Billfish at a glance
- Species
- Blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish; swordfish (deep, often at night)
- Season here
- Mostly May to August; sailfish also in spring and fall
- Where
- Gulf Stream edge, temperature breaks, bait concentrations over ledges
- Practice
- Catch-and-release; tournaments score releases
- Permit
- Private boats need an HMS Angling permit and must report retained billfish
- SC records from the Strand
- Sailfish 75 lb (Georgetown, 1968); swordfish 500 lb (Georgetown, 1978) (SCDNR)
The fish
- Blue marlin: the largest; most Grand Strand blues are 150 to 400 pounds. South Carolina's record, 881 pounds 13 ounces, came out of Charleston in 2005, per SCDNR.
- White marlin: smaller, usually 40 to 80 pounds, and very acrobatic.
- Sailfish: the most numerous billfish here; the state record, 75 pounds, was caught out of Georgetown in 1968.
- Swordfish: deep-water fish, caught mostly at night or by deep-dropping in daytime; the state record, 500 pounds, came from Georgetown in 1978.
When and where
Billfish follow warm water and bait along the Gulf Stream. Off the Grand Strand, the main season runs from about May through August. Sailfish also show up in spring and fall. Boats troll the western edge of the Stream, temperature breaks, and bait schools over ledges and the shelf break.
How they are caught
Sportfishing boats troll a spread of rigged ballyhoo and skirted lures off outriggers and teasers. When a billfish rises behind the spread, the crew may "bait and switch," pulling the teaser and dropping back a rigged bait. Circle hooks are used with natural baits in billfish tournaments, and federal rules require them in many billfish situations.
Catch and release
Nearly all billfish caught off South Carolina are released. The South Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Series, administered with SCDNR, scores released billfish across several tournaments and promotes conservation. Its 2026 champion, Claytime, released 6 blue marlin, 1 white marlin, and 24 sailfish. See the 2026 results.
The Georgetown Blue Marlin Tournament
The Grand Strand's billfish tournament runs from Georgetown Landing Marina each spring. The 59th annual event is set for May 26 to 29, 2027. See tournaments.
Rules
Billfish and swordfish are federal highly migratory species. Private boats need an HMS Angling permit, must follow federal minimum sizes, and must report any billfish or swordfish they keep. Check NOAA for current rules.
More Marlin and sailfish photos
Photo credits and licenses · Photos are illustrative, not a specific local boat, business, or catch.
Who you will deal with
NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region
More offices, with notes, are on the local resources page.
Find local help
Listings come from public records or from the business itself. A listing is not a recommendation.
Common questions
Can I catch a marlin on a Myrtle Beach charter?
It is possible, but billfish are a specialty target. Ask for a full-day Gulf Stream trolling charter in late spring or summer, with a captain who targets billfish. Most anglers who catch one release it.
Can you keep a marlin?
Federal law allows limited retention of some billfish above large minimum sizes, with an HMS permit and mandatory reporting, but the strong local custom and tournament practice is to release them. Check NOAA's current HMS rules.
Related guides
More offshore and gulf stream fish
Sources
Official sources checked on October 29, 2026.