Record Marlin Lands Exmouth International Fame

Western Australia is blessed with many wonderful fishing opportunities. Our 12,000km long coastline provides access to many and varied species and experiences from Bream, Flathead and Salmon in the south, to Billfish and Barramundi in the north. Every now and then, we witness a spectacular capture of a trophy fish, the type that most of us dream about and the type that thrusts WA into the global fishing spotlight.

The 494kg Marlin that has gained international fame. Photo credit: Wes Jones.

Such a capture took place on New Year’s day this year in Exmouth when Captain Eddy Lawler of Peak Sportfishing Charters captured an Australian Record Blue Marlin. Eddy is a well-known Marlin champion. He has over 1000 marlin releases to his name, including some recaptures of his own fish. Recently Eddy and others in the Exmouth community have been contributing to Marlin research by releasing fish with satellite tags which will track their movement over a number of months, so when Eddy and his team hooked up on the big Blue, they knew they were onto a good fish.

It’s not just the Marlin that have people flocking to Exmouth, with great fishing opportunities to catch prized gamefish like this huge Yellowfin Tuna. Photo credit Peak Sportfishing Adventures

At 494kg, it was the biggest Blue Marlin ever officially weighed in Australia to GFAA rules and the first Marlin of any species over the old 1000lb mark captured in WA. This is a fish that will cement Exmouth’s reputation as a world-class Marlin fishery.

Many coastal communities in WA thrive from fishing-related tourism, and Exmouth is no different. Many fishers throughout Australia travel to Exmouth each year to sample the world-class fishing it offers. Recently, an increasing number of international fishers have been making the journey too.

Local tackle store owner Jeni Gates reports that the number of visiting fishers from Asian countries is on the rise.

“It’s fantastic to see these fishing experiences being recognised globally as some of the best in the world.”

“We are talking to more and more international visitors, particularly from the Asian region, who are visiting specifically to go fishing.”

“Our small town needs this fishing tourism, and the recent capture of the ‘grander’ Blue Marlin will go a long way towards promoting this region as a world-class Marlin fishing destination like Hawaii or Cabo.” Jeni said.

Captures such as this can not be underestimated when it comes to promoting our fantastic state and the opportunities it offers to visitors. Recfishwest congratulates Eddy and his team and looks forward to seeing the Exmouth Marlin fishery shine in the international spotlight for years to come.

Australian Blue Marlin Record

If you haven’t fished in Exmouth, you haven’t lived! The warm waters of the Ningaloo coast provide some of the best fishing experiences Western Australia has to offer and if this week’s capture is anything to go by, the fishing is better than ever.

An Australian record Blue Marlin was captured this week by Captain Eddy Lawler of Peak Sportfishing Charters.

Eddy is a well-known Marlin champion. He has over 1000 marlin releases to his name, including some recaptures of his own fish. Recently Eddy and others in the Exmouth community have been contributing to Marlin research by releasing fish with satellite tags which will track their movement over a number of months, so when Eddy and his team hooked up on the big Blue this week, they knew they were onto a good fish.

At 494kg, it was the biggest Blue Marlin ever weighed in Australia and the first Marlin of any species over the old 1000lb mark captured in WA. This is a fish that will cement Exmouth’s reputation as a world-class Marlin fishery.

Marlin are extremely fast growing, with a fish of this size estimated to be about 15 years old. Its exact age will be determined by removing its ear bone, which contains growth rings, similar to those found on trees.

Apart from being an excellent capture, a fish of this size is extremely important to fisheries Science. This fish will provide insights into Blue Marlin age, growth rates, feeding behaviours and population dynamics.

The local community plan to make a fibreglass cast of the fish to use to educate visitors to the region on the excellent fishing experiences the region has to offer.

For more on Game fish science in Exmouth, read our article “Fishing is an Exact Science”.

Photos credit: Peak Sportfishing Adventures, Exmouth