Fishing Reports 2009 / 2008 / 2007 / 2006 / 2005

“ON THE HOOK” with Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter

SEPTEMBER…………….OCTOBER REPORT.

We have not updated our reports for a month with good reason We have just fitted two new engines to Broadbill so my dear old girl was out of the water for a few weeks, so no fishing for that time.

BROADBILL GETS A BIRTHDAY ….TWO NEW CUMMINS 6BTA’S

With a busy season at Pt Stephens coming up the decision to put two new donks in Broady was easy. The old engines had done nearly 1900 hours and were 13 years old so we figured it was better to plan ahead do it in Sydney, rather than having a failure at Pt Stephens and letting down our crews that in some cases have fished with us for 25 years.

Out they go	Out with the old and in with the new
In with the new

We pulled the boat our at Lewis anchorage and with the help of my son Glenn (ex Cummins mechanic) and Damien and Stubbsy from ON BOARD ENGINEERING (the best in the business) the job got done with a minimum off fuss.

The boat is running like a Swiss clock and will see me out with these new engines.

FISHING REPORTS

With a lack of tuna out wide we have been taking our clients either to the Stanwell Park area or to Hunter’s Hill off Coogee and by and large have caught lots of fish There’s an old saying that no one likes coming home with no action so we have had many a board meeting with our clients and we all agreed a day on the reef was the best way to put smiles on dials..Happy Clients brings them back time after time.

That’s why our boats are so popular I guess It’s not what we want to do it’s what we think will produce an entertaining and productive day.

Wow! What great time we have had on Broadbill and Billfisher over the past few trips
The inshore reefs are working well again with great catches of snapper, mowies, pig fish, a smattering of kings ( all undersize and returned) Then add to this acres of boiling salmon and bonito and our days have been full of fabulous light tackle sport fishing action.
The reason for this wild action is the hatch of plankton and juvenile whitebait, slimy mackerel, crab and lobster larvae and the pelagics just home in on the abundance of their favourite tucker.
As well as this the migrating shearwaters and there are 350 million of them at present migrating southward to Bass Strait and beyond to breed are too attracted to the hatch.
Out of the 350 million migrators a fatality rate of 10% is normal.

A couple of pretty girls The job can have it's advantages sometimes. The girls fished well.
A good catch of blue spot flathead and mowies by the Salamat team	A great bunch of lads
Hooked up again	Hooked up on a big salmon
Massive schools of big salmon of Botany Heads	Local anglers Scott and Gary Bricknell and crew had a great day on Broadbill last weekend
Luke Watkins it was his birthday and he is booked in at Pt Stephens, we will see if he can catch his first marlin there	Mixed bag

Some die from lack of stamina and food. I guess it’s the survival of the fittest in the world of sea birds.
As well as the shearwaters, the fluttering shearwaters and the tiny little tern are all in residence.
I urge all anglers not to harm the sea birds as they too have their place on Mother Ocean (there are heavy fines for harming a sea bird).

Imagine all these sea birds and then the return of the humpbacks and their calves heading back to Antarctica to fatten up on their krill. So the ocean is a pretty spectacular place to be at the moment.
Our crews watched a young calf breech for half an hour last week. The young whales are only 3 or 4 tonnes, unlike mum or Dad at 30 tonne, so they have energy to burn and are great to watch as they perform their aerial breeches.

We had a most successful day catching salmon at Botany Heads, then bonito off the light and then a great catch of reef fish off Coogee.

We drifted and fished with 4 oz paternoster rigs with fresh stripy, squid and fresh prawn baits
Well here we are another fortnight goes by and the fishing is still great. As mentioned last column the Spring hatch of all kinds of krill and larvae has brought about vast schools of salmon, kings, bonito and now striped tuna into the fray.

A good catch from down south	a superb rainbow at the end of a great days fishing
Darren Mitchell with a fabulous red from down south He caught it on softplastic	What aday fish every where Happy anglers you bet. Now that's good days fishing.jpg
Now that's good flathead	Jonathan and Demy with a great catch last week
The Emu nets two 55cm blue spot flathead Jimmy the angler was most happy	Scotty bricknell The boys had a great day on Brodabill

Last week we had a champion team of locals headed up by Scott Bricknell, the guys saw whales and their calves, caught heaps of striped tuna to 4kg and then had a reasonable day on the reef catching big mowies, pig fish and flathead.

The offshore currents have been running at almost 2 knots and that never helps with reef, but despite that we had great day.

A DAY ON THE REEF

We have our Xmas specials for a days reef fishing 6 hours fishing for 6 anglers at $1200.00 or $ $200.00 each angler. These are great days all Shimano rod and reels and you will go home with a good barbeque.

ROSS’S ALBUMS “BLUEWATER COUNTRY AND NORTHERN WATERS”
A GREAT XMAS GIFT.

If you would like a great Xmas present for Dad or a friend, these are available at two for $30.00 plus postage You can listen to a few tracks on this site in Ross’s Music Section…………………………. You will enjoy them. We take all credit cards
Ring 9534 2378 to order

DON’T GIVE UP ON THE YELLOWFIN..THEY WILL COME BACK SOON

The offshore water temps are increasing to 22 degrees and I will not be surprised if we get a late run on the yellowfin in the next month It is quite common for this to happen so let’s hope so.
We have had good success from Stanwell Park with a couple of good catches of reds. Fish up to 5kg have been the result as well as mowies, piggies and big blues spots we have constantly put smiles on dials on our boats Broadbill and Billfisher.

PT STEPHENS 2010…..WE ARE NEARLY BOOKED OUT

For any of you who would like to book for Pt Stephens we have over 70 days booked now so do not hesitate to ring 95342378 to book your spot

TWO SPOTS LEFT IN FEB.. BOOK NOW
We currently are booked the whole of Feb except for two share spots for 13th 14th and 15th on Broadbill..
Costs for the three days is $1195.00 inc four night’s accommodation. We still
have a couple of spot on BILLFISHER available for February, March and April. Ring Glenn Hunter for dates and availability.

A big dollie caught a few years ago by Wayne Ross.	We always catch some great dolphin fish in a season.
a big striped on the trace	A black marlin at Pt Stephens A very heafty fish
A black marlin flies high off Broughton Jamie McKay	A double hook up We back up on the second fish it had a lot
A great day in February '05 We released 21 marlin for the day	A great photo of a striped at Pt STEPHENS on Broadbill
Big dollies are comon place at Pt Stephens	Captain Glenn Hunter's Billfisher on a hot striped
Glenn and Paul with a couple of great reds	a big striped about to be tagged in The Northern Waters Tour

In MARCH we have the weekend of 12th 13th and 14th and in APRIL we have 13th 14th and 15th available on our boats ( last year in March and April we were catching 6 per day.) it can be the best and most productive time of the season.

COSTS $1850.00 per day for 6 anglers or $310.00 per day per angler.

Pt Stephens is one of the great marlin grounds in Australia a place where big mahis, giant kingfish, striped, black and blue marlin can be caught ( we have seven Grand slams on Broady) as well as 21 marlin in a day.

RING BUSINESS 95342378 OR GLENN 0418462 476 ROSS 0409 047 727

It simply is one of the best fishing holidays you will experience.
So why not join our most popular and most successful boats BROADBILL or BILLFISHER you will not regret it.

A POEM BY CHRIS ONEIL ON PT STEPHENS

“The Pt. Stephens Experience” by Chris O’Neil 1992

For three days we’re goin’…..……we all have our reasons
We pack up the troopy………....We’re off to Pt. Stephens
We’ve one thing in common …..….with all the same wish
That each and every one of us………… catches a fish
Six marlin in three days………………now that’s big ask
But we’ve confidence in Roscoe….… he’s up to the task

So it’s Allan, Johnny and Campbell…….Gerardy and me
Set a course on Broadbill…… to the Blue water out to sea
We’re all excited………….………….and can hardly wait
Praying for that strike……….….. as we troll the live baits
Someone Yells …………………….“Fish up on the right”
My heart starts to pump…..I’ll never forget the first sight

Of that amazing jump as Ross yells…… “Get in the gear”
At the mighty marlin……………airborne in awe we stare
It’s action a plenty………………………Al’s in the chair
The reel’s still screamin’………..the big fish gathers pace
I’ve got to get a photo…………..of the smile on All’s face
The adrenalin is pumping…………….. and so are our nerves
As “Cogga chases the marlin… with BROADBILL in reverse

The marlin is tagged………..………He put on quite a show
Go fishing with Ross on BROADBILL..He’s the man to get you a fish

Well! That’s one down………..…………… only five to go
The next two are caught…. …one each by Campbell and Phil
It’s still on day two…………....So there’s plenty of time still
And now there’s only three….…….That’s me Greg and John
The Bat yells “fish up”………….……. “You beauty I’m on!”

The big fish jumps towards the boat …he’s still goin’ hard
His power is incredible ………………. I fight for every yard
The marlin goes deep…….………… line screams off the reel
I glance up on the bridge ……….It’s the BAT on the wheel
It’s now been one hour ………….…. and I’m starting’ to lag
At last Glenn has the trace……….... and “BB ‘ sets the tag

The marlin has trace around him…40’ treacherous of long line
Glenn carefully revives him…. Then he’s free ‘n looking fine
Everyone’s catching’ marlin…………. we’re busy taking’ pics
By eleven AM on day three…………We’ve hit the magic six
Ross, Glenn and Big Bat. ……………What a formidable crew
We’ve all caught our first marlin.. ..And achieved our life’s dream

Three days at Pt Stephens……..…eating lots of chinese meals
Tagged eight marlin on Broadbill ..Can’t tell you how good it feels
So for all you anglers who wish to hear the scream of the reel
Book a spot on Broadbill……………………………… It’s a great deal

THE HUNTER BOYS AND NAUTILUS MARINE

We just continue to watch Nautilus grow and in five short years they have done that and are now at the top of the industry. They are sponsors of this years Interclub and we are proud to be apart of the organisation.

