At a glance
40–80 lb.
Surface to 300 ft.
Morning bites are common; fish the whole day when the current edge is right.
12 areas
Know it
Spot it, size it up and learn its habits.
- Identification
Smaller marlin with rounded tips on the first dorsal and pectoral fins, and often white spots on the dorsal.
- Typical size
40–80 lb.
- Maximum size
About 9 ft and 180 lb.
- Diet
Flying fish, ballyhoo, small tunas, mackerels and squid.
- Behavior
Open-ocean traveler that follows current edges, weed lines and bait schools.
Find it
Where, when and how deep to look.
- Where to find it
Found from Florida Atlantic Coast, South Florida & Keys, Northern Gulf (AL–TX), Mexico Gulf Coast, Bahamas & Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Colombia & Venezuela, North Carolina, Virginia & Chesapeake Bay and Delaware & New Jersey. Offshore blue water along canyons, temperature breaks and weed lines.
- Habitat
Offshore blue water along canyons, temperature breaks and weed lines.
- Depth
Surface to 300 ft.
- Fishing depth
Surface to 100 ft over deep water (300+ ft).
- Best season
Varies by species and area; winter for sailfish off southeast Florida, spring–summer for many others.
- Best time
Morning bites are common; fish the whole day when the current edge is right.
- Best tides
Ocean current and temperature breaks matter more than tide.
- Best weather / conditions
Moderate wind against the current can stack bait — but only go when it's safe.
Bait & gear
What to tie on and what to throw.
- Best bait
Rigged ballyhoo and small squid.
- Best artificial lures
Small skirted trolling lures.
- Tackle setup
20–50 lb class trolling or stand-up outfit; kite and live-bait rigs for sailfish.
- Hook size
5/0–8/0 non-offset circle hooks with natural bait (required for billfish tournaments and federal HMS rules).
- Line
20–50 lb mono or braid with mono top shot.
- Leader
40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
BigJoe's setup for White marlin
The rod, reel, line and lures BigJoe would use.
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Catch it
Step by step, from first cast to landing.
Step-by-step: how to catch it
- Go where it lives: Offshore blue water along canyons, temperature breaks and weed lines.
- Rig up: 20–50 lb class trolling or stand-up outfit; kite and live-bait rigs for sailfish. 40–100 lb mono or fluorocarbon.
- Pick your bait: Rigged ballyhoo and small squid. Lures: Small skirted trolling lures.
- Fish it: Troll a spread of ballyhoo and small lures; drop back to a bite.
- Time it: Morning bites are common; fish the whole day when the current edge is right. Ocean current and temperature breaks matter more than tide.
- Fishing techniques
Troll a spread of ballyhoo and small lures; drop back to a bite.
- BigJoe's tip
Whites often come up behind the baits several times — tease them with a hookless teaser.
- Catch and release
Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.
Clean & cook
Is it good to eat, and how to prepare it.
- Edibility
Usually released — a sport fish more than a food fish.
- Cooking suggestions
Release it.
Stay safe & legal
Safety, rules and taking care of the fishery.
- Safety warnings
Bills and fast runs — never grab the bill of a lit-up fish, and keep big fish in the water.
- Regulations
HMS Angling permit required in U.S. federal waters; minimum size; circle hooks with natural bait. Most are released. A Florida fishing license is required unless you are exempt; Florida rules are set by FWC (myfwc.com). Federal waters fall under NOAA Fisheries. Other states and countries set their own limits — check before you keep fish.
- Conservation
Keep only what you'll eat, release the rest quickly, and follow size and bag limits.