For the last month The Billfish Report has been counting down its 2011 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #1 is the Azores. Criteria for our Top 10 list – taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year’s Top 10 list. An honorable mention pick in 2010, the Azores had just a stunning 2011.  With only about six boats fishing these waters, and the season only going about two months, the Azores killed it last year.  They didn’t kill many fish, mind you – they released all but the Habitat’s 1,188-pound blue – but the sheer numbers of large blue marlin were simply amazing.  Some highlights: - the Habitat had nine fish over 800 pounds, … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #2 is Cape Verde Islands. Criteria for our Top 10 list – taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year’s Top 10 list. Cape Verde has now ranked in the top 3 of the Top Billfisheries list for three consecutive years – and for good reason.  Huge numbers of blue marlin find their way to these islands off the northwest coast of Africa.  Three grander blues were caught off Cape Verde in 2011, for starters – making that eight grander blue marlin caught in the last two years, more than any fishery on earth.  Combine that with the reliable fishing for long … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #3 is Kona, HI.  Criteria for our Top 10 list - taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year's Top 10 list. It should say something that the Billfish Report made two trips out to Kona in 2011.  Imagine this: a fishery where every other day of the year there was a 500+-pound fish caught – that’s what Kona did in 2011.  Kona boats caught 167 Blue Marlin over 500 lbs. and we know we missed some. It was the year of the 900 lbers instead of Granders, with 10 Blue Marlin over 900 with three just barely missing the magical mark. Capt. Chip Van Mols's 1,062 was the … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #4 is Guatemala. Criteria for our Top 10 list - taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year's Top 10 list. Typically Guatemala is considered the most prolific billfishery on earth for numbers of fish and did not disappoint in 2011.  Sailfish are Guatemala’s specialty, and there were huge numbers of them.  The International Light Tackle Tournament Association’s December tournament alone saw 1,669 sailfish caught.  There were days on individual boats where 50+ sails were raised, and 30+ caught.  And to top it off, blues were also in these waters – and some … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #5 is Panama. Criteria for our Top 10 list - taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year's Top 10 list. Another Black Marlin for Tropic Star Lodge Last season’s #1 billfishery had a very good 2011, but only slightly worse than its remarkable 2010.  Large numbers of blacks and blues, with multiple sails and some stripeys as well, saw Panama live up to the meaning of its name (“abundance of fish”).  Fishing is good for billfish year-round in Panama, which always helps its ranking.  2011 saw some seventeen (17) Black Marlin clear the 500-pound barrier and at … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #6 is the Great Barrier Reef. Criteria for our Top 10 list - taken from the daily billfish reports we receive from hundreds of captains around the world -  include the following: fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.  These are then compiled, factoring in the number of boats regularly fishing that fishery, to derive a score.  The rankings of those scores yield this year's Top 10 list. And you know the fishing is pretty phenomenal elsewhere when the Great Barrier Reef – inarguably one of the premier billfisheries in the history of the planet – has five fisheries before it in a ranking.  And though it was a slightly subpar year for the reef, it says something about the fishery when “subpar” still equals 108 black marlin over 500 pounds, and 24 blacks over the mark.  To repeat: 24 black marlin over 1,000 pounds caught in … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #7 is Venezuela.  Criteria for our Top 10 include fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season. Long known as one of the best fisheries on earth for multiple billfish in a single day – and multiple species – last year Venezuela had a huge number of slams (including a Super Slam), days with double digits in fish caught on individual boats, and a long season to take advantage of the fishing.  Species caught in Venezuela in 2011: White Marlin, Blue Marlin (including 865 lbs.), Atlantic Sailfish, and Swordfish all showed up in our reports.  Amazingly a typical year in Venezuela.  Some Highlights from the Season Include: Super Grand Slam for Capt. Matt Mauldwin going 2-3 on Blue Marlin, 2-2 on White Marlin, 1-1 on Sailfish and 1-1 on Swordfish Blue Bird - 6-8 on Blue Marlin Click Through - 6-6 on Blue Marlin Cherin III - 6-9 on … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #8 is Mozambique.  Criteria for our Top 10 include fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season. There are likely few to no fisheries in the world that achieve so much with so few boats as Mozambique.   First of all, this is a very reliable black marlin fishery – there were days where five and six blacks could be caught on a single boat in 2011.  There were plenty of sailfish mixed in with the Black Marlin and if you decided to go out wide, Blue Marlin were there to greet you too! While the Black Marlin and Sailfish are caught on live bait, we love the fact that so many are caught on lures so regularly. But two things really stood out about Mozambique’s fishing in 2011: first, we had reports on some 22 fish clearing 500 pounds (all black marlin, including one grander), which unto itself is tremendous – but when considering that this … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in tied at #9 is the US Mid-Atlantic.  Criteria for our Top 10 include fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season.     Defined as southern New Jersey through North Carolina, this fishery had a terrific 2011.  Not only did they see some fifteen (15) fish over the 500-pound mark, but there was a steady run of smaller blue marlin and sailfish.  And the white marlin remained prolific, with multiple double-digit days in the late summer and early autumn - for example, the Hatteras fleet captured around 200 white marlin on some days in September, and boats in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina were no strangers to 10-15 white marlin off a single boat in a single day.  Combine that with the length of season – first reported bill caught in April, running all the way through October, and the US East Coast is a deserving top 10 … [Read more...]

The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, and coming in at #9 (Tie) is South Florida and The Keys.  Criteria for our Top 10 include fish numbers, variety of billfish species, average size of fish and length of season. When you South Florida or the Florida Keys, Sailfish come to mind for most. Sailfish are caught in this area every month of the year and in the winter time, the numbers can get silly, with plenty of 20+ Sailfish Days. We had at least five (5) reports of 20+ Sailfish Days and at least ten (10) reports of 15+ Sailfish, with the top day, a very impressive 25 Sailfish released. While Sailfish may still be king, what really separates this area from the rest of the World is the Swordfishing. There is absolutely no doubt in our minds, that if you want to catch a swordfish, you need to hop on a flight to Miami International. No place in the world has both the numbers, plus a year round bite, that even comes close. The best day we … [Read more...]