Marlin August/September 2021

I’ve always loved travel. It’s fun to have great fishing at home, but chasing a new species in unfamiliar waters always offers an interesting challenge for any fisherman. Along the way, we often meet a lot of new people, some of whom might become good friends, while also experiencing different cultures and cuisine. From a fishing perspective, it seems that everyone has a slightly different approach or an unusual technique—there’s always something new to learn. As we celebrate our annual international issue, we dive into several unique fisheries. First up: Capt. Ricky Wheeler takes us on a guided tour of Grenada, one of the jewels of the Caribbean, located at the southern end of the Grenadines. From the mountainous interior to the stunning white-sand beaches and the deep blue waters…

editor@marlinmag.com IN MEMORIAM: CAPT. JUNIOR JOHNSON In April, the sport-fishing community lost a special person, Capt. Junior Johnson (above). The first time I met Junior, he was smiling, and the last time I saw him, he still was. Junior had unique abilities that set him apart from others: He was able to inspire us with his positive attitude, encourage us with a kind heart, but also able to be a fierce competitor each time he went fishing. Junior touched many lives as a mate and captain on numerous charter and private boats, most recently Diamond Girl. Junior loved fishing and boating, but also loved to teach others; his patience made him a natural. While he spent most of his career based near Morehead City, North Carolina, he honed his skills in…

FOR THE WIN Exmouth, in western Australia, is known for its outstanding fishing for a variety of species. During Gamex 2021, the Innkeeper team, led by Capt. Brendon Hawker, tagged and released 19 black marlin, two blues and two sailfish in five days to win the tournament. Photographer Shane Anderson was in the right place to shoot their last fish of the event, this feisty black marlin. LOCATION Exmouth is home to Ningaloo Reef, the world’s largest fringing reef. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Nikon D500 LENS: Nikkor AF-S 80-400mm ISO: 400 APERTURE: f/7.1 SPEED: 1/2500 sec…

For the past two and a half decades, Capt. Marty Bates has roamed the four corners of the sport-fishing world in search of the next thousand-pound marlin, the next world record, the next thrilling experience. The son of a commercial fisherman, the wanderlust still runs strong, although he’s recently settled down in one of the most exceptional locations on the planet: Cape Verde. He fell in love with these remote islands off the western coast of Africa when he first visited in 2006, and now he’s making it a permanent home as well as a base from which to continue his fishing adventures throughout the region and beyond. Bates knows only one speed to live his life: wide open. You won the Blue Marlin World Cup on July 4, 2020,…

COLUMBIA TAMIAMI This has one of the most aggressive outsoles of the group, and provides excellent traction on teak and fiberglass decks. The mesh upper has synthetic overlays with midsole ports for venting and breathability in the heat. There are four color patterns; Mountain/Voltage is shown. columbia.com GRUNDENS SEAKNIT (A) The all-nylon upper and shock-absorbing EVA midsole combine to make this one of the lightest shoes in the group. The nonmarking natural gum rubber outsole pods feature razor-cut siping to quickly move water away for excellent traction in any weather condition. There are two color patterns; Metal and Anchor is shown. grundens.com HUK ROGUE WAVE (B) This ankle boot is engineered for durability, thanks to full neoprene and rubber upper construction with commercial-grade reinforced pull straps. The outsole is…

The final tournament of the 2021 Quest for the Crest series, Final Sail, returned to the docks of Miami Beach Marina and certainly lived up to the hype: A fleet of 41 boats tallied 402 sailfish releases in two days of fishing. The bite was on and the competition was as fierce as ever in South Florida as the world’s best live-bait teams battled it out within sight of the picturesque Miami Beach skyline. In the end, two teams would emerge as champions. With the final event of the 2020 Quest series canceled, the winner from last year would also be determined at Final Sail. Rob Gothier Jr.’s BAR South released just three sailfish on Day One but rebounded with 11 more on the second day—a strong rally that secured…