Targeting Blue Marlin

Trying to catch a blue marlin is a rather epic challenge, one that few people attempt in specific and even fewer accomplish. The vast majority of the blues that get hooked enter a mixed spread intended to attract multiple species. But if you really want to catch a blues, your chances go way up if you target them in specific. Warning: this can certainly lead to hour upon hour of fruitless trolling. If, however, you’re committed, these tips will help.

• Trim your spread down to just a few lines. Multiple offerings can confuse the fish, but more importantly, confuse the angler. With six or eight lines in the water it’s easy to drop back the wrong rig or pick up the wrong rod. Hone down the baits to just two or three. A good mix would be a rigged mackerel or bonito, a horse ballyhoo behind a skirt, and your favorite billy-club-sized artificial chugger.
• As you get rid of extra lines, fill in the now-spacious spread with additional teasers. Pulling a dredge is a must, and pulling a pair of dredges is better. Also pull at least two surface teasers. Though old-fashioned, bowling-pin teasers are proven to raise the blues. A daisy chain behind a bird or a spreader bar will also help bring in the fish.
• Kick up the speed a notch. While most mixed-spread trollers like six to seven knots, and that speed does work well for tuna, mahi, and other species, blue marlin often like a bit more zip. Eight or even nine knots is more likely to generate an attack, especially if you’re fishing artificials.
• Get your offerings out of the whitewater. It’s often said that your boat is your biggest teaser, and a large pelagic predator won’t hesitate to attack a bait right behind the transom. This is entirely true. However, white water does hide baits and it’s important to present them in clear areas behind the boat. This isn’t too difficult on most inboards, but when it comes to outboards keeping your rigs in good water can be a challenge. This becomes particularly tough when you increase to blue marlin speeds, because outboards tend to throw more whitewater the faster you go. In some cases, you’ll need to send your offerings a lot farther aft than you do when trolling for tuna.
• Stay on your toes. More often than not the marlin will come in hot on a dredge or a teaser as opposed to a hook-bait. You need to be able to spot the fish and serve up its dinner in short order, before it loses interest.