Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Marlin

North Atlantic right whales have been in trouble for decades—scientists estimate that fewer than 350 individual whales remain, with only about 100 of those being reproductive females. Their only known calving site is located off northern Florida and southern Georgia; after giving birth, they migrate up the Eastern Seaboard to their forage grounds in the waters off the northeastern United States. In order to protect these highly endangered species, in 2008 NOAA established what became officially known in the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations as Title 50 224.105, “Speed Restrictions to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales.” To briefly summarize, a mandatory speed of 10 knots or less is required in seasonal management areas along the East Coast, generally from November through April. The current rule applies to all vessels 65…

After nearly six decades, Australian skipper Capt. Peter Bristow is still on the hunt for giants. His amazing career will go down in the record books as the captain who has caught more big blacks and blues than anyone on the planet. He spent three decades working the Great Barrier Reef catching hundreds of huge black marlin, putting 52 over 1,000 pounds on the deck. In 1996, he decided to shift his talents to the Atlantic Ocean, working out of the Portuguese island of Madeira, where the seas are calm and the fish are big. At the ripe old age of 84, he’s still running a charter boat. How did you get involved in fishing? I was born in Brisbane in 1938 and moved to Stradbroke Island in southern Queensland…

The highly experienced team on Sea Striker, a 61-foot Jarrett Bay based out of Morehead City, North Carolina, has been crossing to Bermuda to compete in the Triple Crown for many years. But this season the stars aligned for the team, led by owner Adrian Holler, Capt. Pete Zook and mate Morris McGahey. They put on one of the most memorable runs in recent memory to emerge victorious in the month-long Bermuda Triple Crown series. The team started strong by releasing three blue and one white marlin during the Billfish Blast, placing second in the tournament. Their consistency continued, adding three blue marlin releases during the Big Game Classic and moving into the Triple Crown lead with 3,100 points heading into the final leg. The fishing continued to be outstanding…

It’s better to be lucky than good; happy boats catch fish; we’re just here to have a good time—we’ve all heard the same old idioms about tournament fishing for years. But sometimes a story comes along that really highlights those sentiments. The 2022 Costa Offshore World Championship, held this past April in Quepos, Costa Rica, hosted 37 teams and 168 anglers from 18 different countries. It’s perhaps the most internationally diverse tournament of its kind in the world, and yet there’s not a dime of prize money to be won—it’s all for the title of Offshore World Champions (plus a boatload of trophies and prizes). Every team fishing had to earn the right to attend by winning a qualifying event in their home waters—never an easy feat. Most arrive in…

Have you ever held history in your hands? There is a great power in visiting the relics from our past. I was lucky to hold a piece of South Carolina’s sport-fishing history today. I still feel its impression in my palms—the delicate edges, the weight. The marlin bill I held in my hands is nearly twice my age. It is fragile and brown, like slick, aged wood that could crack with just a touch. A rusted hook is lodged in its base, a reminder of how the blue marlin that donned it was eventually bested. The bill didn’t belong to any ordinary fish. It belonged to the fish—one that forever changed South Carolina’s bluewater fishery. What can better inspire those with the itch to venture offshore than the storied wildness…

• Remember as a kid when you put a mask on and looked under the water for the first time? The difference in what you saw was like night and day once you had a clear view of what was beneath the water’s surface. Similarly, personal bathymetric generators do the same for today’s serious offshore fisherman. The advantage with PBGs is that you are recording the detailed bottom conditions of your specific fishing area into a high-resolution image. You may then utilize your own prerecorded PBGs on your chart plotter. SWATH MAPPING BEGINS Here in the contiguous US, coastal cartography is available to recreational users, which includes some underwater topography. Swath mapping was developed in the 1970s, but the level of detail was not as high as today’s technology allows.…