Broadbill Billfisher and Nautilus. A great combination

Both Lyndon Turner and my great mate of many years Ian Frith are excellent organisers, taking Nautilus to one of the largest marine Insurers in the business.
If you have a trailer boat or a luxury vessel, you simply cannot go wrong with this most competitive and efficient company..

Ring Jonathan Lampard on 0433 018 666
Or email jonathan1@nautilusinsurance.com.au for a competitive quotation.
We cannot recommend this company enough so much so that we are insured with them as well as many of our clients.

TESTIMONIALS FROM CLIENTS ON OUR BOATS

Mike Rowe “I have fished with Ross for over 25 years, we have won many tournaments Inc the Pt Stephens Interclub, Billfish Shoot out Northern waters. Ross is simply the most dedicated and most knowledgeable skippers around and a pleasure to fish with. I have tagged and released over 50 marlin fishing with Broadbill as well as a grand slam” unquote

James Allen “Having Fished with Glenn on Billfisher I have caught Blue, black and striped marlin. Glenn is a pleasure to fish with. His placid personality and his skill in catching marlin is a joy to experience. I have no hesitation in recommending him to any potential client” unquote
Ray Patterson “I knew nothing about gamefishing but a couple of days on Broadbill soon changed that I feel that I am an expert now… Thanks to Captain Ross” unquote

Anthony Chaffey “The Human Winch”..”My crews have fished on Broadbill and Billfisher for some years. We have caught Grand Slams of blue, blacks and striped marlin, we have caught mahis and giant tuna. These blokes simply are the best and good blokes to fish with as a bonus. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We have a standing booking each year at Pt Stephens..It is a never to be missed show”unquote

Scott Taunton “The Bat”...."Having fished with Ross Hunter for ten years as a deckhand on Broadbill ..I cannot recommend him highly enough. He is a dedicated Captain who needs no introduction. His vast knowledge of gamefish and how to catch them, puts him into a class of his own amongst any of his peers.

He is one of the most respected skippers around.” Our Pt Stephens times together saw us win many tournaments together including The Australian International Billfish Tournament, The Interclub and Billfish Shoot Out twice. We also fished the greatest marlin season of all. The '97 season where we tagged and released 248 marlin inc. the then port record of 18 marlin in one day". Unquote

Rob Cox “Soxie”.. I joined Broadbill when I was 13 years of age and had so many wonderful times fishing with Ross. The most memorable Two Grad Slams in one day in 2005. The tag and release of 21 stripes in a dayFeb 11th 2005 and these were large fish averaging 80kg.. Hard work and lots of serious backing down all day with the cockpit half full a lot of the time. We won Most Marlin Tagged in The Interclub I think in 2003. I have fished from Bermagui to Cairns, but in my travels I have not fished with a better and more dedicated and skilful Captain than Ross Hunter.
In my eyes he is the best on the coast.” Unquote

Come And join us at Pt Stephens you will have a great fishing holiday.

“ON THE HOOK” with CAPT. ROSS and GLENN HUNTER
Mid September Report

Fishing off Sydney has been hampered with strong winds in August.
What with gale forced winds one day and dead calm the next, it has been enough to send a dedicated fisho round the bend.  However, the last week or so the weather has been superb and the fishing has also been the same.

THE GEORGES RIVER..BIG BLACKFISH

Inshore the Georges River is loaded with some excellent blackfish, just ask John Cearns and the Georges River “Guru” Norm Jefferies. Norm caught a 43 cm blackfish last week at his favourite spot in the upper Georges.

THE DUNBOGAN GROGAN BEEN AND GONE

I have been away to Dunbogan, black fishing and had a great time fishing with my old mates of 45 years, my sons and friends. We caught heaps of quality blackfish up to 47 cm’s, bream to 40cm’s and some big flathead. We all had a great time for the week.
See full story in Fishing Stories and Hints Section on this Site.

SNAPPER, SNAPPER AND MORE SNAPPER IN AUGUST

Offshore, because of the lack of tuna out wide our boats have been targeting snapper.
We really have had many memorable catches throughout August and now early Spring

Sometimes down south off Stanwell Park, but also to the north locally off Hunter’s Hill at Coogee (an area of reef that others named after us for the many hours we have fished there over the past 40 years).

A great crew and a good catch	It was a great days fishing Bitterly cold but the fish warmed us up
Captain Ross get's lucky	Consantly we caught good catches of reds in August
Emu holds up a good snapper	Integra Water's James Mc Mahon We caught some great snapper
A mixed bag on Broadbill	Mixed bags have been the order all August
Mowies reds and piggies Check out those big six spine jackets	Now that is a nice snapper

The Stanwell Park Hump has produced fabulous snapper over August/September as well as flathead, jackets, mowies and pig fish.

One memorable day was with the lads from local Miranda company Integra Water. Matt, James, Paul and their clients Troy and Fred all had a most successful day and great haul of snapper and misc reef fish. These lads a great clients and we reallyu do enjoy their company on our sojourns.
The southern area has fished so well all Winter and will continue to do so through Spring.
Off Coogee last weekend we also cleaned up on snapper,mowies and pig fish, after  catching half a dozen kings at The Peak.

That, too was a great day for our clients.

Glenn Hunter on Billfisher fished the 12 mile and jigged 10 kings up to 90cm and the hit the reefs to catch mowies, pig fish and a couple of reds to finish off a great day.
The next day the kingfish were quite so he fished the 200 fathom line for a couple of mako sharks, they were released.

KINGFISH HAVE BEEN GOOD

During mid August and Early September we have had some great sessions on the kings, but the fish have all been just over’s and plenty of unders.
However the clients love them and that’s all that matters to us Smiles on Dials.
We have pretty much jigged them all on knife jigs either at The Peak or 12 mile.

Perfect table fish	Some of the best reds of the season
The fishing has been most reliable in August off Sydney on our boats	The Integra team at Stanwell Park A great day and a good haul
The mowies were beautys as well	Then Integra team we had a great day
They were not all big	Troy holds up his catch
We had a beaut day with these nice people.	What a great bunch of blokes We enjoyed our day together

THE INTEGRA WATER PROMOTIONAL DAY A GREAT SUCCESS

We recently organised the third Integra Fishing Tournament. We organised 8 charter boats this year and it was a great success . There were plenty of fish caught and all the suppliers and clients had a great time.
 We finished the day at The St Geo. Motor Boat club for late lunch and cool beers.
The weather was perfect and that always helps Thanks to all the boats who competed and thanks as always to Matt, Paul and James and the team from Integra Water.

PT HACKING GAMEFISHING CLUB HAS OPENED ITS BOOKS FOR NEW MEMBERS

The Port Hacking Gamefishing Club is one of the oldest gamefishing clubs on the coast; it is a club that I have been a member for 35 years.
The club is a most friendly, social club which caters for fisherman of all standards.
We are looking for new members If you have a yearning to join a club Pt Hacking is a beauty. We encourage trailer boats as well as the larger vessels. We intend to run more workshops this season on How Toos’ so if this appeals to you, give me a call on 9534 2378 to discuss.

PT STEPHENS 2010…. IT’S ON AGAIN… BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISSAPOINTMENT.

 If it is a genuine TRIP OF A LIFETIME then do not miss booking with us.
 We still have some dates in late January, mid Feb and March still available.

Pt Stephens simply is one of the great fisheries in the world. How would you like to catch Kingfish to 15kg, black, Striped and blue marlin, mahi mahi and wahoo to world standards? Then come and join Sydney’s most popular boats BROADBILL and BILLFISHER because that’s what we do every season and have been doing for three decades at this wonderful place.

21 striped marlin in one day Broadbill ion 2005	A big dollie caught a few years ago by Wayne Ross.
a big striped about to be tagged in The Northern Waters Tour	a big striped on the trace
A black marlin flies high off Broughton Island	A great day in February '05 We released 21 marlin for the day
Big dollies are comon place at Pt Stephens	Captain Glenn Hunter's Billfisher on a hot striped
Glenn and Paul with a couple of great reds

COSTS... We cater for six anglers/ boat /day .We organise waterfront accommodation for you, so all you and your friends have to do, is get there. Pt Stephens is a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney.

THE COST  The charter of our boats BROADBILL AND BILLFISHER is $1850.00 per day or $310.00 per day per head. More details in Fishing Adventure Packages on this site

 Or you can take advantage of our three day package of $ 1200.00 per head including four nights accommodation in the Waterfront Fisherman’s Shack ( a 5 minute walk to the boats)

Here’s what some of our anglers have said in Testimonials of there trips.

