Top Six Marlin Fishing Trips

The Best Marlin Fishing Trips

To get a bite from a marlin you need to be trolling big baits in deep offshore waters, but that’s just the start. Once you hook into one of these giant apex predators you’ll be in for a stout battle which will likely be an unforgettable experience. If you want an incredible fishing trip to target marlin, here are our top six trips.

Hawaii

Captain Shawn

The water gets very deep just a short boat ride off the island. This means that trophy gamefish species like blue marlin, yellowfin tuna, sailfish, and mahi-mahi can be caught without having to take a long ride out to the prime fishing waters. All the gear on board is IGFA qualified, so if you catch a trophy, you may be in the running for a record. Whether you're just looking to catch your next meal, or chasing after the trophy of a lifetime, this is the perfect trip for you.

Captain Shawn was born into a commercial fishing family. After the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, he decided it was time for a change, so he began offering private charters. He took his commercial knowledge and set out to hunt trophies in Kona, and never looked back. He has a combined 35 years of experience between commercial and recreational fishing, and he's excited to share his years of knowledge with his clients.

Captain Mark

Captain Mark doesn't mess around when it comes to fishing for big marlin and yellowfin tuna off the coast of Kalaoa. When you head out with Captain Mark you won't be targeting mahi mahi, wahoo, or any of the other medium-sized denizens that swim in the deep nearshore waters. Instead, you will be targeting trophy-sized fish like giant yellowfin tuna and huge blue marlin. These fish pull hard and put on spectacular displays as they fight to break off of your line.

The best part about fishing in Hawaii is that the water gets very deep very fast. Motoring 15 minutes offshore can put you in thousands of feet of water where these giants like to feed. If you're looking to catch your next trophy of a lifetime, Captain Mark the Man for the job.

If you're looking for one of the most experienced and knowledgeable guides in Hawaii, Captain Mark is a top choice. Captain Mark has years of experience guiding trips in the Aloha State, and when it comes to offshore fishing his resume speaks for itself. He's no stranger to Marlin topping 600 lbs, and in 2014 he was on board a boat that caught a 787 lb Blue Marlin; the heaviest weighed in Kona that year.

Destin

Captain Matthew

If you’ve never caught a Marlin before, today is the day to book a trip and check it off your bucket list. This trip is for the more experienced anglers who enjoy the thrill of catching those trophy-sized billfish, and there's no better guide to lead you on this excursion than Captain Matthew. You’ll travel between 40-65 miles off the Florida coast in search of blue marlin, white marlin, and sailfish. You might also get bites from wahoo and mahi mahi along the way.

For these trips, Captain Matthew uses a 42 ft Buddy Davis sportfishing boat. It has ample space for groups up to six to have a five-star fishing experience. Inside, you will find a full head (restroom), galley (lounge), and cabins with bunk beds, all blissfully air-conditioned. Up on deck, you have outriggers, downriggers, tuna tubes, live wells, a fighting chair, and all the rods, reels, and tackle you’ll need to have a productive day on the water.

Captain Matthew has been fishing in the Destin, Florida area since 1987. He's always had a passion for deep sea fishing since day one, and his first jobs were on party boats out of Destin. Then after high school, Captain Matthew spent the next few years commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. At the age of 21, Captain Matthew received his 100 ton USCG Captains license and began operating a 65’ party boat out of Destin, Florida.

After a year, Captain Matthew returned to commercial fishing and remained in the commercial fishing industry for ~10 years. In 2011, Captain Matthew was granted the opportunity to captain a private sportfishing operation and excelled at catching billfish and deepwater bottom fish like Snapper and Grouper. Captain Matthew is a calm, cool, and collected Destin fishing charter captain who looks forward to hosting your and your family and friends for an unforgettable day on the water.

Captain Reid

If you’re looking for a memorable fishing experience in Destin, Florida, Captain Reid will lead the way! Captain Reid has 18+ years of experience fishing the waters surrounding Destin and 6+ as a guide. He’s been known to reel in some of the biggest fish in the area.

On trips with Captain Reid, you can expect to target a variety of offshore pelagic species including marlin, sailfish, tuna, wahoo, and mahi mahi. If you want to stop on the reefs, you can also target bottom-dwelling fish such as snapper, grouper, amberjack, cobia, and king mackerel. Captain Reid grew up in Destin Florida fishing recreationally in the Gulf of Mexico. His dream was always to work on the water, so after serving our country in the Navy, and then attending college, Captain Reid moved back to Destin Florida to make his dream come true. After many successful years charter fishing on behalf of others, Captain Reid purchased his own vessel, in 2015, and has offered fantastic charter fishing days to remember out of Destin Florida ever since!

Puerto Rico

Captain Angel

Hit the water with Captain Angel and you can chase monster fish off the coast of San Juan. On trips with Captain Angel, you will target blue Marlin, mahi mahi, sailfish, spearfish, swordfish, wahoo, white marlin, and yellowfin tuna. Captain Angel uses a variety of techniques to target these elusive fish and make sure you get a bite.

Anything you reel in on this trip is guaranteed to be worthy of a picture, and the blue marlin is no exception. These fish are found in tropical and warm temperate oceanic waters. Growing to over 1,000 lbs, they are the true Apex sportfish of the Atlantic. Other catches like wahoo, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, or swordfish will be sure to provide an unforgettable memory.

You’ll be fishing aboard Captain Angel's Custom Ronin 50' sportfisher which can accommodate 6 anglers. This top-of-the-line boat is powerful and luxurious, and will have no problem getting you offshore and into the fighting chair.

No matter what species you decide to target, Captain Angel and his family are determined to make your Puerto Rico fishing trip one to remember. Captain Angel has earned over 20 years of experience fishing some of the most exotic destinations in the world such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Caribbean. His wealth of experience allows him to successfully offer these incredible offshore fishing charters.

Captain Angel is dedicated to sustainability and working with some of the world leaders in fish conservation such as the IGFA, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and The Billfish Foundation. As Angel puts it, "fishing is a privilege and we want to offer kids the same opportunities in catching the same fish we did just a little bigger."

Captain Juan Carlos

It does not matter if you are an expert fisherman or if you have never been fishing before, Captain Juan's mission is to show you the best fishing in Puerto Rico. With over 25 years of fishing experience in these waters, they are one of the best tarpon fishing outfitter on the island. "I get to fish every day and I can honestly say that I am fortunate to do what I love. Even though I have won many tournaments in years past, what really motivates me is to welcome my guests and show them our incredible fishery.” - Captain Juan Captain Juan was voted as one of the Top 50 Charter Captains of the World by Salt Water Sportsman magazine in 2013, and is an IGFA Representative, Pro-staff for Maui Jim, Bluefin USA, Fish Monkey and St. Croix Rods.

Head out with Captain Juan Carlos to battle some mighty offshore pelagic species off the coast of Puerto Rico. On these offshore trips, you will spend most of your time trolling for blue and white Marlin, mahi mahi, wahoo, and yellowfin tuna. Sailfish can also be targeted a couple of months out of the year but those trips are heavily dependent on the weather and are more difficult to schedule.

If conditions aren't perfect on the day of your trip, Captain Juan would be more than happy to take you out to the La Pena reef for some rod bending action and some delicious table fare, or take you to explore the back bays (where it is almost always calm) to chase Tarpon. These trips are at a discounted rate as well.