Black Marlin Fishing Charters

Cairns to Lizard Island is unquestionably the World's premier location to catch Giant Black Marlin.

Our cobalt blue waters hold incredible numbers of monster sized fish each season.

The peak season is from early September through to mid-December. There are more Giant Black Marlin caught here each season than the rest of the world combined. A truly amazing fishery. Come and experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef’s biggest fish!

We do some single Day trips for Giant Marlin fishing when we have availability.

The best way to experience this incredible Giant Black Marlin Fishing is to book an extended charter of 3-7 days. We also do longer trips on demand.

Contact captain Dan for further information on mobile 0413054031

Multiday day live onboard trips are the best way chase Giant Marlin on the Great Barrier Reef.

2023 Giant Black Marlin Season is filling fast. Book your primetime dates today.

2022 season had some incredible fishing with our clients catching numerous huge marlins. The LaNina weather pattern caused a few issues but thankfully that has now ended with more normal weather forecast for the next few years. Bring on 2023.

Prior to covid, In 2019 capt Dan and his crew, with great friend and long time client Ichiro Takahashi caught 3 Giant Marlin over 1000lbs in a single day. An incredible achievement we couldn't even dream of. This was amazing day in a an incredible weeks fishing which included 12 marlin, 5 huge ones.

 A year after year our incredible Cairns Marlin Fisheries produces more Giant Black Marlin than the rest of the world combined. 

Captain Dan and his Big Fish Down Under crew on "MOANA III" have earned a reputation of catching more than their share of the huge marlin well over the magic 1000lbs , along with many more medium sized fish to 800lb. Our waters are owned by these fantastic fish, come and experience this amazing place. Many of our clients and friends first came out with us for a once off 'Trip of a Lifetime'. So many have had such a wonderful time they make it an annual adventure returning year after year.

Overview

Giant Black Marlin Fishing with Big Fish Down Under specialise in Heavy Tackle Black Marlin fishing in the deep blue cobalt waters between Cairns, Lizard Island and beyond the continental shelf, which is unquestionably the World's premier location for prestigious game fishing. Large numbers of anglers from Australia and around the globe make their way annually to this region to fish for these magnificient ocean giants.
Giant Black Marlin Fishing peak season traditionally runs from beginning of September through to end December each year. It is the prime time to come and experience the larger numbers of these aggregating fish.
The rapidly rising numbers of Black Marlin in this region each year is due our care of the ocean environment and also our commitment to the health of these beautiful creatures.  

The Cairns Marlin Fishing fleet has for many years carried out tag and release fishing. The use of circle hooks by the Cairns Professional Game Fishing Association members has ensured this area remain the most sustainable fishery for the Giant Black Marlin in the world.
These marine giants congregate along 150NM on the seaward edge of the Reef, and along the continental shelf. The reliability of their return each season is what makes our region so desirable.
For Giant Black Marlin Fishing, we use custom built 130lb IGFA class rods and Penn International 2 speed reels and big baits of up to 40 pounds, and Capt Daniel and the team on Moana III catch Black Marlin, 800 to 1000 pounds (granders) on a very regular basis and are still chasing that world record!

There are more 1,000lb+ black marlin caught in these waters in the peak Marlin season than all the other known grounds in the world put together, making it arguably the number one game fishing region on the planet.
But its not just about the Black Marlin Fishing, Other species caught on heavy tackle include Stripe and Blue Marlin, Sail Fish, Dorado, Wahoo and Tuna.

Primarily the best fishing time for Giant Black Marlin is from the early part of the afternoon, so we offer other options to fill in your morning including; light tackle sportsfishing, swimming, snorkelling around the beautiful coral gardens, enjoying the most superb sunrises or just sleeping in!

We then chase these morning activities with some light tackle sportsfishing or other game fishing, to catch some fresh fish for dinner or top up on bait and at the same time make our way out past the edge of the Great Barrier Reef and over the continental shelf, where we put the 130lb outfits in the water and track down those huge creatures of the deep.

Imagine the thrill of that spectacular strike and the fight of your life to pull in that magical 1000 pounder by day, then spend the evening telling the story over a cold beer, while you watch the sun set over the Great Barrier Reef waters!

The best way to experience this incredible Giant Black Marlin Fishing is to book an extended charter of 2-7 days and we are happy to do longer trips if required.

What to bring on Black Marlin Fishing Cairns Adventure & what's included
  • to Bring:
  • Comfortable sun and practical clothing and Sunglasses
  • camera to capture the unforgettable moments.

what's included:

Captain & crew, all fishing equipment and bait and tackle, Snorkeling gear including sun suits, Towels and Sunscreen, All Bedding for Overnight/Extended Trips, Water and light refreshments, Some Standard beer & wine included, extra can be organized on request at cost., On arrival. Tea and coffee. Morning Tea. fruit platter, cakes / biscuits / snacks, tea and coffee. Lunch - beautiful Fresh Local, salads, cold meats, bread rolls in a platter arrangement. Seafood on request. Afternoon Tea - Snacks & cheese platter, Overnight/Extended trips. Delicious dinner included. For Dinner we serve a variety to suit over the course of your live-onboard trip including freshly caught fish cooked with our secret herbs and spices. Please advise any dietary issues / allergies when booking.