Mike Rowe “I have fished with Ross for over 25 years, we have won many tournaments Inc the Pt Stephens Interclub, Billfish Shoot out Northern waters. Ross is simply the most dedicated and most knowledgeable skippers around and a pleasure to fish with. I have tagged and released over 50 marlin fishing with Broadbill as well as a grand slam” unquote

James Allen “Having Fished with Glenn on Billfisher I have caught Blue, black and striped marlin. Glenn is a pleasure to fish with. His placid personality and his skill in catching marlin is a joy to experience. I have no hesitation in recommending him to any potential client” unquote

Ray Patterson “I knew nothing about gamefishing but a couple of days on Broadbill soon changed that I feel that I am an expert now… Thanks to Captain Ross” unquote

Anthony Chaffey “The Human Winch”..”My crews have fished on Broadbill and Billfisher for some years. We have caught Grand Slams of blue, blacks and striped marlin, we have caught mahis and giant tuna. These blokes simply are the best and good blokes to fish with as a bonus. I cannot recommend them highly enough. We have a standing booking each year at Pt Stephens..It is a never to be missed show”unquote

Scott Taunton “The Bat”...."Having fished with Ross Hunter for ten years as a deckhand on Broadbill ..I cannot recommend him highly enough. He is a dedicated Captain who needs no introduction. His vast knowledge of gamefish and how to catch them, puts him into a class of his own amongst any of his peers.
He is one of the most respected skippers around.” Our Pt Stephens times together saw us win many tournaments together including The Australian International Billfish Tournament, The Interclub and Billfish Shoot Out twice. We also fished the greatest marlin season of all. The '97 season where we tagged and released 248 marlin inc. the then port record of 18 marlin in one day". Unquote

Rob Cox “Soxie”.. I joined Broadbill when I was 13 years of age and had so many wonderful times fishing with Ross. The most memorable Two Grad Slams in one day in 2005. The tag and release of 21 stripes in a dayFeb 11th 2005 and these were large fish averaging 80kg.. Hard work and lots of serious backing down all day with the cockpit half full a lot of the time. We won Most Marlin Tagged in The Interclub I think in 2003. I have fished from Bermagui to Cairns, but in my travels I have not fished with a better and more dedicated and skilful Captain than Ross Hunter.
In my eyes he is the best on the coast.” Unquote

Come and join us We will have a great time together AT Pt Stephens 2010
Ross and Glenn Hunter

RING 9534 2378 TO BOOK

“ON THE HOOK” with Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter Late July report

YELLOWFIN, ALBACORE AND SHARKS IN JULY

July has been a Jeckle and Hyde month with windy weather one day then flat calm the next. We have postponed many tuna trips because of the windy conditions.

When we have ventured to the wide grounds the tuna albacore and sharks have been reasonable without any rave reviews Both Glenn and myself have e fished hard in many cases fishing well into the dark to get bites then not dropping off our clients until 8.30 pm , long hard days.
We have caught some reasonable yellowfin up to 30kg and lots of albies to 10 kg throw in a mako or two and the occasional blue shark and the days have averaged out OK.

A beaut team and a catch of albies	Another success on Billfisher
Captain Glenn Hunter and Mark Josephs with his tuna last week on Billfisher	a good fish caught on the Saltiga
Brian Vernon with his alby	Captain Glenn Hunter scores some big tuna on Billfisher. Johnny Boo with a great fish
mark joseph's on his 30 kg tuna	More Tuna
Albacore on Broady	The Human Winch Anthony Chaffey with his tuna on Billfisher
Albacore have been our speciallty on Broadbill	Scotty Vernon plays an albacore on the Shimano Saragossa

The tuna have been fickle with some days not even seeing one with our only catch being albacore but a wise man once told me that “Son you can only catch what swims past on the day” and how right he was.

Both Glenn and myself have caught more tuna than we care to remember over a career that spans 45 years in my case, but sometimes it just does not happen for us and believe me that is not what makes either of us happy.
The yellowfin will improve on the next moon in August so do not despair.

GREAT MONTH ON THE KINGS
Before the strong southerly set we have been catching some excellent catches of kingfish The fish have ranged from just legals to 95cm’s . We catch these on knife jigs and Saragossa reels loaded up with 50 lb braid are always great fun for all our anglers.

Kingfish are just recovering from the un- merciful pounding they copped from the kingfish traps in the late 80’s these traps almost wiped out the kingfish stocks.

Any one for kingfish	Hooked up and fighting .. A great day on the kings
Hooked up!	A great day last week. All fish were jigged
All caught on knife jigs. Ash proudly holds his catch.	Happy Days and a good catch
Kings all jigged in the '80's	Fish caught in the mid '80's

I do remember catching big kings at the Peak before they were introduced and I mean “BIG.” See archival photos of an era when dinosaurs roamed and I was one of them.
The point I make is treat these species with respect and leave a few for another day……………………Remember every fish released helps to maintain stocks.

SNAPPER, SNAPPER AND MORE SNAPPER

My personal favourites I love our days fishing The Hump off Bellambi
Lazy days fishing in the winter sun, a little lay back music on the stereo, waiting for those big snapper to come on.

The fish this season have not been big but have been plentiful. Fish from 1kg to 2kg perfect eating size.

A beaut sight as a nice snapper appears from the blue	Darren Mitchel with his big red caught on a jig.
Roscoe with one of the better reds	Snapper like this have been the normal catch
A mixed bag	snapper on Broadbill
Snapper and more snapper

Add to this mowies, jackets and pig fish and we have been returning with some excellent catches of these species. Our days at The Hump have been most reliable and in a lot of cases more reliable than the wide grounds. SEE PHOTOS

PT STEPHENS 2010 IT’S ON AGAIN

We are taking bookings for Pt Stephens 2010 Come and join us for that “trip of a lifetime”
We do packages from $1850.00 per day for six anglers

Action a plenty at Pt Stephens 2010	Come and join us at Pt Stephens 2010 This is what you will enjoy
Wahoo are caught every season at Pt Stephens	Check out these big buggers We caught them at Pt Stephens
Heading out past Mrs Murphys at Tommaree	Pt Stephens to the south
Flags every where.. 21 stripes in one day	Steaming home at 25 knots

THREE DAYS FISHING ON BROADBILL OR BILLFISHER
We arrive mid January and depart mid April...These amazing grounds constantly produce catches of mahi mahi, big wahoo, kingfish, cobia and marlin.

You cannot be in better hands than fishing with Ross or Glenn they are most respected Captains and have the fishing ability to catch fish for their clients. Check out these credentials

BROADBILL

*BROADBILL Captain Ross Hunter…Ross has skippered his famous vessels for over 40 years.
He is a one of the most respected fisherman on the coast.

SOME OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS;

*Winner Aust. International Billfish Tournament '81
*Winner of major trophies in the Pt Stephens Interclub (Aust largest tournament) on three occasions.   *Runner up three times
*Champion boat Pt Stephens Billfish Shoot Out twice  
*Runner up Champion Boat Billfish Shoot Out
*Champion boat Northern Waters Tournament ‘04
*Runner up Champion boat Northern Waters '05
 *Champion angler day four '07 NSW Interclub Pt Stephens
*Champion boat Northern Waters Tournament '06
*Champion angler Northern Waters Tournament '06
*Champion boat Northern Waters tournament '07
*Champion angler Northern Waters Tournament '07
*Champion angler day four '07 NSW Interclub Pt Stephens

*Heaviest marlin recorded in Sydney waters on 24kg….297 kg blue
*Heaviest yellowfin 97kg on 15kg tackle
*The tagging of 18 marlin in a day April ‘97 Pt Stephens season
*The tagging of 248 marlin in a season‘97 Pt Stephens season Feb to April
*The tagging of 21 marlin in a day 11th Feb.’05 Pt Stephens
*The holder of 7 "Grand Slams" (the tagging of a blue, black and striped marlin in a day) all at Pt Stephens from '04 to' 07

There are far to many other minor tournament wins to mention but you can be assured that you will never be disappointed fishing with Ross … His happy disposition, along with his love of his job will ensure you have a great adventure

BILLFISHER

BILLFISHER.. Captain Glenn Hunter. Glenn started his career fishing with his Dad Ross when he was old enough to go to sea. He is known one of the best skippers on the coast.

SOME OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS;

*Champion lady angler Toyota Bluewater classic’04
*Champion lady angler Inter club ’04 and 05
*Champion boat day four Interclub ‘05
*Release of 16 marlin in a day Feb '05
*Catch and release of 151 Marlin in '05 Pt Stephens season
*Champion boat Northern Waters Tournament ‘05
*Runner up Champion boat Northern Waters Tournament '06
*Runner up Champion boat Northern Waters tournament '07

There are many other achievements Inc the release of 151 marlin in ’05 thus making Billfisher champion boat out of the Port that season
To fish with Glenn is to fish with a Captain who has a passion for his job a person who gives 100%.
To fish with either of the Hunter boys you are fishing with Captains who not only are dedicated to the love of fishing, but are the best.

Ross and Glenn released nearly 300 marlin at Pt Stephens in ‘05

COSTS FOR THREE DAYS $1200.00 per head and that includes four nights accommodation in the Fisherman’s shack, a waterfront unit you can catch bream from off the balcony of a night, then walk to the boat in the morning.
We offer a two part payment system for your trip 50% in Sept balance by December 1st…..2009

Ring Ross Hunter on9534 2378 to book for Pt Stephens 2010

NAUTILUS MARINE INSURANCE AND THE HUNTER LADS

It was February 2006 at Pt Stephens when Ian Frith invited Glenn and myself and our vessels BROADBILL and BILLFISHER to join the NAUTILUS INSURANCE TEAM.

Having known Ian Frith as a personal friend and observed from a distance the inroads he had made in marine insurance, there were no second thoughts; Glenn and I were there, decision made.

“Frithy” is a champion man who has been around the fishing scene all his life, it is this hands on experience that gives him the edge in understanding the finer points of fisherman’s specialised needs when insuring their boats and equipment

Billfisher and Nautilus	We are proud to be part of the Nautilus team

To be a part of a winning team headed up by these guys is a privilege, not only the fact that were invited to represent the Nautilus group as their flag ships from the charter industry ( a choice of which we both feel most honoured) but also because they are a bunch of good blokes who understand the fisherman’s insurance needs and we are proud also to put our names and reputations on the line without a second thought.

Nautilus insure all recreational vessels and commercial as well…The fact that Broadbill and Billfisher are both insured with Nautilus is testimony enough in our belief in this great insurer.
We recommend that if you are looking to insure your vessel that you give Nautilus a call and get a quote …………they simply are the most efficient way of insuring your vessel and the price and service that will have you smiling.

During this period we have many contented clients who have switched over to Nautilus so next time you are wanting a quote Ring nautilus you will be pleasantly surprised at the price.
Follow the link on our home page to the Nautilus web site or ring 1300 780 533

“ON THE HOOK” with Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter

A GREAT SNAPPER EXPERIENCE ON BROADBILL

 By Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter……………………….  July Report

Snapper are one of Australia's favourite recreational fish they are great fun to catch and they are five stars as a table fish, they simply are everyone's favourite.

