Marlin April/May 2023

In late January, the worldwide fishing community mourned the loss of an icon when we learned that Capt. Peter B. Wright had died. The outpouring on social media was immediate; from every corner of the world, some of the most notable names in the big-game fishing community offered up heartfelt tributes. Marlin club flags were flown at half-mast in his adopted home port of Cairns, Australia, where he was a member of the Black Marlin Hall of Fame and also set several notable records, including a 1,442-pound black marlin that remains the largest ever weighed in Australia, and the IGFA women’s 80-pound-class world record of 1,323 pounds—still standing after 46 years. As we were going to press, a celebration of Wright’s life took place at IGFA headquarters in Dania Beach,…

editor@marlinmag.com IN MEMORIAM: CAPT. JOHN “JACK” WESLEY MORROW III I met Jackie when I was a kid running around the old Rybovich yard on the weekends. He was in his early 20s, and one of many young mates working for the seasoned vets who fished out of our yard. Jackie was working the cockpit for Capt. Sammy Collins when we first met, and was a familiar face on the south dock. Sammy was my adopted uncle and my dad’s best friend, so I was in tune with whatever Uncle Sam was doing on Georgia Mae, White Swan and Big Blue. Jackie was a hero to us kids and one of just a handful of guys who would take the time to joke with us, attempting to advise us against the…

DIVE IN Photographer Pat Ford has been chasing striped marlin for years, and was able to capture this spectacular image in November 2022 during a trip to Mexico’s Magdalena Bay. “We had to run 20 miles across an open bay, then around 30 miles in the ocean to find the fish,” he says. “Usually the wind would come up around 1 p.m., and the three-hour ride home in a panga was pretty brutal, but it’s always worth it to get shots like this one.” LOCATION Ford was fishing out of San Carlos, Mexico. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon 5D Mk IV with Nauticam underwater housing LENS: Canon 8-15mm fisheye ISO: 800 APERTURE: f/7.1 SPEED: 1/500 sec…

As tournament director for the popular Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series, as well as the Pompano Beach Saltwater Circuit summer series and the season-long Florida Sailfish Cup, Jamie Bunn is a busy man. What started as a part-time job in a tackle store in his hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida, led to the creation of the Saltwater Slam as well as the Sailfish Challenge, an event that is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Bunn has always been fueled by competitive angling and a passion for the outdoors, which began with the now-defunct Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo. While times have changed, that passion remains just as unwavering as when he was racing around the waters off Hillsboro Inlet as a teenager in a 19-foot Mako. How did the concept for…

Representing 16 different nations, a record fleet of 94 boats and 553 anglers descended upon the central Pacific Costa Rican community of Quepos for the seventh annual Pelagic Rockstar Offshore Tournament, which also offered the largest prize purse of any event in Central America at $1.3 million. With a hot bite underway just offshore, the participants were treated to an exceptionally exciting and action-packed weekend of fishing, live music, food, and fun. By the call for lines out on Day One, Capt. Ben Horning and Team Galati/Fish Tank held down first place with 25 sailfish and 2,500 points. Clay Time was second with 2,400 points, and NsatiaBill was third with 2,100 points. Meanwhile, Capt. Lance Hightower and his team on Vaquero, the winners of last year’s Rockstar, managed to tally just…

CHEECA LODGE PRESIDENTIAL SAILFISH TOURNAMENT Islamorada, Florida January 20-22 With 10 sailfish releases, Hillbilly Deluxe won this year’s tournament at Cheeca Lodge, also taking home the Grand Champion award for the Florida Keys Gold Cup Championship with a grand total of 16 releases. Remix finished in second place in the Presidential with eight sailfish releases, and Caribsea was third with seven. The event hosted 89 anglers and 24 boats; 96 sailfish were released over the course of the two-day event. BUCCANEER CUP SAILFISH TOURNAMENT Palm Beach, Florida January 17-21 The experienced veterans on Lo Que Sea won the Buccaneer Cup with 11 sailfish releases on dead bait, good for 3,300 points. Trophy Wife was second with 11 sails on live bait and 2,200 points. Quick Raise was third overall with…