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24.01.2022 Ambition report 13th.January'2020 ------------------------------------------ Experience Sydney' hot Marlin bite - at present possibly one of the best bites for ...this time of years in years. It is ironic that I am taking Ambition up to Port Stephens in a couple of days while Sydney's hot Marlin bite continues. Over the last couple of weeks Striped Marlin of varying sizes have been on the bite around the shelf. Just where they have been is the question. Generally you find them near the temperature breaks and where the bait is stacking up. So, find the bait and you find the fish. Having said that, finding the fish can be the start of the problem. Striped Marlin being what they are can be the most frustrating of fish to hook up and keep hooked up. Small lures or bait are the go but even then nothing is sure. In closer to shore where the bait has stacked up on the inshore reefs and off the headlands the Black Marlin have appeared. There was the occasional Black seen last week but since the water has warmed up inshore their numbers have increases significantly. Reports of numbers of Blacks from further up the coast, around Coffs indicate there could be more on their way down. As I mentioned earlier in the report I'm taking 'Ambition' to Port Stephens and will be there for the next couple of months fishing the tournaments and chartering. I still have a few days free and will keep you informed. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

24.01.2022 Ambition report 5th. January 2020 --------------------------------------------- First of all a belated Happy New Year to all, hoping for as well as anything els...e a great year's fishing. This year has already started with a bang. A good run of Striped Marlin having showed up off Sydney. Peter Pakula had rung me a few weeks ago telling me we should expect a good run of small Striped Marlin in coming weeks. And so it happened, however among the small Marlin, around the 30 to 40 kilo's, are some good sized ones. One that we weighed at the SGFC for Steve Baker of 'Fly by Night' went 82.5 kilo's. Others have reported fish around the 100 kgs. which are really good sized Stripies even if they didn't pass the lie detector test. Though the Stripes are in reasonable numbers you still have to find them as well as put in the time until they to turn on. They have been found out as far as 300 fathoms but they are most likely to be in the 60 to 110 fathoms where most of the bait is holding. I have found them to be on the cooler side of temperature breaks. Once found you still have to cope with the difficulty of hooking them. While searching and looking for bait, using lures you take your chances on the hook up but if you're watching and the crew is awake you can tease them and you'll increase you chance of staying attached. If you have found the bait it is wiser to either skip bait or troll livies. Both are visually exciting ways to chase Stripes and you'll get a much better hook up. Now with the warmer water closer in shore and the bait holding on some of the inshore reefs is Black Marlin time. There have been only a few sightings and I don't know of any caught yet but they can't be far away. However having said that there haven't been any numbers of them on the North Coast yet. Further offshore there is some 25 C water coming all the way down from North of Coffs where there was a good Blue Marlin bite. The water off Port Stephens is looking good at present with the water pushing into the shelf around the 'Car Park' which is always a good sign. The best is that I'll be up there soon and available for charter from 20th.January, see you there... www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight Lines, Ivan

24.01.2022 Ambition report 20th.January'20 ------------------------------------------ I along with Ron Kovacs and Lee Cheesman took Ambition up to Port Stephens last Satur...day. And what a trip it was. It poured the whole way up. The sea wasn't too bad to start with, being about 15 knots of South-Easter with a Northerly current. However as we moved wider the water temperature went up to 26 C, the current turned to the South, and increased markedly and so did the wind. The 1.5 to 2 metre Southerly swell jumped up to 3 to 4 metres and shortened making for a very uncomfortable ride. We didn't see anything on the way up and it wouldn't have been much fun if we had hooked up anyway. When we reached Port Stephens the water temperature had dropped down to 22.5 C and off the lighthouse we marked lots of bait and since the current was coming from the South in close it was a lot more comfortable, but still raining. It was a pleasure to reach our berth at Nelson Bay and relax with a beer or two. Sunday dawned a perfect day. It was hard to believe it could have calmed so quickly overnight. We headed out to the lighthouse where there had been lots of bait and bird activity the previous day. Surprise , surprise, there was no bait, no bird life and the water had jumped up to 25 C. We'd caught bait at Cabbage Tree and I wasn't going out to the shelf so we skipped a couple of slimies in close to shore. Up near the V Reef I started to mark bait and after working the area for an hour or so, we were rewarded with a strike. It turned out to be a Striped marlin of about 70kg. which sadly didn't put up much of a fight however it was a first for Grant . So, one more off his bucket list. I worked the area for a little longer but with the tide starting to run out I worked my way back to the entrance intending to get back to the lighthouse. However, we never made it back, this time it was a Black, a very stubborn Black which gave Grant's son a very, very hard time. Then an even harder time to Ron when he traced it as you'll see in the video. So one quite successful day after one very miserable day. Two firsts to two very excited and satisfied fishermen. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

