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Ambition report 12th. March'18

March 11, 2018 Sydney 3 photos & 1 video
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Sydney Report Photo 1
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Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Dolphin (Mahi Mahi)
Marlin (Blue)
Marlin (Blue)
Marlin (Black)
Marlin (Black)
Marlin (Striped)
Marlin (Striped)

Trip Summary

The Marlin fishing off Sydney is coming into its best period. At this time of year the water off Sydney is at its warmest. We generally catch the biggest of species...the quality specimens. The 200 plus kilo Blue Marlin, Stripes over 120 kilo's, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi, big Yellowfin which have already made their appearance felt and even Spearfish. This prime time could and has in the past lasted until as late as mid-May. I've just returned from Port Stephens spending my last day fishing up there on Saturday. I had taken Livio and some friends out for his brother's birthday. After the break in the weather the 'Car Park' fired up again. Double hook-ups seemed the norm. I started trolling skip baits a few miles North of the 'Car Park' hoping to find my own patch of bait and avoid the crowds. As it happens I did find a patch and we soon raised and caught a good sized Black which gave the birthday boy a good work out. Unfortunately I lost the bait so I worked my way down to the 'Car Park'. It was crowded and the radio was full of boats calling out for others to move out of the way of their hooked fish ( sometimes not in nice terms ) - it was crazy. Anyway we managed to drop a bait to another Black I'd marked and this time Livio had to do battle. Sunday was home time with Lee his friend Dave my deck hand Howie. We left Port at 6am. I was going to fish down the thousand fathom line looking for Blues and Yellowfin. I did troll down the line in 26 degrees of totally dead water for an hour or so then decided to move back into 500 fathoms on the other side of the eddy. Here there were occasional groups of birds working and patches of bait but no real action. Then as we approached Norah canyons we ran into thick algal blooms which seemed to go forever. Finally after several miles we came out of the blooms into clean indigo coloured water just South of the canyons. The water was absolutely full of bait which appeared to be pilchards feeding. We went around them a few times with no result so headed off again. Shortly afterwards I marked a fish. Lee and I turned back to the lures in time to see a big Blue crash the Blue Illusion on the short corner and take off as they do. Dave was on strike and took the rod on what turned out to be a Blue of around 170 kgs.. He'd never caught a Marlin before and had no idea what he was in for. This fish gave him a workout and a half. It didn't want to give up and stayed just out of range for ages by know we were on sunset and Dave was working hard. Inevitably we tagged the fish and then Dave had to struggle another half hour to get my lure back. No way was it getting away with that one. We continued on and raised a Striped Marlin of around 70 kilo's. It hit half the lures we had out before succumbing to the Brad 'J' bullet on the shotgun. Lee made quick work of the fish much to Dave's annoyance. By the time we had tagged Lee's fish it was time to pull stumps. We still had forty miles to get home. As I sit here writing this report I keep getting calls telling me about all the Marlin and even Tuna down here. It appears the water we had at Port Stephens a couple of weeks ago has move down here and brought the fish with it. I need to get out there again... Tight lines, Ivan
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Ivan Bennett
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Looking to experience the best angling opportunities that Sydney has to offer? Hop aboard Ambition Charters, run by one of the most experienced captains in the area!  Captain Ivan Bennett has been fishing for over 50 years now, is a lover of marine l...

