The Billfish Report is counting down its Top 10 Billfisheries of the Year, with #7 Madeira. Criteria for our Top 10 include fish numbers, variety of billfish species, reports, average size of fish, length of season and number of boats fishing. With over 9,000 Billfish Reports submitted to us in 2017 from around the World, to even be considered for our Top 10 makes a fishery one of the best!

Madeira –  Deep calm waters and large Blue Marlin, what is not to like? Like our #8 fishery (Kona) these waters are known for some of the largest Blue Marlin the ocean can produce. Seems like almost every year, we hear of at least one “special” fish that got away and that is what keeps us all going back. We last saw Madeira in our Top 10 in 2015, just barely missing in 2016. 

For Madeira, it is all about the big Blue Marlin and they proved themselves once again to be on of the best in the World. We had a total of seventy-three (73) Blue Marlin reported to us over 500 lbs. making it the 2nd best place in the World to catch a large Blue Marlin and the 3rd Best Place in the World to catch a Marlin over 500 lbs.  We had eight (8) Blue Marlin reported to us over 900 lbs. from Pesca Grossa, Grander, Sorted, Katherine B, Endeavour and Blue Makaira, the most of any fishery Worldwide.

Don’t come to Madeira looking for numbers, this is a quality over quantity kind of fishery.  We did have multiple two Blue Marlin days, with the best days coming off the Endeavour with 3 and Grander with 3 . They do get White Marlin and Spearfish here as well, but not with any real reliability or numbers.

The season here is very short, often only lasting 3-Months (at least in recent history), but when the fish are here it is special. Speaking of special, Madeira added to their numerous World Records in 2017. Sherrell Carter set the new Women’s 12 lbs. World Record with a 356 lbs. Blue Marlin.

Congratulations to Madeira, our #7 Billfishery of 2017!