What's so alluring about the Blue Marlin?

Robert Young

Crestview Bulletin

After reading about the annual Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic, it had me thinking about what the rave is on this large trophy fish.

I researched the marlin for pretty much an entire day and was pretty taken back on how massive this animal really is.

For one, it’s the largest billfish in the world. The International Game Fish Association breaks the animal down in two brackets, the Atlantic Marlin and the Pacific Marlin.

IGFA has recorded the biggest Atlantic at 1402 pounds 2 ounces, and the Pacific Marlin at 1376 pounds even. The fish can reach up to 14 feet in length.

Trophy hunters and avid fishermen seek its presence in hopes of landing one of these “ocean guards.”

Why is this fish so popular to catch?

Well, not only do you have to know what you’re doing but you also need to have a lot of stamina and endurance. If you catch one you pretty much have bragging rights for a while.

Marlins can take anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours long to finally land.

Why do you think you’ll see a half a dozen people on one boat to go catch one?

From what I read and what local fisherman have told me, it’s almost like switching shifts at a job, except it’s a whole lot more fun.

When you think about it, it’s no wonder the fish takes so long to pull in.

You’re sitting on your boat with Johnny, Bill, Ed, Ted and Bobby and suddenly a half ton piece of angry meat grabs your lure, swimming away from your boat.

I guess that Spanish mackerel, mullet, squid or ballyhoo that you baited the line with succeeded.

Now all you have to do is outlast something double your size and close to 10 ten times your weight in an environment not common to yours.

What are some ways fishermen get the marlin to bite?

The majority of fishermen today troll their lines to get the intention of their trophy fish.

Some fish such as dolphin (not Flipper) that is caught the same day make excellent fresh bait that’ll get any fish excited.

If you’re out on the boat all day, how do I keep your bait alive?

Tuna tubes are a common practice for local fishermen. Taking a PVC pipe with holes at the top and bottom, fishermen latch the device at the back of the boat.

They then insert a mackerel; tuna or bonito head first, hooking them inside.

Salt water rushes through the top and bottom of the tube, forcing the fish to breathe and stay alive.

The reason for this is that some fish like the mackerel, tuna and bonito only can breathe underwater going at a certain speed (5-10mph).

Then whenever you’re ready to use the fish, you can stop the boat, pull the fish out of the tube and hook it on the line.

Marlins are known to be warm water dwelling fish. They like to stay close to the surface above the thermocline. Using a 400-500 pound leader, fishermen run their bait 10-15 feet underwater to interest the soon to be caught marlin.

So, now you know a little bit about what exactly the Blue Marlin Classic is about.

You have to be a skilled fisherman to reel in one of these big boys, and you have to have a team who work together.

I’m looking forward to the overall weigh-ins at the end of Saturday. Maybe we’ll be in for a treat of witnessing a new record.