Black Marlin
The prize of the Sydney game-fishing season. Black marlin move down the coast through summer, and hooking one of these spectacular billfish, watching it greyhound across the surface, is a genuine bucket-list moment. We fish them tag and release.
About the black marlin
One of the ocean’s great predators, the black marlin is built for speed, a long bill, a tall dorsal, a cobalt back over silver flanks and rigid pectoral fins that set it apart from other billfish. They hunt the offshore currents and are famous for the spectacular surface runs and jumps that follow a hookup. Everything from small “rats” to genuine giants shows up off Sydney.
Black marlin are found in Sydney’s offshore waters, and they run best from December to March when the warm currents push down the coast. We chase them on the troll and, in keeping with billfish conservation, tag and release them to fight another day, a moment you will not forget.
Black Marlin at a glance
| Name | Black Marlin |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Istiompax indica |
| Best season in NSW | Dec–Mar |
| Habitat | Offshore |
| Where found in NSW | Sydney offshore |
| Size and bag limits | Catch & release |
| Average size | 100–300kg |
| Max size | 700kg+ |
| Fishing method | Game fishing |
| Best bait / lure | Trolling lures |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Eating quality | Sport only |
| Taste | Not commonly eaten |
Trolling the blue water
Marlin fishing is a team sport, and it starts with putting a good spread in front of the right piece of water.
The proven methods
Black marlin are chased by trolling a spread of skirted lures and swimming baits along the current lines and temperature breaks where the bait holds. When one lights up in the spread and piles on, it is heart-stopping. We run quality game gear and outriggers, and the crew handles the teamwork of the hookup, the fight and a clean release.
How Wahoo puts you on them
Finding marlin is about reading the ocean, the currents, the temperature breaks, the bait and the birds. George Aslanian has chased billfish off Sydney for decades, with a 207.5kg blue marlin among his own captures, and he knows where and when the blacks run. We put you in the strike zone, coach you through the fight and tag and release your fish. Ready to go? Book a Sydney game fishing charter.
Other Game & offshore fish
Blue Marlin
Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans): the heavyweight billfish of the NSW offshore grounds, a bucket-list capture on the blue water. Season, size, methods, plus how to catch them.
Bluefin Tuna
Southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii): powerful cool-season tuna off the NSW coast, brutal fighters and top-shelf sashimi. Season, size, methods, plus how to catch them.
Mahi Mahi
Mahi mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), also called dolphinfish: dazzling, acrobatic and fast-growing, a summer favourite off Sydney. Season, size, methods and eating quality.
Yellowfin Tuna
Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares): a blue-water bruiser off Sydney with rich, meaty flesh. Season, size, methods and eating quality, plus how to catch them.
Ready to chase a marlin?
Tell us your dates and crew and we will get you out on the blue water chasing Sydney's black marlin, all gear supplied, tag and release. Browse the full species guide, or go wide on our game and deep sea charters.