BlueWater Hunting and Freediving
by Terry Maas

Dolphin Fish Chapter excerpt

Dolphin fish are distributed worldwide. They are extremely tasty, which probably explains why every fishing culture gives them a special name. Bluewater hunters generally do not target these fish, but consider them a welcome bonus.

Dolphin fish grow at an incredible rate_some gain 30 pounds in one year. Even their eggs develop rapidly, hatching in just 60 hours. These fish age quickly, too; grandfather fish are only four years old. Strictly an open-water species, they are particularly drawn to flotsam of all kinds. They begin life as schooling fish but frequently form pairs as they age. It is not uncommon to find a mixed school_small females accompanied by several large males.

Males develop a distinctive forehead crest which further distorts the shape of this unusual fish. Fish that appear huge from the side are almost laughable when viewed from the front; they seem to be squeezed as thin as a pancake. These are among the sea's most beautiful fish, capable of kaleidoscopic, almost instantaneous, color changes, from gold to electric blue to silver.

Bluewater diver Peter McGonagle tells the story of his world-record catch: "I was employed as a deckhand for a fishing boat working out of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. We headed for a huge school of dorado about 20 miles out. Most of the fish were female weighing up to about 45 pounds. The fishermen onboard caught 12 fish until they ran out of bait. Now was my chance to slip into the water.

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