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Sailfish Fishing

Species Spotlight: The Sailfish

Name: Indo-Pacific Sailfish or Atlantic Sailfish

Also known as: The Sailfish

Scientific Name: Istiophorus platypterus

Sailfish Description

The Sailfish start their lives as tiny larvae no bigger than a few millimetres but their growth rate in the first years is immense just like many other members of the Billfish family. When they are fully grown, they can reach lengths of 10 feet from the upper jaw Bill to tail and upwards of over 200lb. The Sailfish gets its name from its extraordinary large sail like dorsal fin that can sometimes be taller than the length of their bodies. Another characteristic of this fish is that while it grows it forms a distinctive long pointed bill, which they use when feeding to stun smaller prey fish such as Sardines and Anchovies to things such as Squid and Octopus and is also known to be one of the fastest fish in the ocean and can reach speeds of 70mph, perfect for smashing through schools of smaller fish.

Average Size of the Sailfish

Depending on where about in the world you are targeting these, they range in sizes from 60lb to 200lb with the average catch being around 80lb.

Where to catch the Sailfish

They can be found across the globe in warm and temperate waters from the Atlantic Oceans, the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. With them not high on commercial fishing, the stocks of these fish are not under pressure therefore in some areas of open ocean, it is possible to land several fish in a day. Some of the most prolific parts of the world, such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico catching over 30 fish a day is not uncommon.

Contact us

If you want to learn about any of our destinations that hold this amazing species, contact us on 01603 407596 or by emailing paul@sportquestholidays.com or by taking a look at our tour list which can be found here. Why not watch this fantastic video with Peter Collingsworth hooking up with some of these powerhouses!

Tight Lines,

Peter

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