Of Marli Sportfishing in Ocean City, MD
For the past 14 seasons, Captain Mark Hoos has run his charterboat
Marli, a 58-foot custom Carolina sport fish built by Ritchie Howell and powered by Twin C18 Caterpillars (2300 hp), in pursuit of just about any gamefish that swims in the Atlantic or Chesapeake. From trophy rockfish in the spring to billfish during the White Marlin Open in August, as well as tuna and mahi throughout the summer into fall, wherever the bite is, that’s where you’re likely to find Captain Mark. During a short lull in the tuna action last month, PropTalk caught up with him.
PropTalk: What’s the most challenging offshore fish to catch?
Captain Mark: Marlin are the most challenging fish to catch because they normally chase their prey, and once you entice them to eat, you have to feed your bait allowing them time to eat. Most fish just explode on their prey and engulf, but the marlins require a little more finesse.
What movie or book character would you like to fish with and why?
Captain Bill T (George Clooney), captain of the
Andrea Gail in the movie “Perfect Storm” would be my choice. He always finds the “bleepin’” fish!
What has been your worst weather experience?
The worst weather chartering settled in on us during a bad line of thunderstorms in the month of August. They were not in the forecast, and the winds picked up to a solid 30 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 mph. We were in the Washington Canyon when we saw the storms approaching. We immediately picked up and started heading back to Ocean City.
We eliminated 10 miles off of our 60-mile journey when the (bad) weather arrived. It took the next eight hours to finally enter the O.C. Inlet. The ocean produced waves that crashed over the bow of the
Marli, and all I could do was a fast idle making six to seven knots and pulling the throttles back when needed. It was not a pleasant situation. All you can do is respect the ocean. Experience played a positive role getting the crew back safe.
What’s the piece of fishing gear/equipment you won’t leave the dock without?
I would ever leave the dock without my Islander Trackers. They are my #1 go-to lure for tuna.
What’s the most common mistake anglers make when fighting big tuna or marlin?
They try to overpower the fish. Muscle doesn’t land fish; a smooth, consistent technique does. You will not overpower a big tuna—he will be landed when he tires out.
What’s your favorite snack or food on the boat?
Animal Crackers. They taste great and they are loose, so you can grab a couple at a time.
Once the dock lines are secure and the fish are cleaned, is it beer, wine, or soda?
It’s only “Beer Thirty” when my day is complete. I drink only the finest Eastern Shore Champagne, “Natural Light.”
BREAKING NEWS: Marli Sportfishing topped the leaderboard with a 407 pound blue marlin at the
Huk Big Fish Classic in Ocean City this past weekend! For the full results, click to
bigfishclassic.com/2016-leaderboard
https://youtu.be/xlTyocUoXVA
by Captain Chris D. Dollar