Marlin Fishing - Blue Marlin - Angling Destinations

Angling Destinations

The Atlantic

Blue marlin have been caught by sport fishermen in the Atlantic from as early as the 1930s, when sport anglers from Florida began to explore the Bahamas and Cuba. Authors such as Ernest Hemingway and S. Kip Farrington did much to attract the attention of big-game anglers to the Bahamian islands of Bimini and Cat Cay. After the Second World War, and especially from the 1960s onwards, anglers began pursuing and finding blue marlin in destinations all over the tropical and subtropical Atlantic.

Bahamas

The Bahama Islands have long been popular destinations for fishermen seeking blue marlin. Bimini, located at the eastern edge of the Gulf Stream, has the longest history of blue marlin fishing in the islands, dating back to anglers such as Michael Lerner, Ernest Hemingway and S. Kip Farrington, who fished there in the 1930s and 1940s. Try dropping anchor at the tip end of North Bimini known as Moselle Shoal, or just off Bimini Bay's Three Sisters Rock. Another hot spot is Great Isaac Rock, located fifteen (15) miles north for a good place in Bimini to fish.

From the 1960s, more outlying areas such as Walker's Cay and the Abaco islands have developed as blue marlin grounds.

The Bahamas is home to one of the most intensely competitive tournament series in marlin fishing, the Bahamas Billfish Championship.

Bermuda

The banks lying off the hook-shaped island of Bermuda consistently produce blue marlin. Many Bermudian fish are small specimens in the 150 to 250 lb class but every year much bigger fish in the 600 lb and larger class are caught. A 1,352 lb giant boated aboard the MAKO IV, skippered by Captain Allen deSilva, in 1995 stands as the largest blue marlin caught in Bermudian waters. This fish is also one of the largest blue marlin ever boated in the Atlantic.

A series of tournaments attracts many top-notch boats and crews from the United States every summer. Visiting boats and crews join a small but well-equipped and experienced fleet of charter vessels.

Brazil

Blue marlin are fished by sportfishermen operating from several locations along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. Blue marlin have been encountered as far south as Sao Paulo, and are regularly hooked and caught in annual tournaments held offshore of Rio de Janeiro. However the majority of international attention has thus far focused on Canavieras, the gateway to the Royal Charlotte Bank, an extensive area of bottom structure that holds billfish, tuna and other pelagics in great numbers; and on Cabo Frio where an annual tournament has produced several fish weighing in excess of 1,000 lbs.

The city of Vitória is considered the world capital of Blue marlin fishing by many anglers but difficulty in travelling there limits access. Fishing is a popular activity in Vitória, and sport fishing has become more popular in Vitória each day, attracting fishermen from other states and countries due to the large population of marlin and Sailfish off the coast of Espirito Santo. Largest of the many big blue marlin caught at Vitória is the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) all-tackle record for Atlantic blue marlin, held by Paulo Amorim, who caught a Blue marlin that weighed 636 kg (1,402 lb). Larger Blue marlin have been caught in Hawaii (1656 lb and 1800 lb+), but these fish were not captured according to the guidelines of the IGFA.

Cape Verde Islands

This cluster of islands in the eastern tropical Atlantic has proved to be an outstanding blue marlin fishery since it was first seriously fished in the 1980s. Blue marlin may be caught year-round in Cape Verde waters but the very best fishing seems to take place between March and May when large numbers of blue marlin concentrate in island waters. Blues encountered off Cape Verde range widely in size with many fish of 100 to 350 lb and good numbers of larger fish in the 400 to 600+ lb class. The biggest catch from Cape Verde waters is a 1241 lb caught in September 2006 near the island of Saint Vincent by angler Barry Silleman fishing with skipper Berno Niebuhr. Incidental catches include Wahoo and large Yellowfin tuna.

Portugal

Although blue marlin are being caught in increasing numbers on the Algarve coast of Portugal, the main centres of blue marlin fishing in Portugal are the oceanic islands of the Azores and Madeira.

The Azores

The small port of Horta on Fayal island is synonymous with blue marlin fishing in the nine-island chain of the Azores. The season normally begins in late June or early July and continues until weather conditions put an end to the fishery in mid to late October. Weather conditions can be unpredictable at the tail-end of the season but in midsummer when the area is dominated by the Azores high the seas can be very flat.

Although blue marlin can be found close to Fayal island, boats seeking blue marlin often select three banks that serve as productive feeding locations for these fish. The Azores sits in the northern extreme of blue marlin distribution and the fishery is dominated by large fish. 400 to 600 lb fish are average here and every year fish of 1000 lb and above are encountered. The Azores is home to Atlantic blue marlin records for, amongst others, IGFA 50 lb and 80 lb line classes.

