Blue marlin fishing is one of the most exciting pastimes. It is quite enthralling to hit the waters and come up with one of the most sought after species of marlin. Their superb form, the great fight they put up and their huge sizes makes them a catch to be proud of.

Spawning

All the tropical oceans in the world are home to this fish. To sustain their numbers, spawning is undertaken. Locations where this is done include Hawaii,Caribbean islands, Mauritius and the Guinea Gulf east of the Atlantic.

Species

There are two species which include the Pacific and the Atlantic blue marlin. Scientific research has found that most of the species found in the Atlantic are genetically similar to that found in the Pacific. This is attributed to the prevalence of the p-phenotype in both oceans compared to the a-phenotype that has not been found in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Size

The male and female species are quite different. When fully grown, the male rarely goes over 300 pounds mark in weight. The female on the other hand grows to reach 1,000 pounds and even more. Scientists and anglers continue to differ about this. The largest species of blue marlin ever caught is a Pacific species that weighed in at 1,805 pounds in Hawaii. In the Atlantic, the greatest catch was a 1,402 pound one that was made in Brazil.

Techniques

Different fishing methods and equipment are used. The choice mostly depends on the size of the fish being aimed for the conditions at sea. Local cultural practices also come into play. Live bait, artificial lures or rigged natural baits will be used.

Angling

Due to the usually large size of this fish, artificial lure fishing is commonly used. It originated in Hawaii where lures were first made in the form of carved wood that was put in drinking glasses. The Hawaiians also made lures with chrome pipes surrounded with either vinyl upholstery or rubber. Today, lures come in form of forms, colors and sizes.

Natural Lures

Others prefer rigged natural bait. They have been used since the previous century and are still popular today. They are widely used in the American eastern seaboard as well as in the Caribbean and Bahamas. Here, horse ballyhoo and Spanish mackerel are used to lure the Atlantic breed of marlin. These can be used in combination with artificial lures. With live bait fishing, smaller species of tuna and skipjack are thought to be the best lure. Its limitation is that the bait cannot be trolled fast so that it remains alive. This method can only be used in fairly small fishing areas. It is the method used in the fishery in Kona,Hawaii.

As blue marlin fishing has developed, the leading fishing spots have been identified. Some of them are the Bahamas, which is home to the highly competitive Bahamas Billfish tournament, the Atlantic, Vitoria City in Brazil where the International Fish Game Association is held, and Bermuda. Other top spots are Hawaii, New Zealand, Wales, the coast of Kenya in East Africa, Venezuela, Portugal, Cape Verde Islands, Mexico, the Spanish Canary Islands,Ecuador, the high seas of Japan and the west and east coasts of Australia are other top hunting spots. Call up a marlin fishing charters.