Black Marlin

Black Marlin Quick Facts

Black marlin are unique in several ways: 

• Scientific name: Istiompax indica
• Found in tropical and warm temperate oceanic waters in the Pacific, Indo-Pacific and Indian Oceans
• Black marlin have an anteriorly pointed dorsal fin and similarly pointed anal fin. The dorsal fin is shorter than that of a blue marlin. 
• The pectoral fins are rigid and cannot folded along the body, unlike other marlin species whose pectoral fins fold easily against the body.  
• The fish’s coloration is primarily silver and dark blue, although black marlin can “light up” with coloration from their bills to the tail. 
• Marlin are hatched from eggs and begin life as tiny fish, growing rapidly each year.
• The largest black marlin are all females, with males rarely exceeding 200 pounds. 
• Black marlin weighing over 1,000 pounds are known as granders.

Black Marlin Fishing Tips

Black marlin can be caught using a wide variety of fishing techniques, depending on the location. 

Black marlin are often found in shallower water than their cousins, the blue marlin. Often, they will be encountered on the edges of deepwater reefs in places like Panama, Costa Rica and Australia. In places where black marlin are concentrated, live-baiting is an effective tactic. Small tunas, bonito and other forage fish are captured live using small spoons or jigs, then bridled to a larger hook and deployed for black marlin. Boats slow-troll these live baits along drop-offs and reef edges in hopes of enticing a bite. 

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is another hot spot for black marlin, particularly the larger specimens over 1,000 pounds, known as granders. Here, the tactic is to fish with large rigged dead baits like mackerel, queenfish and scad, where large hooks are stitched or sewn to the bait. These can be trolled much faster in order to cover more ground. 

Black marlin can also be targeted using standard trolling lures such as those from Mold Craft, Black Bart, Moyes, Koya, Coggins, Fathom and others. The most popular fishing spreads consist primarily of larger, more active lures fished closer to the boat, and smaller, straight-running lures farther back from the outriggers. Many pros will select different colors and styles depending on the weather conditions and type of baitfish in the area. Lures are usually rigged with a single large hook, either stiff or free-swinging. 

Benefits of fishing with artificial lures include the ability to troll at a higher speed in order to cover more ground and encounter feeding marlin. However, the hook-up to release ratio with lures is lower than with other techniques, since the fish has the ability to throw the lure while jumping.