Blue Marlin Fishing
At Fraser Island
The blue marlin fishing at Fraser Island can be fantastic almost every month of the year! While peak season in other areas of SEQ might be March through to May, big numbers have been caught off Fraser Island in almost every month of the year, and we’ve had particularly good fishing in the last week of November through the start of December!
Warm water from the North Queensland tropics is funneled south by the East Australian Current (EAC) and hits the coast at Fraser Island and making these ideal conditions for blue marlin.
And its this year round supply of warm water from the tropics that ensure the Fraser fishery produces the fish year-round as well!
Photo credit: Some of these shots were taken by our multi-talented crewman Divan Coetzee!
Line Burners
Whether towing lures or switch baiting, blue marlin are a tonne of fun. In Australia we fondly call them line burners with very good reason! They are known for huge runs at speed and changing direction incessantly all the while the line is peeling from the reel. [Nicknames: We call black marlin – fixed wingers, and striped marlin – spangled line tanglers!]
The blue marlin are well known for these scorching runs and also for fighting above their weight and anglers use to the big black marlin are often surprised by the amount of fight in them.
And when you’re raising into double figure of these fish a day, any day you’re blue marlin fishing at Fraser Island can be a great day!
March – May
The stable weather conditions at this time of year can also afford us some great fishing in extended calmer conditions. In the winter months, the Australia high pressure systems tend to move higher bringing these stable calm conditions. And what this allows us is an anchorage closer to the grounds and ideal conditions for the marlin chase.
In the winter months the warmer water coming down from the tropics is met by colder water coming up from the south and the fish congregate on this convergence / temperature break.
November – December
The fishery is alive at this time of year with the warmer water traveling the EAC south from the Great Barrier Reef. While we can also catch good numbers of larger black marlin and striped marlin at this time of year, the blue marlin are often on the bite with up to 12 strikes in a day!
Other Options
Kenn Reef
Black Marlin at Fraser Island
Lady Musgrave, Lady Elliot
