Forget the term "fashionably late" when talking about Bermuda's pelagic princesses. These grand ladies, dressed in stunning blue, sometimes go well beyond British punctuality to show up a bit early for the annual offshore party.
Blue-marlin season in Bermuda historically kicks off in late May, rolls into full swing by the middle of June and stays hot through August. The highly migratory nature of marlin, however, makes it difficult to pull out a calendar and firmly finger the date that blues will start appearing in lure spreads. The charter fleet focuses on abundant wahoo and yellowfin tuna in April and May. Considering the events that heralded the blues' arrival in 2006 - two granders caught in a week - one has to wonder about the number and size of fish anglers might catch if they began targeting marlin earlier.
Grander in May
When Capt. Allen DeSilva left the dock on May 28, 2006, he knew the blues had arrived off Bermuda because he had already released his first of the season, a 450-pounder, two weeks earlier. An uneventful morning of trolling slipped into early afternoon until, at 2 o'clock, a marlin crashed the teaser and fell back to take the flat-line lure. Angler Bill Elliott released the fish 20 minutes later, quite pleased with the estimated 400-pounder because it represented his largest-ever marlin. His personal record fell much more quickly than he expected.
Just 20 minutes after putting the spread back out, mate Peter Lewis saw a hefty fish come up on the Black Bart Xtreme Breakfast teaser. DeSilva quickly pulled that in, prompting the marlin to attack the flat-line lure. "The fish was very large, and it moved very fast," DeSilva recalls. "In less than a minute, it took nearly 1,000 yards of line off the 130-pound reel. I had to spin the DeMako around and chase the fish to stop it from completely emptying the spool."
The high-speed pursuit went on for more than 15 minutes before Elliott managed to recover the first inch of line. He spent another 45 minutes in the chair while the battle took the boat 4 miles from the hookup site. Lewis ultimately wired the monster blue, and prior to its release, DeSilva estimated the weight at more than 1,000 pounds.
Those who doubt DeSilva's ability to accurately judge a marlin's size don't know the man. With several other granders to his credit - including the 1,352-pounder caught in 1995 that stands as the Bermuda record - he's earned a solid reputation as one of the best skippers in the business. One week after the May grander, DeSilva further strengthened his reputation.
Alastair Barbour chartered DeMako, a 57-foot Sunny Brigs custom Carolina, for June 6 and brought a guest, Keith Falconer. By 2:30 p.m., the pair had released a white marlin and put a dolphin and a yellowfin tuna on ice. Barbour, an experienced angler, said he would only take the rod on a big blue; Falconer could fight any small fish that struck. Nobody saw the bite when the right short 'rigger line began peeling slowly off the reel. After a brief hesitation, Barbour said, "Keith, you take it."
Falconer settled in the chair and started working the fish. A minute later, its first jump revealed the massive marlin's size. Just 10 minutes into the fight, the fish came close enough for Lewis to make a wiring attempt - but there was no leader to grab! A series of frantic jumps had tangled the entire 25-foot leader around the fish. The marlin ran deep and, as often happens to tail-wrapped fish, died on the line.
It took a drag setting of 100 pounds and four hours of grueling effort for Falconer to winch up the dead marlin tail-first from the depths. Agreeing that this blue looked smaller than the one they had released a week earlier, DeSilva and Lewis estimated it would weigh 900 pounds. They erred on the conservative side: Back at the marina, the fish tipped the scales to 1,048 pounds.
Tips from Two Very Sucessful Captains...
Capt. Alan Card and I have caught a number of granders because we prepare ourselves, our crew and our tackle with the specific intention of catching big fish. Granders don't send a message to say, "See you next Wednesday - get ready." They can appear anytime, and they will test your tackle - rod, reel, line, crimps, swivels - so you have to constantly expect the big one. We're always checking our tackle and its performance. When we identify a weak link in the system, usually pointed out under the strain of a big marlin, we modify and fix it. And as time goes by, we lose fewer fish.
I want to catch a 2,000-pound fish - the biggest, baddest marlin out there! I use all 130-pound tackle, 600-pound leader and 12/0 hooks. If your goal is to catch a 1,000-pound fish, you have to focus on it. If you miss shots at smaller marlin because the hooks are too big, so be it. How many shots at a grander blue will an angler get? You have to have the right gear in top condition when you get that chance. The hell with smaller fish. That's my approach. It's paid off so far with five granders and a 996. If you're prepared when you get your shot, you won't go home with just a fish story.
- Capt. Allen DeSilva
In the late '60s, I was fortunate to meet Capt. Walter Boff when he brought the Sea Quest to Bermuda. He told me, 'When you fish for blue marlin, you go for the biggest one that swims.'
When marlin fishing, you have to be prepared because it's not a daily occurrence to get a shot at a grander. We use heavy line, heavy leader, big hooks. We push our tackle to the maximum, and we're geared up for anything that swims. When a big marlin strikes, we fully intend to catch it. You can't go about this game half-assed. No excuses. We're dealing with a fish that can weigh half a ton, and we may be pulling on it for several hours. We examine all components of our tackle every day before it goes in the water.
- Capt. Alan Card
Lure Choices
Capt. Allen DeSilva believes in pulling very large teasers to raise giant marlin. Both of last spring's granders came up on the same teaser, a Black Bart Xtreme Breakfast (www.blackbartlures.com). The hard-resin head has a length of 6.3 inches and a 4-inch diameter; when skirted, it measures 24 inches and weighs 4.3 pounds. "Each fish ate a different lure, but that teaser got their attention," DeSilva says. "The teaser draws a big fish up close, where we want it, not way back where we won't get a good shot at it. I usually position a Black Bart Blue Breakfast lure in the spread right behind the Xtreme Breakfast teaser."
Capt. Alan Card says he's caught burly Bermuda blues on lures large and small. "I can't name a particular lure I always use for big fish. One of our largest, a 1,190-pounder, hit a 9-inch Mold Craft Wide Range," he says. (Check out Mold Craft at www.moldcraftproducts.com.)
Bermuda Contacts
Top captains to call on when you're ready to hook into a grander of your own.
To read this story in its entirety, pick up the May 2007 issue of Sport Fishing Magazine
