Innehållsförteckning för August/September 2023 från Marlin

During the American Boating Congress in Washington, D.C., members of the media (including Marlin), as well as representatives of the recreational boating and sport-fishing industries, put forth a concerted effort to stop the federal government’s proposed 10-knot speed restriction, part of what NOAA Fisheries calls the North Atlantic Right Whale Road to Recovery plan. You’ve probably heard of this speed-restriction proposal by now, which would affect a large swath of the Eastern Seaboard from Massachusetts to Florida and include any vessel more than 35 feet in length (the current rule is for vessels of 65 feet or greater in length, with seasonal speed zones in some areas). While the goal of protecting the highly endangered right whale is a noble one, this is simply not the right approach. Since 1998—that’s…

A native of eastern North Carolina, Tim Winters wanted to build boats for as long as he can remember, even penciling in “boatbuilder” as his dream job back in kindergarten when other kids wanted to be superheroes or astronauts. He also does not have a family lineage of boatbuilding; instead, he started Winter Custom Yachts while attending North Carolina State University, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. And yet his company quietly turns 20 this year, where it continues to build a unique variety of custom boats from a tiny coastal community just outside Swansboro, North Carolina. M What made you want to be a boatbuilder? I grew up on the water, and I loved everything about boats as a kid. Fishing was secondary. For me, it…

In the world of South Florida’s highly competitive tournament sailfishing, one series stands above the rest: the Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series. With its three signature events—Palm Beach’s Operation Sailfish, the three-inlet-format Sailfish Challenge, and Miami’s Final Sail—this one sets the stage for not just individual performances, but also for a team to showcase their consistency throughout the season. It’s entirely possible for a captain and crew to have the hot hand during one event, but to put together a string of top finishes is another level of performance entirely, and one that deserves unique recognition. One thing that separates these tournaments from the rest is the linear scoring system that emphasizes performance and consistency, pitting teams against each other throughout each leg to determine the ultimate champion. It…

Qualifying for this year’s Marlin Madness by winning the Beach Haven Invitational White Marlin Tournament in New Jersey, Frank Criscola’s Crisdel team marched steadily through the online voting rounds to win the East Coast division. Crisdel faced stiff competition in each of the remaining winners from the Gulf Coast, International and Florida regions, but eventually defeated Reel Cast in the championship round to emerge victorious. Shortly after starting his infrastructure construction company in 1969 at age 25, Frank Criscola Sr. purchased a 30-foot Luhrs and decided to name it after his company, Crisdel. Fifty-five years and nine boats later, the family-owned and -operated business and its namesake Crisdel boats—including the current 62-foot Titan—have shared similar paths to success throughout the years. According to Criscola, good days aboard Crisdel are not…

Being out on the water when the marlin start to chew can be a challenge in and of itself. But more times than not, it’s the reward for fishing every day. Some fisheries are more telltale than others, giving away the secret with the forecast of an approaching cold front. Or, sometimes you can see it coming with an abundance of surface activity, such as birds, tuna and flying fish on an edge. Other spots seem to give only subtle whispers, and Kona, Hawaii, is one of those mysterious locales. The clues are always there; however, it often takes a seasoned captain to pick up on them—and to be in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, the nature of the beast—or should I say beasts—is that you can…

Wanchese, North Carolina’s Ritchie Howell Yachts is currently designing a 74-foot fly-bridge that will be a combination of serious performance and forward-thinking design, with some over-the-top features as well. The four-stateroom, five-head layout will feature a full-beam stateroom with hidden storage and a split full-size king bed with reclining back and leg options. The boat will feature air-actuated doors and televisions, and the galley cabinetry will have CNC cutouts for plates, cups, pans, and utensils. There are plans for a day head in the salon, which will feature a teak interior with natural-stone countertops in the galley. The helm will feature a four-monitor all glass design, as well as an aft-facing monitor for keeping an eye on the spread and the omnidirectional sonar while fishing. The sky lounge on the…

WHERE AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER produce some of the year’s best marlin fishing. The blues—and plenty of whites—will be snapping along the US East Coast. In the Caribbean, look for a strong blue marlin presence on the North Drop and in Puerto Rico. And there’s simply never a bad time to fish off Kona, Hawaii, where the blue marlin of a lifetime could be one bite away. + BITE TRACKER Stay current with the best bites from the top billfish destinations around the globe at marlinmag.com/travel.…

On May 8, my wife, Sherrell, and I arrived in Mindelo, Cape Verde, with our longtime friend and captain Yoan Alcala. We were there to pursue the men’s and women’s IGFA 30-pound-test line-class records, which were our primary targets for this trip. Of note, while we were in Cape Verde in 2022 fishing with Capt. Divan Coetzee and his crew, I had broken the ice fly-fishing for blue marlin, and so Alcala had brought some fixed gaffs with him from Madeira, which are required by the IGFA for fly records. We were also ready for battle with the wand as well. The next morning, we joined Capt. Chase Travers and mates Trent Graham and Sarney Neves on the 33-foot Bertram La Onda Emma. We departed Mindelo for São Nicolau, which…

As I look out the window of the single-engine prop plane, an unbelievable sight unfolds: to my right, a vast ocean sprinkled with turquoise reefs and atolls as far as the eye can see; to my left, a dry, rugged wilderness stretching across the landscape to the horizon. After a nearly 30-hour journey from San Francisco, it’s a welcome view as I’ve finally arrived at perhaps the most famous black marlin destination in the world—Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. As the plane banks left on final approach, I see a muddy river that empties into the ocean at the small seaside community of Cooktown. After the plane touches down, I am greeted not just by the blanketing warmth of the tropical air, but also by a sense of awe and respect…

