An extraordinary day of topwater marlin fishing has been documented off Eden, New South Wales, with a determined crew recording 14 striped marlin hook-ups in a single session by casting stickbaits at fish actively feeding on surface bait concentrations.
The Bree and Yaan Living team committed to a six-hour drive south from Sydney after receiving intelligence about exceptional marlin activity developing along the far south coast. Their gamble paid off handsomely on 19 April, delivering what they described as the most insane marlin session they had witnessed.
Rather than employing conventional live-baiting or trolling tactics, the crew targeted visible striped marlin with topwater stickbaits, exploiting the fish's aggressive feeding behaviour around concentrated bait balls.
Initial efforts to secure adequate livebait proved frustrating, with the crew unable to locate baitfish of sufficient size. The session transformed when they discovered free-swimming marlin tailing in the current behind bait schools, presenting perfect opportunities for targeted casting.
The marlin's response to stickbaits was immediate and violent. The first hook-up saw the angler's reel spool heat up alarmingly during the fish's initial run, forcing the skipper to drive the boat toward the marlin to preserve line. That fish was eventually landed after becoming bill-wrapped in the short leader, tangled rather than cleanly hooked.
After retaining the first marlin to honour the achievement of landing a billfish on topwater stickbait, the crew released subsequent fish as the action accelerated.
Double and multiple hook-ups became routine as the session progressed. Sounder readings revealed dense concentrations of baitfish and marlin beneath the boat, with feeding activity erupting sporadically across the surface.
The stickbaits employed measured roughly 10 centimetres, small presentations that proved devastatingly effective. Marlin charged the lures with reckless aggression, often with multiple fish competing for the same bait.
Anglers called out fish tallies as numbers climbed throughout the day, reaching double figures before midday and eventually tallying 14 hook-ups. The visual nature of the fishing added to the excitement, with strikes occurring in full view and marlin displaying aerially throughout battles.
The technique-focused approach differs from traditional methods, requiring anglers to locate feeding fish visually and present lures with precision. When marlin are actively tailing and feeding, the results can be spectacular.
Such sessions remain exceptional rather than typical, dependent on specific conditions that concentrate both baitfish and marlin in accessible locations. The crew's 12-hour round-trip investment underscores the quality of reports that had emerged from the region.
Video documentation captured the intensity of the session, showing repeated strikes, aerial acrobatics, and the controlled chaos of managing multiple hooked marlin simultaneously from a trailer boat.
The success demonstrates that when striped marlin commit to surface feeding on concentrated bait, stickbait techniques can produce results rivalling or exceeding conventional methods, offering anglers an exciting alternative approach to targeting Australia's premier light-tackle billfish.
