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It is quite enthralling to hit the waters and come up with one of the most sought after species of marlin.
Their superb form, the great fight they put up and their huge sizes makes them a catch to be proud of.
Location This fish is found in all the tropical ocean waters worldwide.
To ensure their population does not go down, spawning is done.
This is done in locations like Mauritius, the Caribbean islands on the western side of the Atlantic, Hawaii and the Guinean Gulf on the eastern side of the Atlantic.
Species There are two species which include the Pacific and the Atlantic blue marlin.
Scientific research has found that most of the species found in the Atlantic are genetically similar to that found in the Pacific.
This is attributed to the prevalence of the p-phenotype in both oceans compared to the a-phenotype that has not been found in the Pacific and Indian oceans.
Size There are significant gender differences.
An adult male ranges at 300 pounds in weight, rarely exceeding this.
Females are usually much larger, reaching up to 1,000 pounds.
This is however still contested by scientists and anglers.
Records have the largest species captured as a Pacific breed at 1,805 pounds that was captured in Hawaii.
In the Atlantic, the largest haul was a 1,402 pound fish that was caught in Brazil.
Methods Different fishing methods and equipment are used.
The choice mostly depends on the size of the fish being aimed for the conditions at sea.
Local cultural practices also come into play.
Live bait, artificial lures or rigged natural baits will be used.
Lures Artificial lure fishing is one popular method because blue marlins put up a great fight at attempts to capture them.
This method came from Hawaii where the first kinds of lures were pared out of wood that was encased in drinking glasses or chrome pipes skirted with rubber or upholstery made out of vinyl.
Modern lures are made in various sizes, shapes and colors.
Natural Bait Others prefer rigged natural bait.
They have been used since the previous century and are still popular today.
They are widely used in the American eastern seaboard as well as in the Caribbean and Bahamas.
Here, horse ballyhoo and Spanish mackerel are used to lure the Atlantic breed of marlin.
These can be used in combination with artificial lures.
With live bait fishing, smaller species of tuna and skipjack are thought to be the best lure.
Its limitation is that the bait cannot be trolled fast so that it remains alive.
This method can only be used in fairly small fishing areas.
It is the method used in the fishery in Kona,Hawaii.
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