Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2023 i Marlin

Whether or not you enjoy the spectacle, there is little doubt that the 2022 Bisbee’s Black & Blue was a truly remarkable tournament. The 42nd anniversary event, held October 24-29 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, attracted 223 teams to compete for a staggering cash purse of $11,651,300—the largest ever offered in any tournament in the world. Any blue or black marlin exceeding the tournament minimum of 300 pounds landed during the three days of competition could be worth a considerable sum of money. On the first day of fishing, Team RV Rentals on Vida Loca had the first shot at a qualifier. Their blue marlin, landed by angler Michael Ciardullo, weighed 344 pounds and was briefly in the lead. Though the team of Capt. Alan O’Brien, Ciardullo, Eligio Baron, Matt…

SCORECARD 2022 LOS CABOS BILLFISH TOURNAMENT BOATS: 53 BILLFISH: 138 TOTAL PURSE: $862,350…

Wahoo are undoubtedly one of the fastest fish in the ocean, and their initial dragscreaming runs immediately after hookup make them an exhilarating gamefish to target. Wahoo can be found worldwide wherever the water is warm, and they tend to gather in water temperatures ranging between 72 and 80-plus degrees, and love to hang out on structure. Whether it’s a wreck, hump, seamount, bank, ridge, drop-off, reef, weed line, or any other floating debris, wahoo typically hold tight to structure. Without fishing on some kind of structure or in the proper water temperature, your odds of catching wahoo are slim if not none. There are many techniques used to catch these ocean speedsters, trolling being the most common. When talking about wahoo, nearly everyone immediately thinks about trolling fast. High-speed…

There is never a good time for bad things to happen, but if you’ve been on the ocean long enough, stuff is bound to happen. What you do under pressure, how you handle the situation, and what you take from those lessons moving forward will either serve you well, or they could end your career. LESSON 1: SINKING Back in the early 1990s, my friend and deckhand Capt. Barry Robinson and I were on our way back to Florida from San Salvador in the Bahamas. We were reaching for Highbourne Cay with about 20 miles to go in the very deep Exuma Sound. It was nearing the end of our maiden trip on the then-new-to-us 1971 45-foot Rybovich Brier Patch. Having recently passed survey, we were just getting to know…

Well-known for producing high-quality boats that perform well in virtually any sea condition, Scarborough Boatworks has begun production on Hull No. 17 at its facility in Wanchese, North Carolina. This 67-footer, as builder Ricky Scarborough states, “will be more of a throwback to a simpler, pure fishing vessel, built well in every detail to include everything you need and nothing more.” The boat will utilize a center salon door, a center-console helm station with port and starboard seating, and a sun pad forward of the console—a layout that the builder considers not only aesthetically pleasing, but highly functional as well. MAN V-12 2,000 hp engines combined with flowaligned struts, rudders and propellers will give the boat optimized performance, something that Scarborough says should create a very efficient vessel. The interior…

With 53 teams fishing the 2022 Los Cabos Billfish Tournament, the stage was set for some epic late-fall marlin fishing off the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez. And while there’s always an interesting mix of participants—from seasoned pros on multimillion-dollar private rigs to first-timers out for a good time on local charter boats—this year’s event produced an unlikely winner amid the backdrop of beautiful scenery that is Cabo San Lucas. ¶ The team fishing on La Chingona, a 46-foot Viking captained by Antonio Bojorquez, started the tournament in a big way when they returned to the weigh station on the first day of fishing with a 349-pound black marlin caught by Sergio Aviles Cota. The big-fish leaderboard had its first entry,…

Considered by many to be ultimate gamefish, blue marlin and sailfish are found worldwide in both tropical and subtropical waters. Noted for their high-speed runs, strong fights, and aerial acrobatics, these are some of the most sought-after fish in offshore angling. Recreational fishing for these charismatic species continues to increase around the world, providing considerable economic benefit, and prompting many countries to mandate catch-and-release practices for perceived conservation. For the angler, a fight with a billfish consists of a fast-paced, high-energy battle of wills that hopefully culminates in a safe release, some high-fives, and a quick redeployment of the spread for the next one. But for the fish, this is a fight for its life. It uses a tremendous amount of energy doing so, and it is precisely those high-speed…

Every sport has its hallowed ground, its must-see destination. Lambeau. Wrigley. Augusta. Daytona. For blue marlin fishing, it’s the North Drop. This roughly 12-mile stretch of undulating Caribbean seabed—where the east-to-west Puerto Rico Trench takes a 90-degree elbow to the north just above the Virgin Islands—quickly earned a reputation in the early days for offering the most consistent blue marlin fishing this side of the Panama Canal. Visiting boats made it an annual pilgrimage every year, reliably returning to fish the days before and after the full moons from July through October. Ask any passionate blue marlin enthusiast—captain, angler or mate—about their favorite part of the game, and nearly every one of them will say it’s the bite. For reasons known only to the fish themselves, in the days leading…

