Marlin November/December 2021

Forty years is a pretty good chunk of time. From its humble beginnings in late 1981, the Marlin brand has grown from a single print entity into a worldwide leader in offshore fishing media across multiple platforms, including print and digital formats, web, social media, video, e-news and more, thanks in large part to the way this brand speaks to its audience, but also because of the people. One of those responsible for Marlin’s longevity and success is our publisher, Natasha Lloyd. A magazine’s publisher is responsible for the revenue; they plan and customize advertising packages and also manage a staff of other sales professionals. I first met Natasha more than 20 years ago, and at the time, we were competitors in terms of chasing advertising and sponsorship dollars in the…

editor@marlinmag.com SONAR WARS, CONTINUED The 2020 and 2021 fishing seasons seemed to be dominated by a small group of boats that rose to the top, among the best of the best. Perhaps they did not win it all, but at least half of the boats in the top 10 of nearly every tournament had sonar. This is not new, and in the big tournaments on the West Coast—such as the Bisbee’s, and the Los Sueños Triple Crown in Costa Rica—many of the boats have had such technology available for years. But that is the Formula One of fishing. It is the elite, and cost is not an obstacle for those teams. Is it fair? Well, fairness is in the eye of the beholder, and life is certainly not fair! Let’s learn a lesson…

THE BIG ONE With 444 boats and a cash-prize purse of $9.2 million, the 2021 White Marlin Open in Ocean City, Maryland, was one for the record books. Despite days of bad weather, photographer Harry Hindmarsh made the two-hour drive from his home in coastal Virginia to capture this incredible drone shot. “I had only five or 10 minutes with no rain while the sun was setting,” he says, “but the results were well worth it.” LOCATION Ocean City’s Sunset Marina hosts the bulk of the WMO fleet. TECH SPECS CAMERA: DJI Mavic Pro Drone LENS: FOV 26mm ISO: 100 APERTURE: f/2.8 SPEED: 1/2000 sec…

In 1955, Sunny Briggs was 12 years old. While other children his age were doing normal kid things, he was well on his way to becoming an accomplished mate. Briggs would hitch a ride every morning from his home in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, with Capt. Lee Perry to fish on Ginny B. He then worked for Capt. Omie Tillett, who took the young man under his wing. Soon, Briggs was building boats alongside Sheldon Midgett, Buddy Davis, Billy Holton and Buddy Cannady. After building a few boats with Tillett, and with his blessing, Briggs was ready to start his own. Now at 78, with 60 boats on the water from 35 to 70 feet, it’s time to celebrate a notably distinguished career as Briggs prepares for retirement. What hobbies…

LADIES ONLY: MARLIN UNIVERSITY Marlin U pairs female anglers with top female professionals in the industry for an ultimate hands-on learning experience that is perfect for all skill levels. Guatemala’s Casa Vieja Lodge will host this session—April 10-15, 2022—complete with accommodations, five-star meals and service, airport transfers, and four days of fishing. marlinuniversity.com SKALLYWAGS FLAG SET From a family-run business in Durban, South Africa, that’s big on conservation, sustainability and ethical business practices, Skallywags flags are made from lightweight, 100 percent woven polyester fabric that’s treated with a water-repellent finish and dyed using a special acrylic-pigment dye system. They are packaged in recycled cardboard and in reusable bags made from recycled plastic bottles. skallywagsco.com STEVE GOIONE CUSTOM COMMISSION Sport-fishing boats are every bit as beautiful as the fish they pursue, and no one renders images…

With four blue marlin releases over the course of the three-day event, the team aboard First Class-Rocio, based in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, took home the win in the 68th anniversary of the International Billfish Tournament of San Juan. Tournament chairman and director Roger Casellas said that consistency prevailed on each of the three fishing days, with 21, 21 and 24 blue marlin releases, respectively, each day. “This was a tournament fought until the very last moment,” he says. “Every day was a battle because there wasn’t a clear-cut winner until the end,” he continued, referring to the seven teams that released three billfish each, as well as 11 more boats with two releases each. In the end it would be the lucky First Class-Rocio that scored the fourth marlin to seal…