• Is there any hope for us poor folks? You own a great sportfisherman, and yet you feel that you can’t compete with all the sonar boats in a billfish tournament (and it’s hard to blame you). Besides not having $150,000 to buy and install a sonar, it’s also difficult to find a good location for that big periscope transducer in the engine room, much less a spot on the bridge for the display. Maybe we should try to fish the kingfish and wahoo tournaments? Do we have a chance at being competitive, or will we need to repower the boat and add more fuel so we can run to where those fish are? And don’t forget about the cost of bait and fuel—nothing is getting any less expensive. I’ll…

WHERE OCTOBER — While the fishing for blue and white marlin remains reliably consistent off the US East Coast in fall, those with an adventurous streak can hit the international circuit for some fantastic opportunities as well. Australia will welcome visiting anglers with amazing light-tackle action for black marlin, and closer to home, head for the Florida Keys outpost of Islamorada for swordfish, where daytime deep-dropping is a must. KONA, HAWAII BLUE MARLIN It’s been said that the best time to fish Kona is whenever you can, so head to the Big Island for a shot at the blue marlin of a lifetime. GUATEMALA PACIFIC SAILFISH The bite really starts to heat up, with the fleet seeing ever-increasing numbers of fish this month, along with above-average shots at blues. PANAMA…

Florida’s David family keeps producing one professional fisherman after another, and it’s no surprise that the youngest would follow in the footsteps of his elder siblings. But Christopher Marlin David isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary when you consider his family’s background. Fishing is in his blood, and if there’s anything we gather from fishermen, it’s the full-on capability to be eaten up with it. Call it addiction, obsession or just plain dependence, but you can’t escape its hold, even when you’re 10 years old. I can personally attest to Chris’ mania because you can’t go kite-fishing for sails without him working the rod all day, running around the cockpit like a crazy person with his spinning reel. He’s a little producer, no doubt, and very much appreciated for…

Those who’ve been around the game for a while will tell you that the bite is what gets them fired up. And while we all love a good crash bite, it’s what happens next that’s crucial. The first step is keeping your cool, even though that potential money-winning fish just destroyed your flat line. Each crewmember should know their role, and success is achieved between the point of getting bit and landing the fish. But before you even get to the chair, there is a critical span of time where a lot of money has been lost over the years. Thinking about—and breaking down—this process well before the shotgun start can ensure that your cockpit runs like a well-oiled machine. While having a boatful of experienced anglers is more common…

MODERN TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES to transform our lives, and the fishing world is no exception. From sonars, stabilizers and power systems to social media and satellite phones, the paradigms are endless. But some of the most useful and accessible of these advancements are the satellite-data services that specialize in consolidating ocean conditions into a near-real-time, practical form for fishermen. To start, it’s important to understand how this data becomes available. I spoke with Mark Hess, director of operations of SeaView Fishing, and Matthew Upton, president of ROFFS, to learn how these two industry leaders break down this data, and how all fishermen can benefit from services like these. While it seems fishermen have no problem spending money to find fish, we still haven’t launched our own satellites into space, so the…

MODERN TECHNOLOGY is a combination of applied science and good old-fashioned innovation: Identify a problem and then offer a solution (or multiple solutions). There is little doubt that the world of high-tech graces every corner of the marine industry, from faster boats and more powerful electronics to acoustically refined speaker systems for more thump on those all-important bass notes. Kidding aside, it’s a great time to experience all the technological solutions that make the overall fishing and boating experience even more enjoyable. PROPULSION AND ACCESSORIES MTU The highly successful MTU 12V 2000 M96L, rated at 1,945 hp, has now received a power upgrade to 2,002 hp and is named the MTU 12V 2000 M96X. The engines first debuted in the Viking 68, and the M96X will also be installed in…

Nestled among the rolling cornfields of coastal Maryland, Titan Custom Yachts is situated right in the backyard of the white marlin capital of the world. Owner Russ Garufi progressed to boatbuilding in 2001 after a lifetime career as a custom-home builder, and with nine delivered yachts to his name, Titan is just starting to hit its stride. After only a few months in operation, the new 63-footer, Lunatico, has already proved her worth—most notably with a 682-pound fish landed by owner Lance Converse to take the Blue Marlin Jackpot in July’s Bermuda Billfish Blast. I first visited Titan in August 2021. The build was halfway complete but was starting to take form, and Palm Beach Towers was on-site to measure for what would surely be the proverbial cherry on top.…

