Blue marlin lures set wave by wave in a five lure spread that works in any blue water. David Brackmann builds it from the short corner back, shows how long each lure should stay under on its cycle, and explains why he fishes single hooks and what hookup rate a lure crew should expect.
Blue Marlin Lures and Spread Setup with David Brackmann
Blue Marlin Lures and Spread Setup with David Brackmann
(00:58:59)
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Instructor:
David Brackmann
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Instructor
How do you set a five lure blue marlin spread?
A standard spread of blue marlin lures runs five, with the largest and loudest close to the boat and the smallest farthest back, each riding its own wave. David Brackmann sets the closest inside lure first and regulates boat speed from it, then counts waves from the first true wake, not the prop wash.
His short corner runs in the clear lane between the prop wash and the first wave. It is his biggest, loudest lure, usually black or purple, so it shows as a silhouette through white water, and short corner bites tend to be big fish. The wave for every position is in the video.
How do you tell if a marlin lure is running right?
Good marlin lures dive and come back up in a steady cycle instead of skipping across the top. Brackmann wants each lure down at least three seconds, ideally five to eight, because a cycling lure is easier for a marlin to catch and hooks better than one that skips. He surfs it near the bottom of the wave face.
Should you run a single hook or a double hook in a marlin lure?
Brackmann runs singles, set as far back as possible with the eye inside the skirt. A single rides upright, and a fish that misses it hasn't felt a hook, so it may come back and bite again. A double needs a higher clip and more drag to hook instantly. He puts the average lure hookup at 30 to 35%.
Inside the video
- Dacron slides on taglines, and clip tension matched to the trolling drag
- Which head runs in each position, and when he changes the long rigger as a head sea builds
- Hook gaps, conical points and small barbs
- Full length leaders, swivels, and storing leaders in big loops
- Numbered rods, marked lines, and teasing up a fish to pitch a dead bait
Questions About Blue Marlin Lure Spreads
What speed do you troll lures for blue marlin?
Brackmann trolls blue marlin lures at about 7.8 to 8.8 knots, sometimes 9. He sets that speed from the closest inside lure, the first one in the water, and wants every lure behind it cycling down for at least three seconds rather than skipping across the top.
What is a normal hookup rate on marlin lures?
Brackmann puts the average lure hookup at 30 to 35%, though some crews claim 50 to 60%. Teasing a fish up and pitching a dead bait runs about 80% in his experience, and he finds a fish that eats a lure going away from the boat hooks better.
Does Brackmann use vinyl or rubber skirts on his marlin lures?
Brackmann prefers vinyl. Its slick surface lets a fish slide back to the hook, and the rough back of the skirt holds bubbles. He adds a noodle skirt underneath and thins the inner skirts so they don't control the head, a check he makes with a simple shake test.
What hook size do you use for blue marlin lures?
Brackmann uses mostly 10/0 to 11/0 for blue marlin and drops to 8/0 and 9/0 for striped marlin under about 200 lb. A bigger hook has more effect on the lure's action and is harder to set. On a single he wants a closed, southern tuna gap that drives into the corner of the jaw like a circle hook.
The Calm Water Version of the Spread
Brackmann's five lure spread travels to any blue water fishery. For the calm water version Kona crews run, with four lines, no shotgun and a boat driven off the sonar, watch the Kona style marlin lure spread video.
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william ashworth
04.21.2022
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David Brackmann
David Brackmann is a world-renowned big game fisherman who owns Caliente Sport Fishing in Cabo San Lucas and lives in Orange County, California. He has chased blue and striped marlin across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Baja, and his specialty is the physics of the trolling spread: how each lure works with prop wash, wave position, and boat speed to raise fish. In his In The Spread videos, Brackmann breaks down blue marlin lure spread design, head selection, swimming cycle dynamics, tag lines, hook rigging, and spread management.
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