America’s Blue Marlin Highway

The southernmost cross-country route in the US highway system, Interstate 10 strings together a series of notable blue marlin destinations as it winds its way across the upper Gulf of Mexico from western Florida to the Lone Star State. Some of the best-known stops are home to the largest (and richest) sport-fishing tournaments in the Gulf, attracting hundreds of boats and thousands of participants each season; the entire region offers outstanding fishing without the need for international travel. Fish your own rig or charter one: The choice is yours, and the open road beckons.

DESTIN, FLORIDA

DISTANCE FROM I-10: 35 MILES

THE RECORD-HOLDER

Tagged as the world’s luckiest fishing village, the community of Destin, Florida, is just one of several coastal towns along this stretch of highway that is well-known for producing not only quality offshore action, but topnotch captains and crews as well. Busy local charter docks serve as a kind of community college for big-game fishing—if you can withstand the punishing grind of charter fishing, you’ll probably do just fine anywhere else in the world. Many of the sport’s top captains tied their first Bimini twist as a