ABERDEEN angler Kerryanne Thompson reeled in a “big one” at the prestigious Golden Lure, at Port Macquarie, last week.
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And, it capped off a perfect return to the annual game fishing tournament for the local woman.
Contesting the ladies and juniors’ Tammy and Richard Kirkby Memorial Charity Day event on Tuesday, Thompson landed a 137.2kg blue marlin onto the end of her 37kg line.
The blue marlin lives in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and are more widely pursued by sport fishermen than any other marlin species, according to experts from the Australian Marlin website.
Their wide distribution in tropical oceanic waters and seasonally into temperate zones makes them available to many anglers, and their potential to reach great sizes and spectacular fighting ability makes them a highly desired catch to some anglers.
While Thompson admits she’s snared one bigger fish in the past, this was the largest non-catch and release fish she had caught.
“Last year (our first campaign), aboard Milo, we got runner-up heaviest marlin (155kg) in the major competition,” she said.
“But, this time, I won the heaviest marlin (capture) on ladies day.
“It took me an hour and five minutes to get in and it was definitely bigger than we thought.
“It was the hardest fight I’ve ever had with a fish.
“He almost spooled us on the first run of line, and I thought we could have lost him, but luckily we hung on.”
The marlin stayed just below the surface and sat there for a long time.
However, with the aid of boat driver and husband John Thompson, and the rest of her crew aboard Milo, they dragged him in.
“Sometimes you can get the fish in really quick, but sometimes they sit for an age like this fellow did,” the Port Stephens Game Fishing Club member said.
“He stayed with the current so he was really tough to get in.
“Credit to the boat driver who plays a big part – and gets at the right angle.”
Thompson said the 137.2kg “trophy” was their brightest moment of the week-long tournament.
“No marlin over 150kg were weighed this year – and that is what we were chasing,” she explained.
“So, unfortunately, we didn’t do any good in the major fishing days.
“Just the win of the capture on ladies day.
“Now, we’ll set our sights on the coming months.
“We have tournaments beginning early February through to March at Port Stephens, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.”