Offshore Species
Black marlin
For many, the headliner. Savage, wild, wonderful — and the reason many anglers come back time and time again.
For many, the black marlin is the headliner — the whole reason they come fishing with us. The Gulf of Chiriquí is among the top black marlin fisheries in the Northern Hemisphere.
We catch blacks up to 800 pounds, though most fish range from around 250 to 400. Many of them come off high spots — Hannibal Bank, the Burbuja (a high spot near Isla Montuosa where bubbles rise from the sea floor), Islas Ladrones. There are plenty of spots that produce great marlin days.
Seeing a big black attack a live bait is incredible — savage, wild and wonderful. The first run is something to behold, often punctuated by jumps that take the fish entirely out of the water. Near the boat, blacks are known to explode from the water on the leader. Once seen, it's something you can't unsee.
When & how
The dinner bell rings when the bonito gather.
We catch black marlin all year, but the best times are July and August and November, December into January. During these windows bonito aggregate and hold around the high spots — the consistent presence of bait is like a dinner bell.
We also catch blacks trolling lures offshore, and sometimes around floating structure — a barnacle-covered tree in blue water. If we find that kind of thing surrounded by bait, it's generally worth a couple of circles with live bonito. However we target them, any day you catch a marlin is a good day.
Seeing a big black marlin attack a live bait is incredible. It is savage, wild, and wonderful.
In the spread
Black marlin at the lodge
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