Marlin April/May 2021

• While we were in production with this issue, I received a text from a colleague here at work: The producers of Sport Fishing Television were brainstorming ideas for the upcoming season and wanted to know where the world’s best white marlin fishing takes place. I thought about it for about five seconds before tapping out a reply: Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, in late summer and early fall, along with Ocean City, Maryland, and Cape May, New Jersey. Any of these locations can produce some truly world-class white marlin fishing, every bit as good as the storied “good ol’ days” in Venezuela. Thanks to some sound conservation measures, including the widespread use of circle hooks by recreational anglers like you and me, that fishery is stronger now than it has…

editor@marlinmag.com IN MEMORIAM: WALTER SHIKANY JR. We are a family among many who have experienced the tragic loss of a loved one due to COVID-19. Let me tell you a little bit about Walter Shikany Jr.—the husband, father and grandfather we lost—and his passion for family, crew, faith and sport fishing. Ever since I can remember, our family was on the water. Learning to fish at an early age was something both my father and grandfather taught my brother and me. As we grew older, my father developed an interest in marlin fishing, and we spent countless hours over many summers fishing in the Abacos. As we changed boats and captains, we were introduced to new ports, new fishing styles, and new fishing grounds—St. Thomas, the Turks and Caicos, Costa…

PANAMA SAILS While Tropic Star Lodge is best-known for its world-class black marlin fishery, the destination offers amazing action for many different species. Photographer Jessica Haydahl Richardson captured this shot of a Pacific sailfish released by angler Ralf Martin, one of a half-dozen they caught that day while teaser/pitch-bait fishing with Capt. Wade Richardson at the helm of The Hooker. LOCATION Richardson was fishing at the Zane Grey Reef in Piñas Bay, Panama. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Nikon D700 LENS: Nikon 70-200mm ISO: 400 APERTURE: f/4.0 SPEED: 1/4000 sec…

• Perhaps more than any before him, Capt. Marlin Parker was destined for a life at the helm. In November 1954, his father, Capt. George Parker, landed a 1,002-pound Pacific blue marlin fishing out of Kona, Hawaii. It was the first blue over 1,000 pounds caught in US waters, smashing the existing all-tackle world record at the time. Marlin was born shortly thereafter, and named accordingly. He continued to fish with his father growing up. Only months after receiving his captain’s license in 1977, he weighed a 1,257-pound blue marlin, which at the time was the largest caught off the Big Island of Hawaii on 80-pound-test tackle. That was just the start of Marlin’s big-fish career. Your father, George, was one of the pioneers of offshore sport fishing in Kona.…

RELEASE RULER Marked in highly visible increments, the Release Ruler is a great way to more accurately judge the size of your blue marlin, especially in tournament situations where the fish must meet a minimum-length requirement. It’s available in versions for blue, white and striped marlin, as well as sailfish, swordfish and tuna. BUBBA GAFF Every boat needs a handy pick gaff, and this one from Bubba is one of the nicest we’ve seen. It has a lightweight carbon-fiber shaft, a corrosion-resistant 17-4 stainless-steel hook, and a nonslip grip handle that makes it effective when gaffing smaller gamefish, or to pick up dock or mooring lines at the end of the day. DONMAR TITANIUM PLIERS A good pair of pliers makes any rigging chore easier, and Donmar’s Checkpoints are real…

• After the third leg of the 2020 Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, participants eagerly awaited the start of a new year of competitive fishing in Costa Rica. One new change for the 2021 season is the Ladies Only Tournament, held on the Tuesday prior to the start of each leg. This year, a familiar name topped the first ladies’ event: Fish Tank, with 20 sailfish releases and 2,000 points. In a down-to-the-wire finish, they were followed by Max Bet with 14 sails and one marlin for 1,900 points, while D.A. Sea was third with 18 sailfish and 1,800 points. In all, 12 teams and 35 ladies released 160 billfish—159 sailfish and just one marlin—in the one-day shootout. The points from…