There’s nothing quite like watching someone reel in their first marlin. I saw it happen on a recent trip to Panama, where I was on assignment testing the Seakeeper Ride system. This time it was a college junior named Keenan, though her story almost didn’t have the ending we were all hoping for.

Whenever a group like ours travels somewhere far to fish, the anticipation runs high for everyone involved. Honestly, the stretch of time between booking a trip and actually leaving might be the best part, all that daydreaming about what could happen. Once you’re on the water, though, you’re not dreaming anymore. You’re reacting, together.

Strangers Aboard the Patriot

I arrived in Panama already familiar with one face, Andrew Semprevivo, now CEO of Seakeeper, whom I’d met years earlier at a boat show. At the hotel I reconnected with Andrew and met Seakeeper’s Brand Director, Kelsey Barrett, Commercial Director, Will Cimino, and two other journalists.

The plan: board the 57′ Spencer Patriot, fish for a few hours, then head to Pinas Bay and Tropic Star Lodge for a couple of nights before returning to Panama City to fly home the following Friday.

The first morning came fast. The captain and crew greeted us dockside, and soon after, boat owner Jim, his friend Bobby, and Jim’s daughter Keenan joined us. Twelve people total, and few of us knew each other.

Finding Our Rhythm

Underway, I spent time on the bridge with Captain Bryce, learning more about the boat’s Seakeeper Ride stabilization system and getting a feel for the crew. It didn’t take long before the mate hooked a sailfish and asked who wanted it. Everyone pointed to the three women onboard: Rachelle Schrute, editor of Game & Fish; Kelsey Barrett, Seakeeper’s Brand Director; and Keenan. Kelsey ended up landing that first sailfish after a short fight.

That set the tone for the next two and a half days. Mahi and sailfish made up most of the action, with everyone taking turns angling. We even had a shot at a blue marlin on day one, but came up short.

Somehow, twelve of us thrown together on a boat made for good company. That’s just how boating and fishing people tend to be, laid-back, easygoing, quick to get along– most of the time.

The Search for Keenan’s Marlin

By day two, I learned Keenan had never caught a blue marlin. From the way she reacted when I brought it up, I could tell it was near the top of her list. Life on the Patriot ran on jungle rules: whoever’s turn it was, wherever you happened to be standing. The vibe stayed loose as we trolled twenty-plus miles outside Pinas Bay, cameras always ready. Wiley Watson, an editor and photographer from Field & Ethos, even jumped in the water on occasion with underwater camera gear to get shots from below the surface.

We released several sailfish day two, but the marlin never showed. Live bonito, rigged and ready, went untouched.

Day three started the same way: bonito in the well, pitch baits ready. Somewhere along the way, the day quietly became a mission, get Keenan her marlin. When I told her this would be the day, she just pressed her hands together and whispered to herself, “please.”

More sailfish kept us busy, but the blue marlin Panama is famous for stayed elusive. To make things tighter, we couldn’t fish a full day. We needed to start the 70-plus-mile run back to Panama City in time to reach the marina before dark.

As the afternoon ticked away, doubt crept in. Keenan had traveled all the way from Charleston, South Carolina, fished for three days, and was about to head into her junior year of college. Summer 2026 would be a memory the moment the plane left the ground. It didn’t look like the odds were going to break her way.

The Bite That Almost Wasn’t

Then, as the crew started tidying the cockpit to prepare for the run home, freelance photographer Graham called it: “Right teaser, marlin!”

The mate pulled out one of the morning’s bonito, worked it back near the fish, and, swoosh, the marlin’s bill and shoulders broke the surface as it inhaled the bait. Perfect bite. After a clean drop-back, the mate engaged the reel, the rod bent for a split second, and then nothing. The hook never set. The marlin was gone.

We sat there in stunned silence. What a bite to lose.

What felt like Minutes later: “Right teaser, marlin, again.” Same fish, a little less aggressive this time, back on the teaser. Seakeeper’s Will Cimino deployed the pitch bait, swoosh again, bite number two. This fish wanted to be caught.

Hooked Up

Will slid the drag into strike. The rod bent. Line started peeling.

“Here you go, Keenan.”

She made her way to the fighting chair, rod in the gimbal, harness clipped in. The marlin exploded across the surface, jumping again and again. This wasn’t going to be easy. I’ve seen long marlin fights before, and this one had that same feel from the start. We’d gain the leader, and the fish would take off again. Keenan just kept reeling, steady, quiet, determined. I reminded her to save her energy: reel when you can gain line, ease off when the drag is peeling out.

Line gained, then line lost, over and over. Finally, the leader came close enough for the mate to grab it, and Captain Bryce backed the boat down with just enough finesse for the official release. But the marlin wasn’t done. It blasted off again the moment the mate pulled on the leader. Keenan, exhausted and elated, kept fighting.

When the leader finally came close again, the battle was over. Keenan had her marlin.

A Lifetime Memory

The moment got even better when Keenan stepped off the fighting chair and turned around and her dad was right there for the hug. That’s the kind of memory that sticks.

We made the run back to Panama City and Flamenco Marina, and flew home the next day, a boatload of strangers who’d become friends over three days of fishing, laughs, and one very hard-earned blue marlin. That’s what this sport does. It takes people who’ve never met, throws them together on the water, and somehow sends them home with stories and friendships that last.

All images courtesy of Seakeeper and photographer Graham

First marlin in the books? Nice work. Shoot us your photos and a few lines about the catch, we’re always looking for stories like Keenan’s to share online. info@inthebite.com

---