About Us
Marion Bay Fishing Charters operates from both Marion Bay and the beautiful
Pondalowie Bay located inside the Innes National Park at the very bottom of the
Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.
Summer/Autumn
The summer months are spent fishing from the spectacular Pondalowie Bay inside the very popular Innes National Park. This is due to the prevailing summer winds and the lack of any real boating facilities in Marion Bay. The skippers favourite fishing grounds this time of the year are out around Wedge Island and Pondalowie Bay is the closest mainland anchorage to this fishing meca, giving Bootlegger an easy one hour cruise out to some of the best fishing spots in the state and maybe even the country. Bag-limits of fish here are the norm for Marion Bay Fishing Charters and there is always a chance of catching something extra special. Big blue Mako Sharks, Bronze Whalers , Thresher Sharks, huge Blue Groper, Kingfish and big sambo’s are always a chance while fishing out here.
Tuna fishing
The months of February through to June also offer another kind of fishing with the arrival of huge schools of Blue Fin Tuna. This is fun fishing, really fun fishing! Trolling lures around boiling schools of big Blue Fin Tuna and watching them fly out of the water while they chase bait fish. Sometimes cart-wheeling three or four times across the surface right next to the boat, and when one smashes that lure you better hang on to that rod and plant your feet because you’ve just picked a fight with one of the toughest fish in the sea, and he’s not happy! Sometimes it can take up to 20/30 minutes just to land one of these fish and with double & even triple hook ups all at once a common occurrence. It’s absolute mayhem but really, really fun! A day’s fishing like this is something you will never forget.
Winter/Spring
The winter months are spent fishing from Marion Bay targeting huge King George Whiting and big Snapper out in the Investigator Straight and Foul Bay. Foul Bay is famous for its massive King George Whiting, with fish over 50cm a common catch and even up to 70cm on the rare occasion. Mark has a reputation as a whiting specialist and can truthfully say that he has never had an undersized Whiting caught on his charters. That’s a big call with over 11 years charter fishing behind him. This time of the year is also great fishing out past the Althorpe Islands for big Red Fish (Nannygai), Snapper, Swallowtail, Trevally, Blue Morwong, Sweep, Sharks and big Samson Fish. These sambo’s are like trucks - they take a lot of stopping and are a great trophy fish.
About the Skipper
Mark Graham is a well known local fishing identity with hundreds of charters under his belt. As a single father Mark started with a small charter boat in 1999 when the SA charter fishing industry was in its infancy and was the 13th charter licence holder in the state. As his children grew so did the business and the boats, and he now skippers "Bootlegger" - a very comfortable 38 foot vessel. Being an avid surfer and licensed scuba diver, Mark has spent most of his adult life on or in the water and his knowledge of the ocean environment and fish behaviour is vast. Weather is another big factor in this open ocean and knowledge of local weather tendencies is extremely important. Mark is a very responsible skipper and will not take chances with the safety of his client, so the weather is constantly monitored and all charters are based around prevailing conditions.