Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Stripe Marlin- Monties at their best

This week we had a quieter week on board with Leah taking some time off Blue Lightning to get some work done on land. It was a great week at the Montebello Islands with some seriously amazing fishing including an unbelievable mix of species and some nice Billfish in the mix as well. This week’s crew was a whole boat hire with members coming from Perth, South Australia and even Cronulla in NSW. This crew has been fishing the Montebello Islands with Blue Lightning for about 6 years and we were stoked to be welcoming them back on board.

 

Day 1- Nice conditions

As we do each and every week of our Montebello Islands season we welcomed the crew on board Blue Lightning III in Dampier the afternoon before day 1. After dinner at the local pub we headed off to bed, ready for an early morning start. We woke bright and early on day 1 to some nice conditions and before long left Dampier for the incredible Montebello Islands. The boys had a tonne of fun fishing their way out to the islands and taking in the breathtaking scenery as we entered the islands and approached the Blue Lightning pontoon.

 

Day 2- Mackerel Trolling

We headed out on day 2 to the East side of the Montebelllo Islands for a Mackerel Trolling session. The boys had a great morning session casting and trolling for some sweet Mackerel. We followed the Mackerel Trolling session up with a Reef Fishing session which produced some nice Red Emperor and Scarlet Sea Perch. After these two sweet sessions we headed back into the islands as the nice conditions got even better.

Day 3- Billfishing Time

We woke on day 3 and decided it was Billfishing day! We headed out wide to chase our beloved Billfish. On our way out the boys managed to hook a Marlin, unfortunately it was dropped but it’s always exciting to hook a Billfish, the energy on the boat immediately increases and my heart races. Once we arrived at the Billfishing grounds it wasn’t long before the Muzza reeled in the first Billfish of the day a Black Marlin. As always it was an entertaining battle and got all our blood pumping ready for even more Billfish. In between Billfish there was plenty of Wahoo to keep the boys busy and happy. Next it was time for a Sailfish, with Andy reeling in a very nice Sailfish which really put a smile on his face. This session also produced some nice Yellowfin Tuna.

Reef Fishing Fun

We decided it was time to head for some Reef Fishing and what a Reef Fishing session it was. The boys caught an impressive mixed bag of species including Gold Band Snapper, Red Emperor, Spangled Emperor, Rankin Cod, Chinaman Fish, Robinson Sea Bream, Long Nosed Emperor and Green Job Fish. It was a seriously awesome day of fishing at the Montebello Islands. Just when I think I have wrapped my head around the incredible array of fish up here, a day like this comes along and still has me in awe. Even after ten consecutive years, days like this still put a massive smile on my face and stick out in my mind. This day was topped off with glass out conditions which lead us to decide to stay out overnight instead of heading back to the Blue Lightning Pontoon.

 

Day 4- Bottom Fishing

We kicked off day 4 with a Bottom Fishing session which produced another awesome mixed bag of species. The boys managed to reel in some great species including some nice Red Emperor, Spangled Emperor, Coronation Trout, Long Nosed Emperor, Crimson Sea Perch, Robinson Sea Bream, and Gold Band Snapper. It was great to see the boys enjoying another awesome session filled with such a sweet range of species.

Striped Marlin 🙂

For the next session of the day we headed out wider where the boys began to troll for Billfish. Muzza then managed to reel in one of the highlights of the trip, a 120kg Striped Marlin. It was an awesome, heart pumping battle. We love to share in these awesome moments with our customers, whether it is their first or 500^th billfish it’s awesome to see the fun of the battle and the excitement of the photos and release. There was also a Blue Marlin that was hooked but unfortunately dropped, however we still had the heart pumping thrill of hooking a Billfish. In between Billfish the boys managed to land a few Yellowfin Tuna, and some nice Dolphin Fish which made for a delicious dinner.

Dolphin Entertainment

The boys attempted to get a Broad Bill but it was busted off by a few sharks. Before long a pod of dolphins moved in providing a heap of entertainment while eating flying fish and arrow squid. With the awesome, calm conditions continuing we decided to again take advantage and spend the night at sea instead of returning to the pontoon.

Day 5- Perfect Conditions

We woke on day 5 to weather that was even more perfect than the previous day if that is even possible. We moved into 100m of water so the boys could stretch their arms. The boys managed to bag another great mix of species including Red Emperor, Rankin Cod, Spangled Emperor, Gold Band, Robinson Sea Bream, Maroon Sea Perch, Chinaman, Long Nosed Emperor, and Pearl Perch. After this session we decided to head back to the pontoon for the night trolling on the way back in.

 

Day 6- Island Day

For day 6 we decided to spend the day in and around the islands. The crew opted to run both Huntress and Heart Starter. The crew on Huntress headed out for a good session on Spanish Mackerel which also landed some nice Coral Trout. We headed out further in the hope of getting a Sailfish but it wasn’t our lucky day, with the wind coming back up we headed back to the pontoon. Meantime the crew on Heart Starter had a nice Spanish Mackerel with plenty of action and fun.

 

Day 7- Way too soon

Day 7 arrived way too quickly. We have had an awesome week at the Monties this week and as always it ended way too soon. On day 7 we woke to breezy conditions as we returned to Dampier. We trolled with lures on the way in catching some very nice Striped and Blue Fin Tuna.

Highlights Galore

This week was simply awesome and it was really difficult to choose a highlight. The weather was definitely up there, allowing us to catch a variety of Billfish but it’s very hard to go past the Striped Marlin as a highlight of another unbelievable week at the awesome Montebello Islands. We’re back out to the Montebello Islands today after a seriously quick turnaround with just enough time to get Leah back on board. We can’t wait to see what the islands have in store for us this week!!

I hope to see you on board

Captain Chad 

For more information on one of our incredible WA Fishing Charters to the Montebello Islands check out our Montebello Islands destination page here or contact us at info@bluelightningfishingcharters.com.au

 

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