Other reports from this charter

Ambition report 26th.April'26
Ambition report 26th.April'26
April 25, 2026
Its been a while since my last report for many and varied reasons not the least being weather and breakdowns, well not so much breakdowns but the time taken to get parts, thankfully all good now, except for the cost of fuel. Anyway, I went out yesterday with Alvin and his partner who wanted to catch Marlin and Yellowfin, on an absolute stunner of a day. On checking the charts you could see a good temperature break and around the Southern canyons some eddying also some interesting water to the North, so, which way to go ? On the way out I heard that Ali on ‘Finfinder’ had caught a Yellowfin of around fifty kilo’s wide of the Southern Canyons which motivated all on board and made decision for me. We found heaps of bait on the way out and when we reached the temperature break we could see Gannets diving in over a wide area on the bait. Continuing out and down to the canyons the temperature went up to 24.5C, we were expecting to see a big Blue come charging in at any moment but sadly it never eventuated and neither did the Yellowfin. After several hours of frustratingly unsuccessful trolling in what appeared to be ideal conditions it was time to head for home. I trolled back up towards Browns and in towards the shelf in the hope of finding a Striped Marlin. The bait was still there as were the Gannets and as before no results either. The frustration on board was palpable, so we pulled in the gear and headed in. On the way a friend, Paul, on ‘El Pirata’ called to let me know that he’d tagged a Blue Marlin as well as taken two fifty kilo Yellowfin North of Browns. I can’t tell you how it made us feel. I’d made the wrong call, should have gone North instead of South, but that’s fishing, didn’t make me feel any better though. For a moment I thought about turning around but good sense prevailed, it was far too late. To add to the frustration as I sit here listening to the radio there is a good bite going on North of Browns with several Blue Marlin and Yellowfin being taken. One could so easily be forgiven for giving this fickle, frustrating game away, but then what else would you do. Tight lines, Ivan
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Ambition Report 25th.January’26
Ambition Report 25th.January’26
January 25, 2026
Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least. A not to often weather event, a sea fog, shrouded the whole area off Sydney. Usually these things lift as the sun warms the area or the wind blows it away but this one hung around for what seemed like forever. Being quite a visual sport and with visual range down to a hundred metres at times it was quite hampering and potentially hazardous. Anyway, we carried on regardless. However, probably what caused the fog to linger, had something to do with the VHF signal tunnelling ( a form of VHF propagation), by way of a temperature inversion. On VHF 22 we were receiving radio scheds from Bermagui which apart from being annoying was frustrating because of the numbers of Marlin being caught down there. Off Sydney it seems the Mahi Mahi have taken up residence at all the FAD’s. Mostly small ones but enough larger ones to make it interesting. Usually though the bigger ones are caught while trolling wide for Marlin. There appeared to be a bite around and North of the ‘Bait Station’ with lots of fish raised but from all reports the strikes were half hearted. The boat ‘On Call’ went wide and found good blue water and managed a Yellowfin out there, after having marked others. Also, it seems there are Gemmies and Blue Eye on the mountain. We did eventually raise a Marlin and this one didn’t play around. In fact when it hit I all I saw was a flash and thought it was a tuna. After a short fight it was brought to boat, photo’s taken and released. So that was it for the day. There is some very warm water out wide with fish in it and hopefully it will move in to the plankton rich water we are experiencing at present and get that food chain working. Tight lines, Ivan • All lure used unless otherwise specified are Pakula Lures .
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Ambition Report 22nd.January’26
Ambition Report 22nd.January’26
January 21, 2026
I went out yesterday not knowing what to expect. Prior to the weather last week there had been a good Marlin bite with both Blacks and Stripes along with Blues being found. So, the expectation was high but what affect had the weather had. As we left the Heads the water temperature was good and the water dirty as to be expected. As we went out the colour changed from dirty green to a clearer green but even out at seven hundred fathoms it only got slightly better sadly never going blue. However the temperature did reach twenty-four point six. We put the lures out just inside the Nine Mile to check out the FAD but nothing showed up except some small Kingfish so we headed for the 12 Mile. As we passed over the reef we got a cracking strike on the Brad ‘J’ on the shotgun. I nearly jumped out of my chair, the last thing I expected was a hit in this dirty green water. But there you go, the last thing you expect when you least expect it. Anyway, no hookup. I did a couple of laps with no result so headed out to wider grounds hoping the water would clear. We went out past Browns and headed North not having seen anything of any interest. No birds, only very scattered bait and no blue water but lots of dead plankton lines, what some call coral spawn. In the distance I saw something popping up between swells. As we got closer I could see it was some sort of trap but it was in two hundred fathoms. Whatever it was it made for a great FAD. On the first pass while I was watching the lures I saw a fish leap out from behind the lure and hit it. My first thought was that it was a Wahoo as I’d seen this happen before, and until they brought it to the boat that’s what I thought. However, when it hit the deck it was apparent it wasn’t a Wahoo, it was a Barracuda, a ‘Great Barracuda’ of around twenty kilo’s. Normally found around reefs and tropical seas, what was it doing in two hundred fathoms down here. While we were fighting the C’uda some big Dollies came up to the boat and hung around to watch the fight, but sadly we didn’t have any bait so we just watched, thinking we’d get them on the lures later. Later came and as we passed the ‘trap’ we had a hit but it was only a small Dolly, then as I slowed, the rigger went off with a bigger fish which we all thought was one of the big Dollies. But to our surprise it turned out to be a Yellowfin of ten to twelve kilo’s, dinner at least. I did several more laps around the ‘trap’, we caught a few more smaller Dollies but the big ones didn’t show. On the way in I went past the Botany FADs and though I saw a couple of bigger Dollies they couldn’t be enticed. I know the fish around a FAD can be easily spooked but I’m pretty sure we were the first if not only boat in that area yesterday, so I don’t know why they didn’t come up. The water was definitely warm enough, maybe it was the colour or the algae, but that’s fishing, nothing is for sure. **hidden content** Tight lines, Ivan • All lure used unless otherwise specified are Pakula Lures .
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