Blue marlin See also: Atlantic blue marlin are possibly the most sought-after marlin species. Beautiful in form, capable of spectacular fighting ability and having the potential to reach great sizes

The Outer Banks of North Carolina have long been known for their blue marlin fishing. Since the early 1950s when Ernal Foster on the Albatross I made the first charter fishing trips for blue marlin, Cape Hatteras has been known as an important destination for the sportfisherman. Other important fishing centres include Morehead City, home to the famous Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, and Oregon Inlet. The proximity of the Gulf Stream and of the continental shelf edge in the Cape Hatteras area create a productive combination of current, blue water and ocean temperature that attracts a wide variety of gamefish including blue marlin.

While the average size of a blue marlin is typically 250 to 400 lbs, big fish inhabit these waters. North Carolina was home to the former all-tackle world record Atlantic blue marlin, a 1,128 lb fish that also stood as the world record for 80 lb class tackle for over seventeen years. The state record, which stood for many years at 1,142 lb, was finally exceeded by a 1,228 lb blue taken off Nags Head on August 15, 2008.^[1]

Venezuela

Virgin Islands

The island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is one of the most renowned Atlantic blue marlin destinations.^{[citation needed]} Full moons from June to October can see some intense blue marlin fishing in the area known as the 'North Drop'. Lure fishing, trolling natural baits and bait and switch are all popular. The former all-tackle world record Atlantic blue of 1,282 lb was boated there.

Blue marlin have probably been known to Japanese high seas fishermen for centuries. However, the Pacific blue marlin was not officially considered to be a separate species until 1954; prior to that date, Pacific blues were known as "silver marlin" or often confused with black marlin. The capture of a 1,002 lb Pacific blue by skipper George Parker of Kona, Hawaii, was instrumental in clearing up the identification of Pacific marlin species. Hawaii has continued to be the major centre of blue marlin fishing in the Pacific, and Hawaiian blue marlin techniques have been disseminated throughout the Pacific Basin by travelling anglers and crews, influencing blue marlin fisheries as distant as Japan and Australia.

Australia

Blue marlin range on both the east and west coasts of Australia, with fish being recorded as far south as the Tasmanian east coast and Albany on the west coast. Notable regions to fish for blue marlin in Australia are the Cairns region, southern Queensland from Fraser Island to the Gold Coast, Port Stephens and Sydney, the New South Wales south coast region (where the Australian record(s) were caught), Rottnest Island off Perth, Exmouth and Broome in the northwest of western Australia. On the east Australian coast, blue marlin are a popular target for anglers fishing out of such ports as Port Stephens, Sydney and the southern ports of Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, and Bermagui. However, the best scores in terms of numbers of fish have come from boats fishing the Gold Coast area of Queensland.

A blue marlin over 1000 lb has not yet been officially recorded in Australian waters although the Australian record capture (which is also the ladies all-tackle world record) weighed just under 1000 lb. Its weight 997 lb (452.2 kg) was caught on 37 kg (80 lb) tackle whilst fishing from Batemans Bay on the Australian NSW south coast. Apparently it took some time for the fish to be weighed which almost certainly robbed the angler of a fish reaching 1000 lb. This fish was caught in March 1999 by the then 27-year-old female angler Melanie Kisbee fishing from a boat named Radiant a 28 ft Bertram which was captained by the late Paul Gibson. The fish was caught on a topgun lure called awesome in blue and pink.

Previous to this record blue marlin, the record was held by a 417 kg fish also captured from the port of Batemans Bay during the Tollgate Island Classic putting Batemans Bay on the map as the home of big blue marlin. Previous to that, the record was held by a fish around 370 kg captured in Bermagui by angler Wayne Cummings.

Several blue marlin 400 kg plus range have been tagged and released in Australia which is now the main method of fishing. The fish this size appear to be mainly caught on the NSW coast in summer when the warmer south east current runs down the coast (January to March) and the water temperature increases to 24 °C. The larger blue marlin appear to be captured in years when the water temperate is warmer than usual. Fish larger than a thousand pounds have been hooked but none so far landed. The fishing season in Australia for blue marlin is January to May–June.

Blue marlin, whilst targeted by some in this region, tend to be captured whilst fishing for striped marlin as the latter tends to be more prevalent. Fishing for blue marlin in Australia is a mix of lure, live bait and switch baiting.

