The Fishing Report
Fishing seasons & conditions by region
Marlin vs Wahoo
Two fish anglers routinely mix up. Here is what actually separates them — and when and where you are likely to meet each.
Side by Side
Marlin Makaira nigricans
Typical: 8–11 ft, 150–400 lb
Key field mark: A pointed first dorsal fin shorter than the body is deep marks a marlin, versus the sailfish's towering full-length sail.
- Stout, round-sectioned bill (spear)
- Pointed, stiff first dorsal fin lower than body depth (blue marlin)
- Cobalt/blue-black back, silver-white belly
- Often pale blue vertical bars on the flanks
- Two keels on each side of the tail base
- High shoulder, heavy body
Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri
Typical: 40–60 in, 20–50 lb
Key field mark: Vivid electric-blue vertical bars and a long razor-toothed beak separate wahoo from the unbarred, spot-free king mackerel.
- Long, slender, torpedo body; iridescent blue-gray with vivid blue vertical bars
- Long beak-like snout with razor triangular teeth
- Tall first dorsal fin running most of the back
- Deeply forked tail, row of finlets
- Hinged jaw that folds; skin appears nearly scaleless
When Each Is Running July — current month highlighted
Peak Good Fair Slow
Where Marlin and Wahoo Overlap
Both run in Hawaiian Islands, Mid-Atlantic, South Florida & the Keys, Southeast Atlantic — that is where telling them apart actually matters.