What is Deep Sea Fishing?
For the serious angler seeking the ultimate adrenaline rush, nothing compares to the thrill of deep-sea fishing. Deep-sea fishing is also called blue-water fishing, as the deep water is a beautiful deep blue colour. We deep-sea fish in the iconic waters of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, stretching from Cairns and Port Douglas to Lizard Island.
Forget your typical estuary or reef fishing; this is a whole different beast. Deep-sea fishing, or blue-water game fishing, is a specialised form of recreational angling that targets large, powerful, and often migratory pelagic species in the deep, open ocean.
Deep Sea Fishing Species: What You’ll Target
- magnificent Marlin (Black, Blue, and Striped),
- lightning-fast Tuna (Yellowfin, Longtail),
- acrobatic Sailfish,
- hard-hitting Spanish Mackerel,
- feisty Wahoo, and
- powerful Giant Trevally.
These are fish renowned for their incredible size, strength, and fighting ability, demanding skill, endurance, and top-tier tackle to bring them to the boat.
Why Choose Blue Water Game Fishing?
The answer is simple: the challenge, the excitement, and the sheer majesty of the ocean’s apex predators. Unlike other forms of fishing, blue water game fishing often involves extended battles with truly enormous fish. The anticipation of a screaming reel, the sight of a magnificent marlin leaping clear of the water, and the satisfaction of successfully landing (or releasing!) a trophy fish are experiences that will stay with you long after your deep-sea charter concludes. It’s a chance to pit your wits and strength against some of the ocean’s most formidable creatures in some of the world’s most pristine environments.
How is Blue Water Game Fishing Different from Other Kinds of Fishing in Australia?
The key distinctions are the target species, the location, and the techniques employed.
- Target Species: While inshore or reef fishing might focus on Barramundi, Snapper, or Coral Trout, blue water game fishing focuses on large pelagic predators of the open ocean, such as marlin or sailfish. These fish are often migratory and require venturing far from the coast.
- Location: Unlike fishing in rivers, estuaries, or close-to-shore reefs, blue-water game fishing takes you to the deep, cobalt-blue waters where these giants roam – often along continental shelf drop-offs or around remote seamounts.
- Techniques: We primarily employ trolling with large lures or baits to cover vast expanses of ocean and entice strikes from these fast-moving fish. When the bite is on, the fight is intense, requiring specialised heavy tackle, expert boat handling, and a strong will. This is a far cry from dropping a line for bottom fish or casting lures in mangrove creeks.
Deep Sea Fishing Techniques
Trolling
Trolling is the cornerstone of blue-water game fishing or deep-sea fishing, especially for marlin. It involves dragging a spread of lures or baits behind a moving boat to cover large areas of water and entice strikes from predatory fish.
- Lure Trolling: This is the most common form, where a selection of skirted lures (designed to imitate baitfish like tuna or squid) are deployed at various distances and depths behind the boat. The “spread” typically consists of 4-6 lures, with some run from outriggers (long poles extending from the sides of the boat to spread lines wider), some from flat lines (directly from the rod holders), and sometimes a centre rigger for a “shotgun” lure further back. The lures are trolled at speeds typically between 5 and 10 knots, creating a commotion on the surface that mimics a school of baitfish. Different lure head shapes (plungers, jets, bullets) and skirt colours are used to attract various species and in different light conditions.
- Bait Trolling (Dead Baiting): Often using rigged dead baits such as skip baits (small tuna or mackerel) or ballyhoo. These baits are carefully prepared to swim naturally when trolled. Dead baiting can be very effective and often has a higher hook-up rate than lures.
- Live Bait Trolling: This involves slow-trolling live baitfish (e.g., small tuna, mackerel, or tailor) that are bridled (hooked through the nose to allow for natural swimming) behind the boat. Live baiting is particularly effective when marlin are concentrated on bait balls or around specific structures, as the bait stays in the strike zone for longer.
- Bump Trolling: A variation of trolling where the boat’s engines are intermittently put in and out of gear. This causes the lures or baits to surge and then sink, mimicking a wounded baitfish – a highly enticing action for predators.
Switch Baiting
This is a highly exciting and interactive technique that combines the best of lure trolling and bait fishing.
- The process involves trolling a spread of hookless teasers (large, flashy lures or dredges designed solely to attract fish, not to hook them).
