MARLIN, STRIPED
Scientific Name:
Tetrapturus audax, Kajika audax
Fish Group:
Billfish
Salt/Fresh:
Salt
Also Known As:
Striped Marlin; Striper; Red Marlin (Japan); MARLIN, STRIPED
Rating:
Countries:
Description:
Marlin are the pinnacle of big game fishing and sort generally with big boats and big bucks! Striped Marlin are another popular marlin and certainly have a never give up attitude.
How To Identify:
Striped Marlin have a sloped head and slender spear and is the most slender of the Marlin. Colouration is very similar to the Blue Marlin being cobalt blue on top and silvery white below, it has vertical stripes of light blue and lavender which lasts longer on death than the blue marlin. The Striped Marlin however has a more pointed and higher dorsal fin than the blue marlin. Striped Marlin do not grow as large as it blue and black cousins however have been caught in excess of 200 kgs
How To Catch:
Whole books and DVD's have been dedicated to the catching of Marlin and we will shortly have some great articles in our articles section. However as a brief introduction... There are three main ways the majority of people fish for Marlin. 1. Trolling Lures 2. Trolling with baits (live or dead) 3. Anchored (or slow drifting) with baits (live or dead). Trolling with Lures - the main style of lure used for trolling is the Konahead style skirted lures. There are literally thousands of variations and most anglers have their favourites. Trolling speeds are usually about 7-12 knots. 2. Trolling with baits. The bait here depends greatly where fishing, in Cairns for example the bait maybe as large as 15kg Spanish mackerel and oversized striped tuna right down to live slimie mackerel and yakkas for the run of small blacks down the Queensland Coast. 3. Anchored (or slow drift) with baits. This consists of finding a large patch of bait and fishing the same bait around the patch of bait. Circle hooks are mostly used as it greatly increases the odds of being able to safely release the marlin with the least of damage.
Where Found:
Striped Marlin are found in tropical and warm waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. They are pelagic and seasonally migratory moving towards the equator during the cold season and away again during the warmer months. In Australia Blue marlin are found right down both the east and west coast.