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Longest fight?


pugzthugz

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3 1/2 hours on a yellowfin tuna on 10kg line. A standup fight in an old 14 foot Quintrex, gunwhale height about knee height, with only a leather rod bucket. I remember it well. 1981. The fish took a trolled Konahead skirted lure (green and black) at “Yellowfin Alley” - Montague Island, Narooma. When the fight finished we were 15 miles offshore and the sea had picked up. I’d had a hernia operation 2 months prior and I was worried about doing damage but it was my back that was killing me! I had about 5ft of wire trace plus the plaited double to the maximum allowed of 20ft combined. We chased and chased that fish. Eventually we got over him and I began the hard slog of working him up as he circled down deep. When we saw colour, I nearly had a heart attack! He was barrel like! Estimated around 200lb. In the end, he must have rolled in the wire trace and I could see the double wrapped around his tail. It wore through on those little fins forward of the tail. I’ll never forget that day! 30 minutes later, the skipper hooked and lost a black marlin (estimated over 100lb) that took a red and white feather trolling for striped tuna on 6lb threadline gear. Then, he lost a big cobia at the boat - I had the trace in hand but he dived and the wire broke when it hit the keel. Never had a day like it since!

Edited by Berleyguts
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When i was 12 i spent 2 1/2 hours on 15 basically straight up and down on a black around 120kg at the banks, couldn't budge it for hell nor money and in hindsight im guessing it had probably died during the fight. That was my second battle with a black that day, first fish estimated around 70kg and also lost after about half an hour. This was in the old days of 400lb traces as long as allowable 11 or 12/0 stainless 7691's, towing stripies around hooked up through the top jaw.

Thankfully the next day i caught my first marlin a little striped of 66kg on a pink top gun cup face around 6 inches and the love affair continues.  

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Quite a few around the hour mark, longest recent one was a small black on my bait jigging rod at the wide bait ground off Coffs, around half an hour on a light spin stick , Stradic 3000 and 6lb braid before the sabiki rig finally broke, had to re do the drag washers as they cooked during the fight-I try to keep fights short by using the boat as much as I can but sometimes it doesnt work. Generally find we have marlin under 100kgs at the boat on 15kg in around 30 minutes, on 24 in about half that, im not a fan of green marlin beside the boat so will wait till they are settled before tracing them.

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54 minutes ago, New Signing said:

Giving consideration to taking on a tiger this season. not sure how keen i am on patching the gelcoat afterwards though. Trying ton convince my mate it would be a better idea to do it out of his sailfish lol

Yeah- na- i draw the line at makos, tigers are just hard work!

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I'd have to say the longest would only be 1.30hrs which was on a thresher on 10kg. No intention of targeting fish of 300kg + as above makos can be fun but they certainly make a mess of your boat and engine.

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