On BROADBILL AND BILLFISHER we love a day on the reds as a change from the game fishing.
There is nothing better that fishing on anchor with engines turned off, maybe a little soothing music on the stereo whilst fishing at our favourite snapper area the Stanwell Park Hump.
This place is the home of the big reds, it is found 19.8 nautical miles south of Botany Bay Heads, which is our homeport.

To visit "The Hump" is a wonderful experience if only for the scenery itself, as it quite breathtaking, to be in this part of the world always makes me feel good.

A great bunch of boys and we had a fun day	A mixed bag of snapper , mowies and bonito
Deckhand Jordon scores this nice snapper on a floater	Emu with a reasonable red
Now That's a great feed	Now that is a great snapper
Snapper like this will be caught on our boats from now on	I caught one too
Perfect eating size	So did I
The barbeque will be fired up tonight	The snapper were not big but perfect table size

Miles and miles of National Park, the rugged unspoiled coastline is made up of magnificent cliff faces, reaching  one hundred metres high, so rugged and so shear. Home for many families of white bellied sea eagles as they majestically soar in the updrafts searching for food. We often troll the washes along the edge of the cliff faces and catch kingfish and bonito on the trip home. Deep diving lures trolled slowly will get the job done as we sit back and breath in the serenity of this wonderful area of the Royal National Park, usually with a fine catch of snapper in the fish box.

It is always a pensive thought that only 30 miles northward is the big smoke, Sydney, the biggest city in Australia, but down here we are in a bit of wilderness, that is the beauty of this wonderful country we call Australia.

GREAT CATCHES OF SNAPPER OVER THE PAST FORTNIGHT

Because of the uncertainty of the tuna run of late I have convinced my crews to travel 20 nautical miles to my favourite place in the world and target snapper and other miscellaneous reef species. These days are great fun with a lot of banter between crew and anglers even a bit of live guitar and singing some of my songs.

I love snapper fishing and whilst the tuna are every body’s favourite if they are not there then disappointment is the result.

We set up camp at Bellambi and whilst the current was flying to the south it just meant a change of style was needed. We could not fish floaters or soft plastics so drift fishing it was for the day.
It worked well for us catching some excellent catches of reds up to 2.5 kg, mowies to 1.5kg, pig fish, bonito in big numbers and some huge striped tuna on the troll home.

Whilst there were a few tuna caught on Sunday there were also swag of boats who threw a box of pillies in without so much as a run.

Having been catching tuna for 40 years and having caught our fair share of yellowfin tuna to 105kg over that too lengthy a period. Read about some of the monster yellowfin we used to catch in the 70’s and 80’s at The Peak in Fishing Stories and Hints on this site.. I have written a yarn about the theory of why we don’t catch the big tuna on the inshore Reefs like we used to………… Have a read you will enjoy.

I know what a hit and miss affair tuna fishing can be.

One fish and you are a hero, 6 fish and you can be hoisted high on the angler’s shoulders, but no fish and its doom and gloom, so sometimes it’s the safer option that can keep smiles on dials

GO SOUTH YOUNG MAN

We fished the Stanwell Park Hump in strong current last Friday, Sat and Sunday week but caught great catches both days.

We used half pound sinkers and paternoster rigs and kept the drifts short covering the 30 fathom reefs at 1.7 knots but the fish were there every day.

We used mainly salted stripy and squid See photos of our angler’s catches.

The next week both Billfisher and Broadbill once again headed south last weekend and had excellent days with our clients, catching lots of reds to 2.5kg There were no real big fish, but all excellent table size and lots of them as well as piggies and some big mowies.
 The barbeques were fired up after the days fishing… That’s for sure.

A FUN DAY ON THE KINGS

We had a  great day jigging Kingfish a few weeks back. We caught a dozen or so and kept ten fish They ranged from just legal to 80cm.

A great catch of stripey tuna were caught on the way home	A happy Singaporian crew
Kingfish	Lillian with her kingfish
Not big fish but enough to keep smiles on dials	The kingfish are on
We caught a rare flute mouth fish They are protected and it was released	We had a great day. Better than the fishing in Singapore Gerald reckoned
A great crew and agood catch	A World record jacket
Look what I caught Mum	Heading back home to a superb sunset A boat full of quallity fish and a great day

Kingfish will be excellent in the next month or so.
We use Shimano Saragosa reels and 50lb braid on a light jig rod .. Great fun indeed.

THE TUNA ARE RUNNING AGAIN

The tuna are back on after a bit of an absence, so we will be back out targeting them over the next few months as well as mixing it up with some great snapper trips.

If you want to join a charter on the yellowfin, we do share charters at $260.00 per head.
We take a max of 6 anglers…Cost for a full boat $1550.00 per day for a 10 hour trip.
We are not the cheapest, but remember you get what you pay for in this business.

We have been catching tuna for 40 years and always produce when others don’t

We are quite heavily booked for July at the moment, so do not hesitate to call
9534 2378 to book.

Late May Report

A MARLIN EVERY TRIP IN MAY

Water temps have remained quite warm through mid May and it is only the last week that they have cooled down.

Whilst we had the 23.5 degree current which was running hard to the south we were catching a striped marlin every trip. All these fish were encountered in 65 to 72 fathoms off Botany . We were beginning to take it for granted that we would catch a marlin everyday and that was a great finish to a really tough marlin season. Go out on a high and that‘s what we did.

Brian Andrew’s group were heading out on Broadbill two weeks back when a good sized striped marlin roared up the big Bloodshot avenger lumo First bite he was on and after a 30 minute battle in rough conditions the 100 kilo fish was released It was the n Ian shorts turn the next day when the same lure was devoured by another striped in 66 fathoms It was aclamer day and Ian did great job on the rod and we released a70 kilo fish in 25 minutes. The next weekend it was the lads from the Botany Bay Sport fishing Club headed up by Collin Addis along with Paul a Alexander, Gary, Ian and Wayne and Fess. They were marlin virgins but not for long when the lumo sprocket was devoured by a 70kg striped once again. It was getting pretty ho hum this marlin catching as Ian a first time marlin fisherman did a great job on the rod . After a 20 minute fight the striped marlin was released and it was high fives all round We continued to the 500 fathom line and caught striped tuna but did not see  a yellowfin tuna even berying until dark

We ventured out last week and caught one tuna but worked hard for it The fish are still there but you have to have a little luck going your way.

A good catch od 30kg gems last season	A good catch of school tuna on Billfisher last season
A great sight for any angler Their first marlin	A great sight that never ceases to thrill all on board Broadbill
Another striped marlin hooked up solid on a lure	Emu Steve a very talented angler and a great tuna fisherman
Emu trace up Ian's marlin	fin and albys on Billfisher
Fish like this will be caught this season on our boats	Hooked up and fighting
Man they pull hard	The release of 100 kg marlin
We caught kings about this size last trip They were all jigged	We had a willy willy go past Broadbill last week

YELLOWFIN DUE IN JUNE
THE FRENZY WILL BE ON AGAIN

It is early days for yellowfin our boats caught 75 yellowfin last year in June the biggest fish going around the 60 kilos There is some great water approaching so look for some wild action when it does eventually flow down.

June July August and September are always great tuna months off Sydney and whilst we have had an early flurry the fish have not really been thick There is a lot of luck involved in finding them and it is a big creek out there.
There are good times ahead and as mentioned before the water that is heading down will be loaded with tuna.

PT HACKING BOAT SPICEY SARDINE CATCHES A BIG TUNA

The highlight of the weekend was President of the PHGFC Peter Talbot’s son Andrew Talbot’s great 63.5 kg yellowfin.
The big fish took a lure in 300 fathoms and Andrew spent 2.5 hours on the rod in a see sawing battle. A truly great effort is the largest tuna weighed this season for the club. See Photo

Andrew Talbot caught this 63kg tuna last week	Father and son team Andrew and Peter Talbot caught this big tuna on Spicy Sardine last Sunday

OUR SNAPPER TRIPS ARE STARTING IN JUNE
BOOK NOW DO NOT DELAY
THESE ARE GREAT RELAXING DAYS PUNCTUATED BY BIG SNAPPER

We had a good day’s reef fishing with Jason North from Planatronics.
The day was to be a tuna day but the strong winds kept us inshore. We struggled for good reds but ended up with half a box of reasonable off Shaky.
A few were caught on Gulp SP’s

A big winter snapper	A couple of good size reds caught on floaters on BROADBILL
A great snapper from last season	Another beauty caught on a floater
Another beauty from the Hump	Another couple of beautys
Glenn Hunter witha couple of snapper caught on floaters	Hal with his snapper last season
Greg Lee and Patrick with a couple of snapper from their catch	Good sized slabs of striped tuna are our favourites

The next trip we caught 20 bonito and a bunch of kingfish on jigs Unfortunately my trusty deckie “The Emu” cleaned and filleted the fish before I got a chance to take a photo.
They were the size of the ones in the photos caught on  previous trips.

We are keen to get down south on the reds These days we love fishing floaters and light line for the overzealous snapper we constantly catch off the Stanwell reefs
We have been fishing these areas all our lives and generally produce some great reds See photos..
We are doing a lot more soft plastics this season Come and join us it is always a great day
To Book and for more details ring 95342378 talk to Ross or Glenn Hunter

I ts kids stuff catching snapper	Its a great day snapper fishing in Winter
Spring snapper We love them Glenn Hunter holds up a 5.8kg	Perfect eating size These were caught on SP's
Snapper like this will be caught right up to August	Now that's anice red caught on a floater
Suzan knows what she's having for dinner tonight

NAUTILUS MARINE INSURANCE AND THE HUNTER LADS

It was February 2006 at Pt Stephens when Ian Frith, invited Glenn and myself and our vessels BROADBILL and BILLFISHER to join the NAUTILUS INSURANCE TEAM.

