Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2015 - January 2016 i Marlin

“Right teaser, right teaser!” I heard those words from the bridge just before seeing my first blue marlin attempt to devour a Mold Craft teaser. The adrenaline rush that followed threw me into warp speed as I attempted to feed a blue for the first time, missing the fish not once but twice as the captain bellowed a few choice words. Thankfully, the fish was hungry and came back a third time. I dropped back the mahimahi belly rigged with a circle hook and a chugger head one last time and finally came tight. Recalling my first experience with a blue is all but a blur from the excitement. The sight of a billfish in the spread still gets my heart racing even after experiencing it hundreds of times. Now,…

But Bar South wasn’t always winning tournaments and sizable checks. Four years ago, Gothier began to put together the ingredients he believed were needed to get the program to the winners circle. He hired Capt. Jim Mulcahy, a Florida Keys native and charter captain, and added other key team members. As the Bar South team prepares for its sixth South Florida sailfishtournament season, Gothier opened up to Marlin about the team’s success and its plans to repeat this year. What advantages does the Spencer give you? Speed, both in forward and reverse. It’s remarkably agile and backs up quickly for a 60-footer; we released a 400-pound blue marlin in nine minutes during this year’s White Marlin Open. With twin 1,650 hp Caterpillar C32s, it cruises at 37 knots and can…

TROPIC STAR LODGE Pinas Bay, Panama WEIGHT: 130 lbs. DATE: 12-14-85 Marlene Vallarino's 8-pound-line-class world record still stands today BOATED BY M. Vallarino #8 Line 10-1 Club Pending World Record WOMEN’S PACIFIC SAILFISH RECORD This month marks the 30-year anniversary of Marlene Vallarino’s impressive 8-pound-line-class world record for Pacific sailfish. On Dec. 14, 1985, Vallarino was fishing out of Panama’s famous Tropic Star Lodge aboard Australia with Capt. Dave Rose when a 130-pound sailfish crushed the bonito strip bait she was trolling. After a one-hour fight, the fish was landed, and the catch has remained the women’s 8-pound-line-class record ever since.…

The ability to freeze the action of big-game fishing into a single moment might be an artist’s most formidable challenge. Whether it’s using acrylic or oil paint, pencil, wood or some creative use of swordfish bills, the compilation of art we put together this year will impress you. There’s something here for everyone to enjoy, and we hope you get the same satisfaction it gave us putting it all together. Artist Johnny Widmer won this year's Audience Pick by our Facebook fans with his Grouper Gulp. You can view all the submissions online at marlinmag.com/artgallery.…

Forget the gift cards or worrying about correct sizes! This year’s Holiday Gift Guide features a wide variety of products those on the receiving end of your generosity are guaranteed to love. And if you’re the one building a wish list, there’s something here for you too. From some of the finer things in life to a new variation on traditional Lowcountry cooking methods to cutting-edge technology found in today’s high-flying drones, you are sure to find the gift (or gifts) that will put a smile on the face of someone special, even if that person is yourself. TRUST THE LOCAL Wood-fired oyster roasting is an age-old South Carolina tradition for bringing out the best natural flavors. Bull’s Bay Oyster Roasters just perfected it, so you can enjoy wood-fired oysters…

IF YOUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIEND IS ONE OF YOUR FISHING BUDDIES, SEND US A PHOTO OF IT OFFSHORE TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR ONLINE GALLERY AT MARLINMAG.COM/BOATDOGS. One of the many positive aspects of keeping track of your friends on Facebook, Instagram, Periscope or whatever is that we get to see a glimpse of their fishing exploits, no matter where they are or who they are with. More and more often, it seems, their photos of big-fish catches are punctuated by a furry, four-legged photo bomber of one dog breed or another. Throughout human history, dogs have played an important role in many aspects of life. Working dogs helped provide meat by assisting during hunts; they provided protection for the family, carried loads during long marches and even became an invaluable…

Instagram Follow Marlin’s Instagram (@marlinmag) and tag your fishing photos with #MarlinMagazine. @dave_amarallures @markdelahey @fisherking123 @seaflysportfishing @messiacharters @kellykelly_green EMAIL, MAIL, FAX OR SUBSCRIBE editor@marlinmag.com 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789 Fax: 407-628-7061 marlinmag.com/newsletter editor@marlinmag.com A DIFFERENT LINE OF THOUGHT Andrew Cox’s argument for increasing minimum size of blue marlin landings in tournaments [ Conservation, October 2015; “Changing Weight Classes”] has merit for reducing the numbers killed annually. Recreational fishermen, crews and tournament organizers have a responsibility to demonstrate another conservation ethic here, particularly with the biological status of these magnificent fish in doubt. But an argument for increasing to a 500-pound minimum has other potentially serious biological consequences and should not be overlooked. It emphasizes killing the biggest and most biologically prolific of this species —…

Catch ratios for billfish have soared as crews and anglers fine-tune their circle hook skills and techniques. It is now common for anglers to catch 80 to 90 percent of their bites, and how the hook is attached to the leader plays a critical role. There are three common ways to attach a leader to a circle hook, and choosing a method often depends on personal preference, with positives and negatives to each. CRIMP Crimping the leader tight to the eye of the hook is considered a happy medium between a loop knot and a snell. Some white marlin fishermen in the mid-Atlantic like this method best, and it is a good option for those not comfortable tying loop knots or snelling a hook. POSITIVES: The crimped connection keeps the…

“WANT MORE SPEED? YOU’VE GOT IT. PUSHED TO FULL THROTTLE, THE BIG SPENCER ALMOST PINS YOU TO THE SEAT ON ITS WAY TO 43 KNOTS, RIDICULOUSLY FAST FOR A VESSEL OF THIS SIZE.” — GARY CAPUTI DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 SPENCER’S NEW 69-FOOTER, INAPPROPRIATE, HAS THE SLEEK LINES ONE WOULD EXPECT OF A CAROLINA CUSTOM. P/68 ELECTRONICS Increase your odds of finding billfish as Marlin reveals the secrets hidden within satellite imagery for sea-surface temperature, altimetry and other key factors to consider offshore.…

FOUR BIGGAME GURUS WEIGH IN ON AN IMPORTANT TOPIC Q: WHAT I S THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU SEE ANGLERS MAKE WHEN TRYING TO HOOK A BILLFISH, AND HOW WOULD YOU CORRECT IT? CAPT. QUINTON DIETERLE CUTTING EDGE KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA The biggest and most frequent mistake I see anglers make, whether fishing from the kite or on the troll, is reeling as hard as they can before coming tight. Everybody has heard the first lesson on dropping back: Feed the fish the bait for 10 seconds and then set the hook. Right? Do you ever hear to first reel tight? No. The easiest way to fix this common mistake is to instruct the anglers to drop-back until they feel the line increase in speed off the reel and then reel…

Every Marlin University is a true learning experience; our students ask a lot of questions over the course of an event, and that’s how we like it. The more you ask, the more you will learn. But in the midst of all the technical questions we hear, one of the most common among all of our students is “How do you decide where to put on a Marlin U?” It’s a good question, and the answer is a bit more complicated than one would think. Back when we first started Marlin U, I decided its main goal would be to visit the places with the best billfish bites and hit them at the peak of their respective seasons so we could provide as many bites as possible for our guests.…