Tomorrow I'm heading off to Panama's Las Perlas Islands and the island of San Jose for our next session of Marlin University. This trip represents a first for us; we've never hosted a trip to Panama before, and I have to say I'm excited to get back there once again. Although I'm a little worried that we might run into a bunch of rain, my good friend Trevor Cockle got us to come down during the month of August since he's experienced some good blue bites during that time before.

For decades, sport fishermen from all over the world (particularly, of course, the United States) have converged on the remarkable Sea of Cortez, enjoying the abundance of marine life introduced to the public 60 years ago in John Steinbeck's chronicle, The Log from the Sea of Cortez.

One of the big and enduring draws to anglers: the vast numbers of dorado (dolphin or mahi) that pour into this yawning gulf between Mexico's mainland and its Baja peninsula. Those dorado are also a factor drawing in large numbers of billfish and big yellowfin, which also find them tasty meals.

This is a test blog entry for Dean Travis Clarke

I've been editor of Sport Fishing magazine since 2001, but I've been a female angler all my life. In those many years, I have seen the industry and its angling public evolve to enfold more women, children and families. I've heard the watchdogs warn that fishing must broaden its appeal or face the imminent fade typical of traditional hook-and-bullet sports.
 
As a result, I've really noticed the proliferation of pink.
 
Pink rods, pink reels, pink shirts, pink tackle bags, pink hats, pink gloves.

Well, I just got back from my first "captain's" job at the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, and I didn't win a dime. I did, however, have a blast fishing with the boys from StingRay Tackle, Ray Lorenzo and John Tobias, as well as mates Charles Perry and Walker Holcomb, Orazio Nastaze and Alan Seidel. We fished the brand-spanking-new 34-foot Jarrett Bay center console, and I really put her in some tough situations.

Well, I just got back from my first "captain's" job at the White Marlin Open up in Ocean City, Maryland, and I didn't win a dime. I did, however, have a blast fishing with the boys from StingRay Tackle, Ray Lorenzo and John Tobias, as well as mates Charles Perry and Walker Holcomb, Orazio Nastaze and Alan Seidel. We fished the brand-spanking-new 34-foot Jarrett Bay center console, and I really put her in some tough situations.

Good news! I'm sure you'll all be glad to hear that the blue marlin are still busting it up on the North Drop down in St. Thomas. I just returned from a Marlin U session down there, and our two boats experienced some pretty good fishing - even on the dark of the moon. Local wisdom says that the best bite for blues occurs during the week prior to and after the full moon. But after eight years of planning Marlin U trips down to St. Thomas, I can say with certainty that you can get plenty of bites on the dark periods as well.

I'm looking at the calendar on my office wall, and the upcoming weeks are chock-full of work, action and more work. I'm presently working on a schedule for our brand-spanking-new newsletter design and trying to get the 2010 feature schedule together for Marlin. At the same time, I leave for the St. Thomas leg of Marlin U tomorrow and come back two days before I head up to Ocean City, Maryland, to fish the White Marlin Open on the new Jarrett Bay 34 Center Console.

More than any time I can recall, federal management of our coastal fisheries by the National Marine Fisheries Service (and fishery management councils) is sending waves of concern and controversy through the recreational-fishing community. Charged with oversight of NMFS and fishery management is the head of NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In March, Jane Lubchenco was confirmed as President Obama's pick to head NOAA.

Who is Dr. Lubchenco? And what is her oversight of NMFS likely to mean for coastal sport fishermen around the country?

Just returned from a three-day trip to Flamingo with none other than Flip Pallot. What a wonderful time. Met up with Flip here in central Florida and we drove south to Florida City the "back way" - down through the heart of the state.