We have been proudly associated with Nautilus for  3 years and can assure all boat owners that they are most competitive in all regards

Both Glenn and myself have recommended Nautilus to many of our clients who are now insured with this great company.

Having known Ian Frith as a personal friend and observed from a distance the inroads he had made in marine insurance, there were no second thoughts; Glenn and I were there, decision made.

Proud to be a part of the Nautilus team

“Frithy” is a champion man who has been around the fishing scene all his life, it is this hands on experience that gives him the edge in understanding the finer points of fisherman’s specialised needs when insuring their boats and equipment

To be a part of a winning team headed up by these guys is a privilege, not only the fact that were invited to represent the Nautilus group as their flag ships from the charter industry (a choice of which we both feel most honoured) but also because they are a bunch of good blokes who understand the fisherman’s insurance needs and we are proud also to put our names and reputations on the line without a second thought.

Nautilus insure all recreational vessels and commercial as well…The fact that Broadbill and Billfisher are both insured with Nautilus is testimony enough in our belief in this great insurer.
We recommend that if you are looking to insure your vessel that you give Nautilus a call and get a quote …………they simply are the most efficient way of insuring your vessel and the price and service that will have you smiling.

During this period we have many contented clients who have switched over to Nautilus so next time you are wanting a quote Ring nautilus you will be pleasantly surprised at the price.
Follow the link on our home page to the Nautilus web site or ring 1300 780 533

ON THE HOOK with Ross Hunter………14/4/09

PT STEPHENS 2009 BEEN AND GONE

Pt Stephens is Glenn and my favourite part of the world and having fished there for 33 years I am almost a local.

We look back over three months which had many lows early and many highs in the latter part of the season, but that’s fishing I guess. A wise man once told me “Son you can only catch what swims past in that bit of ocean” and that’s so true.

With the early 27.5 degree water nothing lived and then inclose the 16.5 degree water was too cold for the small blacks to venture into. We got by on mahis and kingfish off the Almark reef
Fortunately many of our anglers have fished with us for years and had some pretty spectacular days of eights and ten marlin in a day and they are understanding fisherman who just shrug their shoulders in the knowledge that Glenn and myself never stop trying and always give 110% but sometimes that does not even work when the fishing is tough, but I guess that’s what makes us appreciate the good times.

David spends over an hour on his big striped	Emu traces a great striped
Daves Black goes crazy	Emu at work on another striped
The striped turns it on for the Broadbill crew	This big black tears it up
John from Woy Woy plays his first marlin	Travis on his fish It took two hours
Integra water boss Mathew catches his first marlin on Broadbill, last week, James McMahon looks on	Matt reckons that this is hard work

Summarizing the Pt Stephens season it had moments of brilliance from mid March onto mid April Days, when we caught up to 5 marlin per day, however the start of the season was most forgettable, however the year before we caught heaps during this same period.
It sure is a funny old business we call fishing I just wish someone could invent a crystal ball that works, that would make our job do much easier.

It was “Woy Woy” John and Richmond’s David and Tarvis who were all marlin virgins, However that did not last long as on their last day they all caught marlin on Broadbill.

BILLFISHER EXCELLS ON BIG BLUES

Captain Glenn on BILLFISHER had been red hot on big blues all season and tallied 6 great fish ranging from 230plus to 120kg for the season. He repeated that on his last charter when Scott Williams scored a Blue marlin of 150kg .. All fish were released.

Then it was James Mc mahon's turn on stand up gear We caught four marlin on the day	Then it was Leon's turn.. Mat drives the chair, whilst Emu gets ready to trace
A pot of gold at the end of the rainbow Four marlin tag flags	David knows he has a fight on his hands ss the big blue sounds to the depths
David works hard on his big blue marlin on Billfisher	On the trace
Peter Hession plays his first striped marlin on Broadbill on Saturday off Sydney	Peter Hession's big striped on the trace
Steve Mc Cabe on his big striped last Sunday on Broadbill.. We caught two that day and dropped a blue	That's a great fish. Estimated by Glenn at between 230 and 240kg
The big blue jumps high	A bunch of pilot whales cruise around Billfisher This is where the blue marlin was caught
Steve's striped jumps on the trace The fish was naturally released

BROADBILL FINISHES STRONGLY

It was “Woy Woy” John and Richmond’s David and Tarvis who were all marlin virgins, However that did not last long as on their last day they all caught marlin on Broadbill.
We caught four for the day.

We had a great day on our last charter at The Port with local Miranda company Integra Water.
On this day all the crew caught marlin and we really enjoyed that.
Integra boss Mathew, Paul, James and Leon all caught their first marlin and were pretty stoked about the whole event.

Prior to that we averaged threes and fours every trip and this all made up for the slow start in January and February, but alas all good things come to an end when we headed home from Stephens last Friday. We had heard some rumours about some yellowfin and good marlin fishing but really did not know what to expect.

THE SYDNEY SCENE.. GREAT FISHING TO COME HOME TO

We fished the Easter weekend and what a great weekend it was with some sensational offshore fishing.
It was Captain Glenn Hunter on BILLFISHER who, whilst fishing next to me hooked up a giant blue marlin, the big fish screamed off at an alarming rate as angler and 40th birthday boy David Hilne just hung on, as line poured off the big Shimano.

Anglers on Broadbill John,Pedro,David,Vlad,John and Dermott scored well with these Mahis	Tasmania's David Gugliotte catches a couple of good dollies
Vlad with his mahis last Saturday	We found atree and it was loaded up with dollies on Saturday
The tuna frenzy has started There were some big fish caught last weekend. Ring 9534 2378 to book

One and a half hours later a 240 kg blue marlin was traced and then released back to nature, as all marlin are on our boats.

On BROADBILL we found a tree floating down the currents which was loaded up with mahi mahi so we caught a swag on the light gear and the crew took them home for the table.
On Sunday we caught two striped marlin both around 90kg One for first time angler and local Peter Hession and the other for first timer “Fishraider” Steve Mc Cabe both anglers released their marlin. We also dropped a sizable blue marlin earlier in the day.

Then on Monday we caught a heap on striped tuna and two yellowfin to 40 kg
All these fish were trolled on lures
Other boats scored tuna to 70kg on the wide grounds…The tuna frenzy has begun

PREDICTIONS FOR THE NEXT FORTNIGHT

We will see some really exciting yellowfin fishing as well as blue and striped marlin on the wide grounds.

BOOK NOW FOR SOME WILD TUNA ACTION

The word is out that the tuna are running and last season we caught some horses in May, June and thru to September. Scroll back to this time last season for some great reports and proven results.
Glenn and myself on our boats BROADBILL and BILLFISHER have been successfully catching tuna all our lives and you cannot be on more experienced boats that constantly produce fish.

COSTS $1550.00 FOR SIX ANGLERS OR $260.00 / HEAD

It is going to be a wild tuna season, so do not delay to book……………………………..Ring 95342378 and get the best moons.

“ON THE HOOK” with CAPT ROSS AND GLENN HUNTER late March

PT STEPHENS FIRES UP AT LAST
NOT BEFORE TIME

It’s all happening at Pt Stephens with a late bite on big stripes The past few trips Broadbill and Billfisher have caught some great black and striped marlin. Yesterday Billfisher caught three and that’s our best day in numbers since arriving in mid January.

It was Peter Worrell who got lucky yesterday on Broady when he spent an hour and 15 minutes on a 130 kg striped. It was Pete’s first ever marlin and I am sure he will not forget the epic battle . The next day it was Brad White’s turn when he scored a 120 kg black marlin on Broadbill The big fish jumped high and put on a great show much to the delight of all, but more so for local photographer Ray Alley who took some great pics .

Heading out to an early morning Pt Stephens sunrise	Three white bellied sea eagles joined us for a while
A big striped on Billfisher	A great Ray Alley photo of Brad's black marlin
A big striped on the fly on Broadbill	Now that's lit up
A perfect photo by Ray Alley	Another Raider hooked up o a big blue

However not to be out done it was Glenn Hunter on Billfisher who out did the entire fleet with three striped marlin for the day. Every time I looked around the boat was going backwards again. The fish were caught on skipping bonito.

We have been mixing up some days with a little reef fishing as well as some live baiting for long tails and have been successful with good efforts on each specie.

Billfisher backing up after a big striped	Brad White's big black on Broadbill
	Brad's black NB The parasites on his back
Emu traces Brad's black marlin	Mitch hooked up and going hard on his blue marlin
On the trace	Peter Worrell's big striped
Pt Stephens goin off and about time	This time a blue marlin
Traced up	What great Ray Alley photo

BLUEFIN TUNA GREAT LIGHT TACKLE FUN

The long tails or northern bluefin as they used to be called are great fun on light gear. We caught them on our Shimano Saragosas and kiddin’ they don’t get them humming on the first lightning run.
It has been a long, patient season with fishing being good one day and terrible the next, but it has at last come back to being reliable again, something like we have relied on for the past few decades.

We are now going out each day expecting action and knowing if you work hard it will be there.
I believe that we are going to see some brilliant fishing right through to Easter all the boxes are ticked with water temp back to 23 degrees, current flow into the nor west and light and bait every where . It about to ‘Go Off”
And BRING IT ON I SAY.

A typical northern blue	We have caught some long tails These little speedsters really do go

STILL TIME TO BOOK FOR SOME GREAT ACTION AT PT STEPHENS
We sill have the weekend of the 3rd 4th and 5th of April available if any one is interested. Cost $260.00 per angler or $1550.00 for a full boat charter and that’s Sydney rates.

Ring Ross Hunter 0409 047 727  OR Glenn 0418 462 476

Check out the fabulous Ray Alley (local Pt Stephens photographer’s photos) on this issue

“ON THE HOOK” with Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter..Mid March report.

