Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Marlin

For Texan Chart Westcott, nothing but catching a blue marlin could have been more thought-provoking. For the past five or six years, every vacation he’d taken had turned into that quest, but even the best billfishing destinations—the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Florida Keys, Guatemala, and Cabo San Lucas and Riviera Nayarit, Mexico—couldn’t make his dream come true. It was an obsession of sorts, ever since he was a kid. Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea had inspired him as a child, just as it has for many big-game anglers. The seed was planted, he says, and he just couldn’t shake it. A weight lifter, Westcott likened conditioning for a big match with an adversary on the mat to the same fight on the ocean with a big fish: a…

Most fishermen have heard of El Niño: a climate event where trade winds weaken and the equatorial warm-water band that occurs when the jet stream moves southeast into the central and east-central Pacific Ocean, specifically around the equator, is pushed eastward, toward the west coast. La Niña, however, is the counterpart of El Niño, and has opposite effect. Here, the trade winds blow harder than normal, pushing this warm-water pool westward, promoting cold-ocean upwellings to replace the departing warm water. Collectively, El Niño and La Niña are part of a larger, natural climate fluctuation referred to as the El Niño Southern Oscillation. ENSO not only affects global weather patterns, but also economies, ecosystems, and gamefish such as tuna, sailfish, marlin, wahoo and dorado found specifically in California, Mexico and Central…

WITHOUT A DOUBT, a good mate—or team of mates—can be the difference between a good operation and a great one. It takes a lot to excel as a top deckhand in the sport-fishing industry today. Being well-versed in the many disciplines of fishing takes a great deal of patience, a strong desire to learn, and a will to succeed. Looking back through time, a mate’s path to success was typically to hitch on with a captain and then learn everything they could. A prospect would sign on for a season or longer with a certain captain or boat, and if they were lucky enough that the boat moved around, they got to fish in different places and were able to pick up other techniques and nuances from crews on the…

QUEPOS, COSTA RICA, is easily accessible by air or ground. The fastest route from the nation’s capital of San Jose is to fly to La Managua Airport, just a few miles from downtown Quepos; several air carriers serve this route, and the flight is only about 30 minutes. Ground-transfer services are also widely available—it’s a scenic trip of about two and a half hours from San Jose. Called the epitome of responsible luxury, the Parador Resort and Spa (hotelparador.com) has been the host resort of the tournament for many years. It’s located on the Punta Quepos promontory and is surrounded by 12 acres of wildlife-rich tropical rainforest, with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and neighboring Manuel Antonio National Park. There is a variety of other lodging options in Quepos,…

Boujie is Tim Winters’ latest in sexy. While her looks are impressive, be advised: She is a serious fishing platform with everything necessary to be a global tournament competitor. As I walked down the dock at Morehead City Yacht Basin, the faux-teak transom adorned with gold leaf was sparkling and familiar; the remainder, however, was not. Boujie appears to be running 40 knots at the dock, and Winters continues to push himself to deliver a boat that surpasses the one before it while still retaining many of the Carolina fundamentals—and that speaks volumes. The new U-channeled house-to-bridge joint is unique for two reasons. First, the bridge is not inset on the house, which provides more room up top with a look that is especially stunning for a Carolina boat. And…

The wind is blowing from the wrong direction. West winds kill the fishing. The water is too cold or too hot. There was an earthquake tremor last night. The boat has a bad squeal; the reels have old line and sticky drags; the baits aren’t swimming right. We have rubber hooks; it’s a full moon; the fish have soft mouths; and many, many more. Whether it is the captains, the deckhands or the anglers, most all of us have a 5-gallon bucket full of excuses that we’ve used over the years. The most famous excuse you hear about for poor fishing is bananas on the boat. When we were fishing in the Virgin Islands and did not catch a blue marlin, my deckhand, Doug Haigh, would buy some bananas from…

IN MARCH, Florida’s east coast sees good numbers of sailfish. From Stuart to Key West, these light-tackle gamesters take center stage. Target sails using live bait suspended by kites, or troll a simple spread of four small circle-hooked ballyhoo behind dredges and teasers. Twenty-pound-test and light fluorocarbon leaders are standard, although many live-bait aficionados will lighten up to 12-pound-test when conditions warrant.…

