Best New Marlin Lures

Splash, shimmy, pop, smoke and dive: spice up your summertime trolling spread with these choices from some of the top names in the industry.

Australian lure-maker Peter Pakula has taken his bestselling lures—the Pakula Sprocket is shown; many others are also available—and added 3D-printed heads with venturi jets as well as realistic fish-printed skirts. Air keeling in the heads means that the lures ride in a lifelike orientation in any sea condition, while the skirts also contain Pakula’s patented UV, Lumo and CAT additives. The lures are available in a number of different baitfish patterns, including tinker mackerel, ballyhoo, skipjack, yellowfin tuna and more. pakula.com

Using modern technology to color outside the lines of traditional lure-making, Imperium’s Beluga series is its flagship design. It’s engineered using a 3D-printed head, with a flared face and a single large curved vent, which gives it an incredible cycle of deep diving, a phenomenal smoke trail and an explosive surface pop. There are four sizes available—the largest (shown) is 18 inches and weighs 15 ounces, perfect as a bridge teaser or fished on the corners with heavy tackle. imperiumoutfitters.com

Originally designed for Giorgio Assolari on Mystic Blue in Cape Verde as a bridge teaser, the No Name from Makaira is based on a lure known as Big Mars, with a tapered nose to make it easier to clear from the spread. This one is a large keel-weighted lure, and works best on the corner and short rigger positions, as well as a teaser. makairapullinglures.com

Frustrated with chugger heads on the market today, Greg Thummel at GT Lures set out to create the Whistler, a six-hole jet using hand-poured resin rather than injection-molded plastic. There are two sizes—the Standard is shown, and the smaller Lil’ Whistler is also available—and the custom-dyed hair is hand-tied in the US. They’ll smoke and chug all day from 4 to 10-plus knots at the end of a teaser chain, fished solo, or over a bait from the outriggers. gtlures.com

The Skipjack Hybrid is engineered for many different applications: Fish it by itself, or as part of a daisy chain or spreader bar for added splash and noise. The conical skirt seat means that it swims well with bait, and there are several skirting options available from traditional to Mylar. As with all Lobo Lures, the Skipjack series is designed and built in the US and fished by anglers around the world. lobolures.com

The Calico Jack Slant from Fathom is one of the most versatile lures in its arsenal, and it’s now available in the tinker mackerel color scheme, one of the favorite food sources for blue and white marlin, among many other pelagic species. The 14-inch lure’s tapered nose and keel-weighted design give it an alluring shimmy that’s sure to attract attention; fish it from any position in the spread. fathomoffshore.com

The newest in the lineup from the custom North Carolina lure manufacturer, the Frat Boy is something a little different. It has a smaller size and very aggressive swimming and popping action, thanks to the fully cupped 3-inch head. With a skirted length of 12 inches and weighing 5.7 ounces, it swims well from the riggers or from shotgun position. Each lure is made-to-order, so custom colors and skirt combinations are no problem. alanwilliamscustomlures.com