We are still fishing Pt. Stephens and the good news is that marlin fishing has picked up but no where near what Glenn and I had hoped for.
However having said that we have reached double figures in tag and release including a 220 kg blue.

The season has been tough due to cold water in the early part of the season and the hot water 27.5 degrees this month.
It has been this mix of hot and cold currents that has kept the small blacks away in close and the stripes scarce on the wide grounds.

Many boats have targeted blue marlin over the shelf and had some success It came for us when we had a mackerel eaten in 100 fathoms and it wasn’t long before a big blue reared its head and went on a wild rampage as only blues do The big fish spent little time in the water at first as time and time again it flew high much to the trill of the crew on Broadbill.

It was long time customer and a man who has caught some excellent fish on our boats  John Vasalla who was on the rod. We estimated the blue marlin was around 200kg and on 24kg tackle John was in for a struggle.

Time and time again we backed up on the fish only to have it go deep again
After 3 hours John was still in the chair and working hard eventually the big fish was traced and released it was a great effort by John to stick to his guns on and never complain.

THE INTERCLUB AND AIBT BEEN AND GONE

Both big tournaments the Interclub (this was well down in numbers this year with around 180 boats competing, compared to 230 last year, maybe the global financial situation kept a few at home).

It was my 33 Interclub this year so naturally we were all keen to do well as always My crew of Tony Ceccato , Gavin Sharp, Tim McLachlan and Andy Davidson are all seasoned marlin fisherman This along with crewman Steve Emu Feilding gave us an earlu optimism that we had the crew to be competitive but fishing was tough for us.

Gavin Sharp on his second striped	Getting closer
Gavin Sharp's great striped about to be tagged by Tony Ceccato	Sharpey's striped flies high
A fabulous photo by Ray Alley	A great pic by Ray Alley of G Sharp's Striped
Ray Alley catches this shot of a striped marlin	John Vassala on his 220kg blue marlin that took three hours
We never get sick of this sight A Ray Alley pic

The tournament saw some tough fishing but for some like my good friend Captain Tim Dean who was skippering Geoff Leonard’s Born Free it was simple too easy.
Tim pulled up on a bait patch and caught two stripes on a double hook up.

Then the next day did the same with a triple Born Free went on tho catch one more striped That gave them an un beatable tally of six marlin for the four days a great effort to win champion boat for the second year in a row.

Congrats. to Tim and Born Free.
It was the most competitive Newcastle team who took out best team, tagging a heap of fish between them.

Broadbill managed two stipes, both to Gavin Sharp and a heap of dollies and a rainbow runner.

We were fortunate to have Ray Alley an old mate from years back (local whale photographer from Pt Stephens on board and he snapped off some of the best shots of a striped marlin I have seen in a long time.

THE AIBT( The Australian International Billfish Tournament)

The AIBT was once again a hard fought event. With fishing very tough. We were a little luckier in this one. We won this tournament in ’87 when it was run out of Botany Bay, we were representing for the Shoalhaven club back then, so a good effort was what we were keen on.
Having caught two stripes and another out of time, which Tim Mc Lachlan’s lady Rachael caught on the way home.
We left the teasers out after fishing finished we raised a 70 kilo striped and having baited it on a perfect switch. We decided to give Rachael a crack at the fish.

Gav Sharp with one of his mahis	Gav Sharp and Roscoe having fun
Scott Thorrington on a good black marlin onhis boat Freedom	Heading out at 6am
At the weigh station with our tag cards and Miss Marlin	The Broadbill crew in full uniform
Tim Mc Lachlan with his mahi	DIDAKE'S big blue Photo by Kelly Dalling

See story of her thoughts on the event below.

MY FIRST MARLIN ON BROADBILL BY RACHAEL KING

Day 1 of the 2009 Australian International Billfish Tournament, and I was along as an observer.  Don’t get me wrong, I was happy to tag along in the hopes of seeing a Marlin up close, as I have only seen them in magazines.

We set off at 5.45am and I was sitting patiently but also anxiously to get out to the sea.  For me, this would only be my second time out, and I had prepared by taking sea sickness tablets.  I was attentive to my surroundings and actually was compared to a school girl on her first day at school…thanks Gavin.

I was told it was a great day for me to be out, low swell, but must admit to a bit of feeling queasy.  That all dissipated when we had a hit.  I was amazed at how everyone knew what they had to do…it was like clock work.  And even more amazing, was how Ross called out there was a fish seconds before we knew on deck.

So, fish on!  Gavin grabs the rod, Andy hooks him up with the gear, and it’s time to reel this one in.  I’m sitting back watching the precision of how this team works and have my camera ready to catch the action.  20 minutes later, stripped marlin tagged.  I will never forget the action of this amazing fish and seeing it in person.

But the story doesn’t end there.  It’s now 5.00pm and fishing has ended for the day.  The boys ask Ross if we should pull in the teasers, but Ross suggests leaving them out, just to see what we can get.  An hour has passed, heading back; we are all sitting inside and hear Ross call out.  He’s spotted a marlin!  Everyone runs out, pull in the teasers and get a rigged up bait out there…

This marlin is fired up, makes a swipe at the bait and misses.  Ross suggests leaving it there, and sure enough he comes back around and he’s hooked.  Fish on!  From somewhere I here “Rachel do you want to reel this one in?”  Damn, what? Is this for real?  In a split second I agree and it’s all history from this moment on.

I’m standing on the back deck, barely able to hold my footing.  I’m getting the rod holder placed around my waist and question how in the hell am I going to be able to stand my ground with a rod in my hand when I can’t even stand my ground on this rocking boat.  Andy assures me “it’s alright” and places the other strap around me.

Emu directs me to bend my legs and keep winding in.  I’ll never forget that first moment when the rod was left in my control; I swear I almost went overboard not realising the weight I was expected to control.  I’m reeling in this monster of a fish, and finally realising what it takes to reel a marlin in.  It’s a fantastic feeling; I’m reeling in a marlin, is this real?

“Keep reeling it in” I hear being yelled at me, and I’m doing the best I can.  I hit a spot when I can’t reel anymore; the marlin is giving it his all.  The boat is moving backwards to catch up, a wave washes over me, my feet are soaked, but I’m reeling in like there’s no tomorrow.  He gets close, and I’m just blown away, this marlin has jumped now and again and I’m still just amazed that it’s me who is pulling him in.  I get him to the boat, and he’s released.

I’m lost for words.  Did I just do that?  How long was it?  The adrenaline is pumping through my veins and won’t subside for another couple of hours; neither will the grin that remains upon my face.  That moment was so surreal, and I will never forget it for the rest of my life.

I’m on such a high from catching my first marlin, and it was further extended by having my name placed on the official board (even though it was unofficial, thanks to all who allowed it).  There it was written…Rachel King, Black Marlin, Broadbill.

Now I’ve been fishing since I can’t remember when, so yeah, fishing is in my blood, but not in a million years did I ever expect to experience what I did today.  And to top it off, all the boys said I did a good job.  I not only had the thrill of actually reeling in the fish which will remain in my memory forever, but the statements of those experienced anglers saying I did well, compliments my memories of this day.

I thank Ross for giving me the opportunity, and all members of the crew for directing me in what to do and for keeping me from going overboard.

“TAKE TIME” WINS AIBT

It was my long time friend and legend in the fishing scene Captain Bill Heaton who was skippering Keith Johnson’s vessel Take Time who won the event with three marlin released…Congratulations to Bill and crew a great effort.

DIDAKEE WINS LURHS TOURNAMENT

We both congratulate Darren Lewis on  DiDaKe in winning champion boat, not only tag and release with four stripes but also caught a 288 kilo blue marlin which he weighed and also won heaviest marlin in the “Pt Stephens Luhrs Tournament”.
A truly great effort considering he made the cut off time by two minute
There was a lot of black smoke belching out the back of the Bertram as Darren was on the gas to make time… Good work mate.

My great partner in crime Scott Thorrington aka John Denver hooked up this great black marlin at the Gibber last week.
The fish went on for four hours .. Another great effort.

Fishing has improved but is nowhere near the Pt Stephens we have come to expect so much from over the past 33 years.
 My thoughts are that it will come good soon….let’s hope so

“ON THE HOOK” With Ross and Glenn Hunter at Pt Stephens

EARLY FEBRUARY REPORT

Someone once said if fishing was always easy there wouldn’t be a challenge, well Glenn and I are begging for the sea god ODIN to make it a little easier at Pt Stephens.
This time last year Billfisher and Broadbill had released 60 marlin, however this season the results are five between us..

Big Momma beside the boat	And another big striped
A great blue caught on Billfisher about to be released	Billfisher at Pt Stephens on a hot striped
Billfisher heading out They caught two blues that day	Dan's great king
Geoff was happy with this king	Jani with a pb kingfish

We have caught some good kingies and mahis, but by and large the season so far has been very disappointing, long hard days of maybe getting one bite a day.

Why! The water out wide has been 27 degrees, far too hot for good marlin fishing then add to this up to 4 knots of current and nothing lives except the odd blue marlin and that is what we have targeted. No bait and no action.

BILLFISHER CATCHES FOUR BLUES IN TWO DAYS

It was Glenn Hunter who excelled with four blue marlin in two days with the Fishraider crew (headed up by Mr and Ms Swordfisherman) and for lucky anglers and all marlin virgins; La La, Sal, Kane and Mitch all caught blue marlin from 120kg to 220 kg.
A great effort by Billfisher Glenn Hunter and crewman Matt.Wright

We also had a couple of good days jigging kings at The Almark in 85 fathoms.
This too was a difficult challenge, just holding the Broadbill over the schooling fish in the 3 knot current was challenge enough but the lads did well with Outdoor Dan. Jani and Geoff all catching personal best kingfish. Jigging in 85 fathoms is always a challenge, but the crew worked hard for their fish.  My ever working deckie Emu Steve worked the jigs tirelessly for the guys  ...a great effort.

