January 22, 2025
Supplied by John Willis
Ex-pat Victorian Tyrone O’Connor has taken out a virtual clean sweep of the Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA), and Game Fishing Association New South Wales (GFANSW) awards yet again for 2023/24.
Tyrone virtually rewrote the record books in the 2022/23 season with the personal tag and release of 123 marlin, of which 85 were completely solo and unassisted. In fact, he and his boat, a 30’ Luhrs Express named “She Left,” recorded a phenomenal total of 135 marlin tag and released for the 2022/3 season.
This was an amazing achievement when you consider that the billfish he encountered were black, blue and mainly striped marlin of an average size range estimated at around 75kg from NSW waters. He was presented with the prestigious Sir Garrick Agnew Trophy, awarded to the angler who tagged and released the most billfish in Australian waters.
The largest fish for the season was a blue marlin that he wrangled single handed of estimated 140 kg and trust me when Tyrone estimates sizes you can be sure it will be within only a few kilos tolerance.
He also achieved the Billfish Grand Slam with the tag and release of the big three species all in one day (black, blue and striped marlin). Other achievements included receiving certification of his first recapture of an estimated 60kg black marlin that he tagged and released on Bermagui’s 12 mile reef on 10th March 2023. Recaptures such as this give great evidence to the fact that fish that are caught, handled and tagged properly have terrific survival rates.
However, in more recent news the gun angler has blitzed the field yet again in the 2023/24 season with a raft of awards including:
GFANSW Southern Zone
- John O’Brien Tag and Release Trophy – Male angler scoring highest total points T&R
- Kiama Game Fishing Club Trophy – Highest point scoring boat Marlin – T&R
- NSW Southern Zone Trophy – Angler with the highest point score T&R
- Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club – Highest points score boat tag &release
- Bermagui Big Game Angling Club Trophy – Highest point scoring male angler tag and release
GFAA (Game Fishing Association Australia)
- David Litchfield Trophy – Highest point scoring boat Marlin tag and release in Australian Waters
- Tailored Marine Trophy – Highest point scoring boat tag and release in Australian waters
- Sir Garrick Agnew Trophy – Angler who tagged and released the most billfish in Australian waters.
He tag and released 112 marlin for the 2023/24 season, and added to the success with a boat total of 119 marlin tag and released.
Whilst Tyrone has now lived in Bermagui on the south coast of NSW for the last 7 years he was previously a very well-known and respected angler in Victoria living in bayside in Black Rock and being a long term member of the Beaumaris Motor Yacht Club. He fished primarily for snapper in both Port Phillip and Western Port.
Yet with the move to Bermagui, he shifted his affiliations to the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club through which all claims were lodged.
Tyrone attributes his success to the return of large numbers of black and striped marlin to south coast waters. Tyrone recently said, “I am so lucky to be retired so have the time to fish and be lucky enough to experience some of the best seasons for marlin on our coast for 25 years! Things have aligned for me; what a place we live in.”
I feel sure all Victorian, and in fact Australian anglers, will join with VRFish in congratulating Tyrone for his successes and commitment to fishing, especially tag and release.


