Marlin June/July 2020

A famous boxer once said, “Life is not about how hard a hit you can give—it’s about how many you can take, and still keep moving forward.” OK, that boxer was Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa, but that’s how it feels these days. As we go to press with this issue in mid-April, we have all taken plenty of punches. The marine industry has been hit especially hard. Many boatbuilders have temporarily halted production. Engine manufacturers have done the same. Restrictions on travel mean that fishing resorts are shuttered and boats are sitting idle at the docks. No customers also means slashed advertising and marketing budgets, which is not good for the health of the media either. We have all been affected in one way or another. Let’s take a step…

editor@marlinmag.com MORE ON ZANE GREY I enjoyed the great article “Revisiting Angling History” by Deborah Hood in the March issue. However, as a 48-year member of the Avalon Tuna Club, I do have one correction. Respectfully, I would say, we are proud that Zane Grey is part of the Tuna Club’s history. Even so, he was actually asked to leave the club when he refused to apologize to Keith Spaulding’s wife after announcing that there was no way a woman could have caught the swordfish she landed by Tuna Club rules. I recall that her swordfish weighed 327 pounds and that she was a very accomplished angler. He was a controversial member who pushed the envelope at the time, fishing with coffeegrinder reels and piano-wire leaders, which commonly mutilated his…

CHARTER BLUES It was just another day at the office for Capt. Marlin Parker when he led his charter angler to an encounter with this feisty blue marlin he estimated at 550 pounds, according to photographer Carol Lynne. The fish crushed a Marlin Magic Ruckus lure with a unique dichroic glass head insert pulled from the short rigger, and was released in good shape after a 20-minute fight. LOCATION Parker and Lynne were fishing in flat-calm seas off the coast of Kona, Hawaii. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon EOS 7D LENS: Canon EF 100-400mm ISO: 400 APERTURE: f/7.1 SPEED: 1/2000 sec…

Players CRAIG LINDNER JR. Coming off the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series win this past summer, we caught up with Craig Lindner Jr. to touch base with this savvy fisherman, businessman, husband and father. Lindner credits the dedication of his teammates, a love of big game—whether he’s hunting or fishing in the US, Africa or Europe—and the support of his family for the accomplishment. A Cincinnati native whose fishing roots began catching grunts and mangrove snapper from the Ocean Reef Club docks in North Key Largo, Florida, as soon as he learned to walk has continued with the Kona blue marlin he chases from his beloved 46-foot Gamefisherman, Bwana. Congratulations on your 2019 HMT Series win. That’s quite an experience, and well-deserved. Thank you. It was a very rewarding experience with…

[A] SHIMANO SPHEROS SW 20000 With a maximum drag of 40 pounds, the Spheros 20000 can put the heat on any hardcharging gamefish. It’s no slouch in the line-capacity category either, holding 460 yards of 20-pound-test monofilament or 490 yards of 65-pound-test braid. $259.99 [B] PENN SPINFISHER VI 8500 The 8500 is the workhorse of the Penn Spinfisher VI lineup, with a line capacity of 455 yards of 20-pound mono or 730 yards of 40-pound braid, as well as a full-metal body. The drag is sealed and features carbon-fiber washers for smooth-under-pressure operation. Bonus: The braidready spool has line-capacity rings to help you judge how much line you have remaining on the reel. $219.95 [C] VAN STAAL VS 250 One of Van Staal’s most famous features is its waterproof drag…

The second leg of the seventh-annual Signature Triple Crown series, presented jointly by Los Sueños Resort and Marina and Chantilly Air, was held February 26-29, 2020, and wrapped up just as the COVID-19 pandemic threat was emerging on the world stage. Forty-one teams and 202 anglers released a three-day total of 870 billfish in the event, including 703 sails and 67 marlin. The team on Shoe kicked off the second leg with a sailfish release just eight minutes after lines in was called at 8:00 a.m. By noon, the fleet had released 164 sails and eight marlin; HT Hook was leading with 1,200 points, followed by the team on Tarheel with 1,200 points, and Team Galati with 1,100 points. War Party picked away at the sailfish, finishing Day One with…