Striped Marlin

The striped marlin (Family Istiophoridae) is a large, oceanic fish with a long, round bill, small teeth and tall dorsal fin which decreases in height ending just before the second dorsal fin. Striped marlin reach a maximum size of nearly 12 feet, weighing over 450 pounds. The International Gamefish AssociationThe previous link is a link to Non-Federal government web site. Click to review NOAA Fisheries disclaimer all-tackle record is for a 494-pound fish caught near New Zealand in 1986. 

Generally, fish begin arriving in the coastal and insular waters off southern California in June and remain until at least October. The number of fish moving into the southern California bight during any particular year is associated with water temperatures. The colder water north of Point Conception usually limits their northward distribution although during El Nio years they commonly range north to about San Francisco. The water off the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula to Manzanillo, Mexico is an area of high striped marlin abundance, that support a large recreational fishery. The striped marlin catch rate is 0.65 per days-fishing. Estimated recreational catches of striped marlin off Los Cabos, BCS average 12,000 fish annually.

Catch Information