Striped marlin thrive throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans in both tropical and subtropical waters. In fact, they are the most widely distributed species of billfish in the Indo-Pacific, and are more abundant in the eastern and central north Pacific than in the western Pacific. A bycatch species in a variety of commercial fisheries, they are both targeted and coveted by recreational anglers throughout their range, so it goes without saying that some science should be directed the striped marlin’s way. SO MANY QUESTIONS Striped marlin have been an object of significant research over the past decade in an effort to better understand their population structure for regional stock identification and assessment. Unfortunately, in recent years, their numbers have declined due to commercial-fishing pressure in the western and central north…

The great debate: stand-up harness fishing versus the traditional fighting chair. The best method to fight and release/land pelagic gamefish continues to be just one of the several issues argued in the big-game fishing community. Amid the evolution of a decades-long offshore-fishing career of learning, adapting and continually improving, I’m convinced that with the proper knowledge, preparation, training and techniques, stand-up fishing will ultimately provide superior fishing results and enjoyment to that of using a stationary fighting chair. Why? Because I’ve done both. PREPARE TO SUCCEED In order to achieve maximum success and fulfillment in stand-up gear, it requires advance preparation in both properly selecting the correct stand-up shoulder/back harness and fighting belt, and acquiring the suitable fishing tackle to match. Strong physical conditioning from both a cardio and weightlifting…

Don’t call it a throwback, but what if there was a tournament that focused on the skill level of the anglers in the cockpit rather than the technology of the boats; one that offered trophies and prizes rather than a six- or seven-figure payout (and without the corresponding college-tuition-level buy-in); one where participants must first qualify by winning a sanctioned event in their home waters before traveling to one of the sport’s most prolific international destinations, where they fish against other qualifiers at the highest levels of competition and camaraderie. Interested? ¶ It’s called the Offshore World Championship, and this year it celebrates its 22nd anniversary. This year’s event, with title sponsor Costa sunglasses, is slated for April 24-29; it will also be filmed as a three-part television series. Up-front…

In 1957, four sportsmen met at a restaurant overlooking a few boat slips in Hatteras, North Carolina, after a morning of duck hunting. They were keenly aware of the growing fishery just offshore and wanted to find a way to make it known to the rest of the world. That day, Charles Johnson, Luther Hodges, Earl Phillips and Willis Slane laid the groundwork that would lead to the creation of the Hatteras Marlin Club in 1959, giving the tiny coastal village on the edge of the Outer Banks the moniker of Blue Marlin Capital of the World. Homer Styron’s parents owned the restaurant that housed that first meeting; it took a couple of years to purchase the property and put all the pieces in place, but the Hatteras Marlin Club…

Sport-fishing captains are often magicians: We can make a bite appear when billfishing wanes—even if it’s just well-timed barracuda or bonito—or conjure from thin air a spectacular shoreside excursion when weather keeps our boats at the dock, or create a culinary illusion when the marina’s lone restaurant is unexpectedly closed. More often, we seem to employ sleight of hand to correct perceived trip-ruining mechanical faults. But just as magicians employ clever props, working magic on a busted boat requires adequate tools. My own tool bag carries everything I’ve needed in two decades of freelance work, but nothing more, which keeps it compact and light enough to fly as checked baggage. Wrench and socket sets in both metric and imperial sizes become bulky and heavy. A number of repairs, particularly on…

Tribute Custom Boats has an enviable reputation for building some of the finest custom sport-fishers on the water, from 37 to 86 feet, based on the underlying principles of performance, pedigree, and fit-and-finish. Rich Scheffer Sr.—Tribute’s founder in 1992—has partnered with his son, Rich Scheffer Jr., who grew up in the same sawdust-and-resin environment that drove his father’s career over the years. Now the third generation—Tristen and Grant Scheffer—are learning the business from their grandfather and father. John Gazza joined the family business in 2017, bringing his patented cross-step bottom and refined designs; Gazza is equally fueled by a passion for building truly custom boats that are stronger, faster, more nimble, and even more beautiful than ever before. To meet the needs of today’s center-console owners, Tribute is building a…

