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Big Game Fishing For Sport
from: Kyle BesserBig game fishing is also referred to as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, and blue water fishing. Big game fishing is a form of recreational fishing which targets large fish, such as tuna and marlin, that are renowned for their sporting qualities.
The billfish (broadbill swordfish, marlin and sailfish), larger tunas (bluefin, yellowfin, and bigeye) and sharks (mako, great white, tiger, hammerhead and other large species) are the main species recognized as big game fish. Many anglers also consider the Atlantic tarpon a big game species. Smaller game fish, such as barracuda, dolphinfish, wahoo, and smaller tuna species such as albacore and skipjack tuna are commonly caught as by-catch or for use as live or dead bait.
Big game fishing started as a sport after the invention of the motor boat. Historically most of the locations where the sport of big game fishing was developed benefited from the presence of large numbers of game fish relatively close to shore, within range of the boats of the era. As the vessels used for sportfishing became larger, faster, longer ranged and more seaworthy, big game species are now pursued as far as 60 or 70 miles from port.
Big game fishing requires a boat of sufficient seaworthiness and range to transport the crew to the fishing grounds and back. Boats that fit these requirements may be as small as the 18 to 21-foot trailerable boats commonly used along the Australian coast, in New Zealand and on the lee coasts of the Hawaiian Islands where they are known as the "mosquito fleet." At the other extreme, the 100-foot and larger vessels of the San Diego long range fleet and similar party boats operating from New England, transport 25, 30 or more anglers in search of yellowfin, bluefin and bigeye tuna.
The cost of a suitable big game fishing boat, electronics, tackle and the operating costs including fuels and other consumables, insurance, mooring fees and maintenance, can be very substantial. Consequently, many big game anglers prefer to use charter services where they hire the use of a big game fishing boat and equipment and the fish finding expertise of a captain in preference to maintaining their own big game fishing boat. Either way, big game fishing can be an extremely expensive pursuit.
Today big game fishing is carried out from ports in tropical and temperate coasts practically worldwide.
North America
The United States has the world's largest big game fishing industry, along the entire length of the East Coast from Key West to the Gulf of Maine. Big game anglers pursue a variety of tropical and temperate sportfish ranging from sailfish and dolphinfish in the Florida Keys to giant bluefin tuna in Massachusetts and in Canadian waters.
The West Coast does not have the influence of the warm Gulf Stream current and most big game species are mainly confined to California. Some of the same species that were fished for by the pioneers of big game fishing, Pacific bluefin tuna, broadbill swordfish and striped marlin, are still fished for today.
Latin and South America
Billfish and tuna are pursued in almost all the Latin American coastal nations. Many are renowned for excellent big game fishing. Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador and Guatemala have the largest fleets of big game fishing boats.
Land Based Big Game Fishing
In some areas big game species can be caught by land based anglers. The rock platforms of Jervis Bay in New South Wales, Australia is probably the most well known. Black marlin of up to 200 lbs have been caught there by anglers floating out baits on balloons.
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