Black Marlin on a Popper

Marlin on Popper by FishBazaruto

Post author:Shonalanga
Post published:May 23, 2026
Post category:Captains Log
Post comments:0 Comments

Black Marlin on a Popper

Black Marlin on a popper is always a thrilling and amazing catch but put on top another Black and a Blue, all for first time anglers and it makes for some very special moments.

We just had Chris, Geoff, Brandon and Justin for their annual trip and as always we had a great time and the best with these guys is that they are always willing to adapt to whatever is happening and the gear and fishing knowledge to go with it…

Obviously this super El Nino is having serious effects on us, I would even say extreme seeing until a few days ago our water temperature was over 30c which is more like the bath water we normally have in February and 4 to 5 degrees warmer to what it should be now.

Consequently it has affected the fishing with very little surface activity, no bait whatsoever, especially the jube jube we normally use so successfully for live bait this time of year, no birds and just generally slow.

We got some good game fish but it was just not the normal chaos one expects this time of year and we had to work hard for our fish.

On Thursday my other boat IBO had a very slow light tackle trolling day so mid afternoon they decided to put the lures on the heavy gear and go further out and were rewarded with a #400 Black released.

Black Marlin on IBO

Veleiro releasing a Blue Marlin the next day…

So on day two Friday and after a slow start I suggested to the guys that we got out for a few hours.

And Bang…. Geoff caught his first Marlin, a Black we hooked in just under 500 meters which is the deepest we have caught one here.

The fish took the little green devil – Pulsator’s lure Marlin magnet which was a true magnet for the two days we went wide.

We then hooked and pulled the hooks on the same lure on a Blue.

Geoff with his first Marlin release

The next day we went straight out wide and there was even more bait than the previous day and again we caught a bunch of skipjack and some Yellowfin tuna for sashimi.

The bait was deeper and to the SE where we and Veleiro had the bites the previous day which were literally within a few hundred meters from each other.

We worked there in the bait chaos and BANG!

9am on the clock and we hooked up again on the Marlin magnet and this time Brandon caught his first Marlin, a #300 Blue which was a real piece of work and had us spinning like mad cats for the release.

Blue Marlin on Pulsator Lure

The bait sounded late morning and we decided to go inside for some jigging and popping but that is a story for another day…

However, despite the next day fishing shallow, mostly popping and jigging, the guys’ Marlin story did not finish there!

Popping at 9 mile in 16 meters of water Brandon again hooked a little Black on his red and white popper – as they do this fish jumped all over the place and he was so wrapped up that unfortuently we had to bring him in to undo the leader and the popper, but soon enough and after a very quick pic he was in the water for a release.

So special…