InTheBite

Last Day Marlin Wins World Record Payout … Again

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The crew of the Billfisher posing with their white marlin.

The crew of the Billfisher posing with their white marlin. (Photos/White Marlin Open)

For the second year in a row, the last white marlin weighed netted a world record purse. In 2021, Sushi out of Ocean City, MD, took the top white marlin at the last minute and at the time collected (a then world record payout) of $3,200,000 for catching a fish. That record payout lasted just 10 months when angler Matthew Brown fishing aboard the Mercenaria in the 2022 Big Rock tournament out of Morehead City, NC weighed a 572.6-pound blue marlin and won $3,489,813.

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A Work of Art Wins 20th Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic

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The crew of the Work of Art, the winner of the Blue Marlin Classic, posing with a check for $545,681.25.

The crew of the Work of Art posing with the check for their prize money.

Miramar Beach, Florida— Angler Christian Fast, Capt. Jason Buck and the team aboard A Work of Art won the 20th anniversary Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic after weighing the largest blue marlin at 638.7 pounds. The team also released three blues. With tournament awards and optional entries, that effort was worth $545,681. Art Favre owns the 92 Viking based in Orange Beach, Alabama. The 84 teams competing in this year’s Classic were angling for $1.987 million in overall prize money.

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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.

By Zachary Granat

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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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.

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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Quantified, Skin Deep Take First at Gulf Coast Masters

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gulf coast masters

Capt Justin Drummond, mates Matt Driscoll, Cyler Pape, Matt Reed, Juan Garcia.

First place release at the 2022 Gulf Coast Masters went to the Quantified with Capt. Justin Drummond at the helm. Second place release went to Bandito, Capt. Bobby Wade, with third place release going to Mollie, Capt. Jeff Shoults. Capt. Kyle Smith and the Skin Deep team took first place for their 702-pound blue marlin.
Gulf Coast Masters

Blue Marlin Blast Fishing Tournament

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blue marlin fishing tournament

Photo: EFSA European Championship Big Game Fishing Tournament

By Toine van Ierland, Tournament Director

Cape Verde on fire!

In both 2020 and 2021, we were forced to postpone the tournament thanks to COVID-19, but on the night of April 24, 2022, we finally kicked off the 2022 EFSA European Championship Big Game Fishing Tournament, AKA The PENN Challenge.

And what a tournament it was.

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Sea Genie II Boats 942.5-pound Blue at 2022 Lazy Marlin Hunt

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Photo: Teddy Hoogs

Capt. Keith Robinson and the Sea Genie II team won largest marlin at the 2022 Lazy Marlin Hunt with their blue weighing in at 942.5 pounds.

Most releases in order from first to third:
2 tags – Capt. Tracy Epstien Last Chance
1 tag Capt. Tony Clark Mauna Kea
1 tag Capt. Mat Bowman Sweet Sadie

Kona, Hawaii: Scientific Lure Fishing

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kona lure fishing

ITB Staff

While it has been years since most places in the world succumbed to the dink ballyhoo revolution, Hawaiian captains still proudly pull plastic. In some of places where lures still appear, their selection is haphazard…the old, “Grab that one over there and throw a hook in it” type thing. In Kona, lure fishing is equal parts science and applied engineering with a healthy dose of aesthetic appeal mixed in.

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30th MidAtlantic Wraps Up with Potential State Record Blue Marlin

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Photo courtesy MidAtlantic Tournament

MidAtlantic Tournament, August 23, 2021—It was indeed a tournament for the ages! The 30th MidAtlantic wrapped up last night and saying it was one for the record books would be an understatement! Records were set in several categories including two before the first day of fishing when a tournament record field of 203 were entered breaking the previous record of 183 set last year.

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