First Striped Marlin – Melissa Stevens
Paul Stevens was joined by his daughter Melissa and long time friend and fishing companion Billy Ronk today and we headed out to get Melissa her first marlin. As usual the Galapagos Island bite delivered and we had her first striped marlin (250lbs) at boat-side less than an hour after dropping our lines in. She had her second fish less than an hour later.
Billy was up next and he brought in a monster striped marlin which was close to 300lbs on a 30lb Penn International loaded with 50lb Berkley Big Game mono. I am now completely convinced that the only mono I will ever use is Big Game. We shot some amazing video that showed just how much pressure you can put on a fish using 50lb line in a 30lb reel. When we caught his fish we had more than a dozen striped marlin in the spread. We hooked another fish which jumped off and missed at least two other strikes. This all happened in less than a minute.
The bite was very similar to what we saw all of last year. We were approaching a bait ball and never quite made it there. We spent the rest of the day working a very small patch of water with several other boats and hooked several more striped marlin before heading home. We are heading back tomorrow.
My choice for fishing here are either 50lb outfits loaded with 80lb line, or 30lb outfits loaded with 50lb line. Line capacity is really not an issue. The boats are nimble and the fish rarely dive deep. If you used any lighter tackle, the fights would be too long and too tough on the fish. We really want to get these fish to the boat as quickly as possible, get our lures back, and send them on their way to fight another day.
Learn more about travel and fishing in the Galapagos at Sportfish Galapagos!
Frequently Asked Questions
During this fishing trip in the Galapagos, anglers caught striped marlin, with weights ranging from around 250lbs to close to 300lbs. The trip was highly successful with multiple strikes and catches in a short period.
The recommended fishing tackle for marlin in the Galapagos includes 50lb outfits loaded with 80lb line or 30lb outfits loaded with 50lb line. This setup provides a balance that allows anglers to land fish quickly without overly long or tough fights, which benefits both the fishing experience and fish conservation.
Using heavier line (such as 50lb or 80lb) is important because the fish rarely dive deep and the boats are nimble. Heavier tackle shortens fight times which reduces stress on the fish, allowing anglers to quickly bring them to the boat, recover lures, and release the fish to fight another day.
Striped marlin were very abundant during this trip with over a dozen marlin present in the fishing spread at one time. Multiple fish were hooked within minutes, showing an active and productive bite similar to previous years.
The author prefers to use Berkley Big Game mono line, having tested 50lb line on a 30lb Penn International reel successfully. This combination allows for significant pressure on large fish and reliable performance during intense sport fishing sessions.
The fishing strategy involves approaching the bait balls and working small concentrated patches of water with other boats in the area. This approach increases the chances of hooking multiple striped marlin and maximizing the encounter with the fish.
