Catching a Blue Marlin is a fun, exhausting affair that could involve the entire family of avid fishermen, like the Bradley
men, above. |
July 20
A highly sought after game fish that
is rarely caught in Belize waters, Blue
Marlin principally inhabit warmer oceanic
waters of the world. They are
known to migrate large distances. A
marlin was caught off Florida earlier
this year bearing a tag that had been
placed on the marlin in South Africa
three months earlier. Blue Marlin primarily
feed on mahi mahi, black fin
tuna and squid. Recent long lining activities
by Cuba and Japanese fishing
fleets have severely depleted marlin
population’s world wide.
The blue marlin is cobalt blue on top
and a silvery white below with a large
spear protruding from his upper jaw. It
can be an enormous fish growing to over
15 feet in length and weighing over
2,000 pounds. I believe we had one of
these monsters on in the San Pedro Day
Fishing Tournament. I had hand picked
my anglers: Sterling from Island Ferry,
Ernie from Captain Morgan’s and John
from Sueño del Mar. Since I was targeting large fish this tournament I picked
my anglers based on body mass. Heavy
anglers make for more effective counterweights
when wrestling big marlin.
Around 2:00 in the afternoon Sterling
had a big strike that smoked his
line out down to the final to wraps before
he was able to stop the fish. For
the next two hours he battled the fish
who dragged us about four miles north
east of the position he took the bait.
Once the fish ran toward the surface
causing Sterling to reel in line rapidly
to keep tension on the fish but never
did the monster break the surface.
Which is a characteristic sign of really
big marlin. At about 75 feet of line to
go and a 1:58 into the fight the fish threw
the hook, leaving one of my anglers angry
and exhausted.
Captain Dilzon Murcia is the project
manager for Island Ferry and owner operator
of Dilzon Charters, a sport fishing
charter business. To catch the fish
featured this week, and other large fish,
call Dilzon at 620-6118 or drop by the
Island Ferry office and schedule your
next fishing adventure.
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