Ecuador

For more than 60 years, the waters of the Humboldt Current which sweep past Peru and Ecuador have been fished by sports fishermen. Renowned American anglers Michael Lerner and Kip Farrington visited Chile and Peru in the 1940s and their encounters with record-breaking broadbill swordfish, striped marlin and black marlin helped to bring the billfish fisheries of these subtropical Pacific waters to the attention of the international gamefishing elite.

Today, the main centres for fishing this area of the Pacific coast are further north, in Ecuador, and the fishery has shifted from the pioneer fishing locations inshore, where black marlin and swordfish were fished by presenting baits to sighted fish, to further offshore for blue marlin, striped marlin and tuna. Salinas is the most well known billfishing location and seasonally offers good fishing for large striped marlin as well as blue marlin and other gamefish such as bigeye tuna. The other popular Blue Marlin destination in the country is Manta which is usually in season when Salinas is not. A large fleet of sport fishing vessels operates out of both towns. Blues in this area are known to reach large sizes, with the most notable capture being a 1,014 lb fish boated by local angler Jorge Jurado which formerly held the IGFA 80 lb class record.

Hawaii

More blue marlin are caught on rod and reel in the Hawaiian Islands than anywhere in the world. Over 60 fish of over 1,000 lb have been weighed in Hawaiian waters, including the two largest marlin caught on rod and reel: a 1,805 lb fish caught from Oahu by Capt. Cornelius Choy and a 1,656 lb fish caught off Kona by angler Gary Merriman aboard the Black Bart, skippered by Capt. Bart Miller, in March 1984.

Blue marlin skippers in the Hawaiian Islands employ both lure fishing and live-baiting techniques.

New Zealand

Although a blue marlin weighing over 1,000 lb was caught in the Bay of Islands as early as 1968, striped marlin have traditionally been the main billfish species in the New Zealand fishery. However, Pacific blue marlin captures have increased in New Zealand over the last 10 years and blue marlin are now consistently caught from along the eastern coast of the North Island. The Waihau Bay and Cape Runaway area is particularly well known for blue marlin. Blue marlin encountered in New Zealand tend to be of large average size with most averaging 300 to 500 lb. Larger specimens in the 600 lb-plus class are hooked and landed every year.

Most New Zealand blue marlin are taken by lure fishing with a wide variety of locally made and imported lures being popular.

South Pacific Islands

Blue marlin are caught in all the South Pacific islands.

Tahiti

Offshore fishing in Tahiti began to develop in earnest in the 1960s following the establishment of the Haura (marlin) Club of Tahiti in 1962. Today, seven gamefishing clubs exist in the Society Islands. As in Hawaii, the average size of blue marlin in Tahitian waters is in the 90–130 kg range, but many larger individuals in the 400 lb and larger class are boated each year.

Vanuatu

The island nation of Vanuatu appears to be the premier destination for blue marlin in the South Pacific and one of the best fisheries for Pacific blues in the world.^{[citation needed]} A ratified 1142 lb fish was landed in August 2007.^{[citation needed]}

The best-known appearance of a blue marlin in literature is as the noble adversary of the Cuban fisherman Santiago in the Ernest Hemingway novella, The Old Man and the Sea.

Black marlin (Makaira indica) are found in the Indian and Pacific oceans with some vagrant individuals having been reported from the south Atlantic.

Black marlin fishing has traditionally conducted with rigged dead baits, both skipping and swimming. In the historic Cabo Blanco fishery little blind trolling was done; instead the billfish (striped marlin, black marlin and swordfish) were sighted cruising or finning on the surface and baited. In the Cairns fishery a wide variety of baitfish species are used successfully, including kawa kawa and other small tunas, queenfish and scad. Baits range from two pound scad to dogtooth tuna and narrowbarred mackerel of twenty pounds and more.

The use of live bait is also popular for targeting both large and small black marlin and under the right circumstances is extremely effective, although sharks and other non-targeted gamefish can often be a problem with this method. Small live baits such as slimy mackerel and yellowtail scad are highly effective for juvenile black marlin and are fished both by slow trolling and drifting. Live bait techniques for larger black marlin are similar to those used for blue marlin, normally employing bridle-rigged live tunas of between 3 and 25 lbs. The use of a downrigger has proven to be helpful in positioning baits deeper in the water column.

