Marlin Aquarium, Capt Jason Coffrin

My theory on marlin is more complicated than most….  This write up I will walk you through and explain how I fish for them and why. Like condition, settings, and where I’m headed on my trip always determines how I’m fishing for my favorite big game fish the marlin whether, it be Striped Marlin, Blue Marlin or the amazing Black Marlin that the Hannibal Bank and Boca Chica, Panama are known for! Fishing for Marlin in Panama is amazing for me and my team because of the knowledge I have aquired over the last few years traveling to different destinations and learning first hand how to fish their way!  I have fished Florida where I fished the gulf stream with Capt Bart Miller of Black Bart Lures where we of course fished his lures in different very basic ways that do catch fish no dought !  I have been to El Salvador where we fish lures the same way so it was more first hand experience with different captains! I had an amazing time down in Australia where I learned from some of the best Capt’s and mates on big fish and how to rig huge 15 pound plus baits for trolling.  Costa Rica on the other hand where I started my big game carrier is all light tackle and pulling naked ballyhoo for Sailfish and mostly Blue Marlin but there are plenty of Striped marlin and Black Marlin in the mix as well!  In the beginning of my career I went to the Canary Islands where they mostly pull lures but I was fortunate to get on the boat Bocinegro and they do mostly Bait and Switch style that I will talk about later!! My experiences where amazing I hope this write up helps you with your next fishing trip or charter!

Jason “ Mr Trigger” Coffrin & Capt Bart “Black Bart” Miller

Picking your spot before the trip – For this I use a very unconventional way to find out where i’m fishing on my next trip!  First off like anyone should if i haven’t been out in a while I try and get local help mostly asking my team to reach out to others that have been bringing in tuna and mahi mahi an excellent food source for Marlin. My theory “so fish where the food is”, is my first start to picking where I fish!  I really look into where the last charter boat caught his marlin because most of them use live bait which is an excellent way to target them and this tells me that there is bait in the area!  After those kinds of questions are answered and ive gathered my info I turn to google maps and any of the sst charts that are working in my area at the time! Fish Track and an amazing system that does work in the Boca Chica Hannibal Bank area!  Weather is tough because it is overcast but if you get a peek write those numbers down if the temps are in the 79 – 83 range! Those are my favorite for getting the big girls!   I use google earth as well to plan a point of attack of even how I’m going to enter an area and how far out i will bring the boat off plane and start fishing.  I grid out an area that I want to target of from what I heard landside from local help. This also helps me plan my fishing day when I get there.  For example if everything seems to be spread out and the birds if any are very high I come in fish from a long distance away pulling dead swim baits or lures. If the birds are skimming the surface and I see my little black birds I call chick chicks then i am for sure pulling dead baits!  The last but not least I enter a zone is pulling right into the flock of crazy birds and bait and hooking up some live bait and throwing them right in expecting a bite right away this is every captains dream and happens often off Boca Chica!  Having started my charter business in Flamingo, Costa Rica a very small place with maybe only a dozen charter boats and not many of them going out on a daily basis and being the new young guy really taught me how to find my own fish and plan a day on the water!  I really had to stick to my charts and google earth!   After a season or so of fun fishing alone and my first charters I got a niche and stuck to my game plan no matter what happened unless there was just a crazy change in weather and everyone was headed to a certain bite.   I used a route that I followed religiously witch was I headed a certain way in the morning and I needed to be on a certain mount in the afternoon! i had a very slow boat at 15 knots and clients mostly tourist didn’t want to be at the boat at 6am so 7:30 we headed out and most of the time I caught the tail end of a morning bite unless i timed it perfect and the tides were perfect.   Once the route was in and I had it set up to be at the mounts by 2pm on the clock I could time with the tides where and when i was getting a bite! I left most anglers speechless when I told them to get ready but 4 magazine article later and a couple TV shows i turned them into believers! Panama is not different but i have a faster boat in the 32 Black Fin but, I am a very big area when it comes to picking an area route! The big three areas now are Hannibal Bank, Montousa and Ladrones Island with some secrets in out and between them 🙂 .  These targeted areas are where I plan my attack usually breaking things up and trying two out of the three in a days trip….

