Indo-Pacific Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
The fastest fish in the ocean over short bursts, and the one that turns electric purple when it lights up on a bait. That sail is a hunting tool, flared to herd sardines.
Also known as: Pacific sailfish · Sail
World record
C. W. Stewart · Santa Cruz Island, Ecuador · 1947
Overview
- Scientific name
- Istiophorus platypterus
- Family
- Istiophoridae
- Max length
- 11' 5"
- Typical length
- 8' 10"
- Max weight
- 221 lb
- Depth range
- 0–200 m
- Conservation status
- Least concern
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Fight
- Table quality
How to catch it
Slow-troll live bait or teaser-and-switch with a fly. Guatemala and Costa Rica routinely raise double-digit numbers of fish per day.
How big does it get?
What turns up on an ordinary day, and what a very good one looks like. Almost nobody catches a maximum-size fish — this is the honest spread.
1.8 m angler
Character
What this fish is actually like to catch.
Where it lives
Its band in the water column, against the ocean's real depth zones.
When to fish for it
Relative catch activity through the year, northern hemisphere.
Distribution
Trophy Score of all :n logged catches of this species. A score means nothing until you can see the population behind it.
Top catches on FishRankings
The heaviest of this species recorded by our community.
Nobody has logged one yet. Claim the top spot.
Log a catch4 Related species
| Species | Species | Worth | Max length | World record | Depth zone | Fight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Marlin Istiompax indica | 300 | 15' 3" | 1,560 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Data deficient | |
| Atlantic Blue Marlin Makaira nigricans | 297 | 16' 5" | 1,404 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Vulnerable | |
| Striped Marlin Kajikia audax | 263 | 13' 9" | 494 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater | Near threatened | |
| Longbill Spearfish Tetrapturus pfluegeri | 259 | 8' 4" | 128 lb | Sunlit zone Saltwater |
"Worth" is what a catch of that species is worth before any of your own skill counts — higher means harder to find and harder to beat.