Sometimes it's not the size of the fish that are being caught, but sheer abundance that makes for an epic day on the water. The Downs family of Virginia Beach can attest to this, having caught and released 49 white marlin in local waters Sunday, in what undoubtedly was as exhausting as it was exciting.
"It was awesome, Jayme Downs, a veteran female angler who logged seven of the catches, told the Virginian-Pilot. "It was the best time I've ever had fishing." Another charter in the area was said to have logged 50 catches, and several captains logged double-digit scores in recent days. Typically, when fishing is good, a single-day charter will catch and release five or six marlin. To catch 49 or 50 in a day is phenomenal.
These rare catch rates are possible because of a high abundance of sardines, which attract the marlin. The marlin will herd sardines into gigantic meatballs, or bait balls, and pick off fish that stray from the ball.
The bait balls are easy to locate because they attract flocks of voracious, dive-bombing birds, which are visible from several miles away. However, while catch rates off Virginia Beach have been exceptional, the Virginian-Pilot points out that the unofficial record is 57 white marlin releases, set in August of 2010 by the Ocean City, Maryland-based yacht, Billfisher.
But the current bite is still one of the best ever for white marlin, which are a smallish pelagic billfish species found throughout the Atlantic.
Capt. Pat Foster was at the helm of the Waverunner II on Sunday, while the Downs family was bringing 49 marlin to leader.
He said four of the billfish were caught while trolling lures, while the rest were caught after casting bait fish to marlin sighted at or near the surface. The bait fish were netted from the massive bait ball, and the action was virtually nonstop. A marlin catch is official once a crew member touches the leader.
"It's a very exciting way to fish and I'd love to do it again," said Downs, who was fishing with her brother Jayson, his wife Paige, and their sons Cole, 10, and Reid, 6. "Being able to see the fish and watch them attack baits is thrilling. I'd never seen it like this."
Interestingly, some East Coast anglers consider trolling the preferred method, and regard casting toward sighted fish near a bait ball as cheating. But not everyone shares this view and, in fact, sight casting is the preferred method at many marlin-fishing destinations around the world.
Said Foster: "The naysayers have me scratching my head. We weren't in a tournament, and we were never in anybody else's way. We were just trying to show our customers a good time, and we did." Marlin Magazine posted the photo atop this story on its Facebook page. Of all the flags flying on the Waverunner III, the post began: "Wow. That's almost a sailboat!"
–Pete Thomas
–Top photo: Waverunner III flies 49 marlin flags after a spectacular day of fishing off Virginia Beach. Credit: Waverunner III, via Marlin Magazine; bottom photo showing a leaping white marlin is generic and courtesy of Wikipedia
–Note: This post also appears at GrindTv Outdoor
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