Marlin Metrics
Florida Sport Fishing|Florida Sport FishingJuly/August 2017

How to Catch a Blue Marlin from a Center Console.

Captain Steve Dougherty
Marlin Metrics

FOR SOUTH FLORIDA FISHERMEN HEADING OUT the inlet with high hopes of hooking up on the troll, dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo are the most cherished targets, with blue marlin distant afterthoughts. However, the coming months provide the best chance of billfish encounters in the Gulf Stream where a casual day spent icing down slammers quickly changes course when a 200-pound blue makes an unexpected appearance.

It’s the reactive measures taken following the pandemonium that determine the outcome of the battle, with many anglers often ill-prepared for the monumental surprise. For sport fishing’s elite crews traveling the world aboard gleaming game boats with massive towers, catching marlin is a well-versed course. But for the majority of the fishing community plying not-so-distant waters aboard outboard-powered center consoles, hooking a  marlin is a feat in itself that often ends with a story of the one that got away.

Among the many differences between game boats and open fisherman, maneuverability is perhaps the most distinct. Due to their inherent design, center consoles are not suited to back down on fish, a tactic that sport fish captains employ to quickly aid in the retrieval of line. Additionally, open platforms do not provide the heightened vantage point of a 50-foot tower and spotter preparing anglers in the cockpit of approaching fish. Aboard either platform, hooking, fighting and releasing marlin requires an orchestrated effort of perfection to control the anarchy, and a feat that’s becoming increasingly possible with the proliferation of advanced tackle and intuitive fish finding electronic suites.

This story is from the Florida Sport FishingJuly/August 2017 edition of Florida Sport Fishing.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Florida Sport FishingJuly/August 2017 edition of Florida Sport Fishing.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FLORIDA SPORT FISHINGView All
A Whole Different Animal - Wild Cats that Got the Cream
Florida Sport Fishing

A Whole Different Animal - Wild Cats that Got the Cream

MOST ANGLERS HAVE STRONG BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT HULL TYPE IS BEST. Running hard in rough water requires a seaworthy platform with the strength and stability to keep you safe, comfortable and dry. Among the different trends that have consequently become evident from the evolution of center consoles, boat builders are cornering a new niche of complex and competitive catamarans harnessing more outboard power than ever before. Breaking the barrier with innovative hull designs and deck layouts, the newest catamarans offer unobstructed fishability while providing increased fuel economy and speed per applied horsepower.

time-read
10 mins  |
September/October 2019
Pulley Ridge 2.0 The Jig Is Up
Florida Sport Fishing

Pulley Ridge 2.0 The Jig Is Up

WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME of the most rewarding bottom fishing north of the equator. If the Sunshine State’s countless reefs, wrecks and ledges aren’t enough to keep you entertained, then you should know about a unique deep-water coral community that exists within a day’s boat ride from Key West. For adventurous anglers lucky enough to have experienced these rich waters, the area has proven to yield a bottom fishing bonanza beyond anyone’s imagination. However, the approach at Pulley Ridge has changed dramatically since we first started exploring the depths nearly a decade ago.

time-read
5 mins  |
September/October 2019
The Lotus Effect - Exploring The Science Of The Shine
Florida Sport Fishing

The Lotus Effect - Exploring The Science Of The Shine

THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS inspired by the animal kingdom, with the science of emulating nature known as biomimetics. Evolution has perfected natural designs and environmental approaches over hundreds of millions of years, providing chemists, biologists and engineers with a perfect platform to advance modern materials and manufacturing processes. Learning the way of the lotus leaf has revealed remarkable self-cleaning properties resulting from the unique flora’s ultrahydrophobic surface architecture producing water droplets in nearly perfect spherical shape.

time-read
8 mins  |
September/October 2019
Everglades Enlivened
Florida Sport Fishing

Everglades Enlivened

Ailing Florida Bay Shows Promising Signs of Life

time-read
6 mins  |
September/October 2019
Yellow [Fin] Fever
Florida Sport Fishing

Yellow [Fin] Fever

Amid the Confines of Pristine Natural Habitat, Tuna Aplenty Defines This Pacific Island Hideaway

time-read
9 mins  |
September/October 2019
Reeling In The Magic
Florida Sport Fishing

Reeling In The Magic

Add Big Bass to Your Next Disney Adventure.

time-read
4 mins  |
January - February 2017
Big Sky's The Limit
Florida Sport Fishing

Big Sky's The Limit

Carving Turns and Catching Trout in the Land of Lewis and Clark.

time-read
5 mins  |
January - February 2017
Underwater LEDs
Florida Sport Fishing

Underwater LEDs

MY CENTER CONSOLE WAS RECENTLY OUTFITTED with full spectrum color-changing underwater LEDs and I can’t wait to test them out. I’m aware of their ability to attract forage and predator species to the boat from dusk till dawn, but are high intensity LEDs effective at attracting life during the day? If so, what color shines brightest amid the natural light of the sun?

time-read
2 mins  |
September-October 2017
In-Depth
Florida Sport Fishing

In-Depth

The Real Deal on Reporting Draft

time-read
3 mins  |
September - October 2016
Three-Pointer
Florida Sport Fishing

Three-Pointer

Treble Hook Selection for Specific Applications

time-read
3 mins  |
September - October 2016