Marlin November/December 2022

There have been two memorable successes in pelagic fisheries management in recent memory. The first is the recovery of swordfish stocks in the Florida Straits, the Gulf of Mexico and northward along the East Coast. Longline closures and some sound management decisions led the way there. The second has been the resurgence of yellowfin tuna along Central America’s Pacific coast, most notably in Costa Rica. After three years of political wrangling, a recently passed tuna reform law in that country will help continue efforts to rebuild a fishery that was nearly wiped out. There are two parts to the law that are of specific interest to the recreational sector. The first is pushing the tuna purse seiners farther offshore. Previous laws allowed them to fish within just 12 miles of the…

editor@marlinmag.com IN MEMORIAM: DAN WEBB “Hey, bud!” Those were the words of our boss, Dan Webb. We can still hear him saying it. It was a phrase that would completely embody who Dan was: a dear friend. By the age of 10, Dan was already acquiring business skills by working with his dad as he set up merchandising displays at JCPenney. He later worked at Southeastern Millwork and Wachovia Bank in Wilmington, North Carolina, before coming on board with Gregory Poole Equipment Company at the age of 28. He was quickly promoted to marine-engine salesman in December 1985, back when Caterpillar had only one marine engine available for the recreational industry. The odds were stacked against him. Dan had less than 10 percent market share with Hatteras Yachts when he started, and the North Carolina…

WET AND WILD As the official photographer of the Custom Shootout, Debra Todd spends hours of her tournament time aloft, riding shotgun in a tiny helicopter and capturing some incredible images. Her skills—combined with the sometimes windy, unpredictable spring weather in the Bahamas—often produce amazing results. Tournament fishing can be a wild ride and isn’t for the faint of heart or spirit. LOCATION Todd was airborne off Marsh Harbour, west of Elbow Cay in the Abacos, Bahamas. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon EOS 5D Mark II LENS: Canon EF 24-105mm ISO: 800 APERTURE: f/11 SPEED: 1/2000 sec…

• As a self-described boatbuilding groupie who came to North Carolina’s Outer Banks to work for Buddy Davis in 1991, Heather Maxwell has become as much of a fixture on the local fishing scene as the famous breakfast biscuits she serves each morning during the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. Maxwell built—and then later rebuilt—the tournament into one of the most popular in the industry. She also became a voice for the rich tradition of fishing and boatbuilding in the region. While she now spends most of her time on her small farm outside Rocky Mount, North Carolina, riding and competing with her horses, there’s no doubt that the juniper and salt still runs deep in her veins. How did you end up on the Outer Banks? I grew up in Virginia Beach,…

COSTA RICA SAILFISH AND BLUE MARLIN As the rainy season gives way to drier weather, expect good fishing for blue marlin, with ever-increasing numbers of sailfish moving into the region. SOUTH FLORIDA AND FLORIDA KEYS SAILFISH Suspend live baits from kites or pitch ballyhoo to sails in the shallows as they shower inside the reef, in what can be a fast and furious fishery. PANAMA BLACK MARLIN Slow-trolled live baits will produce some spectacular bites from black marlin, and big yellowfin tuna are always a bonus. SEYCHELLES GRAND SLAM It’s a mixed bag of blue and black marlin on the reefs and drop-offs outside the main island of Mahé, with sailfish found in tight. PAPUA NEW GUINEA GRAND SLAM Troll artificial lures and big natural baits for blue and black marlin, sailfish, and dogtooth tuna off Port Moresby, then fish for giant Papuan black…

COASTAL CAROLINA CUTTING BOARD (A) Thanks to the knowledge and know-how of five generations of woodworkers, Coastal Carolina cutting boards are truly a one-of-a-kind gift that can also be customized in nearly any way. Perhaps even better, it’s produced with pride in North Carolina by a staff of current and retired military veterans. cccboards.com MEATER (B) Used in conjunction with its corresponding app, the Meater wireless thermometer walks you through every step of the cooking process to ensure consistently perfect results. It uses an advanced algorithm to estimate how long to cook and rest your food to help plan and manage your time. meater.com RAW DESIGNS (C) Rachel Wisniewski designs her marlin-themed charcuterie boards based on insight gained from her offshore fishing adventures. Each one is unique and handcrafted from various types of wood, including…