24.01.2022 [Ambition report 27th.Januaryt'20 ------------------------------------------- After reports of the Black Marlin at Coffs Harbour and South West Rocks coming do...wn the coast they have arrived. Port Stephens Blacks are here. Over the last week or so the currents have pushed further inshore . With the currents have come the Black Marlin and the occasional Striped too. Those who got wind of the bite have had great results tagging multiple fish a day. But fishing being as fickle as it is who knows what tomorrow will bring. Reports are still coming in of Blacks at Coffs and South West Rocks so with luck we'll have a bumper season ahead. These Port Stephens Blacks are just in time for the tournament season. Because of the conditions I went out wide on Saturday. There was bait early on just inside the shelf but only in patches. However, after working it for a while the bait disappeared. It became apparent that nothing was going to happen so I went out wide. I heard on the radio of Blue Marlin, Yellowfin and Mahi Mahi down off Lake Macquarie so I thought it was a chance. All was quiet but at least the water was getting bluer and bird activity was increasing. At around 500 fathoms there were patches of birds working on something that was fast moving, I assumed they were Yellowfin. It took a bit of doing but we eventually got a hit. Sadly after a short fight it escaped. On checking the lure I am pretty sure it was a Yellowfin. Sunday morning was not what the BOM forecast so we filled up with bait and headed North. I put the lures in off Broughton Island and in minutes we had a Small Black having a go. Problem was it kept hitting the swivel so no luck. We arrived at the Gibber only to find all my bait was dead; pump failure. I persevered using skip baits while looking for some more bait to jig up, and was eventually rewarded with of all things a Striped Marlin. So, a frustrating week-end all round but at least with promise of what is to come. Meanwhile it is Port Stephens Blacks. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

23.01.2022 Ambition report 17th.December'19 --------------------------------------------- One of the biggest frustrations of running a charter boat is not being able to go... out whenever you want. Especially frustrating is when you know the fish are there or when the bite is on. My situation last week-end. After hearing about the Striped Marlin bite off Port Stephens and Norah Canyons the previous week and the many encounters off Sydney last week. It finally happened, the greater body of Marlin moved into Sydney waters. From what I have heard there were lots of boats out there with most if not all at least seeing a fish. As is usual with Striped Marlin for every fish hooked many were lost. The Stripies seemed to come in a range of sizes with a few boats and experienced fishermen from SGFC tagging fish of around 100 kg. as well as fish in the 60 kg. range. It would appear there are a couple of year classes involved. Will it continue ? Yes, it is the beginning. But at this early stage of the season the currents haven't yet settled in so you still have to find the water and the bait. I don't know if anyone has heard about the Blacks moving down the coast in their annual run. I have heard there is plenty of bait waiting for them up the North but have heard nothing. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan Don't forget Port Stephens, the best Gamefishing spot in NSW, I'll be there and available from 20th.January'20 until 16th.March'20...

21.01.2022 Ambition report 3rd.April'20 ------------------------------------ It is ironic that at what is the best time of the year to fish off the East Coast and especial...ly off Sydney, most of us can't get out there. I know fishing is allowed as long as the spatial isolation laws are observed but it has basically put an end to most if not all Charter boat operations. Consequently Ambition Charters is on hold until things get back to normal. So frustrating when the bite off here has been so good lately. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan Bennett There is light at the end of the tunnel, see you there...

20.01.2022 Ambition report 20th.September'20 -------------------------------------- At last something to write about... For weeks I have been hearing about the Yellowfin ...Tuna off Port Stephens and the Bluefin Tuna well out of reach down South not getting any closer than Kiama. The action well out of reach of most Sydney based boats especially since the weather has been less than favourable. Finally the mighty Yellowfin Tuna at least are getting closer. I went out on Saturday a little more optimistic than usual because I'd noticed a couple of long liners working wide and North of Broken Bay. Also a warm current is pushing down with the break almost within my reach. However I was a little apprehensive also since the weather report was a little bit iffy. We were going anyway, worst case scenario we'd be coming home with the weather best case the bureau was wrong. We started trolling in 300 fathoms after passing through some very green water of 18.5 degrees which was a lot better than the 17 at the shelf. There was still very little life, other than Whales and the occasional Albatross in the area. But with still 14 miles to the break I noticed a blip on the radar, too small for a tanker and too large and far away for a Game boat, possibly a Long Liner. As we got closer to it, about 5 miles away, the water colour changed and warmed then out of the blue a double strike. After a relatively short fight we landed two Yellowfin 25 to 30 kilo's. Consequently I worked the area but there was no sign of life, still neither birds nor bait so I moved on, out towards the Long Liner. After another hour of searching I decided to head back to where we caught the fish. You wouldn't believe it, we were within a couple of hundred metres off the spot when we had another strike, this one a much bigger fish. After a solid fight that only a Yellowfin Tuna can put up we landed a 50 kilo fish much to the excitement of the crew , as you can hear in the video, who had never caught a Gamefish before. And so we headed for home, thirty five miles away. With some luck the current will move in closer and bring with it the Tuna and bait and hopefully some Marlin will follow. Tight lines, Ivan

