Marlin

bahamas strong

•In late August, all eyes were on Hurricane Dorian as it mercilessly advanced toward the northern islands of the Bahamas. On September 1, the storm made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in the Abacos with sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, the strongest storm to ever hit this part of the world. Even worse was the slow-moving track—residents were forced to endure nearly two full days of the most terrifying weather our planet is capable of producing. The devastation was unimaginable, not to mention heartbreaking. Like many Marlin readers, I have many fond memories of the Bahamas and its people, going back nearly three decades. Destinations like Bimini and Walker’s Cay were institutional in the development of big-game sport fishing as we know it today, as was the bluefin…

marlin

SAM WHITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CAPT. JEN COPELAND SENIOR EDITOR SUE WHITNEY MANAGING EDITOR CHRIS McGLINCHY ART DIRECTOR T. L. FAVORS COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS RANDY VANCE EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FISHING AND MARINE JASON SCHRATWIESER CONSERVATION CAPT. ERIC BRUSH SHIP’S SYSTEMS RALEIGH P. WATSON THE FINE PRINT CAPT. SKIP SMITH FROM THE BRIDGE CONTRIBUTORS Pepper Ailor, Capt. Karl Anderson, John Ashley, Capt. Scott Bannerot, Bill Boyce, Gary Caputi, Austin Coit, Will Drost, Jan Fogt, Pat Ford, Peter Frederiksen, Dennis Friel, Richard Gibson, Capt. Brad Goodrich, Chris Kelly, Scott Kerrigan, Capt. Ken Kreisler, Michelle Gaylord, Carol Lynne, Heather Maxwell, Capt. Robert “Fly” Navarro, Doug Perrine, Capt. Mike Pierdinock, Chris Rabil, Hannes Ribbner, Jessica Haydahl Richardson, Capt. Chris Sheeder, Tom Spencer, Capt. Tom Southward NATASHA LLOYD PUBLISHER NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL AND BROKERAGE SALES 954-830-4460/natasha.lloyd@bonniercorp.com SCOTT SALYERS FISHING GROUP PUBLISHER / scott.salyers@bonniercorp.com DAVE MOREL NORTHEAST AND WEST COAST SALES; 407-718-6891 dave.morel@bonniercorp.com ANDREW W. TOWNES III MIDWEST SALES, TELEVISION, EVENTS;…

feedback

editor@marlinmag.com FIRST BLACK MARLIN, TIMES TWO When my son, Nicholas, was 12, I promised him a fishing trip to Panama when he turned 16. And I’m glad I did—I will never regret it. We fished with Panama Sportfishing Lodge, and I had the best time watching him wrestle big tuna on poppers all day long. I told the captain I wanted to spend our last day focusing on a marlin bite, though. I will never forget the hookup and how the entire experience seemed to go in slow motion—it was surreal. He had his fish boatside in less than 90 minutes. We guessed the weight at around 450 pounds. So, what could be better than watching your son land his first marlin? A half-hour later, another bait went off, and I released my…

hot shots

NIGHT FLASH During the final leg of the 2019 South Carolina Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series, an impressive lightning storm developed just after 9 p.m. While the competitors were settling in for the evening, photographer Cameron Rhodes grabbed her tripod and captured this image from the fuel dock, as the lightning flashed behind the billowing clouds. LOCATION The photo was taken at The Marina at Edisto Beach in South Carolina. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Nikon D7200 LENS: Tamron 10-24mm ISO: 3,200 APERTURE: f/4 SPEED: 0.6 sec…

chris costa

• From Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, Chris Costa grew up around some of boatbuilding’s legends—Ocean Yachts, Post, Egg Harbor and Viking—and he continues to credit his passion for the sport-fishing industry as the driving motivation behind his success. For more than 30 years, Costa Marine has offered builders and customers the complete package—interior and exterior—for one-stop shopping. Using high-end trends and superior materials to steer production, Costa’s talented craftsmen specialize in enclosure and exterior upholstery, with a separate team concentrating solely on fully custom interior builds. Did you come from a family of furniture makers? My parents started their canvas and upholstery company in our basement when I was 2 years old. My dad’s first break was doing canvas work for a local Bertram dealer; he did a ton of Bimini…

holiday gift guide

FOR THE BOURBON LOVER Michter’s award-winning 10-year, single-barrel bourbon is aged for a decade in new firecharred American white oak barrels, producing bold flavors of both dark toffee and caramel. The finish hints of maple and vanilla, and the result is a 94-proof Kentucky bourbon of exceptionally high quality. This choice is sure to please even the most discerning connoisseur on your holiday gift list. FOR THE BOAT OWNER Nothing says gentility more than a stunning photograph of your vessel from above. A helicopter shoot with a professional photographer yields breathtaking results that are sure to bring big smiles and lasting memories for many years to come. Aerial photography produces images of stunning quality and resolution, suitable for large-format print reproductions in the home or office; custom video packages also can commemorate those…