Artificial lures will catch black marlin of all sizes from 30 and 40 lb juveniles to the giant females of 1,200 lbs and more. The prevalence of lure damaging bycatch such as wahoo, barracuda and Spanish (narrowbarred) mackerel in some areas can make lure fishing an expensive proposition. However, the faster pace of lure fishing allows larger areas to be searched effectively, which can be an advantage if the fish seem more dispersed.

Africa

Australia

The region is unquestionably the best place in the world to catch a black marlin over 1000 lb. Many domestic and international anglers visit the region during the September to November period in the hope of catching the "fish of a lifetime". Black marlin can be caught to a size of 1,200-1,300 lb in this area.

Ecuador

Although today most of the marlin captures in Ecuadorian waters are blue and striped marlin, it was the black marlin that brought this area of the south east Pacific to fame in the 1950s, when many fish of over a thousand pounds were boated by anglers fishing out of Cabo Blanco, a small town in northern Peru, close to the border with Ecuador. The inshore grounds off the high white cliffs became known as 'Marlin Boulevard' for the numbers and size of the black marlin taken there. Greatest of the many granders captured here was the 1,560 lb black marlin boated by Texas oilman Alfred C. Glassell, Jr. in August 1953.^[2] The Cabo Blanco Fishing Club, where most fishing operations were based, closed down in the late sixties following a period of political upheaval in Peru. At around the same time the Peruvian sport fishery also crashed following the overfishing of the primary baitfish, anchoveta.

Mexico

The large vessels of the San Diego Long Range fleet have also caught some hefty blacks in the 600 lb plus range while fishing for yellowfin tuna at the Revillagigedos Islands.

Black marlin in Mexican waters, as in most other parts of their range, tend to associate with reefs, banks and similar offshore structures. Slow trolling live baits such as skipjack tuna over these structures tends to be the most effective way to target black marlin. Downriggers are sometimes used to fish baits deeper.

Panama

Today the productive reef areas in Pinas Bay, fished by boats from the famous Tropic Star Lodge, and the many other reefs and islands along the Pacific coast of Panama, particularly Coiba Island in the Gulf of Chiriqui, still have probably the best fishing for black marlin in the western hemisphere. Black marlin averaging 200 to 500 lb hunt schools of rainbow runners, black skipjack and other prey over these structures along with large Pacific sailfish and dorado. Occasional specimens will reach well over 600 lb. Slow trolling with bridle-rigged live skipjack is the predominant technique used to target black marlin by the Tropic Star fleet. At Coiba Island the Hannibal Banks is among most productive areas where trolling lures is employed successfully.

White marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) occur only in the Atlantic Ocean. The smallest of the marlin species, they are renowned for their speed, leaping ability, their elegant beauty and the difficulty that anglers often encounter in baiting and hooking them. They are a premier light-tackle gamefish.

White marlin are distributed throughout the tropical and seasonally in temperate oceanic waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Where environmental conditions (temperature, water colour and clarity) are favourable, white marlin will often forage in shallow water well inshore of the continental shelf, taking advantage of the abundant baitfish resources often found in these areas.

[edit] Size

White marlin may reach a potential maximum size of around 220 lb (100 kg). The International Game Fish Association all-tackle record is held by a Brazilian fish of 181 lb. Most rod-caught white marlin are far smaller than this and any white marlin in the 100 lb (45 kg) class is considered an excellent catch.

White marlin feed on a variety of schooling baitfish including sardine, herring and other clupeoids; squid; mackerel; scad; saury; and smaller tuna-like fishes such as frigate and bullet tuna.

Like their close relatives the striped marlin, and sailfish, white marlin will often group together to corral schooling baitfish into a tight group for feeding purposes, a phenomenon commonly referred to as "balling bait".

[edit] Genetic structure

Recent genetic studies have suggested that white marlin are a phenotype of striped marlin.

A number of hybrids between white marlin and the Atlantic longbill spearfish have also been recorded. It appears that the two species are sufficiently close to each other genetically that white marlin and spearfish spawning in the same area can produce hybrids.

Hatchet marlin

The so-called "hatchet marlin" has recently been confirmed as a separate species in the Tetrapturus family, which includes white marlin, striped marlin and spearfish. Although officially known as the roundscale spearfish, this fish closely resembles the white marlin and most tournaments treat hatchet marlin catches as white marlin.