19.01.2022 Ambition report 17th. February'20 --------------------------------------------- The Port Stephens Shootout went ahead quite successfully on the week-end in sp...ite of weather predictions of disastrous conditions. Sadly it wasn't plain sailing for at least a couple of boats crossing the bar. The conditions on the bar at the entrance to the Port were not exactly favourable and a great degree of caution was required with the four to five meter swells rolling over the bar on a run-out tide. However once past the bar, even with the swell it wasn't too bad . The only problem was the very brown water which virtually made the inshore fishing a waste of time. Consequently most headed offshore. The fleet was basically divided into those chasing Striped and Black Marlin on the shelf tagging and releasing and those venturing further looking for the $200,000.00 money fish, a 258 kilo Blue Marlin. Sadly the big one wasn't found but several boats said they had lost a possible winner. The boat 'The Cuban' did find a Blue of 157 kilo's and took out the heaviest Marlin category. The water on the shelf wasn't fabulous. But at the known spots bait was holding up and lots of Marlin were caught by those dropping live baits into the schools and trolling lures or live baits around the schools. Places like the 'Car Park' have came alive again after a couple of lean years. Out wider there were quite a few Mahi Mahi and Yellowfin taken. Although they weren't large fish ranging from 10 to 25 kilo's they were potentially good food for big Blues. On Saturday I opted to chase the big one which we didn't find but Travelled a long way looking for the good water which we also didn't find. What I did find was a very, very brown current but on the edge the water looked quite good. Consequently I trolled along the edge. There were a few birds in the area and the occasional patch of bait. Then out of no where we had a strike , then another and another, a triple. As it turned out we tagged a Black Marlin and kept two 10 kilo Yellowfin and that was it for the day. Sunday was the perfect day, it was hard to believe that such a large ground swell could disappear so quickly. The guys bait fishing on the shelf, bombing the bait schools continued to have success and those chasing the big one tried in vain. We ended up with a nice Mahi Mahi. www.ambitioncharters.com.au So while we didn't end up in the money we had plenty to take home for the table. Tight lines, Ivan

18.01.2022 Ambition report 7th.June'20 ------------------------------------ With the glorious weather predicted for last Saturday there was no way I was not going out to s...ea. I'd had a report of a Long Liner off Norah Head doing well so there was some degree of expectation. After checking my last year's reports I had decided to go cubing and stay until dark. Until then we'd scout around to see what we could find. The day started very slowly, 12 Mile was pretty dead so out went the lures and off we went. The radio was pretty quiet, especially for a dead calm day when you expect the usual noise makers. However on one boat 'Shukudu' , Jared reported seeing some 'fin but wasn't able to get them to bite. I did hear another boat had caught a good fish. We continued trolling and was marking lots of small schools of bait and on one occasion I saw what I thought were Frigate mackerel. With all this bait around it was surprising that there wasn't more bird activity. We continued on and in our travels found a long line, so there must be Yellowfin somewhere. I followed the line for a few miles with no activity so moved in closer to shore where I had seen the bait by then it was late enough to start our cube trail. After only about fifteen minutes of cubing i got a shock when I saw a fish in the trail and shortly after it was followed by a whole school of sixty plus kilo Yellowfin. It was mesmerizing, a sight of Yellowfin I haven't seen for many a year. It didn't take long and we had two fish on. One angler was forced to go to the bow so I felt pretty secure knowing they were well separated - just goes to show how wrong you can be. After a good hour on 24kg. they came together. We did manage to separate the lines but some minutes later one broke off followed shortly after by the other. Heartbreaking is only one word to describe our feelings. Fortunately the 'fin were still with us and not long after we were on again sadly we fared no better with this. After nearly an hour of fighting the hook broke. There were mixed feelings on board. On the one hand frustration at losing those fish after long hard fights mixed with the sight of those beautiful Yellowfin feeding unhindered virtually at our feet, something never to be forgotten. I have seen this sort of action several times with Bluefin but I don't even want to guess at how long it has been since I last saw yellowfin feeding at the back of the boat. It was quite common in the past as I'm sure some of the old and not so old timers will tell. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight Lines, Ivan

