Marlin June/July 2021

It’s one of those age-old questions in marlin fishing: Would you rather catch a bunch, or do you want a shot at a really big one? In most of the world’s big-fish destinations, you’re basically fishing for that one bite. And while there’s definitely something to be said for putting up big numbers in places like the Dominican Republic and Central America, if you’re looking for that extra-large marlin of a lifetime, you’re going to have to put in some time and effort to make it happen. Paying your big-fish dues, so to speak. In researching the “Chasing Giants” feature in this issue, it was interesting to note that many of those hotspots have consistently produced good fishing for years, and even decades. Places such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef,…

editor@marlinmag.com IN MEMORIAM: JOSH STAFFORD On February 28, 2021, the big-game-fishing world lost one of its most hardcore members with the passing of Josh Stafford at the age of 41. Josh was a fixture in the Morehead City, North Carolina, fishing community, and his company, Head Sea Lures, has gained popularity in destinations and billfish tournaments all over the globe. Josh was an artist, a craftsman, a waterman in all respects, and one of the best and most hardworking guys to ever step foot in a cockpit. I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Josh, fishing with him on Capt. Jeff Garner’s Yellowfin, where he was a mentor who helped form my love and learning in marlin fishing at an early age. And while saying goodbye is…

BLACK ON BAIT Few sights are more jaw-dropping than watching a large black marlin pounce on a frisky live bonito. Fortunately for us, photographer Hannes Ribbner had his finger on the shutter as this nice black erupted from the calm waters off Panama’s Tropic Star Lodge, the bridled bait still attached to the hook. “This fish went crazy—jump after jump after jump—and we were able to release it after about 15 minutes,” he says. LOCATION Ribbner was fishing the ultra-productive Zane Grey Reef. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon 1DX MkII LENS: Canon 100-400mm ISO: 320 APERTURE: f/4.5 SPEED: 1/3200 sec…

Growing up on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Charles Perry had it all—surfing, fishing and chasing girls—until Uncle Sam came calling and he was sent to war in Vietnam. Afterward, he visited Australia, a trip that launched one of the most extensive fishing careers in the sport. Along the way, he has wired and/or weighed 28 certified 1,000-pluspound black marlin, and released countless more over the mark in later years, fishing with Capt. Peter B. Wright. Perry was also part of the Chunda team with Stewart Campbell and Capt. Bark Garnsey, traveling the globe in search of world records. He was presented with the IGFA’s Tommy Gifford Award in 2011 as one of the sport’s legendary captains and crews, and currently sits on the board that approves future award recipients. How…

(a) PAKULA LURES Australian lure-maker Peter Pakula has taken his bestselling lures—the Pakula Sprocket is shown; many others are also available—and added 3D-printed heads with venturi jets as well as realistic fish-printed skirts. Air keeling in the heads means that the lures ride in a lifelike orientation in any sea condition, while the skirts also contain Pakula’s patented UV, Lumo and CAT additives. The lures are available in a number of different baitfish patterns, including tinker mackerel, ballyhoo, skipjack, yellowfin tuna and more. pakula.com (b) IMPERIUM OUTFITTERS Using modern technology to color outside the lines of traditional lure-making, Imperium’s Beluga series is its flagship design. It’s engineered using a 3D-printed head, with a flared face and a single large curved vent, which gives it an incredible cycle of deep diving,…

With nearly a half-million dollars on the line going into the third and final leg of the 2021 Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown, the pressure was on each team to bring their A game. This year, 28 of the 39 participating teams were fishing two tournaments in one: Those teams participated in the 2020 Triple Crown and, since the third leg was canceled due to COVID-19, they were also fishing to determine the top three places for Leg Three as well as the 2020 Series Champion Team, in addition to the winner of Leg Three for 2021 and 2021 Series Champions. The stakes were incredibly high and the tension was palpable in the humid Costa Rican air. Outage had finished the second leg of the 2020 series in the lead…