Ascension

By Mark Johnston

While Ascension Island doesn’t have high end luxury resorts or even a marina, statistics show it may be the best place in the Atlantic to catch a giant blue marlin. Three of the six largest blue marlin ever caught in the Atlantic were caught in the virgin waters surrounding Ascension. This statistic is all the more amazing considering how little fishing activity occurs around the island. While Ascension may lack certain amenities, it does provide access to a professional boat with a veteran crew who thrive on catching big blue marlin.

The Ascension Season

During the October 2016 through January 2017 season, Captain Bryan Toney experienced incredible blue marlin fishing off Ascension. Fishing the 36-foot Rampage Harmattan, with Olaf Grimkowski, Divan Coetzee and Matt Brown, Toney went 47 for 80 on blue marlin. This included 23 blues over 500 pounds, in fewer than 70 days of fishing. The biggest fish were in the 900-pound range.

Toney describes an additional six fish over the 1,000-pound mark that pulled the hooks. He also experienced a few days of catching three nice blues. Toney’s most recent season follows a 2015 campaign in which he produced a women’s world record 1,305-pound blue marlin in Ascension. The captain believes there are still bigger fish to be caught.

When not fishing the Atlantic, Toney captains the Marlin Magic out of Kona. The Hawaii native is no stranger to big blue marlin. He plans to return to Ascension in 2017 from October to January 2018.

“If you want the best odds at catching not only a big marlin but also a giant marlin, then Ascension is hands down the best spot on the planet. The odds end up being about 1 in 10 fish that you see are 900-plus,” Toney explains.

If interested in fishing or learning more about Ascension Island, contact Bryan at konagrander.com.