Makaira nigricans
The biggest trophy of Brazilian offshore fishing. It strikes trolled baits in open sea and fights for hours. Threatened species: catch and release only.
Also called: agulhão-negro, marlim-azul, blue marlin
The blue marlin is the heaviest billfish on the Brazilian coast. Males rarely exceed 150 kg; females can top 500 kg. It lives in the warm layer over the slope and the shelf edge, following currents, thermal fronts, and schools of skipjack tuna, dolphinfish, and squid. It uses its bill to stun prey. In Brazil fishing is recreational and always catch and release: the species is on the national list of threatened species, and sale is prohibited. The Vitória-ES season, from October to March, draws boats from all over the country. It requires a boat ready to run 30 to 60 nautical miles out, a trained crew, and heavy tackle. A good day brings one or two strikes; patience is part of the game.
Long, thick bill. The first dorsal fin is pointed at the front and lower than the body depth. Long pectoral fins that fold against the body. Dark cobalt-blue back, silver belly, and pale blue vertical stripes that vanish after death. The white marlin is much smaller, has rounded-tip dorsal and anal fins, and a dorsal with black spots. The sailfish has a sail-shaped dorsal fin, taller than the body, and very long pelvic fins.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Warm oceanic waters across the whole Brazilian exclusive economic zone (EEZ), over the slope and the shelf edge. Classic destinations: Vitória-ES, the national capital of blue marlin, with grounds on the shelf edge 30 to 60 nautical miles offshore; Royal Charlotte bank, in southern Bahia (departures from Canavieiras and Belmonte); Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo-RJ; Natal-RN; Fernando de Noronha-PE. At Noronha fishing is prohibited inside the Parque Nacional Marinho; outside it, only with a local operator and within ICMBio rules.
Habitat: Surface layer of blue, warm water (0 to 200 m) over bottoms of 200 to 3,000 m. Concentrates at shelf edges, canyons, seamounts, current edges, and sargassum lines with bait.
coast
states
Amapá, Pará, Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul
famous destinations
At Vitória and Royal Charlotte the season runs from October to March, peaking November to January, when the Brazil Current brings blue water above 25 °C near the shelf edge. In the Northeast it appears all year in open sea, with less predictability.
Daytime. It strikes all day long. Many skippers report peaks in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and at tide or current turns. Night sport fishing is not practiced.
Water below 24 °C kills the fishing. Look for the warm edge of the Brazil Current; thermal breaks of 1 to 2 °C concentrate bait and fish.
Little direct effect. The cold front churns the sea and cools the surface; afterward fishing usually stops for 2 to 4 days.
On the dock they say that, at full moon, fish feed at night and get lazy by day. The effect exists, but it counts for less than water and bait.
Light rain doesn't bother. Thunderstorm with lightning in open sea: head back.
Not applicable at sea. The equivalent is the color and clarity of the water: look for blue, clean water and current lines.
Motor and wake attract: the marlin comes up behind the boat out of curiosity. Noisy teasers help.
Moderate light swell helps the baits work. Wind above 20 knots makes going out dangerous and unfeasible for smaller boats.
In open sea the tide matters little; current and current turns matter more.
Hunts from the surface down to about 200 m. Fish over bottoms of 200 to 2,000 m, preferably at shelf edges and canyons.
lures
natural baits
accessories
Set a spread of 4 to 6 baits at 7-9 knots, with teasers near the stern. When the fish rises to the teaser, pull the teaser and put the bait in front of it. With a circle hook, don't strike: let the line tighten and let the drag do the work.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: It was EN under Portaria MMA 148/2022. ICCAT maintains a recovery plan for the Atlantic stock, which is considered overfished (Rec. 19-05).
The blue marlin is on the national list as Vulnerable (VU). Catch, transport, storage, processing, and sale are prohibited. A hooked specimen must be released alive on the spot. The rule does not expressly address directed catch-and-release fishing; for tournaments, confirm the requirements with MMA/ICMBio.
Blue and white marlins that reach the boat alive must be returned to the sea. Sale in the domestic market and export are prohibited; landed specimens must be donated to scientific or charitable institutions. Cutting the first dorsal and first anal fins aboard is prohibited. Text confirmed in a legislation database; confirm it is in force with the MPA.
ICCAT, of which Brazil is a member, requires countries to ensure release with the least possible harm, a minimum retention size of 251 cm LJFL (from the tip of the lower jaw to the tail fork) for blue marlin, and a ban on selling marlins caught recreationally. The national rule is stricter: live marlin must be released.
Makaira nigricans is VU on the 2026 list (EN in 2022). Catching and keeping are prohibited; catch and release only. White marlin (Kajikia albida), VU in 2022, does not appear on the 2026 list, and sailfish is not listed. Even so, releasing billfish is the good practice in offshore sport fishing.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º) and nº 1.667/2026
Don't bring the fish aboard: besides being prohibited, taking it out of the water kills it. Use a circle hook and a short fight, with firm drag. Release it alongside the boat, with the fish in the water; if you can't remove the hook, cut the leader very close to the mouth. Revive it with the boat in gear at 2-3 knots and water flowing through its mouth, until it regains color and swims on its own.
Not applicable: retention and sale are prohibited. Catch and release.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00427, b = 3.12; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
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