TIPS AND TACTICS FOR RAISING AND CATCHING BLACK MARLIN IN CABO By Richard Chudy

Unlike other marlin, blacks live only in the Pacific. They are considered by most marine biologists to be a continental shelf species – meaning that they tend to remain near landmasses and are unlikely to be found in open waters. Perhaps that characteristic contributes to the black marlin’s more deliberate nature. Black marlin are more likely to remain in a specific area for longer periods of time, move slower than a blue or a striper, and feed in a more methodical, systematic way. Like all marlin, they are opportunistic feeders but differ from the others in that they are known to consume loads of reef fish. Hunting areas of structure for grouper, snapper and other reef fish, the black develops more of a territorial personality. Blacks caught and released in one area are often caught again in the same spot weeks later.

Marlin fishing in Cabo means trolling lures and teasers to entice and casting bait to get bit. Although live bait accounts for more successful hook-ups, hook-ups on lures and dead bait are common. Dead bait is especially effective on blacks. The how and when to present both live and dead baits comes a little later. For starters, let’s set out a spread that does the job.

First and foremost is color when choosing trolling lures that are effective on black marlin. Proper selection and occasional changes can mean the difference between coming in with flags flying or being skunked. Remain flexible, if the colors you have out aren’t working, change them out, one at a time letting a little time pass between one change and another. For me, I usually start with bleeding Dorado patterns, black and blues (skipjacks), and guacamayas. Guacamaya refers to a yellow bellied, pink and blue feathered bird macaw so if you can’t find it by name, just look for the colors. It’s currently one of the hottest lures in use so any self-respecting marlin angler should have a few on hand. Next, set your lures out in the proper positions using the wake waves as your guide. Run your stinger (the center of the spread) back to the sixth swell in the center of the wakes “vee.” Your long rigger should be placed back at the fifth swell, the short at the fourth. Use your corners too. Set the long corner to the third swell and the short corner to the second. Adjust each lure so that it is on the front side of the swell its positioned on, trust me, it makes a great deal of difference.

Pay attention to the “smoke” trail of each lure. Each should leave a long trail and should break the surface well without leaving the water completely. That spray of water coming off the head of the lure is the single greatest factor in causing a reaction strike so ensure that each lure is running right. Erratic smoke trails and high pops out of the water usually indicate a fouled lure so bring those in, correct the problem and reposition. Set the drag on each reel. Drag pressure plays a critical role in hook-up ratio on trolled lures. I recommend setting them to about 12 pounds, a little less on the riggers. More hook-ups occur on light drag then heavy.

While playing the waiting game, keep a look out for tails and fins and have at least one, preferably two, bait rigs at the ready. When a strike occurs, be ready to cast bait back to where the strike took place. Missed strikes happen, but when they do, don’t give up on that fish! An effective method of enticing a second strike is to free spool the struck line for a ten count, switch back to striking pressure and crank, crank, crank!! The drop mimics injured prey waiting to be eaten. Cranking after a ten count looks like a recovering fish fleeing for life. Both actions drive a hungry marlin wild.

If the drop back doesn’t work, turn back towards the strike zone and get ready to cast bait. The first bait I send out blind, meaning we haven’t spotted the marlin on the surface, is the dead bait. Cast it on the inside of your turn and leave it in free spool holding the line loosely between your fingers so that you can feel it get picked up or billed but can still let line spill off the reel. Once back to the fourth or fifth lure, return the drag to strike pressure. Let the dead bait float and dump throttle letting the boat drift to a near stop. If you spot your quarry, cast the live bait in front of it, reel in the dead and be ready to cast it to the fish also. As mentioned earlier, black marlin are more deliberate feeders and often prefer the ease of picking up the dead bait to chasing down the live one.

Should no strike occur but you spot a marlin coming up the center of the spread, drop back both a live and dead bait and try to put the bait right in its face. Marlin will come up, mouths wide open, and a seasoned angler can literally drop a bait back right down its throat. Dead bait is easier to position than live in this instance and are often jumped on, especially by blacks.


Should luck be with you and you’ve managed to hook your black, know that while blues are faster, blacks are stronger. Get on the fish fast, any opportunity to break it’s spirit early is welcome and should be taken. Black marlin do not have the tendency to go deep like a blue will, they prefer to stay at a depth of 100-150 yards when they do run down. At the most, expect them to go as deep as 300 yards but very rarely deeper.If you get on the fish quick, take every opportunity to bring him up to the surface, and work, work, work. You’ll most likely be rewarded with an awesome exhibition of power with jump after jump to quicken your pulse. Breaking a marlin’s spirit fast means more time for you to get another, greater success when releasing your catch, and the added bonus of a fresh and acrobatic fish ready to put on a show.

Using some of these techniques and armed with knowledge of the species, a recent trip aboard Oscar Dacarrett’s Paraiso del Mar rewarded our group with not one, but two black marlin, each over 300 pounds. Onboard were my partner, Dolores Peralta, boat owner and new Cabo Sport Fishing Commissioner Oscar Dacarrett, Gladston Texeira - business associate and friend of Oscar's, and myself. Captain Cesar and first mate Christopher are well-experienced fisherman and one of the best crews I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with. We set out from Marina Baja in Cabo San Lucas in search of marlin, more specifically big black marlin.

September is traditionally one of the best months for targeting billfish, as the shear number of them prowling the Sea of Cortez is astounding. So with tackle prepared, a full tank of fuel and plenty of cold drinks (okay, mostly beer), we set out on a course toward the Gordo Banks. After reaching our destination where 85 degree, azure blue water met with a solid but not to speedy current, we set out our spread and marked the moment with a cold beer, the first sip sacrificed to the sea to pay homage to our prey. Mere moments later, a short strike on the long rigger triggered a scramble to the stern and the process of turning a missed strike into a hook-up began.

Although the marlin that struck the lure was nowhere to be seen, the struck line was free-spooled, a ten count pause, and, as you now know, crank, crank, crank! Although there was no immediate second strike, the rod now in it’s holder and back on the rigger, no more than a minute or so passed when zzzzzzzz, the second strike! A strong hook set was made and the battle began. I took my place in the fighting chair and watched line spin off the reel. Once the first ran stopped, immediate pressure was applied to the fish pumping up and reeling down to gain back spent line. Several runs later, with constant attention paid in order to take advantage of brief “breathers” taken by the black, it was now on the surface and leaping. Jump after jump followed by a straight-up vertical lunge kept all onboard whooping and cheering.

After an exciting 30 or so minutes, we had a 300 pound black marlin alongside the boat in great shape and ready for release. Caught, photographed and released, this beauty would live to fight many more battles for many more years.
Never waste time getting all your rigs back in the water. Where there is one marlin, they are often many more, especially with blacks. Our spread was reset and we were back on the troll within minutes and soon we had black number two hooked up and fighting. This one opted to go deep and remained so the for the majority of the fight with only one series of jumps to entertain us. Gladston Texeira had never caught a marlin, let alone a big black. He worked on this fish for over two hours and ultimately won the battle. A 300 pound plus black marlin fights like a horse and when it’s pushing 100 degrees with little or no breeze, you get hot, real hot. After landing our second black of the day, a jump overboard into the warm yet refreshing blue water was much earned. Hard work led to great fun and amazing memories.

So remember that not all marlin are created equal, that knowing how to adapt to each species will only increase your success, and that shorter, more efficient battles leave both the angler and the marlin healthier and more energized for the next blue water battle. Until next time, keep your eyes scanning the sea and your ears listening for the scream of a hot reel.