Marlin March 2019

I have always enjoyed tournaments. The adrenaline rush of a shotgun start, the dockside camaraderie after a long day offshore, even the endless details of tournament prep — I love it all. And while releasing any billfish is a terrific thrill, to let one go as an angler in a competitive situation and putting points on the board for your team really amps up that excitement. As we look forward to the coming season of tournament fishing around the world, one thing they all have in common is the weather. If we are fortunate, these events fall on favorable conditions, where the wind and seas cooperate and the fishing is red-hot. But sometimes King Neptune conspires against us and tournament week falls on those days where we would rather be…

editor@marlinmag.com THE LEGEND OF BROTHER’S PRIDE I loved the article about Omie Tillet and Brother’s Pride (November/December 2018). Omie is, without a doubt, the nicest person I have ever met. I loved fishing with him way back in the day off the Outer Banks, which I was fortunate to do on several occasions. We were tuna fishing with him once about 30 years ago — we hadn’t had a bite in the first hour and a half when Omie called down from the bridge. In his Down East accent, he said, “Boys, oi heah they’re catching some king mack’rel aboat 8 moil in. Now oi don’t know a-boat you, but oi reckon catching king mack’rel would be more fun than not catchin’ tuna.” We agreed, ran in 8 miles, caught…

THROWBACK In 2008, photographer Harry Hindmarsh headed to Venezuela with Capts. Fin Gaddy and Paul Mann. “This was our calmest day at a solid 5 feet,” he reports, “and most days the seas were 8 to 10 feet — but the fish were there. The political situation has since become difficult for American anglers, but we do have some terrific memories from our time there.” LOCATION Hindmarsh was fishing out of Caraballeda, Venezuela, with Capt. Butch Cox aboard the 57-foot Paul Mann, Prime Time. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon EOS-1DmIII LENS: 70-200mm f/2.8 ISO: 160 APERTURE: f/3.5 SPEED: 1/2000 sec…

What misconceptions exist about boatbuilding? It’s not magic, there’s a lot of work involved in making a really wonderful boat. For me personally, the boat has to look good and perform really well. I learned a long time ago that there are some simple principles involved and if you don’t stray too far from those, you can produce a pretty good product; one that your customer will be proud of and love. And a happy customer is really where the magic happens. Where did you get your love for fishing and boats? My grandfather was a commercial fisherman and I grew up around the water. Our neighbor at the time was rebuilding a boat and when it was complete, I begged him to be a mate. When I saw the…

WHERE MARCH means continued good fishing for marlin and sails along the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, with popular tournaments in Los Sueños and Quepos this month. The Dominican Republic also lights up, with marlin biting off Casa de Campo. Closer to home, the sailfish season will be winding down in Florida, but enough fish remain to make things interesting for anglers in the Sunshine State. BITE TRACKER Stay current with the best bites from the top billfish destinations around the globe at marlinmag.com/travel.…

FISH DOWNSEA COMPLETE 2.0 SHAD DREDGE This new dredge from Fish Downsea has all the ready-to-fish essentials right out of the box. A nod to the already-existing dredge shads on the market, these fish are made using a super-tough formula with thicker tail connections that are pre-notched, making them extremely durable, especially when paired with Downsea’s Dredge Flares — a must for any boat where rigging time is at a premium. fishdownsea.com SQUIDNATION BLACK FLAP AND DREDGE SKULLZ DOUBLE DREDGE The innovators at Squidnation have combined their marlin-attracting Black Flaps with new Skullz dredge heads in this double dredge. These bullet-shaped treats are pre-drilled for dredge wires, have a ridged base — if you prefer to tie your own skirts — and are lightweight with realistic eyes. When these two…