A trailer-boat crew has documented one of the most spectacular stickbait marlin sessions ever filmed off the New South Wales far south coast, landing 14 striped marlin in a single day by targeting fish feeding aggressively on surface bait balls.
The Bree and Yaan Living crew made the six-hour mission south to Eden on 19 April after hearing reports of an exceptional bite developing in the area. What they encountered exceeded expectations: free-swimming striped marlin tailing in the current, charging stickbaits cast at concentrations of baitfish.
The technique-driven session focused on pitching topwater stickbaits directly at visible marlin working bait balls, a departure from traditional live-baiting or trolling methods more commonly employed in Australian marlin fisheries.
The day began slowly, with the crew struggling to locate quality livebait of sufficient size. Conditions changed dramatically when they located patches of actively feeding marlin tailing behind bait concentrations.
One angler reported his spool becoming dangerously hot during the initial fight, requiring the boat to be driven toward the fish to prevent spooling. The first marlin landed was bill-wrapped rather than properly hooked, tangled in the short leader after an explosive take.
The crew elected to keep the first fish, acknowledging the significance of landing a marlin off the top on stickbait. Subsequent fish were released as the bite intensified throughout the session.
Double hook-ups became commonplace as the day progressed, with anglers calling out simultaneous strikes. The crew documented fish numbers climbing steadily: number 10, then 13, and eventually 14 for the session.
The marlin were encountered feeding actively on concentrated bait balls visible both on the surface and on sounder readings. The aggressive surface feeding behaviour allowed anglers to make targeted casts at individual fish, watching strikes occur in real time.
The Eden region of New South Wales has developed a reputation for productive striped marlin fishing in recent seasons, with this session adding to a growing body of evidence that the far south coast holds world-class marlin fishing opportunities during autumn months.
While the session represents a single exceptional day rather than typical conditions, it demonstrates the potential of stickbait techniques for targeting striped marlin when fish are visibly feeding on surface bait concentrations.
The crew's willingness to commit to a 12-hour round trip for a single day's fishing highlights the calibre of bite that had developed off Eden, with reports filtering through the offshore community prompting anglers to make the journey south.
Footage from the session shows multiple aerial displays, aggressive surface strikes, and the frenetic pace of fishing when marlin are fully committed to feeding on concentrated baitfish.
