Prime Destinations For Black Marlin Charters
The prized game fish, Makaira Indica, more commonly known as Black Marlin, is one of the world’s fastest fish. It reaches speeds of more than 50 miles per hour. Generally weighing in at 1700 pounds, or 750 kilograms, larger beasts have been reportedly caught by Black Marlin charters. M. Indica is of the Perciformes order of fish and dwells in the coastal surface waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Greenpeace
As with other genera of Order Perciformes, Makaira appears on the Greenpeace seafood red list. This list documents species that have a high likelihood of being harvested from supplies that are unsustainable. This is why the modern sport fisherman will pause only to photograph their prize and then return it to the sea from whence it emerged. Other species in the same family, Istiophoridae, include the Japanese White Marlin as well as the Hawaiian Silver Marlin.
Old Salt
In the novel, ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, written by Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), old salt, Santiago, finally manages to break a 12-week dry spell by hooking a member of Makaira. The rest of the novel goes on to describe the hero’s legendary battle against the combined forces of the fierce, resolute beast and Mother Nature.
Color
Contrary to its moniker, M. Indica is not black but rather deep blue and white with black tail and pectoral fins. The pectoral fins are unique in that they are rigid, rather than flexible. Another feature that sets it apart from other species is its abbreviated ventral fin, no more than 12 inches in length. Makaira likes the warm equatorial and subtropical waters that hug the coastline, although it is not completely absent from the open sea. It has been spotted as far north as the Lesser Antilles and as far south as Brazil.
Popular Tours
The eastern coast of Australia offers some of the best chartered fishing breaks on the planet. Approximately 75% of all marlin over the weight of one ton are caught along a 150-mile section of the Great Barrier Reef off the Cairns coast. Altogether, game fishermen off the coasts of Brazil, Hawaii and Portugal catch in the region of half this amount.
Brisbane’s Gold Coast
The Gold Coast at Brisbane is a very popular gathering place for light tackle enthusiasts seeking Makaira and other game fish. Here they can trawl for Spanish Mackerel, Mia, Wahoo and others. Bottom fishers, otherwise known as ‘jiggers’, come here to find Kingfish, Cobia, Peal Perch and Snapper.
Austrailia
Off the south west coast of Australia lies Port Stephens, a port more than twice the size of nearby Sydney Harbor. This world-class spot for sport fishing also offers spectacular views, golden, sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Tours here run from the month of January to April.
The Central American Republic of Guatemala is emerging as a hot spot for M. Indica and for Black Marlin Charters. Some of the most spectacular hauls of billfish have been made here, with anglers bagging as many as twenty or more fish in one day. Owing to its location between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, the area is vulnerable to hurricanes. This tends to govern the months during which Black Marlin Fishing tours operate.
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