Big Black Marlin off Isla Montousa

 

    After targeting an area there is always the methodology of catching these big  guys and gals!  Catching Marlin in a place like Panama is not easy in any account!  The size range varies so much! You can be fishing 50’s ( Penn 50 wide International) and get into the big gals like 500-800 pound range and get wrecked or you can be in the Sailfish and 100-250 pound fish and be on the 80’s ( Penn International 80 lb class) and be dragging them on the surface.  We carry gear for catching live bait in the 30 lb range and for fishing we use 50-80 lb class Penn International gear. our favorite for my team is the Penn 70 lb international which is a great and versatile reel!  It is really great for pulling lures, big baits on the downrigger and bait and switch.  it really helps a novice angler to try stand up and not be crushed but a big fish running on a 50 or 45 lbs of drag on an 80 for a solid hour!  When i am pulling dead baits and geared up for bait and switch I use 2 70’s on the flats and 2 50’s on the riggers with the baits about half way up the rigger, the reason for the half way rigger is if a big fish gets ahold of that bait and the clip is jammed you might get a bent rigger!!! “Not good at all”.  On the shotgun I run a 30lb class rod with a 50lb International by Penn.  Reason for this is sometimes we have it way out on a very little bait or it is just past my flats with a chugger and dead bait so the 50 reel and 30 rod make it versatile and fun on any size fish!  My pitch bait rod is also a 50 light rod and an 80 for a big fish and medium size bait.  When I’m pulling lures I use a 3 reel poundage combo with 5 lines out and the flats are 80’s the riggers are 70’s and shotgun is a 50 lb with a very tiny bullet lure.   I troll anywhere from 7 to 12 knots depending what kind of weather I’m in.  Live baiting is another story while most guys use 1 to 2 baits I prefer 3 baits using 2 80’s and 1 70 . The 80’s are usually set 1 at about 100 ft and the other set where the bait is haning unless its very deep, this method is trying to get a bait below the bait school the other hovering over the bait just a few feet and the 70 is on a rigger way back on the surface in the no man’s land in hops of that big girl just moving in that day.  

Blue Marlin tagged off Hannibal Bank

   

After getting into the area I need to be for these fish and have chosen the method and size of tackle i look into my bait selection.  The baits I’m taking out on the trip are usually baits that swim well dead. I like to catch Mullet , Lady Fish, ballyhoo, and large needle fish from Florida where I am from and bring them down for my season so I dont have to spend time catching them and I know I prepped them my way in brine and flash freez them at the right temp!  Live baiting is pretty simple if I can get Bonita, Skip Jack or Yellow Fin Tuna on the way out I’m way ahead on a good day coming if not I use whatever I can get on a hook and line when I get to my area!!  Hound fish and rainbow runners are by far my favorite but they die quick hard to get and very hard to keep alive, but if they are around and you are in a good depth of water get them quick and get them back in the water because its probably game on here in Panama! if i am trolling lures i switch it up a lot between many different kind of brands and all do something different!

 

MarlinStar pictured here is one of my go to for very calm water because they are known for moving around a lot on the troll also an excellent teaser drives those marlin nuts.  Another go to lure would be Black Bart because I was trained by the man himself and have worked with Bart’s product and company for a while now using about every lure on the market from them today!  Another good lure i use are R n D Spreader bars for the smaller fish like 150- 200 lb Marlin and great Sail fish teaser, also amazing for small tuna for bait!  A great lure that I have had a chance to work side by side with the creator is Legend Lures out of Madeira from Capt Roddy Hays! His lures are also made for big fish and big fish they catch getting one of my personal best at 600 pounds in Costa Rica.

I hope this helps get ready for your next marlin fishing trip whether its on your boat or you are searching for a charter in a far off place. if you are searching for a charter remember a few good tips. is your Captain and boat recommended in the area by other people online? How do they talk to you the first time you make contact? What gear does he use and is is boat up to correct standards?  Asking a lot of questions about his boat and the area will help you define if thats the right bat for you…. Also look at price and get someone around the middle that is on tp of things and staying with the market!! Very very important look into social media at other people chatter not just the paid ads on a site or page!  i hope you have enjoyed reading what the team at Mr Trigger SportFishing has to offer and stay safe out there on the open ocean!

Keep those lines tight !

Capt Jason Mr Trigger Coffrin

www.mrtriggersportfishing.com