17.01.2022 Ambition report 5th. October'20 ----------------------------------- I went out several times last week On Wednesday I took Sergio and some of his friends out t...o chase those elusive Yellowfin. Reports had been coming in of them being around Norah Head. However on my previous outing I had found them further South so I headed that way. Worryingly the three weather reports for the day were stating different outcomes, varying from not too bad to horrible. Anyway we decided to go figuring that the NE would build in the afternoon and we’d come home with it. It was pretty good until we neared the shelf where the current veered to the South causing the sea to stand up. I thought we’d keep going for a little longer when in 150 fathoms a Marlin showed up behind the Lumo and proceeded to attack it. Sadly it didn’t hook up but the excitement was enough to motivate the guys to keep on going even though a couple of the guys weren’t feeling too well. To cut a long story short the conditions got worse and it was apparent we weren’t going to get to the area I wanted. So we turned around and trolled home hoping for another Marlin. Thursday was a totally different story. The wind not more than ten knots all day, a beautiful dead calm day. We had a crew of four girls who started the day with Champagne and Orange juice cocktails which was not the best way to start a day at sea, even on a relatively calm day. We tried for Kings but to no avail so headed out wide again. Whales and Dolphins were aplenty and even a couple of Sunfish but nothing else. In desperation Ron put out a red and white feather on 15kg. to see if there were any Striped tuna around. A couple of hours passed and we found a good looking patch of water. By then two of the girls were not very well, one of them quite sick. As luck would have it we started to catch Stripies which raised their spirits for a while however the decision was made to start heading back. I then noticed a Gannet hovering so went over to have a look. As we approached we got a hit on the Lumo and one of Peter’s new 3D Jet lures, obviously bigger fish but no hookups. I went around again and this time the Stripy lure went off, except this was no Striped tuna. As it turned out after a good fight Kristen landed a 25 kilo Yellowfin. Just goes to show you can always expect the unexpected. Saturday started out well, a strong North Easterly predicted for the afternoon but we’d be out there by then, so no problem. I put the lures, using the same pattern as on Thuesday, out at 80 fathoms hoping to raise another Marlin. Nothing happened until in about 250 fathoms the Lumo went off. I thought we’d found that Striped Marlin and looked back hoping to see it jumping. But no, just then the 3D lure on the rigger took off. We had a double of Yellowfin. The boys did a good job of avoiding crossed lines and soon had the fish on board. I went around again and again a double strike on the same lures but this time one dropped off and the other wore through the leader. After working the area for a while with no luck I headed out wider. The North Easterly started to come away so I turned with it and headed back to where we had caught the fish earlier. And again within a couple of hundred metres of where we had hooked up we hooked up again, this time it was a triple. After much confusion we landed all three. I went around again and managed yet another ‘fin making it just right, a fish for each angler, perfect. So now with a fish each and one man down It was time to head for home. On the way in I saw some Gannets hovering and as I watched there was a huge bust up below them. They were definitely Yellowfin, but what was surprising was they were in only 65 fathoms. The attached video shows some of the high lights, enjoy. Tight lines, Ivan

17.01.2022 Ambition report 10th.December'19 --------------------------------------------- Sydney Marlin continue to be a frustration. There was and I think still is a good... bite up at Port Stephens which continued down to the Norah canyons but hasn't yet made it to Sydney waters. The 'Car Park' at Port Stephens turned it on over the last week or so. Striped Marlin putting on a good show for those able to get there. The bite continued South as far as the Norah Canyons but there the currents moved offshore taking the Marlin out with it. Off Sydney there have been a few encounters with the Stripies but not many solid hookups, Striped Marlin being as frustrating as they can be. Interestingly there are still schools of Yellowfin moving around temperature breaks in the 500 fathom area. The Tuna are hard to find but it really is a matter of putting the time in, keeping you eyes open and looking for birds and the temperature breaks. Looking at the latest charts it appears the 23 degree current has moved inshore and is eddying back to within striking distance. So let's hope it is bringing those Stripies down to us poor Sydney fishers. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan P.S.: I'll be available at Port Stephens from 20th.January'20 until 18th.March'20. So for a guaranteed Game Fishing experience come and join me.

16.01.2022 Ambition report 14th.July'20 ------------------------------------- Sydney Tuna Fishing is frustrating to say the least at present. Listening to the radio while ...fishing off Sydney and hearing the guys off Kiama and JB catching Bluefin and those at Port Stephens catching Yellowfin has only added to the frustration. For those of us here the Sydney tuna fishing is hard work. There have been a few Yellowfin taken out wide but with numbers of Yellowfin only forty miles North and with the Bluefin only fifty miles South there is great expectation that the currents will bring them to us after this blow - one lives in hope. I went out a couple of times last week and managed two Yellowfin, one of 58.5 kilo's and another of 34.8 kilo's. Both times I headed South hoping the Bluefin had moved up in the current which they hadn't. The photo's of Bluefin below show the result of Sam Ayad taking his boat 'Smart Bill' down to the bite off Kiama. So with the Sydney Game Fishing Club's annual 'Tuna Slam' underway and continuing until the end of August and with an opening purse of $2,000.00 and the potential of both Bluefin and Yellowfin on our doorstep in the coming months you'd be crazy not to enter. By the way there have been NO Bluefin weighed yet and the biggest Yellowfin so far is only 38.7 kilo's , you could be a winner... Tight lines, Ivan