Since 1985, Gamefisherman has been producing some of the world’s finest traditionally styled custom gameboats, a look that is carried forward into its newest model, a beautiful 43-foot express. These boats are found in every ocean in the world and run by some of the sport’s finest captains. The new 43 was designed using input and experience from the 42 Gamefisherman, which was widely considered to be one of the most prolific billfish boats ever built. From Stewart Campbell’s Chunda to Nick Smith’s Old Reliable, these boats made history from Madeira to Magdalena Bay, and continue to do so today. The 43-footer is a natural evolution for the Stuart, Florida-based boatbuilder, taking advantage of more-powerful engines with greater range; power options include 550 hp Cummins QSBs, 600 hp Volvo D8s…

With more than 60 builds under its belt, Jarrett Bay is used to turning clients’ dreams into hardcore fishing machines. So, naturally, when this project came up in discussions, the builders were eager to sink their teeth into the project and crank out the Swiss Army knife of sport-fishing boats. Renegade was built for a gentleman whose experience concentrates around South Florida sailfishing from larger center-consoles, but he wanted a boat that would travel well and provide all the family vibes he was looking for. At 56 feet, Hull No. 67 really is the perfect size to do a lot of, well, everything. What appears to be an ordinary open-flybridge sportboat quickly turns extraordinary as you get closer, realizing that the forward mask is not really a mask at all,…

TRAFFIC JAM Mornings at Zane Grey Reef can be hectic, between the local fleet catching live bait, visiting sport-fishers trolling past, and black marlin going airborne in their usual spectacular fashion. Photographer Matilda Leijon was in the right place to capture this image where it all comes together. “There was definitely a lot going on,” she says, “but I wouldn’t trade it for any other morning in the world.” We agree. LOCATION Leijon was fishing out of Tropic Star Lodge in southern Panama. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Sony Alpha 7R IV LENS: Sony FE 100-400mm ISO: 400 APERTURE: f/5.6 SPEED: 1/3200 sec…

BITE TRACKER Stay current with the best bites from the top billfish destinations around the globe at marlinmag.com/travel.…

During our 2022 season of international tournaments, we video-verified more than 1,000 billfish releases and weighed some impressive marlin, tuna, and dolphin. A few highlights: the best blue marlin bite in the 18-year history of the Bermuda Triple Crown, a new television series on Discovery showcasing the Offshore World Championship, and launching a tournament series in the British Virgin Islands showcasing the fabled North Drop. ¶ This year, we are planning new optional jackpots for Bermuda and Los Cabos for those heavyhitting teams who want to play for a few more dollars. This should result in our largest cash purses ever. ¶ The OWC attracts teams invited through qualifying events in over 25 countries to compete in the billfish-rich waters of Quepos, Costa Rica. ¶ In the BVI, we continue…

The imagery coming out of Panama is outrageous these days. Two artists are capturing photographs of the country that are indeed bold, unusual and breathtaking, and for all the best reasons. Born in Sweden, Hannes Ribbner and Matilda Leijon have not only changed the way we see Panama’s fishery, but they’ve also managed to carve out a creative niche that has tangibly altered what we ever thought possible when it comes to billfish photography. Even the best photographers in the sport-fishing industry are recognized with a signature—a unique style that distinguishes their works from others. Similar to the cadence you might recognize in a close friend’s voice, their images are instantly familiar, and Ribbner and Leijon undoubtedly have such signatures. Whether ornamenting the pages of Marlin or populating your Instagram…

Visitors traveling by air to the British Virgin Islands will usually arrive at Beef Island Airport (EIS), where they can enjoy the tropical climate of an exotic destination that’s still just a relatively short flight from the United States. The US dollar is the official currency in the BVI, and credit cards are widely accepted. The water is crystal-clear; the snorkeling and diving are world-class. One of the most popular spots in the BVI are the Baths, located about a mile south of Spanish Town at the southern tip of Virgin Gorda between Spring Bay and Devil’s Bay. This is an area of unique geologic formations, with huge granite boulders forming natural tidal pools, tunnels, arches, and scenic grottoes that are open to the sea. You can channel your inner…

Boat ownership and management is a big responsibility, whether you’re an owneroperator or professional captain. There are always those nagging thoughts: Bilge pumps can fail or be overwhelmed, so sinking is always a concern. What if the batteries drain down too low for whatever reason while you are away? Theft is a major issue. What about fire? Fortunately, there are some great products available to help keep track of all this. SECURITY OPTIONS There are several companies that offer total alarm systems, which include door contacts, motion sensors, cameras and infrared beams to provide security for your vessel, most of which include an ear-splitting 125 dB(A) or more siren. In early 2009, the name Paradox Marine started being mentioned with security alarms and vessel tracking for the marine industry. The…

Just outside Swansboro, North Carolina, Tim Winters and his team at Winter Custom Yachts have been quietly producing some of the sport’s most beautiful boats. He’s also not one to shy away from a challenge, so when a client approached him with a concept for something truly unique, Winters was all in. The result was Hull No. 34, the 50-foot Moonstruck, a two-year project from design to completion that would incorporate a long list of custom features, many of which had never been seen before in a sport-fisher of any kind. “This client had many things on the list, foremost being the functionality for this boat to not only fish well, but to also cruise along the coasts of New Jersey and South Florida as well as trips to the…