Bringing Marlin Aboard

EDITOR'S NOTE: Recently, I took part in a phenomenal fishing expedition on the "Baby Grand" out of the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi. We left the casino at 6 a.m. After a 3 1/2-hour-boat ride, we set up our equipment about 90 miles from shore at the mouth of the Mississippi River, also known as South Pass. That afternoon in 350-foot water, we caught two blue marlin. Today I'll talk with Eric Gill, first mate aboard the "Baby Grand" who has his captain's license for a 100-ton Master. A first mate for 12 years, Gill has spent the last six years on the "Baby Grand." Gill will discuss our catch and give you tips on how you, too, can have a successful blue-marlin trip.

QUESTION: Eric, what did you do to prepare when the blue marlin was nearly reeled in and the time had arrived for the angler to bring the fish onboard.

ANSWER: As the first mate, my job is to get the marlin off the hook and have photos taken before I release the fish. First, I'll put on my gloves and make sure the cockpit is cleared. I wear welder gloves, but you can use whatever makes you feel comfortable and protects your hands from being torn up by the line.

Too, I always keep a release tool, which is basically a razor blade, in my pocket to help if an emergency happens, and I need to cut the line. For instance, if I'm jerked overboard, I'll have easy access to cut the line. When wiring a marlin, an angler may wrap the line around his or her hand too many times, or perhaps the line will get tangled around his arm. To prevent this from happening, simply let some line out when you feel the marlin pull, which prevents the line from getting snagged and someone being jerked overboard. Only wrap the line lightly around your hand two or three times. Then when you open your hand, the line should go out of your hand easily and keep you from getting pulled overboard.

QUESTION: When the marlin gets up next to the boat, what do you do with the fish?

ANSWER: First, I'll make sure the marlin is under control. Once the marlin is, I'll grab its bill and get the lure and hooks out. Then I'll tag the marlin before releasing the fish back into the water.

QUESTION: We caught a huge fish that we wanted to photograph. How did we photograph the fish?

ANSWER: Since we tagged the marlin at 87 inches and about 250 pounds, we wanted some photographs. We took photographs from the two basic positions: behind the deckhand as he wired the marlin and hanging off the side of the boat. The most important thing is to make sure the marlin is in control before you get too close to it. Holding the fish for photographs is often hard and tiresome. The fish we caught was calm, but oftentimes big fish, and even some smaller fish, will raise a lot of cain, and you'll have a hard time holding onto them. Unfortunately, you don't always get as many photographs as you want.

For more information on fishing for blue marlin aboard the "Baby Grand" out of the Grand Casino in Gulfport, Mississippi, contact Matt Reed at (800) WIN-7777, extension 1989. To learn more about other saltwater-fishing opportunities on Mississippi's Gulf Coast, call (800) WARMEST.

Tomorrow: Other Fishing Opportunities At South Pass