We SPECIALISE IN multi-day live aboard GIANT BLACK marlin fishing charters fishing ex- Cairns & Cooktown on the Great Barrier Reef
— With Captain Luke Fallon —
Cairns giant black marlin
KEKOA is one of the top operators fishing the Cairns giant black marlin season in October & November each year and a well-known fixture on the reef. Capt. Luke Fallon is a veteran of 38 giant black marlin season since starting his career as a crewman on deck as a teenager.
During this time of year, you’ll find KEKOA fishing waters of the Great Barrier Reef’s Ribbon Reefs. While it is primarily a live aboard season, we can also put together multiple boat groups and mothership options. We follow the fish up and down the 100+ mile stretch of reef between Cairns and Lizard Island in order to put you onto the very best possible fishing!
black marlin
season
number one place to catch a 1000lb black marlin.
Kelly Fallon
Captain Luke Fallon is one of the most experienced skippers fishing the reef. He is a veteran of 37 seasons straight – yes that’s every single year since starting on deck as a 16 year old crewman! And he is intimately familiar with his vessel running both the original and new KEKOA for the same owner now for over 16 years.
The combination of Luke and wife Kelly, herself now a veteran of 18 seasons, is unbeatable. Aside from being a talented photographer (Kelly’s photos adorn this website), who will document your trip and fish for you, Kelly is a wiz in the galley and loves to whip up exciting treats for our guests! Many of our return clients joke they come back for the food as much as the fishing!
KEKOA is an unbeatable fishing platform and custom built for marlin fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. She is a big and beamy 56 foot O’Brien Boatworks gameboat. She is kept in tip-top condition with Luke well known in the industry for his boat cleanliness and maintenance work ethic.
KEKOA recently underwent a moderate internal refit and the installation of a gyro stabiliser in 2018 (upgraded to the latest model in 2023!) and well as re-powering with brand new MTU 2000 Series V8 engines in 2021 all of which means she’s just as good today as the day she was launched!