Innehållsförteckning för June/July 2023 från Marlin

There is just no other way to say it: We love boats. Having a reliable vessel beneath your feet is the crucial first step to success when you’re chasing fish over that distant blue horizon, especially when the weather takes a turn for the nautical. A marlin fisherman without a boat is like a cowboy without a horse—good luck wrangling those steers on foot. And just as horses are beautiful in their own right, so are boats. That flared bow, sweeping sheerline, shapely house, spacious cockpit, and curvy tumblehome—composed of the sum of its parts, the end result can be downright sexy. It’s been a crazy evolution though, from the Bertram 31s and 35s that many of us grew up with to the 53-foot Hatteras that was a workhorse for…

Players CAPT. KARL ANDERSON Born in Beach Haven, New Jersey, Capt. Karl Anderson was racing around the lagoon behind his parent’s home in an outboard-powered dinghy by the age of 5. By 16, he was running trips to the distant canyons of the Northeast, and loving every minute of his time offshore. Anderson graduated with a degree in telecommunications from Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, focusing on television production; from there, he became involved in the media side of the sport-fishing industry thanks to his numerous contacts. A busy career followed, as he captained and managed multiple sport-fishing operations while also becoming an accomplished journalist, photographer, and videographer. He has been a Marlin contributor for more than 20 years. M You were recently selected as one of the IGFA’s Tommy Gifford…

It’s become a rite of passage for many anglers—and a dream opportunity for others—to fish in the prestigious Los Sueños Signature Triple Crown tournament series, hosted by Los Sueños Resort and Marina in Costa Rica. With three events from January to March each year, this has become the world’s most competitive dead-bait tournament series. It’s not at all unusual to find the winners determined by just one release, or even by the time of the last release in the case of a tie, and it also attracts some of the sport’s top talent, both at the helm and in the cockpit. If you want to do well here, you’d best bring your A game. Each of the three tournament legs begins with a one-day ladies-only tournament. This year, 37 anglers…

Q: WHAT SINGLE SCENARIO CHANGED THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR BOAT? + FOUR CAPTAINS GIVE VALUABLE INSIGHT CAPT. RYAN EASTERLING COLD MOTION MOBILE, ALABAMA Looking back, it’s the sum of all my travels, encounters, fishing experiences, and even miscalculations. Maintenance and preparation are always at the forefront, and I never miss an opportunity to learn. However, we are going into our third season since installing the Omni sonar, which has drastically changed how I run the boat. What it does is enable you to be much more efficient and allows you to really capitalize on your opportunities. Everyone on our boat is fully engaged with commentary from the helm; it’s a lot of fun, although I do miss the days when my eyes were glued to the right teaser instead…

WHEN I INITIALLY SAT DOWN to pen this feature, the working title was “A Day’s Fishing for Tuna off Plymouth.” Now, before the confusion sets in, Plymouth, Massachusetts, sits pretty much in the epicenter of a hugely productive New England bluefin fishery, practically within spitting distance of iconic fishing grounds such as the Stellwagen Bank and many others. But I’m not referring to the Plymouth in Massachusetts, nor any of the more than 30 US cities, towns and communities that share the name of the first Thanksgiving locale. Rather, this is referring to the original Plymouth in Devon, the historic naval city at the mouth of the River Tamar on the southwest coast of the United Kingdom. It wasn’t that many years ago that anyone planning on fishing for tuna…

As a kid, I was a big fan of Nikola Tesla, the brilliant inventor who gave us amazing technological advancements such as the Tesla coil, alternating-current motor, high-voltage transformer, hydroelectric power, and in total, more than 112 US patents. I liken Elon Musk to a modern-day Tesla, considering some of the extraordinary concepts and ideas Musk has presented, which quickly established himself as one of the most intriguing personalities of the modern era. He is certainly an incredible innovator and visionary, to say the least. So, when I heard about Starlink, initially I will say that I was intrigued by the simple fact that it was a company owned by Musk, which meant it was something I was interested in learning more about. Then I heard that Starlink was his…

