Target Species: Sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)
Other Common Names: spindle beak, bayonet fish, pez vela (Spanish)
Identification: Extra large dorsal fin of 37-49 elements much higher than deepest part of body. Extra long pelvic fins nearly extending to anal fin. Dark blue on top, brown-blue laterally, underbelly silvery white. Elongated upper jaw in form of spear. Highly visible lateral line curved above pectoral fin extending straight to base of tail. Body covered with embedded scales.
Biological Info: Spawn in open sea with a single female producing 4-5 million eggs only .85 mm in diameter. Fertilized in open sea where they float with plankton until hatching. Very rapid growth rate reaching 4'-5' in first year. Capable of swimming speeds up to 50 knots (68 miles/hour). Surface to mid-depth feeder. Life span up to 10 years.
Geographical Range: Worldwide in tropical and temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Pelagic and migratory in warm offshore waters, but may migrate into warm inshore areas in parts of their range. Range from Baja California to Peru in the eastern Pacific, and from Massachusetts to Brazil in the western Atlantic, most commonly in warm waters along the edges of the Gulf Stream.
Favored Water Temp.: 72-83 degrees Fahrenheit
Size: Up to 10' but 7' common. 40-60 lb common but up to 125 lbs. Atlantic Ocean; 50-100 lbs common but over 200 lbs possible Pacific Ocean.
IGFA Record: Pacific : 221 lbs., Ecuador, 1947. Atlantic141 lbs., Angola, 1994.
Sporting characteristics: Speedy and acrobatic with high jumps. Very challenging on light tackle.
Food & Feeding Habits: Eat a wide range of small pelagic fishes including ballyhoo, mullet, mackerels, flying fish, and jacks as well as octopus and squid on the surface to mid-depth range along reef edges or current eddies.
Fishing methods: Trolling strip baits, whole ballyhoo or mullet as well as live bait or artificial feathers or offshore plastic lures on medium/light tackle (30 # line ideal). Also bait and switch tactics for fly fishing.
Top Spots: Puerto Quetzal & Puerto San Jose, Guatemala, year round but especially from mid-November through early May; Quepos, Costa Rica late April through September; Isla Mujeres January-March; Sebastian to West Palm Beach, Florida, November-January.
Conservation: Catch & release. Circle hooks rigged properly reduce injury risk for the fish. Minimize handling for a successful recovery. Photograph in water. Do not remove from water.
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Sailfish are prized by light tackle anglers for their tremendous speed and spectacular aerial acrobatics. Read More Sailfish Article
