Marlin mag’s latest issue hit the news stands this week. Their choice for a cover photo always interest me and this issue is no exception. They chose the first frame in a sequence I captured last summer while riding along with Capt. Butch aboard the Prime Time in St. Thomas. Clearly this first frame is the best choice, since the composition goes south as the fish flattens out during the second half of the jump. To see the entire motor drive sequence, click the image above to start the movie. This shows that you don’t need all the bells and whistles in a fancy digital camera motor drive, you could shoot this sport with a single shot. What do you think?

In today’s mail arrived the keys to my next adventure. A round trip ticket and a Visa from the Embassy of the Republic of Cape Verde. Even with the prospect of having to travel LAX-LHR-LIS-RCV (which for me is one of those trips that you don’t use a watch see how long it is until you get a bait in the water, you use a calendar) I am excited about another visit to Sao Vicente. The potential of capturing a few special fish in my lens in Cape Verde is that strong. And knowing that old friends Zak and Marty are well into their Blue Marlin fishing season is fantastic. So far the reports have been mixed, which only means some of the best days on the bank are ahead. To see my captures from last years trip, click the arrow in the bottom right corner of the image to start the show. Or mouse over the above image and left/right arrows will appear.

The North Drop in the British Virgin Islands gives up another cover photo. This months shot came while I was riding along on a familiar platform, the 58′ Revenge Custom Yacht. It’s kinda rare that I get to film a lure caught fish any more with most every team pitch baiting every opportunity. So I really welcomed this bite and was delighted that it stayed on and then jumped in range of my camera. Many thanks to Sam and Jon for the ride, and always grateful to Mike, Dean, and Ryan for letting me run around their office and do my thing. The only bad part of this cover photo is that when this magazine issue was going to print, someone dropped the ball and put the wrong photo credit on the title page. So this lovely creature is misidentified as a Black Marlin and the photo is credited to some other chap.

The fishing this Fall along the Mid Atlantic coast proved to be some of the best White Marlin fishing the area has seen in many years. Just when many indications showed the White Marlin population was in dire straights, they bite like crazy in incredible numbers. I sure hope it doesn’t cause anyone or any group to give up on the need for continued efforts to conserve or protect these animals. If you’ve been fortunate enough to fish a good White Marlin bite when it’s going down, I think you’ll agree that it is truly something special. When the boys at Marlin Magazine called to tell me about a whitey piece that Charles Perry sent in, I didn’t hesitate to bounce a few keepers off their screens. Lucky for me they were hoping to make this the main feature of the issue and even selected one of my shots to lead it off. This cover capture was from a seven day shoot I spent aboard the Prime Time with Capt. Butch Cox. If there is a nicer, talented, or more accommodating host to fish with, I have yet to meet that person. My thanks to Butch and his crew, along with angler Joe Zimmer, for the opportunity to bring it home. Image 1471-023 shot at 1/1000 @ f5.6.