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Sailfish
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Istiophorus albicans |
| Common Names: | sailfish, sails |
| Environment: | Offshore |
| Ideal Temp: | 70-82°F (21-28°C) |
About Sailfish
Sailfish are two species of fish in the genus Istiophorus, living in warmer sections of all the oceans of the world. They are predominately blue to gray in color and have a characteristic erectile dorsal fin known as a sail, which often stretches the entire length of the back. Another notable characteristic is the elongated bill, resembling that of the swordfish and other marlins. They are therefore described as billfish in sport fishing circles.
Both species of sailfish grow quickly, reaching 1.2–1.5 metres (3 ft 10 in–4 ft 10 in) in length in a single year, and feed on the surface or at mid-depths on smaller pelagic forage fish and squid. Individuals have been clocked at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph), which is the highest speed reliably reported in any water creature.
Sailfish inhabit tropical and subtropical waters near land masses, usually in depths over 10 fathoms (60 feet). Along the Gulf Stream they are usually found around the 120 feet line. Pelagic and migratory, sailfish usually travel alone or in small groups. They appear to feed mostly in midwater along the edges of reefs or current eddies.
The sail is normally kept folded down and to the side when swimming, but it may be raised when the sailfish feels threatened or excited, making the fish appear much larger than it actually is. This tactic has also been observed during feeding, when a group of sailfish use their sails to "herd" a school of fish or squid.
Sailfish are highly prized game fish and are known for their incredible jumps and great speed. They can appear in a startling array of colors, from subdued browns and grays to vibrant purples and even silver. Their body colors are often highlighted by stripes of iridescent blue and silver dots. Sailfish can change their colors almost instantly - a change controlled by their nervous system. The sailfish can rapidly turn its body light blue with yellowish stripes when excited, confusing its prey and making capture easier, while signalling its intentions to fellow sailfish.
There are 2 species of sailfish: Istiophorus albicans (Atlantic) or Istiophorus platypterus (Indo-Pacific)
Sailfish Fishing
| World Record: | 64 kg (141 lb 1 oz) Luanda , Angola |
| # Fish Caught: | 148197 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 2/10/1859 12:00:00 AM and located at 24.63570, -82.88406. |
| Latest Record: | 2/1/2029 12:00:00 AM and located at -3.16667, 40.16667. |
| Common Techniques: | Trolling |
| Popular Lure Types: | Trolling |
| Fishing Spots: | 15449 Sailfish fishing spots. |
Latest Sailfish Fishing Reports and Spots
Bailers! - 7/6/2026 6:33:38 PM
New friends from the Blue Ridge of Virginia on board today. we caught a nice mess of dolphins first thing and then looked around for a big bite. (
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Today was another exciting day on the waters of Quepos Costa Rica with Big Eye 2 Sportfishing. We were joined by a lively group of anglers from (
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Today we had an incredible day out on the waters of Quepos Costa Rica with a lovely family from Texas. We were fortunate to reel in a total of (
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Today was another exciting day out on the water with Big Eye 2 Sportfishing in beautiful Quepos Costa Rica. We had the pleasure of hosting a gr (
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Today’s fishing expedition with Big Eye 2 Sportfishing was nothing short of spectacular. As a seasoned captain I Franklin Araya led our group 2 (
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Hoy en Big Eye 2 Sportfishing tuvimos un día emocionante y productivo en las hermosas aguas de Quepos Costa Rica. Como siempre nuestro objetivo (
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World Class Sailfish Fishing Guatemala delivered another unforgettable day aboard Yacht Cañaso with 33 sailfish raised 28 bites and 20 releases. (
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An exceptional day at sea aboard the Cañaso where sailfish action took center stage. With perfect conditions and great teamwork multiple sightin (
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Despite good conditions fish were hard to come by the last couple of days That’s fishing We did catch a Sailfish and a few dolphin We will be ba (
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May was an incredible month aboard the Hooked Up Sport Fishing off the coast of South Florida! Charter fishing has been outstanding with an abu (
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