Brazil

United States

Trolling with natural baits, predominantly ballyhoo, is the most effective method and rigging and fishing techniques have been continuously refined and perfected over the years by the many skilled crewmen that work these waters.

From approximately mid-July onwards, white marlin as well as the other species of Gulf Stream gamefish such as dolphinfish, yellowfin and bigeye tuna start showing up in the continental shelf canyons offshore of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

The Jack Spot, an area of bottom structure 22 miles south of Ocean City, Maryland, was for many years the most famed white marlin location in the United States. White marlin were first caught here as early as 1934 and in 1939, 171 whites were boated in a single day (July 29) here. The years 1969-1971 saw some exceptional white marlin fishing with over 2,000 fish being caught or released per year.

Ocean City is now home to one of the East Coast's premier marlin tournaments, the White Marlin Open.

Venezuela

The La Guaira Bank off the coast of Venezuela hosts great concentrations of white marlin in season. White marlin can be encountered year round but autumn is considered the best time to target white marlin in Venezuelan waters.

Venezuelan anglers such as Aquiles Garcia, Rafael Arnal, Ronnie Morrison and Ruben Jaen honed their techniques and tackle in these fish-rich waters and their experiences have contributed to many light-tackle billfishing techniques commonly used today.

[edit] Striped marlin

Main article: Striped marlin

Striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax) occur in the Indian and Pacific oceans.

In Mexican hot spots such as Cabo San Lucas and in Southern California, anglers cast live baits such as mackerel and caballito (scad) to striped marlin that may be sighted feeding or finning on the surface.

Conventional live bait trolling at slow speeds is also highly effective when concentrations of marlin can be located. Experienced skippers fishing out of ports such as Bermagui on the south coast of New South Wales have in the recent past racked up scores of over 100 striped marlin per season fishing this relatively simple technique at the right time at the right place. Larger baits such as kahawai and skipjack tuna are often used for the large striped marlin of New Zealand.

Deep dropping live baits with the aid of sinkers can bring live baits deeper to feeding fish. This tactic is frequently used in Mexico and in Australia. It is considered somewhat lowbrow (it has been described as "snapper fishing for marlin") but is nonetheless highly effective when deep feeding activity occurs.

Australia

Although Australia is world famous for its black and more recently blue marlin fishery, Striped marlin are often abundant in the subtropical waters of the vast island continent and are a popular target for Australian anglers.

The Port Stephens area of New South Wales hosts the country's largest inter-club tournament and has produced several striped marlin records on ultra-light and fly tackle. Larger striped marlin in the 250 to 300 lb plus class often show up in the southern part of their range. Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Bermagui in southern New South Wales is where fish of this class can be encountered.

Live-baiting with such baits as slimy mackerel and skipjack tuna, and trolling artificial lures are the two most common techniques here but many top crews have experienced great success seeking fly-rod and light-tackle records via the bait and switch technique.

Ecuador

Striped marlin are also fished for on the Ecuadorian mainland. Salinas in the southern part of the country and Manta further north are the main sportfishing bases in Ecuador. The cold Humboldt Current from the south meets the equatorial current along the Ecuadorian coastline and when conditions are right, the combination of current, colour and temperature breaks amass concentrations of baitfish that attract large striped marlin as well as larger blue and black marlin, yellowfin and bigeye tuna.

Kenya

Striped marlin are one of three marlin species that appear in east African waters. Kenya has the most well-developed sport fishery in this region and every year boats from Malindi, Lamu and Watamu in the north, as well as Shimoni in the south, see excellent striped marlin fishing. huge blue and black marlin are also caught in these waters and there are many charter boats specifically out to catch these fish.

Cabo is known as the Striped Marlin Capital of the world. More striped marlin are probably caught recreationally at the Mexican tourist mecca of Cabo San Lucas than anywhere else in the world. Large fleets of local and American sportfishing boats fish the productive banks and offshore grounds of this renowned hot spot.

Striped marlin may be caught year round in Cabo waters but the heaviest concentrations seem to show up in late autumn and good numbers stay around into the spring.

