A magnificent effort by Naroma girl Georgia Poyner who caught and released a big striped marlin on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The effort was all the more remarkable in that the Year 12 student at Narooma High School used a light rod and spinning reel and was fishing on dad Jon’s relatively small 5m inflatable rubber duck.
She now has the blisters to show for it after the epic two-hour battle.
Dad Jon says it was one of the biggest striped marlin he has seen, measuring 3.8 metres in length and weighing an estimated 140 kilograms plus.
Georgia’s weekend started competing at the Big Husky triathlon in the sprint distance, finishing in eighth place in her age category.
On Sunday, they decided to head out for the shelf off Narooma, only leaving at 11am.
“We ended up coming across a big bait ball down deep so I dropped a jig down,” she said. “On the way up, a marlin smoked my slimies. Quickly chucked together the only bit of marlin-worthy tackle we had - about 1m and a half of 130lb mono tied to an 8.0 hook tied on with a uni knot.
“Dropped down a dead bait and we were on. Then began a two-hour battle on spin outfit, no harnesses or gut pad. Not sure on the weight yet but estimated at 140kg plus. Jumped in to give her a swim and fingers crossed she went back safe ‘n sound.”
One would think fishing in a rubber boat for beaked marlin would have it’s own hazards, but dad Jon says they would not have been able to make it through the bar on Sunday had it not been for the inflatable boat that can handle the waves.
Also getting into the marlin were Narooma Sport and Gamefishing Club members Bob Hirs and Warren Horrigan, who fished out of Narooma on Saturday on their boat “On Strike” with Bob'’s dad Henry and Rick Ziarkowsky.
They caught some nice kingfish at the island before heading northeast towards Tuross, tagging two marlin. Henry was elated to catch and release his first marlin. We'll done boys.
Then the next day, Bob, Warren and Rick took out Jayden Willox out for a kingfish and then a marlin, and they caught both.