Light Tackle Marlin Fishing

Story and photos: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

During the colder winter months, starting from late April, the first year black marlin begin to show up. In April, the fish are still in the 10kg range, though they will grow up to 30kg by the end of the season in October. Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

Local club boats and the charter fleet spend any available weekend on the grounds and anchoring behind the spit of an evening can be a social affair. Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

Townville Game Fishing Club members spent their early years fishing amongst the many reefs off Townsville and it wasn't until the 1980's that the Cape Bowling Green grounds were discovered. World-renowned light tackle anglers such as Mike Levitt travelled here in search of records but many of the local anglers made it into the record books as well - including my mother Anne Dalling, who was the first woman in the world to land a black marlin on 1kg (photo).

Over the years, there have been better runs of fish than others. The best day's fishing at Cape Bowling Green was a massive 36 black marlin tags to Capt. Greg "Muddy" Edwards on Assegai. Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

By all indications, 2012 will be another great season. The fish have been on the grounds since late April and as recently as last weekend boats have been raising as many as a dozen marlin a day. The best result so far being Capt. Dean Beech on Maverick with 14-11-7 on Friday - they can be tricky little buggers to hook! Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

They may be small but they go hard for their size and provide plenty of aerial entertainment thinking themselves a much bigger fish! They are also ferocious little feeders and tease well, making them an ideal fly-fishing option as well. Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

Scaling the tackle down to 6-10kg outfits (12-20lb), they are great fun for all ages. Plenty of local youngsters getting in on the action this year including some Townsville teenagers who caught 5 in one day including two on 2kg (4lb) tackle (photo: Luke Katsaros).

The Townsville Billfish Challenge will be held August 31 to September 3 and is a popular leadup tournament for boats heading north to fish the Cairns Giant Black Marlin Season including Capt. Luke Fallon's KEKOA who will be defending their 2011 Billfish Challenge title. Photo: Kelly Dalling Fallon-Kekoa Sportfishing

"Mini Marlin Mayhem" at "Townsville's Cape Bowling Green"