Page 35 - 52nd Annual White Marlin Open

witness an entirely different eco sys-

tem unfolding in front of you.

A ripple here, a flash there, every

flicker tells a story. A dark patch on

the surface might be a bait ball, a tight

cluster of small fish-like sardines or
anchovies trying to escape the jaws of

hungry predators below.A sudden ex-

plosion of water, and you know some-
thing big has come crashing through.

From this vantage point, patterns be-

come clear.You learn to read the wa-

ter like a book: every bird, swell, and

current hinting at what lies beneath.

Some of the most reliable indicators

of nearby fish are the seabirds. Gan-
nets, terns, shearwaters, and frigate-

birds are a captain’s airborne allies.

Watching them can be just as import-

ant as watching the sonar. A diving

flock is often a sure sign of a feeding
frenzy below with yellowfins driving

baitfish to the surface, or a school of

mahi-mahi chasing sardines.

One of the most spectacular sights

from the helm is a bait ball under at-

tack. From the air, birds begin to cir-

cle, then plunge like arrows into the

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