16.01.2022 Number 2 - not big fish, 8 and 12 kilo's but they made an uncomfortable day worthwhile...

15.01.2022 Ambition report 31st.May'20 ------------------------------------- As I look at my past reports I see that during last year's May and June Yellowfin produced so...me really good fishing, most fish well over 55 kilo's, here's hoping... Below are a couple of paragraphs from last year's 'Ambition Reports '.... quote... 'Over the last few weeks Yellowfin tuna running between 25 and 70 kilo’s have been caught off Sydney. These fish are ranging over a wide area having been caught from wide and North of the ‘Bait Station’ all the way down the coast. Consequently they take a lot of finding and the changing conditions at sea every day don’t make it any easier. However once located the fun begins if you’re lucky.' 'Even though we arrived at the area late we managed this one fish and had another two strikes that sadly didn’t connect. I would have liked to stay until dark but the wind was picking up, probably doing 25 knots when we eventually left. The bite was an early one and while we saw the end of it Markoo skippered by Benn Dullard had left port very early and managed four fish around the 35 kilo mark before we got there. The area was alive. There were more than a few Sperm Whales obviously feeding. Also , Gannets all waiting for the tuna to push the bait to the surface.' unquote ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ So with restrictions being lifted and competition fishing commencing on 1st. June (tomorrow) it is all starting to come together. Yesterday there was a Broadbill taken off the Southern Canyons and Ben Dullard on his boat 'Markoo' went out wide and found some Yellowfin tuna. The one he landed looked a good 60 to 65 kilo's, unfortunately due to the current restrictions he couldn't weigh it, but that will change from tomorrow. Unfortunately the weather is not looking too good for the next few days but Friday and Saturday look the goods. If you can trust predictions this far out. Hopefully the fish will still be there...I've attached a video of Bluefin off Sydney to show what we could look forward too www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

14.01.2022 Ambition report 2nd.March'20 --------------------------------------- Port Stephens Billfish in the form of Striped Marlin along with Blacks and the appearance o...f Blue Marlin were on the bite last week-end. Also amongst the Billfish a good run of Mahi Mahi. The Port Stephen Billfish turned on again last week-end. They were big fish too. I heard of Stripies around the one hundred kilo mark and of at least one Black estimated at a hundred and fifty kilo's by a very experienced skipper. Though they weren't in the same numbers as the Interclub the previous week there were still enough to go round. As usual it was a matter of find the bait and find the Marlin, so what's new. The baitfish along the shelf were flighty and difficult to stay in touch with, however that is where the Marlin were. Those guys dunking bait into the schools didn't fare as well as those covering ground by skipping rigged baits or trolling live baits. Also, to make life more interesting for those dunking baits there were quite a few Whaler sharks in the mix. The boats trolling lures also raised plenty of Marlin but as is usual the hook up rate not as good as with baits especially for the Striped Marlin. They did have the advantage though of raising the occasional Blue Marlin some of which I heard were on the large size. Apparently you didn't have to go far to find the Blues either, just wide of the 'Car Park' and other well known areas just over the shelf. I fished away from the crowds hovering over and trolling around the bait schools, looking for my own patch. I had quite a successful week-end skipping baits. The highlight, was after marking three or four fish under the boat , seeing four big Striped Marlin trying to eat two baits. We did hook two of them but unfortunately one was tail wrapped and while trying to keep up with it the other dropped off. It was pandemonium for a while but we did get one of them. So, Port Stephens Marlin. It would be hard to find a more productive area for catching all three species of our Marlin as well as all the other tropical species. The currents the bait add up to a game fish have. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

13.01.2022 Ambition report 2nd.December'19 --------------------------------------------- That elusive Marlin. At this time of year the keen Game Fisher people are out loo...king for the first Marlin of the season. In most clubs this is a much contested trophy with a great degree of kudos and boasting rights to the winner. With that in mind and seeing that the water was warming up I and a four other members of SGFC went out hunting. On the way we had a look at the 12 Mile but it was loaded with Jackets and after losing two rigs we were off. Out went the lures and the hunting began. It was pretty lumpy going for a while and I lost sight of a couple of crew members for a while, sleeping they said. There was no apparent bait or birds working around the shelf so we moved on, working our way out. It wasn't until near the thousand fathom line that we saw any life. A couple of Sunfish showed up near a temperature break in a thousand fathoms and I saw a school of what I thought were Striped Tuna. There was life here so I worked the break and was eventually rewarded with a crashing strike on the short corner. The fish took such a long first run I thought at first we might have found our Marlin. However the fish never jumped but it did stay near the surface . It must have taken two hundred meters on that first run and poor Rob had to work really hard to get it back. When we did eventually see it was a Yellowfin we were a little surpised. It never went deep and never did that gut wrenching circling. So even though that elusive Marlin eluded us we did have a good 40 kilo's of Yellowfin to satisfy our needs. At least until we get out again to chase that elusive first Marlin. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