Out door Dan a PB kingfish Happy you bet	The armoury
The Billfisher crew They had a great two days catching four blue marlin	The Happy crew on Billfisher
The Raiders with a bunch of dollies	We worked had for these in 3 knots of current
Whilst we jigged in deep water The results were worthwhile

He had an arm like Charles Atlas after the day was done.
We then caught some healthy dollies around a log in 150 fathoms, this was the hi light of the three days for our crew.

The good news is that the strong southerly winds that are due tomorrow should have the effect of pushing the hot currents in as well as having a cooling effect.

Whilst it has been a slow start we now have the tournaments all starting in a week so let’s hope for good weather and better fishing.

“ON THE HOOK” with Ross Hunter………Mid January report

PT STEPHENS RED HOT MARLIN ACTION THIS WEEK

14 MARLIN IN TWO DAYS FOR CAPTAIN GLENN HUNTER

Captain Glenn Hunter has just returned from Pt Stephens he and the Emu have fished two days on Rob. Rigg’s 50 foot precision ‘ON SITE’
The lads caught and released 14 marlin in two days a mix of 5 black marlin to 120kg and 9 stripes to about the same... Glenn reckons that the fish were thick and hungry and the crew were running hot all day to keep up with the wild action.

Robert Riggs said (the owner of ON SITE“) Everyone had a ball we have never experienced such wild heady action. A big thanks to Glenn and Emu”

“We had the lads out from Mirvac Constructions including Geoff Pollack and our own crew from OZ Cut P/L, everyone caught a marlin and had a wild time, including a few of them that were  marlin virgins, but that changed last week” Rob added

“Glenn had often told me about Pt Stephens and played it up as one of the best marlin grounds in the world, I now know what he was talking about.”

Oh no not another marlin as number 14 is traced up by Emu	On the trace a double hook up The lads caught seven that day
On the trace number 13 for the trip	They jumped high all day at Pt Stephens
Robert Riggs and the OZ CUT team and the Mircac boys had a ball at Port Stephens	The Emu traces another on On Site
Black marlin on the rampage

PT STEPHENS ON BROADBILL or BILLFISHER

We head off around the 19th January on our boats Broadbill and Billfisher to the amazing grounds of Pt Stephens.
We are all but booked out but still have a few share charters available

COME AND JOIN US
IT COULD BE YOU KNEE DEEP IN WILD ACTION

Imagine three ten hour action packed days, fishing these sensational grounds. You will catch giant mahis, maybe record wahoo and cobia and certainly striped, black and blue marlin.
We leave port at 6.30 and return back around 5pm we then head to “The Local the Sally Shores” for cold ale and the chance to re- live the days action. No washing boats just walk on and walk off.
You will be fishing with a couple of the most experienced and respected Captains on the coast.

We have the following days available. 
The three days in January still on offer, we caught 14 marlin in two days last season.

Early morning Pt Stephens	Breathtaking scenery at Pt Stephens
Check out these big buggers	Big dollies are always caught at Pt Stephens
Glenn Hunter's Billfisher a great fish catching machine	Great fun on light gear
On the trace, another marlin is released on Billfisher	Striped in action
Superb weather and big fish	The home of big dollies Pt Stephens
There are some big wahoo at Pt Stephens	We have caught some great cobia as well
The fisherman's shack It's where our anglers stay	The view from our Fisherman's Shack

JANUARY…………27TH 28TH and 29TH We have a vacancy on this trip for three people.

COSTS $1,180.00… and that includes three days on my boat BROADBILL and four nights accommodation at The Fisherman’s Shack.
This is the hottest time of the month so do not hesitate to ring 95342378 to confirm your booking.

FEBRUARY.. Both boats are totally booked out for the month

MARCH.. In March we have 6th to the 8th for a crew of 6 anglers
Also 13th to the 15th as well as the 20th to 23rd

If you can muster a bunch of friends and you have a yearning to catch that ‘Fish of a Lifetime” we can guarantee you a wonderful time, fishing on our most respected boats BROADBILL or BILLFISHER.

RING… 9534  2378 to discuss the final details. We take all credit cards except Diners and you can pay half now, balance later.

For Interstate or International guests there is a nearby airport at Newcastle and we can arrange a shuttle pick up for you.

Come and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere on our boats , you do not need to be experienced we have that just come and enjoy one of the greatest and most picturesque fisheries in the world

THE LOCAL SCENE OFF SYDNEY

Generally fishing has been tough, no dollies and the marlin have been scarce.
We have resorted to the kingfish to get out of trouble but, they have now thinned out . Glenn raised a small black off Maroubra yesterday and I raised a striped off the 12 mile last trip, so there are signs of things picking up. We had a short day on the reef and caught some nice blue spot flathead last week with a very nice English family, the Burneys….. They had a nice day on Broady

There is some better water flowing down and this will improve the offshore scene when it arrives.

We caught this green back whilst trolling in Bate Bay	Now that's a better than average king. We jigged them all of late
Our new Simrad sounder showed us a good population of kingfish below	We did manage a few good kings but worked hard for them
Darren Burney and his family caught some good flatties

PT STEPHENS HERE WE COME

We are leaving for my favourite grounds in the worlds Pt Stephens next week.
A place that I have fished since 1974 and just keep lovin’ it year after year.
 A place where multiples in marlin catches and other species are common, day after day.

Glenn and myself cannot wait to get there…. See you all at Pt Stephens

“ON THE HOOK” with Ross and Glenn Hunter 
19/12/08

Firstly, a very Merry Xmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all the readers, it is nearly 10 years that we have been reporting on this site and I know from your letters and phone calls that our tips are appreciated by the fishermen. Have a safe a fishy Christmas and we thank you all for your valuable clientele over many years and look forward to fishing Pt Stephens with you all soon.

KINGFISH GALORE

We have caught some great catches of kingfish over the past few trips. Brad White’s group Paul, Ben, Glen and Reece had a great day yesterday on Broadbill catching a good haul of kings The lads caught 20 but only kept 8 for the table.

The fish have been averaging up to 8kg  and have been caught mostly off Coogee at our favourite spot called “Hunter’s Hill” (nick named after the Hunter lads because of the time that we have spent there over the past 25 years) The kings of late have been our saviours but do not despair cause it’s all about to change.

Out wider things are still tough but there is hope that this will change in the next week or so as marlin and mahis are being caught a little further north and this water will arrive off Sydney soon.

A good feed We caught 20 kings and kept eight for the table	Happy angler
One of the better ones	We caught some nice kingfish last trip
Brad White's crew had agood day on Broadbill

MARINE PARK ISSUE
WE’VE BEEN HOODWINKED

I find it unbelievable that there is a solid push by the Greens and others to implement a Marine Park from Pt Stephens in the north to Bateman’s Bay in the south and in doing so lock out recreational fisherman. This means that their will be few places for us anglers to fish within three mile of the coastline from Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour, Pt Stephens to Narooma.

There has never been any scientific study prior to any of the existing marine parks as to wether they will have any effect on fish stocks.

As a professional charter Captain and a fisherman of 50 years I know that it won’t. You see all of our species that travel through marine parks are migratory?

Fish such as bream, blackfish, mullet, salmon, long tail tuna, tailor, snapper are all travelling or migratory species and do not live in any area for long, they travel constantly moving into rivers and estuaries to spawn.

It seems as though the Greens, who in my opinion do not have a clue about the issue and certainly have no scientific research to back up their issues are hell bent on treating recreational fisherman as criminals for wanting to pursue their favourite pass time.

You see we work under strict fisheries bag limits and according to Professor Kearney,
One of Australia’s foremost and most respected marine scientists.

Quote “Recreational fishos are being hoodwinked by these Marine Parks and the lack of research” said the Professor at a recent meeting.

We are being treated like criminals by the Greens and it is up to every recreational fisherman to think very clearly about what is happening and write to their Local Members and Ministers involved.

If these Marine Parks are brought in by an easily led NSW Labour government, hanging their hat on Green preferences, a Government that is currently flailing in the popularity polls. They will certainly suffer lack of support by the recreational angler at the next elections.

The attempted locking out of recreational anglers in Marine Parks (and there are two million of us) will back fire on them, we are not criminals, we are fishermen and we have the right when we buy our fishing licenses and tackle and pay our taxes each year to go fishing where and when we like within the laws of the state.

It is most interesting that America has just passed legislation that “Every USA recreational fisherman shall have the right to fish in any Marine Park in America” and that’s how it should be for us. So no more listening to the Greens and their “hanger ons”, they are wrong as the USA has recently accepted, they have no research to back up any of their claims. You cannot put a fence around fish.

DON’T VOTE FOR THEM

Simply don’t vote for them and protest their every move in the Marine Park issue.
Sorry to be on my “Soap box’ and the lack of Fishing Reports but I had to say my bit about one of the biggest issues that recreational anglers will ever face and together we must band and fight.

PT STEPHENS 2009 "ONE OF THE BEST FISHERIES IN THE WORLD" by Captain Ross Hunter

Having fished these amazing waters for over three decades I am convinced that this magnificently picturesque place is one of the most productive marlin fisheries in the world and for us lucky New south Welshman, it's right on our door step.

Imagine catches of 16, 18 and 21 marlin in a day or 248 for a season that is world class by anyone's standards.

The average size of a Pt Stephens striped is around 80kg and these double figure, per day numbers are achieved by the charter fleet every season from January to late April.

A black marlin is traced on Broadbill	Big dollies are always caught at Pt Stephens
Billfisher at Pt Stephens on a hot striped	Billfisher's deckie traces another marlin
Black marlin on the rampage	Broadbill's trophy wall
Check out these big buggers	There are some big wahoo at Pt Stephens
Glenn Hunter's Billfisher a great fish catching machine	great fun on light tackle

Each summer season there are many charter boats that travel from as far as Cairns to the north and Bateman’s Bay to the south to join us locals at Pt Stephens.

