THE 



CATCH 



one, be prepared with the right equipment 

 out of consideration for the ultimate 

 survival of the fish. You'll need a big 

 reel and 50- to 100-pound-test monofila- 

 ment line. 



Battling a blue marlin can sometimes 

 take hours, and you can unnecessarily 

 prolong the experience if you aren't 

 outfitted correctly, Bahen says. The more 

 exhausted the fish becomes, the less likely 

 it is to survive once you release it. 



"You don't go bear hunting with a 

 switch, and you don't go blue marlin 

 fishing with a spinning reel," Bahen says. 



The best approach is to troll the bait, 

 and the kind of bait you choose is personal 

 preference, Bahen says. Some fishers use 

 artificial lures and others prefer natural bait 

 such as Spanish mackerel or mullet. 



Fishers can kill only one blue marlin 

 per day, and the fish must be at least 86 

 inches long in fork length (from the lower 

 jaw to the fork of the tail.) 



"They are big, giant, beautiful fish," 

 Bahen says. But the important thing for 

 fishers is to come home with a good 

 picture in mind. "We want that picture 

 to end right, to see that fish swim off to 

 fight again." 



For more tips about the little tunny or 

 blue marlin, call Jim Bahen at 910/256-2083. □ 



little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus 

 Ranges: Tropical and subtropical waters on both sides of the Atlantic, including the 

 Mediterranean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Average catch weight: 6 to 8 pounds 



Common fork length: 25 inches 



Minimum fork length: 86 inches 



blue marlin, Makaira nigricans 

 Ranges: Deeper, warmer waters of the western Atlantic, usually no farther north than 

 Virginia Beach, Va. Averagecatch weight: 300 to 500 pounds 



1998 North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Tournaments 



May 1 4- 1 6 Cape Fear Blue Marlin 

 Tournament, Wrightsville Beach, 

 910/452-9774 



May 16-1 7 The Carolina/Kure 

 Beaches Spring Surf Fishing 

 Tournament, Carolina Beach, 

 910/458-8434 



May 23-24 Swansboro Rotary 1 998 

 Memorial Day Blue Water Fishing 

 Tournament, Swansboro, 

 91 9/354-2787 or 91 0/326-1 21 1 

 May 23 Pirate's Cove Memorial 

 Weekend Tournament, Manteo, 

 252/473-3700 or 1 -800/367-4728 



June 8-13 Big Rock Blue Marlin 

 Tournament, Morehead City, 

 252/247-3575 



June 15-20 Hatteras Annual Invitational 

 Blue Marlin Tournament, Hatteras, 

 252/986-2454 



June 20-21 14th Annual Raleigh Saltwater 

 Sportfishing Club King Mackerel and Blue 

 Water Tournament, Atlantic Beach, 

 919/556-0726 



June 26-27 E.J.W. Cobia Tournament, 



Morehead City, 252/247-4725 



J u ly 4 Jolly Mon King Mackerel Tournament, 



Ocean Isle Beach, 910/754-6000 or 



910/754-8416 



July 1 0-1 1 70 West Marine Billfish 

 Tournament, Morehead City, 

 252/726-5171 



July 1 1 —1 2 The East Coast Got-Em-On 



Classic, Carolina Beach, 910/458-6729 



July 1 2 Seamark Foods Children's 



Tournament, Manteo, 252/473-3700 



or 1-800/367-4728 



J u ly 1 8 Carteret County Sportfishing 



Association Ladies King Mackerel 



Tournament, Beaufort 



July 25-27 Carteret County Sportfishing 



Association King Mackerel Tournament, 



Beaufort □ 



COASTWATCH 33 