Freshly launched at the 2023 Miami International Boat Show, the Viking 90 is the company’s new flagship, replacing its popular 92-footer that was launched in the 2015 model year. Viking built and delivered 21 of the 92s, and was prepared to continue, but new International Maritime Organization emission regulations required the installation of heavy, large, and potentially dangerous Selective Catalytic Reduction systems. Because the required equipment to deal with these changes neither existed nor would be available to maintain the boat’s production schedule, Viking was forced to discontinue the production of the 92. A bitter tale perhaps, but since 1964, when Bill and Bob Healey founded the Viking Yacht Company in New Gretna, New Jersey, the builder has dealt with all sorts of stumbling blocks, including the early 1990s federal…

With more IGFA records than any resort world-wide, a spectacular resort experience, and an unrivaled team at the helm - Tropic Star Lodge has earned its place at the top over the past 60 years. This iconic fishery is home to a range of diverse species, including Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Cubera Snapper and Roosterfish, as well as monster Dorado and Yellowfin Tuna, and a whopping 17+ inshore species. Captains and mates offer anglers invaluable local knowledge, helping maximize every catch, and providing a truly unique saltwater adventure from start to finish. The lodge caters to anglers of all ages and skill levels, making it the perfect destination for your next family vacation, milestone celebration, all-out angling trip, or the hunt for your next record catch. Tropic Star is…

WHERE JUNE AND JULY kick off the summer season in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. Head to Bermuda or Cape Verde for blues in both size and numbers. Hit the production platforms in the Gulf, where the combination of sonar and live-baiting has been a game-changer. Or explore a unique fishery in New Guinea—the choices are limited only by your imagination and budget. + BITE TRACKER Stay current with the best bites from the top billfish destinations around the globe at marlinmag.com/travel.…

As this issue goes to press, we mourn the loss of Capt. Pete Zabinski Jr.—a good friend, a talented fisherman, and an enthusiastic teacher beyond compare. To top off his career, he wanted to be a published author in Marlin. This article was approved for print a mere 18 days before his untimely death in February, and we are more than happy to make one of his final wishes come true. Rest easy, Big Pete. The sport-fishing community will miss you. Where have the old-school captains and mates gone? It seems that as they retire, pass on, or change industries, they take the camaraderie, traditions, and intimate fishing knowledge with them—unfortunately for the rest of us. That once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work as a sport-fishing professional was never taken for granted…

No one particularly likes going to the boatyard, but it’s a necessary evil if you expect to maintain a multimillion-dollar investment properly. It’s time-consuming, messy and a downright pain, and you probably have better things to do with your time. However, boatyard visits come with the territory of boat ownership, and it’s much easier to face repairs head-on than to chase gremlins all season long. Maintaining a fish-chasing battlewagon is a huge responsibility, and the sooner you come to terms with that obligation, the easier your job will be. And the sooner you find a trusted service center, the better your rapport with it will also be. Developing a solid relationship will net you plenty of gains, including good communication, a fair price and a timely turnaround. Your loyalty to…

“Wow, would you just look at that bottom structure! You reckon there’s a couple of big marlin there?” Capt. Ross Finlayson asks rhetorically as he stares down at the Navionics chart on his phone. The area that’s gotten his attention is one of the many banks and seamounts off the coast of the Azores, where he plans to take the 67-foot Ricky Scarborough Sea Weez the following year. ¶ This Portuguese chain of islands is known as a late-summer haunt for giant blue marlin and is almost a perfect antipode from where Finlayson has spent the majority of his career in the legendary waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It wouldn’t take many fingers to count the number of active captains who have caught more marlin over 800 pounds than…

With the high cost of fuel these days, trimming your boat properly means you get the best-possible fuel-burn rate. Old-school trim tabs are standard on nearly all boats 16 feet and larger and are a must in order to make the proper adjustments in certain sea states, to not only maximize the ride, but also to get the best speed-to-fuel-burn ratios. Without them, trim needs fly out the window, often leaving you vulnerable to the constructs of Mother Nature. Trim options used to be limited to flaps that either attached to the transom or laid in flush to the aft-bottom part of the hull, attached via a heavy-duty hinge. We adjust these flaps up and down with a switch that activates an actuator with either a hydraulic pump or an…