Madeira

Between April and October every year some of the biggest blue marlin in the Atlantic appear off this tiny Portuguese island 360 miles west of the coast of Morocco.

Big game fishing has taken place in Madeiran waters from as early as the early 1970s. A number of large blue marlin were caught during the 1980s, but the focus for most visiting anglers tended to be sharks and the prolific schools of bigeye tuna.

During 1992 to 1996 Madeira was the scene of some incredible fishing for giant blue marlin, bringing the island to the attention of marlin fishermen worldwide. In 1994 alone eight fish of over 1,000 lb were weighed in.

Between 1997 and 2000 blue marlin fishing in Madeira, along with the other Atlantic islands, underwent a severe downturn, blamed by many on the strong El Niño event of 1996–1997. However, from 2001 onwards conditions began to improve and the seasons of 2005 and 2006 have seen Madeira return to some of its former glory. June to July appear to be the premier months for blue marlin fishing. The small fleet of charter boats operate out of the small marina in the island's largest town, Funchal.

The most popular fishing grounds are situated on the south coast of the island, sheltered by the high cliffs from the prevailing northeast trade winds. Fishing generally takes place within a few miles of the island and many great fish are caught well within two miles of the shoreline. Lure fishing is the most successful method with a wide variety of medium to large artificials from various sources being successful.

Spain

Canary Islands (Islas Canarias)

Although a number of blue marlin have been brought into ports along the Atlantic coast of mainland Spain, the subtropical archipelago of the Canary Islands is by far the most prolific blue marlin grounds in Spain.

Blue marlin appear seasonally in the Canary Islands between May and October with some individuals having been caught earlier and later in the year.

Sport fishing boats may be chartered from the main islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Tenerife; from the smaller islands of Graciosa and La Gomera; and from Puerto Rico on the island of Gran Canaria, which boasts the largest fleet of charter boats in the Canaries.

The average size of blue marlin encountered in the Canaries tends to be large, in the 400 to 600+ lb class, including some very large fish upwards of 800 lb. Smaller fish in the 200 to 350 lb class also make an appearance at times. In particular, the island of La Gomera is abundant with bait fish and tuna, and Blue Marlin in excess of 1200 lbs have been caught there.

Mexico

In the spring, sportfishing boats from the U.S. head down in droves. Spring brings the annual Marlin migration. Marlin on the west coast tend to be larger than the east coast.

Baja California

Baja California has long been known for its fertile waters both on the Pacific side and the Sea of Cortez. Cabo San Lucas is the home of the richest paying fishing tournament in the world, the Bisbee. Along with blue marlin, black marlin and striped marlin are also routinely caught.

Eastern Yucatan

Playa del Carmen fishing charter boats routinely catch both blue and white marlin. While the area has its share of resident blue marlin and white marlin, it's the annual migration which really gets things jumping. From late March through July the waters of the Gulf Stream bring decent numbers of marlin through the area. These blue marlin of the western Caribbean tend to be smaller. While large specimens can top 500 lbs, 250-350 are far more common.

United States

North Carolina

The Outer Banks of North Carolina have long been known for their blue marlin fishing. Since the early 1950s when Ernal Foster on the Albatross I made the first charter fishing trips for blue marlin, Cape Hatteras has been known as an important destination for the sportfisherman. Other important fishing centres include Morehead City, home to the famous Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, and Oregon Inlet. The proximity of the Gulf Stream and of the continental shelf edge in the Cape Hatteras area create a productive combination of current, blue water and ocean temperature that attracts a wide variety of gamefish including blue marlin. In 1985, a blue marlin was caught and before it was landed, the fish was attacked by several sharks and after landing the remains the blue marlin head was in excess of 1,000lbs...

While the average size of a blue marlin is typically 250 to 400 lbs, big fish inhabit these waters. North Carolina was home to the former all-tackle world record Atlantic blue marlin, a 1,128 lb fish that also stood as the world record for 80 lb class tackle for over seventeen years. The state record, which stood for many years at 1,142 lb, was finally exceeded by a 1,228 lb blue taken off Nags Head on August 15, 2008.

Venezuela

Venezuela's La Guaira Bank sees some of the most prolific blue marlin fishing in the Atlantic. Blue marlin are present year round with particularly good numbers in spring. Trolling with ballyhoo baits using relatively light tackle, often in the 30 lb class, is popular for the variety of billfish species that can make an appearance in these waters.

Virgin Islands

St Thomas

The island of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands is one of the most renowned Atlantic blue marlin destinations. Full moons from June to October can see some intense blue marlin fishing in the area known as the 'North Drop'. Lure fishing, trolling natural baits and bait and switch are all popular. The former all-tackle world record Atlantic blue of 1,282 lb was boated there.