Marlin August/September 2020

When Allen Merritt died on May 29, 2020, the sportfishing world lost another of those legendary, largerthan-life personalities. Allen seemed destined for a life on the water when he was born on a houseboat in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1922, the youngest of five siblings. His father, Franklin (Roy) Merritt, brought the boat south to Florida, where they rode out the infamous Miami hurricane the following year. The Merritts were involved in charter fishing, with a fleet of five boats fishing out of Freeport, New York, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida—some of the very first boats to operate seasonally out of northern and southern ports during the year. By 1948, Roy had purchased a few acres of land on the water in Pompano Beach and opened Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works as a…

SEEING SPOTS “This was one of a bajillion sailfish we released in a few days of fishing with Capt. David Salazar and his wife, Kristen, aboard Poco Loco out of Casa Vieja Lodge,” says photographer Austin Coit. “I wanted to get a really close shot to show the detail of the fish’s sail because they’re so crazy when they are lit up. It was a challenge to focus with a moving fish, a moving boat and a narrow focal plane—this shot came out just as I had hoped.” LOCATION Coit was fishing off Puerto San Jose, Guatemala. TECH SPECS CAMERA: Canon 1DX Mark II LENS: Canon 100 2.8 ISO: 8,000 APERTURE: f/6.3 SPEED: 1/2500 sec…

CAPT. RYAN HIGGINS With a storied 16-year career to date with Viking Yacht Company—most of that time spent at the helm of the company’s various demonstrator vessels—Capt. Ryan Higgins is one of offshore sport fishing’s most recognizable personalities. And while he’s still the manager of the company’s demo program, he’s moved off the bridge to assume the role of southeastern sales manager for Viking. A passion for high-performance center-consoles also led to his involvement with Valhalla Boatworks, which was established by Viking to build a line of premium-quality outboard-powered boats, currently ranging from 33 to 41 feet in length; Higgins is general manager of Valhalla Boat Sales South, the dealer for southeastern Florida. With many hats to wear and an ever-growing list of responsibilities, he’s definitely up for the challenge. What’s it…

[A] COLUMBIA PFG GRANDER MARLIN II OFFSHORE SHORTS With its quick-drying, comfort-stretch construction, the Grander Marlin II is a great pair of fishing shorts. Omni-Shield advanced stain repellency and Omni-Shade UPF 50 sun protection are also included. [B] FISH MONKEY QUICK RELEASE WIRING GLOVES Designed with input from Capt. Charles Perry, the Quick Release gloves are reinforced with Kevlar for protection from monofilament and wire leaders, while the four-way-stretch material adds comfort. [C] GRUNDÉNS SOLSTRALE REFRACTION CAMO CREW The vented panels beneath the arms and down each side make the Solstrale one of the most comfortable performance shirts on the water. Additional features include stain release, anti-odor and UPF 50 sun protection. [D] TORMENTOR BLACK AND WHITE TRUCKER HAT Don’t leave the dock without a great hat. This one from Tormentor has a Velcro strap—infinitely adjustable and…

Main Attraction Sportfishing mate Clint “Digger” Rodamer sent out a group text that had Capt. Marty Lewis reviewing a set of conditions he observed a day prior. With a feeling of great sailfishing in the immediate future, Lewis followed up the text with plans to depart Key Colony Beach, Florida, on Easter Sunday at 5:45 a.m. Main One, a 49-foot custom charter boat and the largest of the Main Attraction fleet, loaded up on pilchards and headed out to 200 feet of water, where the Gulf Stream had pushed in with the southeast wind, creating tailing conditions and powder blue water for the migrating sails. Sailfish use these particular conditions for traveling, mostly. By surfing the waves created by the fast-moving current, the fish swim just below the surface and resemble black…

Q: A HURRICANE IS APPROACHING: DO YOU STAY OR DO YOU GO? + IT’S A BIG DECISION + HAVE A QUESTION? @marlinmag CAPT. CHRIS KUBIK CHARTER OWNER/OPERATOR, POINT RUNNER NAGS HEAD, NORTH CAROLINA At my home port in the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, we have mandatory evacuations if a tropical storm or hurricane watch/warning is issued, so I am on the regular hurricane haul-out schedule at Spencer Yachts. The Outer Banks is a strange place for hurricanes: Sometimes they come up the sound, and sometimes they skirt off to the east. Most of the time, the meteorologists can’t figure out an exact path until about 12 hours before landfall. As the storm gets closer, I’ll make the decision to remove my enclosure and outriggers, keeping in mind that safe is always better than sorry. CAPT. VJ BELL CHARTER…