Owned and operated by Viking Yachts, Valhalla Boatworks debuted in 2019 with the premiere of the first V Series center-consoles: the V-33, V-37 and V-41. The Valhalla 46 followed 18 months later, solidifying Valhalla’s reputation for building high-performance premium center-consoles. Now, they’ve stretched the boundaries even further with the introduction of the Valhalla flagship V-55, an outboard-powered 55-foot beast of a boat that combines the speed, maneuverability, 360-degree on-deck access, and convenience of an outboard-powered center-console with the engineering, accommodations and amenities of a Viking convertible. The V-55’s overall size—particularly its 15-foot-6-inch beam—allows for more fuel capacity, cockpit space, on-deck seating, and interior living accommodations than any other center-console in its class. “This is a statement boat—there is nothing like it on the market,” says Viking Yachts president and CEO…

PEZ VELA ON FLY Guatemala is home to one of the world’s finest fisheries for big Pacific sails, and it is also one of the top destinations to catch them on fly. Capt. Fin Gaddy joined Capt. Mike Sheeder aboard his 37-foot Gamefisherman, Intensity, for a memorable trip, releasing numerous sails along with two blue marlin and one black marlin, all using the long rod. LOCATION Photographer and angler Lacey Hagler captured this image fishing out of Puerto San Jose, located on the Pacific coast. TECH SPECS CAMERA: CANON EOS 7D MK II LENS: Canon 70-200mm ISO: 400 APERTURE: f/4.5 SPEED: 1/1600 sec…

For decades, the North Drop in the Virgin Islands was known as perhaps the most consistent spot on the planet for blue marlin fishing, especially during the periods just prior to and just after the full moons from July through October. These are big, aggressive fish that crash baits and teasers with abandon. Captains also enjoy this fishery because you’re actively hunting along more than 25 miles of structure. ¶ This summer, two back-to-back events will highlight just how good this fishery can be. Get ready to fish the Scrub Island Invitational Billfish Series: Leg One is slated for August 27-31, and Leg Two will take place August 31-September 4. Each leg will feature three days of head-to-head tournament competition amid those blue marlin-rich waters during the unique “blue moon”…

Sometimes, especially when it comes to fishing, it’s best to take full advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. When my son, JT Coley, a freshman at North Carolina State University, asked about going on a fishing trip for spring break, it was music to my ears. We both immediately said, “Let’s go back to Casa Vieja Lodge”; we had been in 2018 and loved it. We checked the dates for his break, and as luck would have it, there had been a cancellation for that same week in March. I fired off an email saying we were interested and had been there before. The next morning, I was in a business meeting when my phone rang. I saw it was a call from the lodge’s booking office in Miami,…

Sport-fishing boats are a lot like horses. That’s not just because they share a measure of power, are a good ride, or often place lofty demands on our wallets. Unless you’ve got a trained eye to identify the differences between various boats—or a herd of horses—the only thing that helps each one stand apart from the other, for the casual onlooker anyway, also often boils down to color and size. As a marine-industry writer and photographer, as well as a lifelong equestrian, I’ve always enjoyed the overlap between horse owners and boat owners. I hadn’t ever really considered the comparison so plainly until I found myself chatting with Spencer Yachts’ Daniel Spencer. While discussing what features make a Spencer different from others, he says: “You might be able to tell…

With the 63-foot Titan Lunatico, currently fishing hard in tournaments from the Bahamas to Bermuda and the US and British Virgin Islands, the program also has a 70-footer currently underway from the same builder. The new vessel will benefit from the extra length as well as an additional 800 gallons of fuel capacity and higher-horsepower engines. The layout was specifically tailored to the operation’s needs, with a large master stateroom to port, bunk room to starboard, and massive four-bunk stateroom forward. The addition of a walk-in pantry forward of the salon will also serve as extra tackle storage and a workbench for servicing equipment. The bridge will showcase a centerline helm with bench seating. Consistent with all of Titan’s builds, this one will utilize the same overbuilt construction methods, which…

We often receive questions related to seller financing, the documents required, and whether it is a legitimate option in a transaction. There are often scenarios where banks and other traditional financial institutions are unable to provide a loan to a vessel purchaser, whether it be due to the type, age or usage of a boat, or perhaps the creditworthiness of a borrower. For example, it is more difficult to obtain a traditional marine loan for a 40-year-old wooden charter boat than a new production sport-fisher to be used purely as a recreational vessel. As a result, we are regularly engaged by clients involved in unique scenarios who wish to draft a customized seller-finance package. THE SAME PROCESS The reality is that a buyer and seller can arrange financing in the…