The Abyss
Two miles of water under the hull. Bring every ounce you have.
Most likely: Blue Marlin, Mako Shark, Swordfish
Round 10 of 10 · the final
Big Blue Championship
The far-out islands. Only the best boats make the trip. The fish are enormous.
3fishing spots
Billfishcounts at the scale
480–700 lbwhat the rivals land
6 AM–4 PMone fishing day
The AbyssSeamountHurricane HoleThe rules
Heaviest single billfish wins it all. No pressure.
Warm tropical blue water. Fish the day from six in the morning to four in the afternoon, keep up to 11 fish in the box, and bring your heaviest to the weigh-in. Beat every rival’s best to win the round.
What’s biting
Each spot has its own mix. Deeper, harder spots hold bigger fish.
How to win the Big Blue Championship
What you need: the field’s best fish usually weighs between 480 and 700 lb, so you’ll need a big billfish to take the round. Only billfish — marlin, sailfish and swordfish count at the scale.
Rig for it: 130 lb line lands fish that size; anything lighter gets more bites but risks a break-off on the big one. The blue marlin likes the Large Live Bait and the Large Skirt best.
Where to start: Seamount is the gentlest spot (★★★★☆) — a good place to find your rhythm. Hurricane Hole holds the heaviest fish, if you can handle them. Birds work hardest over The Abyss: follow them to the bait.
Read the forecast: on cloudy mornings and evenings run your lure shallow; under a bright midday sun, go deep. A windy forecast means a rough sea, a rolling boat and more drift, so plan your passes into the wind.
The spots
Seamount
An undersea mountain that pulls bait up from the deep.
Most likely: Blue Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna, Swordfish
Hurricane Hole
Rough, windy and mean. The biggest blues of the season hide here.
Most likely: Blue Marlin, Mako Shark, Yellowfin Tuna