Blue marlin will patrol offshore waters through the summer and late into the fall they are often the first billfish to arrive and the last to leave. South of Cape Hatteras, the fish are often caught on the deep drops around the Big Rock and the Rockpile. Through the summer, marlin can show up almost anywhere at almost any time, but Snead said they tend to hang around the 100-fathom drop at the edge of the Continental Shelf. At the start of the season, fishermen look for swirling eddies of warm, clear water moving up the Gulf Stream. As the water warms, marauding blue marlin venture further up the beach, passing Oregon Inlet on their way north. They first show up off Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout when the water temperature jumps into the upper 70s. Snead said blue marlin arrive to the Outer Banks in late April. The encounter is commonly described as, 'Big hole, bent pole.' A blue marlin’s size justifies its disposition these sea monsters usually introduce themselves with an explosion of white water followed by an exploding reel. These fish average 250 to 500 pounds, and the state record tipped the scale at over 1,200. Mighty and manic, blue marlin rule North Carolina’s offshore waters. After an aerial battle worthy of a great fish, the marlin was brought to the side of the boat and released.

Line screamed from the reel as the spastic blue marlin grey- hounded towards the horizon. The line came tight, the hook hit home and the fight was on. The marlin responded aggressively, swiping at the lure once, and then recklessly descending on the bait with its mouth open. As Snead pulled in the teaser, the marlin noticed the Ilander Hillsman was dangling in front of its face.

The fish was whacking the squid chain with its bill, making the teaser reel belch line.

'Blue marlin!' Snead yelled from the bridge. The boat didn’t go far before a bill suddenly showed up behind the left teaser.

Hillsman pulled in the light “bailing” rods and deployed a spread of sea witches and Ilanders on 50- and 80-pound tackle. Snead smiled and nodded, then spun the wheel to turn Dream Girl, a 60-foot turquoise sportfisher away from the matted weedline and into clear water. With a limit of gaffers under their belt and the whole day ahead, Hillsman looked up at Jason Snead on the bridge and yelled, “Let’s go look for something bigger!” The fight is over as this white marlin is held at the transom by the mate, who will remove the hook and release the fish.Īt the edge of the Gulf Stream, 30 miles out of Oregon Inlet, Jimmy Hillsman struggled to fit the last dolphin into the fishbox.

Planet fishing north carolina