InTheBite

Elizabeth Arn To Achieve Junior Blue Marlin Record

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Chase Travers, Randy Baker, Scott Murie, Stephen Hall, Elizabeth Arn, and Jonathan Arn posing in front of the marlin.

From left to right, Second Mate Chase Travers, Capt. Randy Baker, Capt. Scott Murie, First Mate Stephen Hall, Elizabeth Arn and Jonathan Arn.

On May 31, 12-year-old Elizabeth Arn reeled in a 624-pound blue marlin off the coast of São Vicente, Cape Verde. Her catch will mark the new pending world record for the Female IGFA Junior Angler category.

Her angling was “outstanding,” says her father, Jonathan Arn. Upon getting a bite from the marlin, Elizabeth pushed the drag up to 25 pounds to ensure it was hooked solid. Then, she backed off the drag and moved the rod and reel into the fighting chair.

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Innovating the Marlin Weight Formula

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marlin weight formula

By Dale Wills

Anytime I hear someone ask, “How big was the fish?” I’m often reminded of my father and his classic dad joke. Taking his hands from about 12 inches apart and slowly moving them to almost full arms width apart, he would gaze at you with a serious face and say, “It was about that far from the boat and weighed six pounds.”

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2022 Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic Winners

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The Crawgator team with their first place 492.6-pound blue marlin. 

This year’s first place title at the 2022 Cajun Canyons Billfish Classic went to Southern Charm, Capt. Landon Bell. Mon Chari, Capt. Matt Coppoletta, took second with Amigo, Capt. Brad Schoenfeld, taking third.
Heaviest marlin went to Capt. Erik Chandler and the Crawgator team with their 492.6-pound blue marlin.

Top Captain Landon Bell and Top Mate Connor McLeod, Southern Charm.

The Art of Tackle Storage

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tackle storage

A pantry has been converted to rod storage on the 68-foot Viking, Whirlwind.

By Dale Wills

Adequate rod and reel tackle storage on a modern sportfishing boat is generally not the highest priority. Naturally, most soon-to-be boat owners look at other attributes such as engines, number of staterooms, salon layout, bridge configuration and cockpit space when deciding if a boat is right for them. But once a boat is delivered and a captain and/or crew is hired then all kinds of stuff begins to get loaded and stowed, including the all-important tackle.

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Dredge Pulling Tricks from the Pros

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angler with dredge

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

By Ric Burnley

The first time I saw a marlin dredge I had two thoughts. First: that looks ridiculous. Second: that looks awesome! At first, 40 rigged mullet dangling from a web-work of bars and leader looks like a cluster FUBAR waiting to happen. Put the dredge in the water, and dozens of swirling and flashing baits look like a school of bait on the run. Fish cannot resist.

Many anglers had the same experience when they first saw a dredge. We caught up with five pros to find out how they use dredges now, and how they plan to use them in the future.

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Expert Insight To Blue Marlin Fishing Hook Sets

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blue marlin

Photo: Joe Byrum

By Joe Byrum

When it comes to fishing for blue marlin with lures, the hook set can often be an overlooked part of the equation when things are going right and a heavily scrutinized element when they’re not going so well. Typically, when the latter comes into play a fish has just come off or you had a bite that didn’t translate into a hookup. The deliberation gets even heavier when these things occur in multiple instances during a short period of time. The truth is that some marlin aren’t going to be hooked no matter what we do.

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Reel Pushy Wins The 2022 Walker’s Cay Invitational

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reel pushy

Reel Pushy. Photo: Walker’s Cay Invitational

Walker’s Cay Invitational, May 31, 2022—Coming off a strong showing on the final day of competition, Reel Pushy won the 2022 Walker’s Cay Invitational, which concluded earlier this month at the Walker’s Cay Resort and Marina in the Bahamas. Reel Pushy, an 70-foot Spencer based in Savannah, Georgia, earned top boat honors after releasing three blue marlin, two white marlin and four sailfish for a total of 2,200 points. The boat is owned by Robert Baker and run by Capt. Chris Workman.

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Offshore for All

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fishing with physical impairments

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

By Winslow Taylor

There are few pastimes in life that can go from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye. Big game fishing is one of those activities. Saltwater fishing, especially of the offshore variety, requires not only specialized equipment (think boat, rods, tackle, gear, emergency equipment, etc.) but also a degree of coordination, stamina, and focus.

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The Galapagos are the Offshore Escape You’ve Been Looking For

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,,galapagos

Photos and Story by Lane Forrer

A Brief History

In all of their travels, the Polynesians and South American cultures never settled the Galapagos. It’s debatable whether they found them, but there are no archeological remains of people prior to Europeans. Curious. So many currents collide in and amongst the archipelago that anyone might have arrived and called it home.

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