Blue Marlin Fishing Charters

A blue marlin lives in warm, deep blue water far from any reef, hunting tuna, mahi mahi and squid near the surface. Hooked, it tears off line and jumps clear, often more than once. The really big ones are females; males stay much smaller. Most sport anglers release them; our post on releasing a marlin in Mauritius covers what to agree with the crew first. On every boat below a marlin day is mostly watching: the crew runs the spread of lures, and when a fish comes up behind them you take the rod.

Ten of the boats are in Mauritius, where the reef drops into deep water a few minutes outside the pass, so even a morning trip reaches marlin water. The best months on our blue marlin in Mauritius page are November to February. By port:

• Trou-aux-Biches: Pyramide and La Rochelle leave at 4 am for 6 or 10 hours; Big game fishing takes one angler from 5 am and Fishing on Ivan sails at 5:30, both for 6 or 9 hours; One and only goes at 6 for 5 or 9 hours, and Baywatch at 6, back around noon.
• Grand Baie: the Full Day Trip is nine hours from 6 am on Tiagra 30 and 50 reels, from a custom fighting chair or stand-up if you prefer.
• Cap Malheureux: ti bato fishes 5 or 7 hours from 8 am, offshore and on the reef.
• Pointe aux Piments: Flying Kiss takes up to 12, out at 5:30 and back about midday.
• Rivière Noire: Big Game Fishing names blue marlin among its targets and puts two skippers on board to help or teach the method, on a 4 hour trip from 9 am.

Trolling for marlin out of Honolulu

Both Honolulu boats leave at 6 am and offer 4, 6 or 8 hours, private to your group. Reel Life is a Viking sportfisher for up to 6, with outriggers, a fighting chair, a flybridge and a first mate to help you on the rod; you bring your own food and drinks. Iwa Kai is a 74 foot Striker from Kewalo Basin for groups of up to 12, with an air-conditioned cabin and a full galley and marlin, ahi, ono and mahi mahi on the menu as the season allows.

Gran Canaria has a name for blue marlin too, but our boat there, Bottom fishing 6 hours in Las Palmas, is a morning reef trip for amberjack and snapper on live bait, dead bait and jigs. Marlin are on its species list, but the boat does not go out for them.