The White Marlin
April 20, 2013
By Florida Sportsman Editor
Similar in color to the Blue Marlin but proportionately lighter in body; Whites can be distinguished from small Blues by the rounded tips of dorsal, anal and pectoral fins.
SIZE
Averages 40-70 pounds; 100-pounders not too uncommon; maximum less than 200. World record 181 pounds, 14 ounces; Florida record 161 pounds.
FOOD VALUE
Advertisement
Good but commercially protected and seldom eaten by sportsmen.
GAME QUALITIES
Probably the most aerial-minded of our Billfishes, but with plenty of stamina as well.
Advertisement
TACKLE AND BAITS
Light ocean trolling or heavy spinning outfits with lines up to 30-pound test; 12- and 20-pound lines are tops for sport. Anglers tar- geting White Marlin usually choose rigged trolling baits, such as Ballyhoo, strips or squid. They will, of course, eagerly strike live Blue Runners, Goggle-eyes and similar baitfish that are considered standard Sailfish baits. Artificial trolling lures also take many Whites.
FISHING SYSTEMS
Trolling; sometimes Drifting.
OTHER NAMES
Spikefish Aguja Blanco
RANGE
Blue ocean water off all Florida coasts and through- out the Bahamas and the Caribbean.
HABITAT
Like the Blue Marlin, a roamer of the open sea, and sought by anglers wherever feeding conditions or tempera- tures are most favorable.
Abaco White Marlin Shannon landed her first white marlin off the Fishbone while in the Abacos
Sebastian White Marlin Kurt Schirmer was surprised to discover the 100-pound catch was a white marlin. He caught this fish in 650ft with a blue/white skirted ballyhoo and fought her for 30 minutes
First Marlin FS member Team Mayhem caught this white marlin out of a double on the 409 hump in the Keys. It was his first ever marlin.
Cat Island White Marlin Florida Sportsman forum member 001 caught this white marlin trolling off Cat Island, Bahamas.
It's a White One! Will found this marlin 8 miles off Miami.
White marlin Wows This Port Everglades white marlin was a welcomed surprise.
