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Kona Blue Marlin
Kona is one of the world's great blue marlin fisheries, where the bottom drops into thousands of feet of blue water within sight of the beach and calm mornings let a lure spread work clean. Kevin Hibbard fishes it aboard 2nd Offense, reading how current, structure, and bite windows line up, setting a Kona-style spread with the help of Omni sonar, and rigging skirts and Sta-Stuk hooks for fish that can top a thousand pounds. From tackle to boat driving, these courses cover the whole program.
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2023, Rigging Marlin Lures with Sta-Stuk Hooks
11:45 · Kevin HibbardSta-Stuk hooks rigged aboard Kevin Hibbard's boat in Kona, right after a blue marlin ate one in the new Little Hibby. Kris Ishibashi covers the crimp, the grease and the tape, which way the leader should curve in a slant face or a bullet, and the one fish, one rig habit behind every leader on the boat.
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2023, Lure Spread Setup for Marlin Fishing: Kona Style
21:24 · Kevin HibbardKona marlin fishing with a four line lure spread, set by Kris Ishibashi aboard Kevin Hibbard's Second Offense. Four lines, not five, because the boat turns hard off its sonar, a teaser on the second wave, the tube in the trough, and a heavier bullet because big blues have been pushing the light one away.
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2023, Fundamentals of Fishing Structure for Blue Marlin
29:51 · Kevin HibbardKevin Hibbard on fishing structure for blue marlin, from Kona's ledges to the banks off Cabo and the Azores: where to put the boat on the up-current side, how much current turns structure on, and how a 360 degree sonar tells him when to stay and when to leave.
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Featured
2021, Blue Marlin Fishing Tackle with Kevin Hibbard
29:16 · Kevin HibbardBlue marlin fishing unpredictability demands tackle capable of handling 1200-pound giants even when targeting average-sized fish. Premier destinations produce big marlin frequently enough that Captain Kevin Hibbard emphasizes reel capacity, drag systems, and mainline strength must handle sustained runs and extreme pressure rather than gambling on lighter setups adequate for smaller fish but inadequate when mama strikes without warning.
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2021, Blue Marlin Trolling Technique with Kevin Hibbard
14:58 · Kevin HibbardBlue marlin trolling effectiveness depends on using satellite data to locate temperature breaks and current convergences concentrating bait, then interpreting tuna and porpoise signals revealing real-time feeding activity. Kevin Hibbard's techniques for positioning lures relative to bait schools in open water versus around structures create systematic approaches rather than random trolling hoping to intersect marlin patrolling productive zones.
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2021, Blue Marlin Trolling Lures with Kevin Hibbard
37:56 · Kevin HibbardBlue marlin trolling lures from a Kona captain's own bag. Kevin Hibbard names the four lures he would take on any trip, explains why a bullet is always in his spread, and makes the case that color is for the angler, not the marlin, and that changing lures all day is a mind game.
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2021, Fishing Kona with Kevin Hibbard for Blue Marlin
22:33 · Kevin HibbardKona blue marlin fishing requires understanding how feeding times, water conditions, currents, and structure interact rather than single-factor approaches. Kevin Hibbard's decades of experience reveal that consistent success depends on reading how these variables combine to create high-percentage zones, recognizing bite time patterns when marlin feed aggressively, and knowing when bait versus lure presentations produce better results in Kona's unique environment.
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2021, Boat Driving Skills for Blue Marlin with Kevin Hibbard
16:47 · Kevin HibbardBlue marlin boat driving determines fight outcomes through simple spread setup allowing quick line clearing, understanding fish behavior patterns that inform positioning decisions, and achieving superior position early. Kevin Hibbard's worldwide marlin experience reveals how drag settings, line angle management, and strategic use of current create control needed for landing trophy fish rather than reactive responses after marlin establish advantages.
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