First-time marlin anglers on Australia's east coast tend to overcomplicate the spread, says Shimano Pro Team angler and Haven Sport Fishing Charters crewman Dylan Moebus. His starter kit is two outfits, two live baits and one dredge teaser — and a hard rule against ever touching a slimy mackerel with bare hands.
In a how-to dropped to the Shimano Australia channel in early April, the Port Stephens-based crewman walked viewers through a complete inshore-and-offshore live-baiting rig, layered up the small habits that separate productive trips from blanks, and was blunt about the realities of the fishery.
"Marlin fishing," he said in the closer, "98 per cent boredom, 2 per cent excitement."
Moebus splits the east-coast marlin fishery into two zones. Inshore work pairs a 15-kilogram Speedmaster game rod with a Speedmaster 16 two-speed lever drag, on 15 kg main line. "Ten kg is quite light, and 15 kg, you can easily knock over most fish here," he said. Offshore he steps up to a 24 kg Speedmaster game rod and a Tiagra 30 wide loaded with 24 kg line. "Going 15 kg on the shelf, you can get done over by some larger fish. So that 24 kg up in the line class there just allows you to combat those larger fishes a bit more."
Two-speed lever drags are non-negotiable. "For this game fishing for marlin and tuna, all that sort of stuff, definitely need a lever drag, and that two-speed does come in handy quite often — being able to bump down to that single speed there on those larger fish."
Leader work is fluorocarbon only. He runs 60 to 80 lb on the inshore outfit, 100 to 150 lb offshore. "Fluorocarbon is pretty much invisible in the water, high abrasion resistance. And to be competitive in this live bait fishing, you definitely need to use that fluorocarbon." Hooks are circles, snelled to the leader rather than crimped. "It's well known circle hooks have your best chance having the best hook-up rate, and also for best fish survivability." The snell follows the curvature of the leader and improves hook orientation, and Moebus likes that it cracks off cleanly at the boat — "a lot easier, a lot safer. You don't have a hook coming flying back at you."
The bait is a slimy mackerel, hand-line caught with a bit of bait flesh on the jig over a special burley mix. The cardinal sin is mishandling. "We don't want to touch them or anything. No dropping them. No chucking them around. Straight in the bait tank." Slimies that get bumped, he warned, lose their slime and start spinning behind the boat by mid-afternoon.
The bait is bridled — half-hitched onto the circle hook with 20 lb fluorocarbon and threaded through the front of the head with a small needle — then deployed on a release clip held by a 10-wrap line twist. "You want when you get the bite, that marlin's going to come eat that bait. He's not going to feel anything but slack line."
His spread is two baits and one teaser: a 'short corner' at 15 to 20 m, a 'long corner' at 30 to 40 m, and a dredge teaser working close behind the boat. He leaves three-teaser setups to the heavy charter boats. "No need three different teasers. Just keep it nice and simple. One dredge, two baits."
The rest of the day is watching: skipping or spinning slimies often signal a marlin chasing the bait, or a tired livey that needs swapping. Eyes, sounder and patience are the tools. The bite, when it comes, will come fast.