Ernest Hemingway passionately pursued and wrote about them. Anglers across the world challenge themselves against their size, elusiveness, and power using considerable skill, teamwork, and technology to find, land, and hook this great game fish. Here we take a closer look at why marlin fishing is often called the “pinnacle of offshore fishing”. The best time to catch marlin in Venice, Louisiana is April through August.
Description: Marlin is a fish from the family Istiophoridae. It has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin, which extends forward to form a crest. Marlins are extremely fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 50 mph. There are four species of marlin: black, blue, white, and striped and they are found all over the world. The two most popular and most commonly caught species are blue and white marlin.
Blue Marlin: One of the world’s largest bony fish, males surprisingly seldom exceed 330 lbs. while females may reach larger sizes well in excess of 1,000 lbs. A Pacific blue weighing 1,805 lbs. caught in 1970 in Oahu, HI holds the record for the largest marlin caught on rod and reel. When caught, this fish was found to have a yellowfin tuna of over 155 lbs. in its belly. The record holder for sports fishing in the Atlantic goes to a 1,402 lb. blue. Blue marlin have a tolerance to temperatures in the range of 68 degrees, but larger fish have been caught in cooler temperatures. They are eclectic feeders preying on a wide variety of prey species and sizes. Common food items include tuna, frigate mackerel, squid, and scad. The primary methods of bait used by sports fisherman are artificial lures, rigged natural baits, or live bait.
White Marlin: This graceful fish is sought after for its speed, leaping ability, elegant beauty, and the challenge anglers face in the bait and hook. They are considered a premier “light-tackle” game fish. White marlin are the smallest of the marlin species with a maximum size around 220 pounds. White marlin feed on a variety of schooling baitfish, including sardine, herring, squid, mackerel, scad, frigate, and bullet tuna. They often group together to corral schooling baitfish into a tight group for feeding purposes, called “balling bait”. This phenomenon often leads to two or more fish being hooked simultaneously.
If you’ve got marlin on the mind, the best time to book your chartered fishing trip in Venice, Louisiana is September through December. For additional information, just give us a call at 504-909-8862.