12.01.2022 Ambition report 25th.February'20 -------------------------------------------- This year's Port Stephens Interclub could be seen as a make up for last year's dil...emma. The Marlin really turned it on. The Shootout the previous week-end was a preview of what was to come. Unbelievably the weather held off for the full three days of the Interclub tournament. Resulting in around 430 Marlin tagged by just over 110 boats over three days at the Port Stephens Interclub . Averaging over one Marlin a boat per day, not a bad result. The full results for the tournament may be seen a the NSWGFA Facebook or web site. We on Ambition didn't do too badly. We opted to skip baits to cover some ground and locate the bait. I went well North of the crowd at the 'Car Park' and managed three tagged Marlin over the day, catching the first within minutes of putting out our first bait. Below us at the 'Car Park' there was a bite happening but because of the numbers there the individual results weren't so great. None the less some of the local boats stood out from the crowd. I went back to where I'd been the day before but all had changed, the bait had gone. It was much the same all along the shelf. What bait there was, was holding deep . After finally jigging up enough to use I again opted to skip baits and cover ground. I worked my way further North, around November 9, where a few boats were catching fish bombing the deep bait. However after a frustrating time watching several boats catch fish I changed over to dropping baits on the bait schools , not a style of fishing I enjoy, and ended up hooking and tagging a Whaler Shark after a lengthy fight. So, that was enough for me. It was back to skipping baits. We were a short distance from the crowd dunking their baits when a nice Striped Marlin hammered one of our skippies and we were on. After a short fight the Stripy was tagged and the baits put back out . Unexpectedly just after we had set the baits a Black took a skippy and was off more in the air than the water. It was quickly tagged and we were off again. It took a while but again on the outside of the crowd dunking slimies we hooked and tagged another Striped Marlin, our third for the day. We headed out with great expectations, back to the same area as the first day. The bait was there again and in fairly quick time we tagged two Striped Marlin, but then the wheels fell off. The bait disappeared so it was off searching again. There was a bite happening further South . When we arrived several boats were fighting fish and all looked good. I searched and searched but couldn't find any bait. There were obviously plenty of Marlin and lots of boats hooking up but where was the bait. We unfortunately didn't end up catching any more fish . Later on talking to other skippers the story was much the same. Whereas some did find bait most didn't but the marlin were definitely on the bite. I theorised that the bait was quite sparse, the schools dispersed and broken up by the Marlin to a degree where most sounders couldn't pick them up. Whereas those boats with more powerful sounders could however mark the bait. There were a few boats that went out wide and did find Blue Marlin. Two that I know of lost what they called very big fish. The Blues are usually at their best in Autumn as can be see from previous year's results especially further South around Sydney. Hopefully the bait will remain in the area and the bite will continue but if it doesn't it will certainly be worth having a look out wide. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

08.01.2022 Ambition report 23rd. March'20 ----------------------------------------- Autumn is a great time to be fishing off Sydney. Currently March Yellowfin are the go ...but there are also Striped and Blue Marlin in the mix. After hearing reports during last week of yellowfin ranging from mid 40 kilo's to around 70 kilo's I was obviously keen to get out there. I managed to raise a crew and headed out on Saturday. Reports during the week had been from widen of Broken Bay down to the Southern canyons. Since there was a Southerly due I went South. Just wide of Browns the water had reached 24 degrees so the lure were deployed and we went hunting. There was little action in the form of birds and bait until I found a temperature break from 24 degrees down to 23.6 degrees. Further down the coast on the break birds started to appear then suddenly they were everywhere. I worked the birds for a couple of hours seeing the yellowfin busting up but unable to get to them in time. I decided to look further afield and hadn't gone more than a couple of hundred metres when the 'shotgun' went off. Sadly after nearly an hour and with the fish just out of gaffing range the 'wind-on' gave way. It was devastating to lose such a good fish after a very tough fight so near to the end. Anyway these things happen. On the radio during the day there were several reports of Striped Marlin on the shelf both up around the 'Bait Station' and further down inshore of where I was. There was one Blue Marlin being fought but after a 2 hour fight I didn't hear whether they caught it. There were also quite a few Yellowfin taken . So though Saturday was a great day to be out wide after hearing the reports it was decidedly better on Sunday. It is such a shame that this unbelievable bite is coinciding with this virus. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

