Galapagos Marlin Fishing
News & Events
Marlin Evolution
A brand-new tour service lets anglers explore the Galapagos Marlin Fishing.
The sun had just crept over the horizon and four of the biggest trolling lures I have ever seen left smoke trails through the wake of our boat. In the distance, a beehive of seabirds hammered an acre-wide patch of the surface. Then the port line exploded from the outrigger and peeled off the reel. Not long after the hookup we had a blue marlin that looked all of 450 pounds at boatside—one of eight marlin we released that day.
We were in the Galápagos—the last great marlin frontier in the world.
I visited the Galápagos with IGFA representative Pete Santini, who first came here in 2004. Santini joined forces with local fisherman Gustavo Hernandez, and the two started Gustavo Tours, one of the few charter operations that lets anglers enjoy this practically untouched fishery.
Guests stay on the island of San Crist—bal, in Ecuador, where hotels are abundant, clean and moderately priced. From there, they board the Sea Hands, a 33-foot “marlin-fishing machine,” and head to the waters where it’s not at all uncommon to have 30 marlin strikes in one day—250-pound stripies, 500-pound blues, even near-grander blacks…and don’t forget about bonus shots at yellowfin tuna.
“There are so many fish and so many places to fish, we’re not afraid to experiment with different lures and techniques,” Santini says. “The striped marlin are everywhere, but in some spots the blues and blacks outnumber them.”
For details, including charters, accommodations and fishing seasons, visit World Explorer Notebook at www.wexpl.com.
— Andy LoCascio
Frequently Asked Questions
The Galapagos Marlin Fishing tour offers anglers an opportunity to fish in one of the last great marlin frontiers in the world, where it's common to experience multiple marlin strikes in a day, including blue, black, and striped marlins, some weighing hundreds of pounds. Guests fish from a 33-foot boat equipped specifically for marlin fishing, exploring a diverse and abundant fishery.
Guests stay on the island of San Cristóbal in Ecuador, where there are numerous hotels that are clean, plentiful, and reasonably priced. This serves as a convenient and comfortable base from which anglers can embark on their fishing excursions aboard the specialized charter boats.
Anglers can expect to catch large striped marlin, blue marlin, and black marlin, with some fishes weighing between 250 pounds to almost 500 pounds or more. Additionally, anglers may also have chances to catch yellowfin tuna as bonus fish during their trips.
Gustavo Tours was established through the collaboration of IGFA representative Pete Santini and local fisherman Gustavo Hernandez. Together, they created one of the few charter operations that provide guided fishing experiences in the pristine Galapagos marlin fishery, promoting sustainable and adventurous angling.
The Galapagos has abundant and diverse fish populations which allows fishing operators to experiment with different lures and techniques. Some areas are dominated by striped marlin, while others show a greater number of blue and black marlin, offering a dynamic and rich fishing environment.
Prospective anglers can visit the World Explorer Notebook website at www.wexpl.com to obtain more detailed information about the charters, accommodations, fishing seasons, and other specifics related to the Galapagos Marlin Fishing tour.