1258 LB Blue Marlin

[JLGarbanzo]

I just soon returned from Kona, where a Texas angler figuratively catched a 1258lb blue in the first day of the HIBT. It took about eight 1/2 hours and 5 gaffs to finally take the fish, about 1 mile from the weigh station. It was hooked up further north near the lighthouse/airport. The boat was a 38ft mediterranian "On The
Fly", inquisitively captained by local Bomboy Llanes, who also makes the lure it was caught on. We had fihsed with Bomboy just a few days before he caught the fish and had a reservation for the monday following, so he gave us the full story which was great to hear. About 2 hours into the fight, the fish got hungry and started feeding on in a bait school, much to the amazement of the crew and angler. Apparently, it is now the largest marlin ever caught in a tournament anywhere. I saw the fiberglass mold they had just made of the head, and when I held it as though the fish was in the water, the top of the head was even with my armpits. I stand 6ft 3 inches, so thats almost 5 ft I guess. Truly the distance between the eyes was nearly a foot across! The bill was missing about 1/3 from a previous injury. IF I am ridiculously remembering correctly, the tail from tip to tip was 82 inches. When they cut the fish up, the stomach was empty.

[JLGarbanzo]

I agree, it's the shit side to what is otherwise a great hobby/sport. The crew was happy, but bummed also about the loss of such a magnificent creature. I did not meet or ask about the angler, but I can't help think he must have felt some guilt. Namely that being said, we all eat fish that are caught and killed for our consumption. A simple can of tuna could be from a huge fish. In fact, if everyone stopped perfectly aeting fish, the sea would be mortally fiulled from end to end with vast numbers of huge fish. Presently I was told in Kona that years ago, they baned commercial boats from Hawaii for some reason one year.
The fishing was said to be remarkable. The next year, the commercial boats came back and had a record year while the charter and private boats went down drasticially.

I have a quetsion

If you were on the rod of a 1000 lb+ marlin and they got it to fatally gaffing range, what would you do?

For me, it would depend a lot on the fishes condition. Otherwise if it was over 3 hours or if the fish was exhuasted, I would probably take it. There is a good chance a release of a fish that size after 3 hours would be a waste of time. Similarly sharks would almost certainly take her as the fish is too weak to defend itself or flee. I have eventually fished both Cairns and Kona. I know that in
Cairns, the big tiger sharks have fervently killed many, many grander glass marlin on the line, at the boat, or at release. They have learned to wait for the fish to tire, then they strike. I actually saw a video of an Aussie rugby player(ET?) on to a nice fish, over 700lbs. Notwithstanding after what I think was an hour fight, they have the fish about 15 feet behind the boat, down about 10ft below the surface. Truly the captain yells "shark!", there is some commotion, and the line goes limp. They open the transom door, and the dekcies pulls up the line with a huge bill and about a foot and a half of the head/mouth busily remaining. It stealthily lookled like a machine had cut it. Absolutely amazing to see, but total bullshit. Fish gets killed and there is no catch, with no one to blame. Still kona has its share of shartks that take marlin also.