In late November a private fishing crew from the Cairns Bluewater GFC headed out to St Crispins reef, on the outer GBR, off Cairns. Skipper Wayne Tuni is a newcomer to heavy-tackle gamefishing but with the guidance of very experienced local deckie Craig Wyatt (known as 'Wizzy') they loaded Wayne's 32ft Caribbean Pay Back with gear and headed out on a 4-day trip destined for action. They were joined by Craig Watson, a visiting Victorian lure maker who keen to give his Blue Dog lures a swim. Craig also brought his 10-year old son Thomas. Watson has represented Australia in weightlifting at the Olympics and, as the designated angler, was keen to try a large black on stand-up 60kg.
Fishing was slow but by the 3rd morning they had caught a 150lb black and several mackerel - providing a good practice run in case the big girl eventually turned up. Then, at 5.30pm on the 3rd day, she did, indeed, make an appearance. Craig's long-headed 'Cuban' lure, running out the back in the shotgun position, disappeared in a boil, followed soon after by a huge black marlin crashing through the surface and into the sky. Craig was hooked-up!
The outfit was a custom-built Laurie Casey 60kg rod with a 2-speed 80W Accurate reel that had been customised by local reel wizard Jack Erskine.
Craig fished the reel with 22.5kg of strike drag and, with that sort of pressure, they had the fish to the boat in 20 minutes. Wizzy took the leader, the fish was tagged and the catch was accomplished - but then the fish took off and he had to release the leader or it would have broken. Watson was keen to retrieve the lure (to hang on his wall) and to cut the fish off with minimal leader, so they continued the fight to bring it back again. This proved much harder the second time and 45 minutes into the fight, Craig decided he needed more drag. He pushed the lever to full 'sunset' drag and struggled to stand against the punishing pressure of 34kg's of drag. To keep him safe - and in the boat - Wyatt tied a safety rope between the flybridge ladder and Watson's Black Magic harness.
Eventually, after 1hour and 20min, they haul the fish alongside, grab the lure back and set the big black free. By this time the crew had attracted a crowd of spectators and Capt Bill Billson, watching the action from the bridge of Viking II, called the fish at 1050lb.
The outfit was a custom-built Laurie Casey 60kg rod with a 2-speed 80W Accurate reel that had been customised by local reel wizard Jack Erskine.
Craig fished the reel with 22.5kg of strike drag and, with that sort of pressure, they had the fish to the boat in 20 minutes. Wizzy took the leader, the fish was tagged and the catch was accomplished - but then the fish took off and he had to release the leader or it would have broken. Watson was keen to retrieve the lure (to hang on his wall) and to cut the fish off with minimal leader, so they continued the fight to bring it back again. This proved much harder the second time and 45 minutes into the fight, Craig decided he needed more drag. He pushed the lever to full 'sunset' drag and struggled to stand against the punishing pressure of 34kg's of drag. To keep him safe - and in the boat - Wyatt tied a safety rope between the flybridge ladder and Watson's Black Magic harness.
Eventually, after 1hour and 20min, they haul the fish alongside, grab the lure back and set the big black free. By this time the crew had attracted a crowd of spectators and Capt Bill Billson, watching the action from the bridge of Viking II, called the fish at 1050lb. 
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