Just how BIG do Blue Marlin grow?

[PanamaJack]

I guess if there's one thing that we all probably share in common it's the adrenaline rush, or expectation thereof, experienced in hooking into a big Blue Marlin. But how large do they grow? That question must have exercised men's minds since they first started angling for them.

Where do we start? Well if there's one certainty about Marlin it is that they start life as a fertilised egg.

An egg only a tenth of the size of a Trout egg. And one of perhaps twenty million or so that a female may release during each breeding season. For the ensuing larvae, should they survive, and estimates suggest that fewer than ten in a million will through to maturity, their life expectancy will be measured in just tens of years. Perhaps thirty or so - certainly not the eighty plus of some Sturgeon, or even 55 years as in the case of Freshwater Eels.

So the largest I've positively been able to identify is an Atlantic Blue Marlin taken off Gran Canaria, in the early seventies. It weighed 1841lbs and was taken on a handline by three commercial fisherman, fishing from a small skiff. Very much shades of Hemmingway's 'Old Man of the Sea'. It engulfed a sixty pound Yellowfin Tuna they were playing.

I've no reason to doubt the veracity of this story, I heard it, first hand, from one of the fisherman - Francisco Ortego. Those of you who may have fished the Canaries, out of Puerto Rico, during the eighties will undoubtedly remember Francisco as the skipper of Carmen Primero.

Then the biggest Pacific fish I can track down is an Hawaiian fish, usually referred to as Choy's Monster - a fish of 1805lbs, taken in 1970 from Honolulu. Incredibly it was landed on rod and line - albeit two anglers played the fish, effectively eliminating it for World record consideration.

I suppose that's where reality ends and speculation begins. Or is it?

There've been reports of commercially long-lined fish of supposedly over 4000lbs. But I recall a Belgian angler, Charles Chtivelman, who still holds the 50lb World record for Bluefin Tuna, once telling me about the carcass of a Blue Marlin he'd seen in a Tahitian commercial cold store. That must have been some time in the mid- to late seventies. Minus guts it weighed 1100 kilos - 2400lbs!

I've spoken to Ted Legg, one of our Club members, at length on this subject. When quizzed he could graphically recall four really big fish in the five seasons he'd fished the Azores. But how big were they? He'd readily described their sheer presence in the water, their bulk - liken to being 'round like a Bluefin'(Tuna), their total control, the way they jumped, the way they swum. But the one thing he wouldn't do was to speculate just how large they were.

Ted has had firsthand experience of big fish, he's gaffed an 1144 pounder - the current 50lb Atlantic Blue line class World record. The fish he was describing though were quite different to one of these 'regular granders'.

Then there was also the fish hooked up on Double Header, from Faial in the Azores. The fight on 130lb test, with a very skilled 'big fish' angler - Mel Immergut - in the chair, lasted some 9 ½ hours before the Marlin broke the line. (They believe it was panic-ed by the close presence of a Mako Shark.) Although they had an early shot at it on no subsequent occasion were they able to turn its head for a gaff shot. This was with very experienced crew on the deck. It was totally unperturbed, it just kept swimming! And even, on occasions, sped off presumably chasing bait shoals! Similarly, when asked, Don Merton the skipper of Double Header would not venture a guess as to its weight. And Don has seen a number of authenticated 'granders' - Blues and Blacks.

Were they just so large that the skippers were concerned of being ridiculed if they'd put on estimate on their weight? Probably.

So have we reach the limit of angler and tackle capability with these really large fish? Can they ever be caught on lures? Or would one require to 'even up the odds' with a 'J' hook and bait to stand any chance?

I'd certainly be interested in any stories of MONSTERS you've heard of, but also your views on this subject.
Dave

[balleko]

Some time ago I holidayed in Mauritius. We stayed at the hotel 'La Pirogue' on the west side of the island. Being a keen fisherman I was straight to the fishing hut at the hotel where day trips were arranged.

On the wall were photos of some of the monsters which had being caught either through the hotel or generally on the island. There were numerous pictures of Blue Marlin 12-1700lbs all with the captors looking made up at the side of their fish.

Apart from one.....

This guy on a charter boat had caught a blue and been unable to boat the fish. They headed back and on the way were attacked by a large shark which tore away at the blue carcass. By the time they got back to harbour the marlin was half gone (I personally would of said that more than half was gone looking at the picture)

Anyway the half he had left weighed in a 1450lbs!!!!!

Like I say this guy looked gutted.

You could try the hotel for the fishing companys name who operate out of the hotel. They are one of the biggest in Mauritius and may help you with some of there catch weights!!

[PanamaJack]

Wow! Thanks for that post Balleko. That really was one of those monsters! I'll certainly try logging onto their web site to pick up any further details of that fish and, perhaps, the picture.

If I think back to some of the pictures I've seen of really big fish they don't necessarily become longer they all seem to put on weight around their girth.
Dave

[Kingfish81]

Dave,

I think I've chatted to you about this before, so apologies if this is a repetition! Whilst in Cairns I chatted to the skipper (who was also an ex-commercial skipper) I went out fishing with and he told me that occasionally when it was really calm they would run really wide (80-100 miles offshore) during the peak run of big blacks.

He said they had hooked up several big fish in the past that went through 800lb leader like cotton. He definitely put their weight in the 1800-2000lb class... Whilst ludicrously inexperienced in big-game fishing I am tempted to think that the current IGFA records for blues and blacks represent the upper limits of tackle and angler strength, as opposed to the upper size limits for these species... Maybe some enterprising skipper out of one of these ports should put Peter Chown (http://www.peter.chown.dsl.pipex.com/) on their boat and rig up with 200lb test gear!

[johnwahoo]

Three years ago a big marlin was caught i believe to the west of Andaman Island on a long line along with many others and weighed here in Phuket where the company Thai and Tawanise have their base.The fish was so large they cut it in half and together it wieghed 940kg not sure black or blue.I was unable to see the fish as i was away fishing but it was there and wieghed for sure.There are some big fish roaming out there somewhere maybe one day i will find them.I caught my best fish out there this year 800lb(estimate).Now the longliners are fishing nearer Sri Lanka and returning with thousands of sailfish and marlin every trip what a waste they send them for chicken food.I will take a picture one day and post it.John

[PanamaJack]

Thanks for your post John. Another enormous fish! I think as Kingfish81 also pointed out most of those 'biggies' do appear to come from 'out wide' by long liners.

I remember speculation in Peter Goadby's Pacific classic - Big Fish and Blue Water - where he suggested that 'commercials' had taken Blues to 4000lbs. (And the Blues seemed to 'outgrow' Blacks.) But unfortunately, in that book, there was nothing to substantiate it further. So reports like Balleko, Kingfish81 and yours are important in adding to our understanding.

Apart from the unsustainability of fisheries like that though it's tragic that such great game fish are being used purely as 'industrial' chicken feed.
Dave