Tagged marlin travels 4393 miles from Lizard Island
Australian black marlin set to win the IGFA Great Marlin RaceWith only two months left in the 2015-2016 IGFA Great Marlin Race year, a tag on an Australian black marlin has popped up to steal the lead.
The Great Marlin Race is an international competition for tagged marlin to see who can release the fish that covers the most miles.
On November 4, 2015, just two weeks after the Great Northern 29th Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic, angler Gee Soh hooked up with an estimated 318kg (700 lb) black marlin while fish with Viking II’s Captain Billy Billson.
After a 20-minute bout with the black, Glenn Johnston released the marlin with the satellite tag programmed to collect data for 240 days.
On July 1, 2016, after exactly 240 days on the fish, the tag popped up a remarkable 4393 nautical miles northeast from where it was deployed.
Not only does this distance put sponsor Peter Teakle in first place for the race year, but it’s also the third longest distance recorded in the history of the IGFA Great Marlin Race.
Once the tag has completed its data transmission to Argos satellites, the track will be available at IGFA Great Marlin Race Australian page.
Photos from the legendary Captain Billy Billson's facebook page, including the opening photo of a 1000lb-plus black marlin off Cairns.
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