07.01.2022 Ambition report 29th. November'20 --------------------------------------- As I sit here listening to 30 knots of North Westerlly howl against the windows, I am ...glad I'm not at sea. Especially so because the fishing off Sydney has been less than mediocre. The Kingfish bite has been the only positive scene outside. The Kingies have been biting well with lots of fish over the magic metre. The only problem, well one of the only problems is in locating the fish. The Kings are ranging between the inshore, offshore, harbour and coastal reefs, only by checking out the various spots or good intel will allow you to locate them. The other problem is that as soon as word gets out every man and his dog jumps in. Consequently those who find the Kings are being very secretive, some to the point of distraction. On a couple of occasions I have seen up to forty boats on one spot. I'm sure they must spook the schools with all their sounders pinging the depths. On the couple of occasions I have had a shot at the Kingfish bait was a problem for me, probably because I start out too late. However perseverance pays off and by avoiding all the boats on the regular spots I found enough. Ironically when I did get onto the fish the biggest a 105 cm. fish was taken on a jig. Offshore Game fishing has been for the most part hopeless. There are increasing sightings of Marlin and a couple caught. Yellowfin are also still showing up but generally to the South, from the Southern canyons down past Woollongong. To give an idea how poor the Game fishing is off Sydney at present all I heard about from last week-end was Sydney boat ‘Gale Force’ managing an Albacore near Browns and the Botany Bay boat ‘Marquis’ a decent Yellowfin and someone on a a trailer boat catching a Striped Marlin. At this time of year most club anglers are out there vying for their prestigious ‘First Marlin’ trophy. Looking at the latest currents and Altimetry it all seems to be coming together. The Zero line is within reach and there is some current from the North wider offshore pushing in. All we need now is for the weather to be kind. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan P.S. I will be available at Port Stephens from 1st.February for the month a must especially for those who want to have the best chance at catching a Marlin. If this year's results are any indication of what to expect next year it will be a great season - Call me...

06.01.2022 Ambition report 11th.February'20 ------------------------------------------- Port Stephens fishing has been very inconsistent over the last few weeks. So how th...is latest weather system will affect the area is anyone's guess. One of the old time greats of Game Fishing always said the wet years are the good years. However with both drought and floods in the mix who knows what may happen, I remain optimistic. As I mentioned the Port Stephens fishing has been very inconsistent. The run of Blacks down the coast has ben really hit and miss moving down the coast very quickly. A couple of weeks ago their was an amazing bite off Seal Rocks. Two days later they were gone and they turned up at one of the inshore reefs off Sydney. Before this weather set in there were good reports of the Blacks at Coffs Harbour and South West Rocks however after all the rain and resulting dirty water inshore who knows where they might turn up. Further offshore the water looks or looked really good, a beautiful blue and 25 to 26 C but running South at around three knots. Consequently there was hardly any bait holding on the shelf. Those who did venture out found the occasional Striped Marlin and surprisingly a few of the Blacks also, as well as more than one report of Blue Marlin. I guess we won't know what to expect until after the weather clears. I would like to speculate on what we might find but I'm not game. One thing though is with all the flood water moving down the coast there will be lots of flotsam of which to be watchful. In the past I have seen everything from big trees to bloated cows. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

05.01.2022 Ambition report 18th.October'20 ------------------------------------ Wild and Woolley is the only way to describe the ocean on Saturday. It doesn’t look too bad... in the video but let me tell you the 25 knots of North Easterly pushing against the Northerly current created a very short and steep sea. We had only just put the lures in the water when over the air came a distress call. A boat was sinking with four on board. I marked their position and found I was twelve miles and 45 minutes away. Fortunately for them another boat was much closer and eventually got them aboard. It was a scary sea. I can’t imagine what would have been going through those guy’s minds as the boat filled with water. I suppose there was some comfort in knowing that via the radio everyone out there was willing to help. The importance of a good radio cannot be understated. To top it off another boat (I don’t know the exact details) was found floundering near the shelf with no power. Fortunately for them a passing boat was there to help, again a happy ending. It should be remembered that the ocean can be most unforgiving and being prepared is essential. Anyway back to the fishing. There were a few Yellowfin 30 to 35 kilo’s taken South of Browns. Unfortunately I never got the chance to try further North. The sea was still building and returning to home seemed a good option. It is apparent that these ‘fin are sticking around and are very spread out. Before the week-end they were being caught from wide of the Car Park at Port Stephens down to past the Southern Canyons. Also sightings of Striped Marlin, as well as at least one capture, are becoming more common. Over the next few weeks the warm current will move in closer and should bring the first of the tropical namely Mahi Mahi and hopefully motivate the Striped Marlin. Reasonable weather is all we need Tight lines, Ivan PS. The photo's below are stock photo's - sadly I didn't catch any this week.

04.01.2022 Ambition report 27th.October'20 ------------------------------------ Fishing for Game Fish during November can run hot or cold. It is a time when the cooler o...ffshore water starts to warm up under the influence of the East Australia Current. As summer progresses the EAC moves closer inshore and within our reach . During November along with the EAC come the bait fish namely Slimy Mackerel, Sauries, Garfish, Cowanyoung and Striped Tuna . Naturally the predators follow. Striped, Black and Blue Marlin as well as Mahi Mahi, Spearfish and all the other great Gamefish not to mention the appearance of big Tiger sharks move closer inshore with the current. November is the month that heralds the changeover from the Winter to Summer species it is also the start of the storm season. I have noticed over many years that the leading edge of the EAC often bring with it an early unseasonal run of big Mahi Mahi and Striped Marlin with more than one early season Spearfish having been encountered. So far this year as well as a good run of big Mahi Mahi, Yellowfin tuna and Albacore are adding to the mix and continue to tease us offshore. So as we enter a 'La Nina' weather pattern, meaning we'll have warmer water offshore and more rain to flush out the rivers and estuaries we could and I emphasise could have a bumper season ahead. On another note I'll be available at Port Stephens from the end of January until early March. If the Marlin season next year is anywhere near as good as this year's it won't be one to miss. Sadly this year's season was shortened by COVID, let's hope not again. Tight lines, Ivan P.S. Again Stock photo's