ON THE HUNT According to photographer Pat Ford, the only thing more exciting than catching striped marlin is swimming alongside them as they feed in the wild. “We were 30 miles west of Magdalena Bay in a panga looking for frigate birds when we found the bait,” he says. “It’s tough if the sardines are running hard, but if not, they will try to use us for cover. This marlin was only a few feet away from my camera.” LOCATION Ford was diving along the Pacific coast of Mexico’s southern Baja Peninsula. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon 5D Mk 4 LENS: Canon 8-15mm with 1.4 extender ISO: 800 APERTURE: f/7.1 SPEED: 1/500 sec…

The Silver Sailfish Derby was established by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club in January 1935, and while it’s structured a bit differently today, it’s the oldest sailfish tournament in the world, missing only a brief two-year period during World War II. Today, the venerable West Palm Beach Fishing Club continues to host the Derby, which represents an important part of the club’s identity, as well as that of the local sport-fishing community. This year’s event celebrated its 85th year in early January with a sold-out fleet of 50 boats. It’s apparent that this crown jewel of the sport not only remains special, but that it also seems to be improving with age. The nostalgia surrounding the event continues to captivate some of the finest anglers, captains and crews; as…

CAPT. BILLY CHAPMAN FISHBONE ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA There has been a fair amount of discussion on this topic, especially this past year. Some believe it’s unfair, but to me, it’s the next best thing since sliced bread. No, I don’t have one, but yes, I sure want one! I understand how it can be perceived as unfair, especially when you have the ability to scan an area up to almost a mile, or even to track a fish all the way up until lines in. So where do we draw the line? I have some advantages that the next guy might not have, such as a full tower and satellite overlay. The bright side is this: Marine electronics are always changing, and in a few years, there will be another “next…

The water color offshore in the tropical Atlantic falls between rich cobalt blue and iridescent indigo. Wherever that water pushes over the right bottom topography, and at just the right temperature, plankton gathers, baitfish feed, tuna and dorado feast, and blue marlin gorge. With them, as inevitable as the relentless push of the Gulf Stream, come sport-fishing enthusiasts, resort marinas, and blue marlin tournaments. And just as that fertile water fades, it is replaced by new in the circle of life. So too have many of the greatest fishing tournaments—the ones that are still regaled, still remembered, and greatly missed. Let’s take a look at four that are arguably the greatest blue marlin tournaments of all time—and ones that will likely never be fished again—through the eyes of the crews…

One of the most influential of the many custom boatbuilders in Wanchese, North Carolina, Ritchie Howell has continued to turn out beautiful boats that perform at the highest levels for nearly two decades. His most recent project is the second time around for a client who prefers an express-style boat. Howell’s solution: a gorgeous 61-foot enclosed-helm express. This build will be powered by MTU 10V2000 M96L engines, producing 1,600 hp each. The expected cruising speed is 36 knots, with a top end estimated at 43 knots. The layout will feature the master stateroom forward and a crew bunk to starboard. Howell is omitting the aft bulkhead, making this a true dayboat. Among many options, the 61-footer will feature an omnidirectional sonar and Seakeeper, as well as a full tower by…

I have previously discussed the basic benefits and requirements of Coast Guard documentation—an additional part of the application process that involves endorsements, describing the type of activity in which a vessel is entitled to participate. Most sport-fishers are used solely for pleasure purposes. Others, however, might also engage in some form of commercial activity, whether it be charters, commercial fishing or other type of operation. WHAT ARE ENDORSEMENTS? According to 46 CFR § 67.3, an endorsement is an entry made on a Certificate of Documentation, which, except for a recreational endorsement, is conclusive evidence that a vessel is entitled to engage in a specific trade. There are four primary operational endorsements: recreational, fishery, coastwise and registry. All Certificates of Documentation must be issued with at least one endorsement, but vessels…