WASHDOWN Aruba is known for its often-sporty conditions, and sometimes taking one over the transom is unavoidable, especially when backing down on a hot blue marlin in a tournament. Photographer Richard Gibson says: “I was very worried about my gear but was able to snap this shot before I scampered up the ladder to the bridge. Salt water did not win that round!” LOCATION Gibson was fishing aboard the 57-foot Paul Mann Naira in the Presidential Aruba Caribbean Cup. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon EOS 1DX LENS: Canon 15mm ISO: 1600 APERTURE: f/16 SPEED: 1/4000 sec…

AFTCO ANKLE DECK BOOT A Best of Category “Footwear” winner, the new deck boot from AFTCO features a neoprene inner liner that is eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, quick drying, and fully flexible. It’s paired with a custom compression-molded antimicrobial insole that offers the proper amount of cushion, rebound and support, season after season. YETI ROADIE 48 Whether you’re packing bait or brews down the dock, a Yeti cooler is always handy to have. The new Roadie 48 has a unique handle setup that makes it even more maneuverable, along with all the other key features, plus extreme durability that you’ve come to expect from this industry-leading brand. SHIMANO SW SARAGOSA BFG The counterpart to the tournament-proven Talica BFC, the latest from Shimano has an optimized drag for fighting sails and other billfish…

KELSEY BARRETT MARKETING MANAGER SEAKEEPER INC. I originally got into the marine industry because of my love for the ocean, specifically, scuba diving. As a kid, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the University of South Florida’s Oceanography Camp for Girls. Having just had my first child, Lainey, in February, I love the idea of marrying those two things together as a dream career in my next life: kids and science/conservation. Introducing kids to the ocean is magical and will stay with them throughout their lifetimes. Of course, all of this hinges on whether travel diving is something you can actually get paid to do. MICHAEL MELLETT SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR SIRIUSXM MARINE My philosophy for work has always been to follow my passions. I’ve been fortunate to have…

CAPT. DEVIN SILAS Shoe Subscriber, seaviewfishing.com “To be better fishermen, we must adapt—apply the information available, understand it, and understand why you caught fish. You can’t just use forecasting tools the day before you go; you need to also network with those who fished days prior, then review those reports and figure out why fish were caught there that day. The difference between being good and being great is putting in the effort to learn over a long span of time. It’s a little technical and complicated, but the work will pay off over time. If you don’t understand where you need to be and why, then you’re going to get your butt kicked by those who do.” GEORGE ROBINSON III Polarizer Subscriber, roffs.com “I really believe in the current…

• After owning a string of custom sportfishers—and thoroughly enjoying the process of building a custom boat—the husband-and-wife owners of Two Krickets were looking for a similar experience in a less-complicated, user-friendly outboard boat when they relocated to the Palm Beach, Florida, area. Based on a recommendation from a trusted broker, the pair headed to Bahama Boat Works and met with the principles there for a tour of the facility, located a short drive from West Palm Beach. After building their first boat in 2013, Two Krickets is their fourth from Bahama Boat Works. The most recent rendition is a 2022 41-footer with twin Mercury 600 hp engines, utilizing the latest in emerging technology. Each Bahama hull form was computer-designed based on data collected from over 80 years of documented…

• A common thread among successful business owners, including charter-boat owner-operators and captains and mates who work for themselves as independent contractors, is the ability to create and follow a business plan and then adjust as required. Business plans identify the goals of a venture and lay out the steps to follow in order to make the business successful. A 1979 Harvard MBA study related to goal setting revealed that 3 percent of the students in the graduating class that year had written goals and plans, but 13 percent of graduates had unwritten goals, and 84 percent had no goals at all. Ten years after the study, the 3 percent of grads who had written goals had a higher net worth than the combined 97 percent of everyone else. It’s…