{"id":24689,"date":"2021-04-23T11:44:03","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T11:44:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oceanbluefishing.com\/magazine\/?p=24689"},"modified":"2023-06-22T00:54:52","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T14:54:52","slug":"black-marlin-queensland-fraser-island-beach-game-jonny-brooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oceanbluefishing.com\/magazine\/black-marlin-queensland-fraser-island-beach-game-jonny-brooks\/","title":{"rendered":"Catching Black Marlin on the flats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Okay, so beautiful beaches are probably the last place you’ll expect to land a marlin. Sure, some of us have heard of the infamous black marlin off the beach at Fraser Island’s Hervey Bay, but even I believed one will need to be super lucky to actually catch one in the shallows. That’s why I never really bought into it, that is, until I finally gave it a crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning a Hervey Bay Getaway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I’ve talked it over with Charles from Hervey Bay Sport Fishing<\/a> so many times, asking him over and over if we can go. Still, despite my enthusiasm, I wasn’t really convinced that the pretty beach could offer much. I assumed maybe we’ll have to get there and be really super lucky or even head out offshore to catch a decent billy. I couldn’t quite picture feisty blacks off a pristine beach. So, when Charles finally gave the trip the green light, I couldn\u2019t get there fast enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hervey Bay – Image from <\/em>Pexels<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Casting Doubts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But Hervey Bay went beyond being pretty. It has a beautiful beach and incredible fishing for a myriad of other species such as tuna, Golden and Giant Trevally, trout, salmon, bream and flathead. But these seasoned targets were not what I was after. I needed to experience for myself the chance of hooking up to juvenile black marlin known to congregate on the flats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catching Black Marlin off the Beach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Catching blacks at Hervey Bay is not overly well known and you’ll need to have a bit of luck on your side if it’s a black marlin you’re after. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also kind of incredible. For many of us, marlin are a trophy target generally found offshore. Hervey Bay would have to be the only place I\u2019m aware of that offers up the opportunity to target juvenile blacks on the flats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The juvie blacks are known to congregate in the area, typically between October to December so there’s a specific window of opportunity. Of course, it’s not always guaranteed, so you’d want to be flexible and jump as soon as the blacks appear.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Fishing<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The trip itself did not take that much preparation in terms of fishing gear. I used a pretty standard rod\/reel spinning setup, which included my trusty Zenaq Fokeeto Twitch 7’3-3 rod<\/a>, paired with Daiwa Saltiga 4000<\/a> and BKK hooks.<\/a>

In terms of the excitement and feeling catching my first juvi marlin on the flats, I think it\u2019s best depicted in the video you can view below. But if I summed it up in one word it was UNREAL!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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