- When a marlin (or other game fish) is raised and attacks a teaser, the teaser is quickly retrieved, and a rigged live or dead bait, armed with a circle hook, is immediately pitched to the excited fish.
- This technique requires excellent teamwork and communication between the captain, crew, and angler to successfully “switch” the fish from the teaser to the bait. It often results in spectacular visual strikes right behind the boat.
Jigging (Deep Jigging/Slow Pitch Jigging)
While trolling is king for marlin, jigging is a popular and effective method for targeting other blue-water species like Dogtooth Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Amberjack, and various reef dwellers that inhabit deeper structures.
- This technique involves dropping heavy metal jigs (or “vertical jigs”) down to depths, often 30m or more.
- The angler then rapidly retrieves the jig with a specific rod action (a series of sharp lifts and drops) to mimic a wounded or fleeing baitfish, enticing aggressive strikes.
- Slow pitch jigging is a more refined version, using lighter jigs and a more rhythmic, subtle retrieve to appeal to fish that might be less aggressive.
Casting Poppers and Stickbaits
When predatory fish are actively busting on the surface (often seen as splashes, disturbed water, or diving birds), casting large poppers or stickbaits can be incredibly effective.
- Poppers create a loud “pop” and splash on the surface when retrieved, mimicking a struggling baitfish.
- Stickbaits are retrieved with a walk-the-dog or sweeping action to imitate a fleeing baitfish.
- This technique is highly visual and exhilarating, often resulting in explosive surface strikes.
Deep Sea Fishing Tackle & Equipment
Marlin are among the strongest fighting fish in the ocean, so specialised, heavy-duty equipment is essential:
Rods:
Dedicated game fishing rods are long, powerful, and designed to withstand immense pressure. They typically feature heavy-duty guides (often with rollers to reduce friction on the line during long fights) and a stout backbone. Rods will be rated in kilogram (kg) line classes (e.g., 24kg, 37kg, 60kg, or even 80kg and 130kg for the largest marlin). Bent butt rods are often used for stand-up fighting.
Reels:
Large, robust overhead reels with strong drag systems and high line capacity are crucial. These are often two-speed reels, allowing the angler to switch between high gear for retrieving line quickly and low gear for generating maximum power during the fight. Popular models include Shimano Tiagra, Penn International, and Daiwa Saltiga LD.
Line:
- Main Line: Heavy monofilament line (e.g., 80- 150 lb or more, depending on the target size of marlin and rod class) is traditionally used for its stretch properties, which absorb shock during violent runs. Increasingly, heavy braided line is also used, especially on smaller reels, for its higher breaking strain-to-diameter ratio and minimal stretch.
- Top Shot: Often, a long section (e.g., 100-200 yards) of heavy monofilament is spliced or tied to a braided main line to provide stretch and abrasion resistance near the fish.
- Leader: A very heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon leader (e.g., 200 lb- 500 lb test) is used between the main line/top shot and the lure/hook. This provides critical abrasion resistance against the marlin’s rough bill and tail. The leader length can vary, but is usually several metres.
Hooks:
Large, strong, sharp hooks are paramount. Circle hooks are increasingly preferred, especially when bait fishing, as they are designed to hook in the corner of the fish’s mouth, minimising damage and facilitating release. J-hooks are still used with lures.
Lures/Baits:
As mentioned, skirted lures in various sizes and colours are common. For natural baits, rigged dead baits like skip baits (small tuna, mackerel) and ballyhoo are popular, as are live baitfish explicitly caught for the purpose.
Fighting Chair/Harness and Gimbal:
For larger marlin, a fighting chair fixed to the deck of the boat is used to brace the angler and provide leverage during the fight. For stand-up fishing, a heavy-duty harness and gimbal (a cup that fits into a slot in the harness, holding the rod butt) are essential to distribute the pressure of the fighting fish across the angler’s body.
Teasers and Dredges:
Hookless devices designed to attract marlin into the spread. Teasers are often large, flashy lures pulled on the surface, while dredges are umbrella-like rigs covered in artificial fish or natural baits, creating the illusion of a large bait school underwater.
Want to fish these methods yourself?
Our liveaboard deep sea fishing charter runs out of Cairns each marlin season, and the rest of the year we fish the estuaries and coast of Arnhem Land.
