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Top blue marlin of 2012

By Staff | Jan 24, 2013

From left, Atul Madan, Charlotte Smith, Neil Preston and Kamal Pfeifle landed 2012’s biggest marlin.

LAHAINA – The Ikaika Kai landed a monster blue marlin, topping the 2012 stats at 915 pounds, by wahine angler Charlotte Smith. She was assisted by friend Atul Madan and Captains Neil Preston and Kamal Pfeifle.

They raised the marlin in 180 fathoms of water off the Palaoa Point Lighthouse on the southwest corner of Lanai. After hitting the long rigger position lure, it took the team six hours and 42 minutes to land the fish using an 80-class two-speed reel on 100-test line.

It is the largest marlin since 2008, the third largest by a wahine angler since 1990, the seventh largest by a Lahaina charter sportfishing boat and the 14th largest for Lahaina and Maalaea harbors since 1972.

The marlin was 14 feet from tip of bill to tail with a 36-inch half-shoulder girth, a 33-inch half-anal girth and an 18.25-inch caudal circumference.

The Finest Kind weighed the second largest blue marlin of the year by the father and son team of Frank Sinito and his 14-year-old son, Frank Jr. Their marlin weighed in at 760.3 pounds. They were fishing with owner Capt. Dave Hudson and deckman Jimmy Francis.

They had been working the Kaumalapau/Slides area on the backside of Lanai, raising their fish on the 100-fathom ledge off the Palaoa Point Lighthouse.

It hit the short corner position where the vintage Steve Elkins blue-back Popsicle lure was running. It was a two-hour fight on the two-speed, 80-class reel with 100-test line.

This is the third largest blue marlin for Maui since July 2011, when an 884.2-pounder was weighed in Lahaina.

What up with the Cuz? The Start Me Up Cuz joined the 600-pound marlin club for the year with a 608.6-pound blue by Bob Wright. He was fishing with Capt. Craig Schuler and deckman John French.

Craig had been working both sides of the Kahoolawe Shoals, raising their marlin about two miles Lahaina side of the SO-Buoy located ten miles off Twin Sands beach. It was a short corner position bite on a 130-class reel, taking them 45 minutes to land.

The Start Me Up Again also made the 600-pound club with a 601.8-pound blue marlin by Phil Margiotta. He was fishing with Capt. Patrick Dorn and deckman Christopher Douglas.

With the charter a half-hour late getting to the harbor, Patrick watched five boats ahead of him as he trolled toward Kamaiki Point on the southeast corner of Lanai. Just as Patrick crossed the 100-fathom ledge off Kamaiki, they had a strike on the short corner Steve Elkins Bonzoid lure. It took Phil 23 minutes to wrestle his fish in using 130-test line.

The Ikaika Kai put another blue marlin into the Top Marlin stats for 2012, this one weighing 536.4 pounds by wahine angler Jerry Mae Heiter. She was fishing with Capt. Neil Preston and deckman Jimmy Francis.

They raised their fish as they left the MC-Buoy located 13 miles of the southwest corner of Lanai, heading toward the K-Buoy. It hit the long rigger position, ripping out the 60-pound test line off the 50-class reel. It took them two hours to boat the fish.

This is the largest marlin by a wahine angler and the seventh largest blue by any angler for 2012.