After getting the co-ords from some friendly folk here on FW, Chris Raff another mate Al & I headed out yesterday for what was our 1st ever trip to the FADs.
Al & I work together and had recently been offshore north of Exmouth after cyclone Olwyn which cancelled the Gamex comp. It was while we were on the riser reconnecting an FPSO that we got talking & Al recounted his glory days of fishing out of Karratha. Most of the discussion was around pelagics as we watched those that had travelled for Gamex still getting amongst it.

Al still has all the gear required for this type of fishing though hadn’t used it for years so I suggested when we get back to Perth we should head out and wet aline.
We departed 7am from Woodies to what was looking like a top day as the winds and swell were low.
We headed for the closest (Undersea Club WA #2) of the fads to find it missing but could see #1 in the distance so started trolling about. The lack of bait fish was probably due to how recent these FADs were deployed.
So we trolled our way out to the deeper FADs without any luck and no bird activity to generate any excitement.

On arrival at the next FAD we were greeted with dollies leaping out of the water and it didn’t take us long to get a few in the boat. The school would follow the caught dolly to the boat so we'd throw a lure amongst them but they were having none of that so around we’d go again etc… we were taking it in turns and decided on keeping 2 each so were disappointed when they seemed to go off the boil with 5 boated leaving Chris with only 1 boated dolly. We decided to pull the gear and high tail it to another FAD, it didn’t take Chris long till he was reeling in his Dolly but alas on retrieving it over the gunnel it got off and around we’d go again. We could see the dollies and they were leaping about chasing a feed but didn’t want to take the lures.

Given it was 2 hrs run home we decided to head for shallower waters for a bottom bounce. Al mention as I was pulling in the teasers something about how it would be nice to "catch a marlin” a minute later as I was retrieving the lure on the Tiagra 16 with 10kg breaking strain mono when that beautiful ratchet sound started humming, given Chris was up next I handed him the rod and he started winding. Then it happened a marlin started dancing on the water about 40m from the boat.
You can imagine the excitement on the boat. Given it was on 10kg BS line and Al’s experience he took the rod and the adventure began.

The battle to get it alongside for some pics before releasing took 2 hrs 40, with it mostly heading deep and about 5 k’s from our starting point. It came up a few times but only danced on the surface once after the initial couple of dances on hook up. Each time we’d get it near the boat it would start stripping line and head deep. The sounder showed us to be in 250mtrs

Once alongside Al called it for a Blue Marlin. We took turns getting a pic and I had the pleasure of swimming it alongside for a minute or 2 before bidding it farewell & letting it go on it’s way.

Last pic is Al with his Marlin.

A truly awesome day.

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