Marlin University is now Marlin Expeditions! We travel to the best big-game destinations on Earth, at peak times of the year, and teach the most cutting-edge techniques to catch billfish. Check out our upcoming expeditions.
There’s a certain electricity on the run out. It’s a kind of quiet, giddy anticipation that spreads through a boat full of friends, some old and some brand-new, as everyone wonders what the day will hold. This season, that thrill has been experienced from the sailfish grounds of Guatemala to the famed blue water off Kona with Marlin Expeditions. In May, anglers Stuart Ray, Deborah Holt and Tom Delbrugge boarded Rum Line at Casa Vieja Lodge with Capt. Terry Brennan for four days in one of the world’s most electric sailfish fisheries. The trip opened with a moment none of them will forget: On Day 1, Stuart released his first sailfish ever, a fish in the 75- to 125-pound range that set the tone for everything that followed. Tom and Deborah found their rhythm on Day 2, releasing two and one, respectively, and by Day 3 the entire boat was locked in. Deborah and Stuart each released three sailfish; Tom added two more. Then came Day 4, the kind of afternoon anglers talk about for years: All three hooked up at once in a triple release, and each went on to release three sailfish before the day was through. By the time the outriggers came down on the final day, the crew had raised 47 sailfish, drawn 39 bites and released 21, proof of both a world-class fishery and a crew that knew exactly how to fish it.
A month later, in June, the Pacific told a different kind of story. Michael Stewart Jr. and Jim Rose, joined by Michael’s father, Michael Stewart Sr., spent six days aboard 2nd Offense with Capt. Kevin Hibbard and mate Mike Sunada, hunting the big bluewater game Kona is famous for. The action built steadily: A handful of bites on Day 1 gave way to Day 2, when Michael Jr. released his first small blue marlin and Jim landed a 65-inch shortbill spearfish, checking off another leg of his IGFA Royal Slam. Jim added his first Pacific blue marlin on Day 3, and Day 4 delivered the trip’s signature moment: Michael Jr. released two blue marlin—one estimated at over 600 pounds—while Jim released two striped marlin. The crew kept the pressure on through Day 5, when Jim landed a wahoo and Michael Jr. added another blue marlin. The trip closed strong on Day 6 with Michael Jr.’s first-ever striped marlin release. When the lines came in for the last time, the tally read 24 marlin raised, 17 bites and 12 released, spanning blue marlin from 75 to over 600 pounds, striped marlin from 25 to 100 pounds, and spearfish from 15 to 40 pounds.
Two trips. Two destinations. One unmistakable feeling, and a powerful reminder as to why we do this.
Behind the scenes, that feeling is driving everything coming next. We’re deep into planning a Magdalena Bay expedition unlike anything we’ve run before, and we’re returning to Casa Vieja Lodge for a special trip alongside Jessica Harvey, CEO of the Guy Harvey Foundation, pairing elite billfishing with a genuine conservation mission. Both trips are expected to sell out quickly.
Further out, 2027 is shaping up to be our most ambitious season yet. We’re building multiple weeks in the Galapagos, one of sport fishing’s last true frontiers, alongside a brand-new ladies-only expedition to Casa Vieja timed to its legendary Sugar Mama’s Tournament. We’re also expanding into Costa Rica with a new expedition and tournament based at Crocodile Bay Resort, opening the door to blue and black marlin, sailfish, dorado and giant yellowfin offshore, plus roosterfish and grouper inshore, launching from a private marina.
None of it happens without years of relationship-building with the lodges, captains and outfitters who make these fisheries what they are. That access, paired with real instruction from working professionals, is what separates a Marlin Expeditions trip from simply chartering a boat. We’re not just planning trips; we’re building a community of anglers who keep showing up, season after season, fishery after fishery.
If this season proved anything, it’s that these spots don’t last long. Whether you’re chasing your first sailfish or your next Royal Slam milestone, the water is calling. See you out there.
