74 SALTWATERSPORTSMAN.COM SEPTEMBER 2019
THE TRAVELING FISHERMANAtlantic Blue Marlin:Big fi sh, good numbers, and calm waters
combine to make Madeira and the Azores the top Atlantic blue marlin
destination this time of year. The Azores and Condor banks yield plenty of
400- to 500-pounders now. The August full moon is touted as prime time
for blues on the North Drop near St. Thomas, and many fi sh linger well
into September.Pacifi c Blue Marlin:Hawaii experiences an infl ux of blues during late
summer, with August considered peak, and September continuing to pro-
duce solid numbers. Trophy hunters should note that waters off Kona and
Oahu have produced 140 granders over the years. October marks the arrival
of the rainy season in Panama, but August and September bring some of
year’s best blue marlin fi shing.Black Marlin:Peak time for granders around the Great Barrier Reef
is around the corner, and numbers increase accordingly. While big girls
exceeding 800 pounds draw boats to the stretch between Cairns and Lizard
Island, expect plenty of 400- to 600-pounders as well. Ecuador’s Marlin
Boulevard frequently produces a half-dozen shots a day for anglers in
August and September.White Marlin:The northbound migration up the Eastern Seaboard
brings packs of hungry whites to waters off Virginia and Maryland. Boats
out of Virginia Beach and Ocean City fi nd plenty of willing playmates this
time of year, with the consistent bite extending as far south as Nags Head,
North Carolina, where the run out to the big drop in the continental shelf is
considerably shorter.Atlantic Sailfi sh:As water temperatures climb, sailfi sh push
northward up the mid-Atlantic coast. Many reach Virginia; some make it to
Maryland. But the largest concentration of fi sh remain in North Carolina
waters—anglers fi nd excellent action off the Outer Banks by pinpointing
baitfi sh schools with sonar, and slow-trolling liveys or rigged ballyhoo
around them.Pacifi c Sailfi sh:While this is considered offseason in Guatemala, most
days, game boats in Iztapa manage to raise a half-dozen sails or more,
providing enough action to keep visiting anglers busy. Meanwhile, on
Mexico’s west coast, the sport-fi shing fl eets out of Acapulco, Zihuatanejo,
Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta partake of the year’s best sailfi sh bite over
the next couple of months.Striped Marlin:Cabo San Lucas at the southern end of the Baja
Peninsula remains the most reliable fi shery, even during this time, which is
considered the shoulder season in the region. Action along Ancora Bank off
the north coast of Peru heats up in August, as squid and sardines aggregate
en masse, and hungry striped marlin show up for the feast, often resulting
in double-digit-release days.Wahoo:The striped torpedoes get going in Bermuda this time of year,
as fi sh gather around Argus and Challenger banks. Slow-trolling speedos
is the preferred strategy, but ballyhoo-Islander combinations pulled at a
faster clip produce as well. In North Carolina, boats out of Hatteras, Oregon
and Beaufort inlets fi nd wahoo along the fi rst drop, and around various
humps and offshore canyons.Yellowfi n Tuna:Schools of big yellowfi ns, 40 to 75 pounds, roam
the offshore oil rigs off southeast Louisiana. Boats out of Venice make the
run to 3,000 feet of water, and troll live hardtails and herring around
the fl oating platforms and weed lines. On the Pacifi c side of Panama, packs
of tuna provide sporadic action around submerged pinnacles and along the
color change.Bluefi n Tuna:Boats out of Rockport and Gloucester enjoy action with
giant bluefi ns at Stellwagen and Georges banks, Jeffreys Ledge, and
Cape Cod Bay. Balloon rigs are the most popular way to deploy baits, but
kite-fi shing seems to be catching on. Just north of the Canadian border,
big bluefi ns funnel through Northumberland Strait, and congregate in the
southern Gulf of St. Lawrence.PortugalHawaiiAustraliaVirginiaNorth
CarolinaGuatemalaMexicoBermudaLouisianaMassachusettsU.S. Virgin
IslandsPanamaEcuadorMarylandVirginiaMexicoPeruNorth
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