These boats target the abundant stocks of blacks; blues (and the most predominant marlin) the striped on all types of tackle, be-it fly-fishing, spear fishing or conventional tackle.

However it is not just the brilliant marlin fishing, it is also the superb scenery of the place that I never get sick of looking at, it really is a breathtaking port to leave from and then come home to after a busy days fishing.

The entrance to the port is made up of Headlands and Islands that are remnants of an extinct volcano from a long forgotten dinosaur era.

The highest mountain to the south Tomaree forms an embattlement that protects the mariners from bad weather, making the port a most safe passage for our boats.

To the north Yaccabah with its picturesque, almost vertical mountainous slopes and giant wind eroded gorges that the sea pounds into with great force, sending plumes of spray forever skyward.

Always a most spectacular sight as we steam to the bait grounds at first light.
The colours of these beautiful steeped cliffs changes constantly with sunlight, depending on the light of the day.

Then there's Cabbage Tree Island with its western rain forest and gorges full of cabbage trees, home of the tiny Gould's Petrel and a resident family of white-bellied sea eagles.

To the south Little Island and Boondelbah Island they all form the breathtaking oceanic entrance to the Port.

If it is a fisherman's holiday you want and you also wouldn't mind coming back with "Your arms dangling like those of an ape from the stretching they'll get during your stay" then visit us at

We have achieved seven grand slams IE. a blue, black and striped marlin in one day and I can assure you that there are not many ports that you can achieve this feat.

In the long run "Happy customers, smiles on dials …that’s what I'm talkin' about". And we get that from catching marlin and we work together to achieve that end result for our clients

I recall Jim Dalling calling me up and saying from his vantage point on the tower of "Reel Chase" "Come over here Roscoe there's a bunch of stripes on a bait ball'.
We caught several fish in a couple of hours, both of us going backwards chasing a hot fish, most of the time.

Over the years there have been many fishing milestones, Broadbill's twenty-one marlin in a day in February 2005.

A day when a bait ball was found with an estimated 80 striped marlin working it up all day.
All we had to do was to back up to it, throw two live baits in and immediately hook up a double on stripes.

There also has been many World and Australian records on all kinds of tackle all caught from this world-class fishery.

The area constantly produces record catches of stripes and juvenile black marlin (fish to 150kg) and some "honker" blue marlin up to 350kg.

But there are other species that are targeted and they are mahis, yellowfin and cobia and they come in XXXOS size as well.

Pt. Stephens hosts the largest tournament in the Southern Hemisphere 'The NSW Interclub" 250 boats turn up and fill the port in February each year. To compete in this extremely well organised event. 

Is a busy and most exciting affair.

If it is a fisherman's holiday you want and you also wouldn't mind coming back with "Your arms dangling like those of an ape from the stretching they'll get during your stay" then visit us at

Breathtaking scenery at Pt Stephens	Early morning Pt Stephens
On the trace, another marlin is released on Billfisher	Smiles on dials.. Four Marlin and a big dolliue for the day
Superb weather and big fish	The home of big dollies Pt Stephens
These are common place at Pt Stephens	We have caught some great cobia as well
Wahoo are caught each year at Pt Stephens	The view from our Fisherman's Shack
The fisherman's shack It's where our anglers stay

PT.STEPHENS                                           YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.

We do have a couple of three day spots available for mid and late March.. For more information ring 9534 2378 or visit our web site…….. look in “Fishing Adventure Packages’

“ON THE HOOK” With Ross Hunter ……..23/11/08

Christmas is coming and rushing up on us like a locomotive at full steam…where did this year go!
Summarizing the fishing, it has been a year of mixed fortunes on our boats Billfisher and Broadbill. It started in January at Pt Stephens for us and whilst the season there was most successful there were days of the doldrums fish-wise.

We caught and released 220 marlin between the boats and all of our clients caught marlin be it stripes, blacks and blues, mahis and tunas.

Bill hooked up on his Mako	100 kg mako at the back of Broadbill
The Human Winch Anthony Chaffy with a couple of Kings	I caught a couple too
The Buzzard scored a couple as well	Broadbill's favourite son Johhny Boo Cartlidge with his catch
Alex Gomez with a couple of Kingfish.. They saved us from a disastrous day	Yellow fin Tuna in July on Billfisher

It was a most productive tour, fishing our favourite grounds in the world Pt Stephens.
We returned from Pt Stephens back to Sydney in mid May and had a great run on some excellent yellowfin in late May, June and July. We caught fish to 60 kg especially Glenn Hunter on Billfisher who managed to score some huge tuna. As well as the tuna, makos and blues were also caught.

We also alternated between the tuna and kingfish and had some most successful days fishing the Stanwell Park area for snapper. We caught a few good fish, however this season they were mainly a smaller run, averaging around 1.5 to 3 kg this size , however is the best eating size. These snapper days are always most popular on our boats and generally most successful for not only snapper but jackets flathead and mowies. Winter is my favourite months for snapper fishing.

The tuna went quite late July thru to Sept so we targeted the kingfish and allowed two per angler before releasing on  many trips. (Bear in mind that is 12 per trip for us) We caught the first marlin recorded off Sydney in October on Broady and that is always a thrill. We also raised another the next week, but dropped it.

I still believe that we must treat the kings with care as they are no where back to the early days (Even reducing bag limits or going to 70cm for keepers, as the majority are just 65 cm)

GALE FORCED WINDS KEEP US HOME

As I write this report the wind is howling outside, with gusts of 40 knots recorded Once a gale warning is issued we cannot, by law, go fishing because of our insurances and seeing we are sponsored by a major Insurance company, Nautilus Marine Insurance, it is imperative for us to set an example.

We have lost so many days through winter and spring with bad weather but that’s the business we choose to be in, so no use whinging I guess. Pt Hacking GFC boat “Just Chill” dropped a blue marlin last week after a good run. The marlin fishing will improve from now on off Sydney
Last week we caught mainly striped tuna and small yellowfin to 8kg on our boats.

I have fished the Georges River with Norm Jefferies and we had a couple of great days on the blackfish. This should continue next week, now the full moon has gone.

A great catch from the Georges River last week
Norm Jefferies and nara	Roscoe and Norm Jefferies had a good catch of blackfish on the Georges river last week

Local Lugarno legends Rod West, John Darcy and Graham Rainnie also scored well with a great bag of bream and flathead on their recent trip in the Georges River.

Predictions for the next fortnight. Marlin and mahis outside. Flathead and bream will certainly be worthwhile in the Towra channel and around the bridges. ( Get the tides right is the clue, fish the tide changes). Black fish will be worth a go in the Hacking and Georges.

PT STEPHENS 2009
MID JANUARY TO MID APRIL

BROADBILL and BILLFISHER

CATCH THAT FISH of a LIFETIME

We still have the following dates available before closing the books.

DATES AVAILABLE…March 6th to 8th……..March ..14th to 16th or 28th to 31st any of these combinations are not yet booked.

We do have weekends available for share charters so if you are an individual who would like to join us ring 95342378 now but do not delay.

Pt Stephens simply is one of the best marlin grounds in the world  over the 30 years I have fished the Port we have set many standards in catches and great times.
We specialise on our boats in live baiting, switch baiting, fly fishing and spearfishing.

COSTS ……………Two days $900.00 per head including accommodation
Three days $1180.00 per head including accommodation.
The days inc. all tackle and gear and are of 10 hour duration.

After fishing Captains and crew head to the Salamander Shores for a cool ale and dinner and a post mortem of the day in paradise re-living tales of rampaging marlin.

Our best day was in 2005 when Broadbill caught 21 stripes in a day that I am told is the Port record.

Breathtaking scenery at Pt Stephens	Striped in action
On the trace, another marlin is released on Billfisher	Great catches of tuna were the norm in June thru to August
The view from our Fisherman's Shack	There were plenty of great catches this season
Wednesday they bit well on Billfisher	There are some big wahoo at Pt Stephens

It is not the records that are so important it is our crews having fun and enjoying the experience of Pt Stephens fishing. All that fish on our boats come back every year and have done in some cases for 25 years, so I guess we must do something right to be afforded such loyalty.

Don’t forget we cater for individuals and you do not have to have experience to enjoy this sort of fishing, that is what you pay us for, so come and fish with Sydney’s most respected boats Broadbill and Billlfisher, you will not regret it and you will have some wonderful memories of your trip.

If it is A FISHING HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME you want, then do not hesitate to call 9534 2378

NAUTILUS MARINE INSURANCE AND THE HUNTER LADS

It was February 2006 at Pt Stephens when Ian Frith, Mark Crockford and Jared Kaplan invited Glenn and myself and our vessels BROADBILL and BILLFISHER to join the NAUTILUS INSURANCE TEAM.

Having known Ian Frith as a personal friend and observed from a distance the inroads he had made in marine insurance, there were no second thoughts; Glenn and I were there, decision made.

“Frithy” is a champion man who has been around the fishing scene all his life, it is this hands on experience that gives him the edge in understanding the finer points of fisherman’s specialised needs when insuring their boats and equipment

To be a part of a winning team headed up by these guys is a privilege, not only the fact that were invited to represent the Nautilus group as their flag ships from the charter industry ( a choice of which we both feel most honoured) but also because they are a bunch of good blokes who understand the fisherman’s insurance needs and we are proud also to put our names and reputations on the line without a second thought.

Nautilus insure all recreational vessels and commercial as well…The fact that Broadbill and Billfisher are both insured with Nautilus is testimony enough in our belief in this great insurer.

We recommend that if you are looking to insure your vessel that you give Nautilus a call and get a quote …………they simply are the most efficient way of insuring your vessel and the price and service that will have you smiling.

During this period we have many contented clients who have switched over to Nautilus so next time you are wanting a quote Ring nautilus you will be pleasantly surprised at the price.
Follow the link on our home page to the Nautilus web site or ring 1300 780 533