Blue Marlin Photos & Golden Tile

[Fish-N-Fool]

We worked the 900-950 line on Saturday, got a few nibbles from small yellowfin up to 25lbs. This small blue surprised us when it popped up on a naked bally/flatline in 170 fathoms. Good fun since it took a TLD25 outfit. The blue put on a 30 minute show before finally allowing us the privilege of a few close up photos...





We did a few deep drops before calling it a day and managed to entice a few golden tiles and several red rosie's to join the tuna in the box. My buddy Mo caught the largest tile..



Another good day of bent rods and offshore memories.

John Unkart
Author of "Offshore Pursuit"
www.getgup.com

[dirtyj]

Looks like a stud white one to me - nice job!

[Rhodekill]

Nice...... Go get'em Fool......

[Hucklebuck]

That is a monster white marlin not a small blue. Wow.... nice fish.

[Bert Rodgers]

That is a monster white marlin not a small blue. Wow.... nice fish.

I don't see anything in the pics that could definatively determine that. Long and lean for sure, but I'm taking the man's word on it.

Bert

[Anders]

awesome report, thanks for the pics

[Wild Life Management]

That is awesome, congrats on a great day. Sounds like you had a much better day than most boats.

That looks like a blue to me, but I'll be the first to admit I don't know what I'm talking about.

[marlin magnet]

I don't see anything in the pics that could definatively determine that. Long and lean for sure, but I'm taking the man's word on it.

Bert

Dorsal on a blue does not retract. Could be a monster Hatchet. Freeze that one until the mid-atlantic tournament

[JUST RELEASED 34]

monster white for sure....awesome job!!

[Fish-N-Fool]

I predicted the photos would raise some identity question. Like most of you I am a fisherman not a biologist. Over years of chartering I’ve caught a lot of billfish between the east coast and Costa Rica with little difficulty in identifying the species. I can honestly say this marlin had me perplexed. My first thoughts were a large white when it jumped, but then it acted like a blue when gray hounding. With bill in hand, I looked at the location of the vent; it was close to the anal fin so I ruled out a Hatchet. When I pulled the dorsal fin up it came to more of a point then any white I’ve observed. The pec fins did not come to a point, but were not really round in shape. Then there was the size, a realistic 110-120lb. What are the odds of catching a white that large or a blue that small? I made the call of a Blue and was probably mistaken.

I am glad the fish was caught now and not in the WMO with our charter. I would have let it swim (no one wants to kill and then hang the wrong fish on a scale!) and after reading Marlin Magnet's comment, I would have let a million dollars swim away. Every day is a learning experience when fishing offshore, for those of you who have heard me lecture, I say it every time and believe it. Until today, I never realized that a blue marlin jumping has the dorsal erect. I dug out photos from over the years and sure enough, Magnet is correct, the dorsal was not retracted in any of them while jumping. Once again I’ve added another piece to the puzzle of fishing.

Now, where is this fish going to be the first week of August?