Striped Marlin

Though not as large or strong as its Pacific Blue cousin, what the Striped Marlin loses in fighting force it more than makes up for in beauty. The fish is famous for its stunning lavender and light blue stripes, its spotted dorsal fin, and its stark white belly. With such an eclectic arrangement of colors, there’s no better fish to photograph yourself with after a long but rewarding day at sea.

The waters around Oahu host Striped Marlin in large numbers between December and March and in somewhat smaller numbers the rest of the year. This fish is relatively easy to identify and hook once you are out in deep fishing areas, thanks to its unique and stunning dorsal fin. Once you have it hooked, it will begin jumping just as vigorously as the Pacific Blue Marlin, but thanks to its smaller size, you should not have as much trouble staying safe or keeping it under control. The Striped Marlin weighs roughly 60 pounds on average but ranges much heavier. The largest specimen in Hawaiian fishing history weighed 211 pounds and was caught off the coast of Oahu.

Given how beautiful the Striped Marlin is, many fishers are hesitant to cut into it. If you can look past its colors, however, the dining experience is no less exquisite. As with the Pacific Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin meat is served in steak form, with a myriad of different seasonings to enhance its flavor. Fans of this fish often coat the steaks in olive oil and then roll them in flour, spices, sesame seed powder, or other seasonings, along with salt and pepper. You can then place them on a grill or cook it in a pan with butter, browning each exterior side while leaving the interior pink.