On 9th Dec 2007 during the Mini WCBRT team Reelaxe released a total of 330 striped marlin in the two day tournament setting another tournament record for a single team in two days. With a New record of 190 Striped Marlin in One day. Team consisted of Chris Badsey, Dave Brackmann, Steve Brackmann, Alex Rogers, Jose Espanoza, Mark Clayton, Saul Contrearus, Dennis Poulton. Top angler was Reelaxe angler Jose Esponoza with a personal best and tournament record of 59 released striped marlin in a single day

Prior to that in November 2007 the crew of the sportfishing vessel Reelaxe, fishing on the Finger Bank, set a phenomenal one-day catch record of 179 striped marlin.

Further north on the Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula, great concentrations of striped marlin also seasonally gather in the area of Magdalena Bay.

New Zealand

Marlin fishing in New Zealand waters has a proud history that dates back to the turn of the 20th century. New Zealand boasts the world's largest striped marlin with fish of over 400 lb having been caught. The all-tackle striped marlin record of 494 lb is held here, and striped marlin of over 300 lb are caught in New Zealand waters every year. Kiwi anglers, often fishing in small trailerable boats, pursue striped marlin from Houhoura and the North Cape in the far north of the country to as far south as Gisborne, Raglan and Napier in the south.

Lure fishing is probably the most popular fishing technique used by New Zealand marlin fishermen with many good fish also being taken on live and rigged dead baits.

[edit] Threats

The main threat to marlin, along with other highly migratory pelagic fish, is commercial fishing. Billfish of all species are taken as commercial targets and as by-catch in tuna and swordfish fisheries.

Recreational competitions that run capture anything basis still form a major problem. These are often run by organizers for financial gain. However, it should be noted most recreational fishermen usually rally against and condemn these competitions.

In 2010, Greenpeace International has added the striped marlin, white marlin, atlantic blue marlin, black marlin, and Makara (Indo-pacific blue marlin) to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."^[3]

Sportfishing for marlin generates millions of tourist dollars worldwide. Far more revenue is gained from sportfishermen than commercial fishermen.

Founded in 1986 by Winthrop P. Rockefeller, The Billfish Foundation (TBF) is the world's leading non-profit organization dedicated to conserving billfish and associated species worldwide which helps ensure healthy oceans and strong coastal economies. TBF's signature research project is the traditional tag and release program that uses the efforts of anglers to provide data and research to scientists and fisheries managers. Awareness of the need to conserve billfish stocks worldwide has led to an increasing trend for recreational anglers and skippers to release their catches in as healthy a condition as possible. In some areas of the world commercial fishing for striped, black and blue marlin has been banned.

When you walk into your local sporting goods store to purchase equipment for a saltwater fishing trip, you might be floored by the sheer number of options. Not only are there multiple pieces of equipment that you must have, but you also must choose between different types, and then take it one step farther and choose a certain brand. One such crucial piece of equipment is the saltwater fishing reel. Your saltwater fishing reel could mean the difference between catching the big one or telling the story about the one who got away, so choose wisely!

First, look at the gear ratio on each saltwater fishing reel you are considering buying. The gear ratio essentially tells you how many times you’ll have to turn the handle to make one complete turn of the spool. Think of it like the gears on the bike. Your best choice here depends on how you plan to use the saltwater fishing reel. A high gear ratios is better for quickly reeling in the line or gaining line when the fish charges the boat. However, a saltwater fishing reel with a low gear ratios will give you more power when you’re bottom fishing or trolling. Use a saltwater fishing reel that has a gear ratio that will work for your specific situation.

The level wind mechanism on a saltwater fishing reel is also important if you choose a bait casting reel. The level wind mechanism works back and forth along the spool to evenly draw in the line. This can be very convenient for keeping your line neat and tidy. However, if you will be fishing in salt water, you will often need to use a near heavy line. Level wind mechanisms cannot easily wind heavy line, and so a good saltwater fishing reel may be better without this addition.

Check out also the ball bearings of the saltwater fishing reel. All fishing reels have ball bearings, so don’t be lured to a package advertising this. The key is to find a saltwater fishing reel that has a higher number of ball bearings. The ball bearings will keep you line reeling smoothly, so the more ball bearings, the more smooth the movement of the spool as your reel in your catch of the day.

Remember, you typically get what you pay for. If you spend only a few dollars on a saltwater fishing reel, you may find that it is broken or the line is tangled by mid-morning. This can be very frustrating. The more expensive saltwater fishing reel will truly help you to catch the largest fish possible.

Eliseo is an avid fishing guyFor more info and related article about fishing http://www.charasfishinginfo.com

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