Wafting through the open windows of our old Land Rover, the warm, unfamiliar smell of African spices and burning acacia brush briefly tickle the senses before being lost again on the long, congested road from Malindi to the coast. The dusty African landscape seems brushed with deep browns and rusty beiges, broken only by the vibrant splashes of brightly colored local apparel or the rainbow array of sundries hanging from roadside shops. Motorbikes, three-wheeled tuk-tuks and four-wheel drives all jostle and elbow for space along the same small stretch of unmarked asphalt that passes for a road. § It’s no short journey to reach this seemingly forgotten East African destination—a full 24 hours of jetways and overpriced airport coffees—but the weariness of the sojourn melts away while watching the wonderfully…

In perhaps the most hotly contested tournament in recent memory, this year’s Costa Offshore World Championship presented by Continental had all the excitement we’ve come to expect from this event: a team representing the host marina nearly going wire-to-wire; another team of seasoned veterans who refused to back down from a challenge, even after scoring just a single sailfish release in the slowest-of-slow starts; and a top angler who kept his cool after four days of grinding it out in the cockpit. All of this happened amid the tropical paradise of the central Pacific and the scenic community of Quepos, Costa Rica, perched on the coastal edge of the rainforest of Manuel Antonio National Park. ¶ This year’s storied event took place April 16-21, where a total of 29 teams…

Today, you can count the number of boatbuilders who are producing custom sport-fishers in the 38-to-50-foot range on one hand, and even fewer are building cold-molded wood boats that are truly custom in every sense of the word. Fortunately, Maverick Yachts Costa Rica is carrying on that time-honored tradition of craftsmanship in Herradura, Costa Rica, not much more than a stone’s throw from the entrance to that well-known sport-fishing destination that is Los Sueños Resort and Marina. I’m fortunate to have spent hundreds of hours in the cockpit of a 43-foot Maverick, fishing the boat in all kinds of weather from Guatemala to Panama. Contrary to popular belief, it does get rough from time to time in Central America, and the 43s are capable of fishing their way through nearly…

For most anglers who venture to Guatemala’s Casa Vieja Lodge, dorado is not likely the target species. The superior power and size of blue and black marlin, striped marlin, and sailfish—combined with high encounter rates—make those species the goal. For me, however, dorado is the research subject—not because I don’t enjoy catching marlin and sails, but because dorado is one of the most poorly understood and documented fish species in our oceans, especially off the coast of Guatemala. In a recent search of dorado landings associated with the Food and Agricultural Organization’s global landings database, which is the global source for quantifying annual landings of virtually any finfish or shellfish species, the government of Guatemala recorded only 1 metric ton of dorado landings in 2019. In fact, of all the…

The absolute top-tier target in sport fishing is the blue marlin. The explosive bites paired with the opportunity to effectively bait-and-switch these powerful fish make them my personal favorite to catch. Teasing up marlin and then switching them to a circle-hook-rigged bait is the most popular method used to target blues, and provides the angler with the most fun you can have with your clothes on. And when you catch one, it likely won’t be your last. Fishing is an addiction, and luckily, blue marlin can be found in many locations around the world. Some hold larger fish in fewer numbers, and some hold many small fish. To explore just how professional captains and crews raise blues, let’s explore a few of the more popular fishing destinations and focus on…

As the end of the fishing season approached, Victory’s Lawrence “LR” Hastings excitedly slipped into a yellow slicker suit in preparation for the evening ahead. Looking like a younger and wilder version of the Gorton’s fisherman, Hastings tied Capt. Chris Turner’s favorite salad bowl to the top of his head as a makeshift helmet, while a cape made from a clear trash bag hung from his neck. Other mates emerged from their boats with aluminum foil wrapped around their chests, arms and heads, with two alien-inspired antennae standing tall atop their skulls. Puerto Aventuras’ legendary Tour de PA was about to start, and the participating mates decked out in every imaginable oddity grabbed their bikes, ready for the race: a course full of obstacles, human-propped ramps and beer-chugging stations. As…

Usually, boating experiences invoke the most positive thoughts. The memories of our best catch, great times with friends and family, or perhaps we might be overcome by a feeling of freedom and relaxation that comes only from being on the water. All of our normal worries and fears get buried because the positivity of a day offshore often trumps them. Just another reason why we love it—a temporary respite from the day-to-day. However, serious issues can be lurking around every corner, especially on a boat. And being prepared is just something that is baked into the boating equation. As captains, we need to be able to keep an issue from becoming a disaster, and I have two major fears when it comes to boats: lightning strikes and electrical fire. While…

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, such as the Black and Blue Marlin, Sailfish, Roosterfish, Cubera Snapper, colossal Mahi Mahi and Yellowfin Tuna, and more than 17 distinct inshore species. Expert captains and mates provide anglers with priceless local insights that enhance every catch, facilitating a truly bespoke saltwater adventure from inception to culmination. The lodge welcomes fishing enthusiasts of all ages and expertise, establishing it as an ideal spot for intensive fishing expeditions, family getaways, milestone celebrations, intensive fishing expeditions, or the pursuit of your next record catch. Tropic…