03.01.2022 Ambition report 13th. March'20 ----------------------------------------- I brought Ambition back from Port Stephens last Monday. I fished all the way down start...ing just North of the 'Car Park ' trolling skip baits. The plan was originally to come back on Sunday but due to the weather on Saturday my charter was pushed back to Sunday. Consequently we made the trip back from Port Stephens on Monday. Surprisingly the weather was pretty good as we left the Port even though the week-end's weather pad been pretty ordinary. The plan was to run out North of the 'Car Park', find some bait and troll skippies for an hour or so then put out the lures and work our way back home to Sydney. All went to plan, we found some bait and slowed down to put out the skippies, Adam had just put out one . Then as he was setting the second one it was pulled out of his hand and a good sized Black tore off at a million miles an hour, so to speak. This fish gave a good account of itself giving us a good run for our money however the 24 kg. inevitably took its toll and the Black was soon released. Excitement all round as it was the angler's first marlin. So, with one fish under our belt, with the baits deployed we started again. It took a little longer to find the second fish and a bit more difficult to finally hook it. This Black came in on one of the skipped baits , hit it and dropped back without getting hooked. We then put out a live bait which it again picked up and again no hook up. Then while we were waiting and hoping for it to take the live bait again the other skipped bait was taken while it was sinking and this time the Black was hooked. It was a strange fight in that the fish , quite a large Black that we called at least 120kg., never took a run and didn't even go deep as you'd expect from a Black , So after a very short fight we dully released the Marlin . Continuing our trip down we had changed over to lures. Oddly just past the Newcastle canyons the water started going green and cooling. I went closer looking for better water, no go. I went out to 500 fathoms , no change. Conditions didn't change for the rest of the run down. We did however get a strike from a good sized Striped Marlin on the Southern edge of the Norah Canyons. On examining the leader it was obviously the fish had been bill wrapped. The water was only 21.5 C , green and apparently lifeless. Conditions don't seem to be getting any better off Sydney as we approach what I've always considered the best time of year for our offshore fishing. But ever being the optimist , it will get better.Nothing stays the same for long in the ocean. www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

03.01.2022 Ambition report 14th. December’20 ---------------------------------------------- With the ocean current moving in closer and the water temperature out wide appr...oaching 24 degrees it was time to give it a go. Added to that there have been reports of Black Marlin in close further North and even sightings off Sydney. Back here reports of Striped Marlin both tagged and lost are becoming more frequent. I heard one report of what sounds like a Blue Marlin from Mark Gunning who fought a big Marlin for 2 hours before losing it. Surprisingly those Yellowfin are still around however they do take a bit of finding. It was with great expectation that I went out with David Lo and Jamie McKay on his boat ‘Groundswell’. As an added bonus even the weather came good for us. Sadly the weather was the best part of the day. We put the gear in just before the shelf hoping for a Striped Marlin and headed for Browns and then towards New Zealand. Nothing eventuated until we were somewhere near Heatons where we spotted lots of Mutton birds working. Even from a distance we could see the water shimmering with what we thought were baitfish. As we got closer we could make out huge numbers of what looked like Striped or maybe Mackerel tuna scooting around in the waves chasing small bait. We worked the area for quite a while with great anticipation but all to no avail. After finally giving up we headed for home and on the way to have a shot at one of the FADs. One of the guys on board, Grayson, is a keen spear fisherman and wanted to go for a dive there. As an aside, after hearing the stories and seeing the photo’s of the Kingfish he has speared off Sydney and I mean 20 to 30 kilo fish, I could only wonder why more aren’t caught by anglers. Maybe they should try New Zealand methods, live salmon. Grayson jumped in at the FAD and came back telling of lots of undersize Kingfish with a few Mahi Mahi amongst them. We had a bit of fun catching the Kings but couldn’t raise a Mahi Mahi. Next we went and had a look at the 12 Mile but that also was a waste of time. The sounder didn’t show anything and the guys jigging only got sore backs. All in all it was a good day, great boat, good company and good weather. It does look promising out there. December is always a tough month both weather and fish wise but it will get better. Jack Farrell, one of the great SGFC game fishermen always said that the wet years were the good ones. So with the forecast of a ‘La Nina’ weather cycle we could be lucky. I have booked in at Port Stephens from the 24th.January until the end of February. Not as long as previous years due to the virus. So I hope next year’s season will be as good as this year’s. If you do want to catch a Marlin, Port Stephens is the place to do it www.ambitioncharters.com.au Tight lines, Ivan

02.01.2022 Have you ever wondered what that pot of gold looks like at the end of a rainbow. Well I found it in Kosciusko National Park.