Ready to Battle a Billfish

You can blame Ernest Hemingway for igniting the general public’s fascination with billfish. In his post-World War II novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway vividly captured the power and beauty of a marlin as he described the long battle between an old captain, Santiago, and a great beast. The imagery Hemingway used to describe this mythical fish captured the attention of both readers who already loved to fish as well as those who had never held a fishing rod.

Soon after its publication, the sport of big game fishing saw an influx of adventurous anglers looking to test their mettle against giant fish. The draw of battling a billfish still represents the North Star target for many saltwater anglers. The good news is that anyone can do it. You don’t need to be a linebacker or capable of bench pressing more than 200 pounds to land a billfish of your own. I’ve seen 7-year-olds safely catch billfish, and more women are competing in billfish tournaments—and winning—than ever