Craig Johnson and Kurt Bennetto were the centre of attention on Saturday after hooking this huge black marlin at the Hen and Chicken Islands.
Craig Johnson and Kurt Bennetto were the centre of attention on Saturday after hooking this huge black marlin at the Hen and Chicken Islands.
It took two Northland fishermen just over an hour to catch a 363.8 kilogram black marlin.
Friends Craig Johnson and Kurt Bennetto had heard tales of the massive fish surfacing near the Hen and Chickens Islands, 40km southeast of Whangarei.
They'd been out over a week ago looking for thebeast, but come Waitangi Day they were finally in luck when they hooked the fish amongst a school of trevally, using a kahawai as live bait.
The pair battled the fish for an hour and a quarter using a 37kg line from on board their six-metre "tinny" named Indecision.
"That's quick for (landing) a black marlin because they're one of the strongest marlins and they're a pretty stubborn fish," Mr Johnson said.
"It was a real nerve-wracking fight. After it took the bait it jumped out twice and as soon as we saw it we realised what we'd got ourselves in for, there was a lot of tension, there was adrenaline taking over."
Eventually, Mr Johnson said the pair was able to hoist the marlin on board inch by inch, with the help of two men from a nearby boat.
"We just tied ropes on it and four of us managed to pull it up. We'd put it out of its misery at the side of the boat," Mr Johnson said. They then chugged back to land at a maximum speed of 8 knots, because of the weight of the fish.
Mr Johnson and Mr Bennetto are members of Whangarei's Deep Sea Anglers Club, where their catch weighed in at 363.8kg, the heaviest of the season. Mr Johnson said his success on the water had him shouting a few rounds of beer at the club. The men now had more than 180kg of smoked meat to bestow on their friends and family.
None of the marlin would go to waste and the head was likely to be mounted. There are no sustainability rules around marlin for recreational fishers.
