Marlin

the rebuilding continues

In late 2019, I had a phone call with Carl Allen, the new owner of Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas. He related that while conditions remained difficult throughout the region, his team was doing everything possible to get the people of Little Grand Cay and else-where in the Abacos back up and running after Hurricane Dorian. Restoring power and fresh water were the immediate goals at the time. And while there wasn’t much on Walker’s Cay to be affected by Dorian, Allen did mention that the chapel made it through virtually unscathed, just as it has done for several decades (perhaps with some divine intervention at work). He also felt that the marina at Walker’s would be ready by December 2020 if all goes well. Allen touched on a key point…

marlin

SAM WHITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CAPT. JEN COPELAND SENIOR EDITOR SUE WHITNEY MANAGING EDITOR CHRIS McGLINCHY ART DIRECTOR CINDY MARTIN COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITORS RANDY VANCE EDITOR-AT-LARGE, FISHING AND MARINE CAPT. MIKE PIERDINOCK 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, Michelle Gaylord, Richard Gibson, Capt. Brad Goodrich, Deborah Hood, Chris Kelly, Scott Kerrigan, Capt. Ken Kreisler, Andrew Lafferty, Carol Lynne, Heather Maxwell, Capt. Robert “Fly” Navarro, Doug Perrine, Chris Rabil, Cameron Rhodes, Hannes Ribbner, Jessica Haydahl Richardson, Capt. Chris Sheeder, Capt. Tom Southward, Tom Spencer 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…

feedback

editor@marlinmag.com WORLDWIDE ADVENTURE Deborah Hood’s story about Anthony Hsieh [“In Bad Company,” February] is an inspiring one. He harnessed the incredible potential of our country—as well as his own intelligence—to become a billionaire. Now he can own whatever boat he wants and fish wherever and whenever he wants. That’s the American dream! Andrew WallenskyVia email PROS VS. JOES I just finished reading the “By the Wayside” commentary in the Aug./Sept. 2019 issue [From the Bridge by Capt. Skip Smith]. The author makes some very good points, but I do not agree with the assertion that changing the rule about letting people hook a fish and hand off the rod to an angler is, or was, a good change. An angler is one that fishes with a rod and reel. It is not one who is…

hot shots

ON THE BALL Capturing a free-swimming marlin underwater is an incredibly difficult feat for any photographer. Hunter Ledbetter was up to the challenge when he slipped overboard with camera in hand. “Packs of striped marlin were pushing the bait to the surface, eliminating the vertical dimension in which the school can travel. The ball begins to slow down, and the marlin rush in to feed.” LOCATION Ledbetter captured this beautiful image off Mexico’s Magdalena Bay. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon 5D MKIII LENS: Tokina 10-17mm fisheye ISO: 1,250 APERTURE: f/7.1 SPEED: 1/800 sec…

jim motsko

• As a charter mate in the 1970s, Jim Motsko often imagined a fishing tournament that actually guaranteed prize money, unlike the local brown-bag tournaments of the day. Thanks to his hard work, dedication and the support of some close friends, the famed White Marlin Open was born in Ocean City, Maryland. And even though the first year brought its share of grumblings, the young tournament director persevered, creating what is now the richest—and most popular—billfish tournament, bringing to the local community thousands of participants, tens of thousands of spectators, over 350,000 livestream viewers, and a cash prize purse of over $6.1 million in 2019. Since 1974, Motsko has awarded over $71 million in tournament winnings; even today, the event continues to wow the world’s billfishing enthusiasts. Do you think the…

beat the heat

ICON SOFT-SIDE 24 Built for hardcore use, the Soft-Side 24 has a puncture-resistant shell made of thermoplastic polyurethane nylon fabric, which is strong, airtight, waterproof, UV-resistant, and retains its strength even at very low temperatures. It also features fully waterproof welded seams and ¾-inch insulation throughout, with a purge valve to remove excess warm air from the bag’s interior. A. YETI HOPPER FLIP 12 Carrying your lunch to the boat? The Flip 12 is perfect—it’s rugged and leakproof, with a wide-opening top for easy access. The compact dimensions mean that it fits easily in any small compartment on board while keeping the contents cold for hours. The Flip 12 comes in four colors: black, river green, charcoal, and a fog gray/Tahoe blue combination. B. ENGEL HD 30 The 30-liter Engel cooler features welded seams—a key…