so on with the harness.
Forty-five minutes later we were still playing and it wasn’t getting any easier or slower but I was saying to myself “no little fish is going to beat me no matter how big it is” … to be continued.