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Never Underestimate The Will Of An Eight Year Old Boy

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40lb Srearfish Sammy and Sultan June 2014Never Underestimate The Will Of An Eight Year Old Boy.  Sultan Linjawi, his wife Astrid and two young children, Sammy and Yasmine fished three days with us.  Their mission was for the children to catch fish!  Unless of course a Grander came on scene, then that one was going to be Sultan’s.  On Day one, shortly after leaving the harbor, we are hooked up to the perfect fish for Sammy  A 40+ lb Shortbill Spearfish.  Sammy is in the chair with the help of his Dad and we are able to land the fish for Sammy.  We  let the children pick the lures they wanted to run.  Sammy chose a Blue and Green Super Ninja lure that Bret put on the stinger.  It was the one that the Spearfish took…Carma?    It is Sammy’s first Billfish and his first “Flag Fish”.

On Day Two of their adventure, I spot birds and splashing just short of  town and we make a pass to see what might be biting.  Within seconds we are bit.  Astrid is in the chair and wastes no time bringing in a nice 140 lb tuna.   Again we let the family choose lures… This family is incredible.

Day three explodes right out of the harbor with a Tuna strike.  Sammy is in the chair again and with the help of his dad and my crew, a nice 114lb Tuna is on deck!  Yes, Sammy chose the lure…this time a blue Super Ninja lure.  With lines back in the water, we head offshore and south towards Captain Cook.  Linda spots splashing and birds on the horizon and we go to check it out.  We have the whole area to ourselves as Tuna start boiling around us.  We are Hooked Up!  This time the explosion on the long rigger tells us this is a big fish.  After a lengthy tug of war with the fish, we are able to land Sammy’s biggest fish  A nice 180lb Ahi Tuna!  Amazing…. I think Dad set the bar kind of high now for this young man.  The family has a 38 ft Bertram in Australia and are avid fishermen.  Now we have to work on Sammy’s first Blue Marlin…hopefully we will get it for him next time when the family returns to fish in Kona Hawaii.  No Pressure!

Fish Of A Lifetime for Alberta Canada Family

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Fish Of A Lifetime for Alberta Canada Family.  On January 14 Kyle Moodie, his wife Sue, along with his Father Doug and Mother, Verna spent a full day on a family fishing trip aboard Fire Hatt. The waters were dead, silky calm and the sun was hot. We ran lines from 7 am to noon with no action, but knew “it” could happen at any time. As we worked our way south to Captain Cook Bay for a little afternoon snorkel we were pleasantly surprised the spinner dolphin were there.  I put our guests in the water and let them swim with the dolphin.  Turns out this was definitely on their bucket list.  Let’s check that one off.  Once they were back in the boat, we put lines in the water and headed out.  After finding a pod of dolphins offshore we cruised through them with no luck. Then on our way out of the pod it happened. Wham! We are Hooked Up!  Kyle is in the chair and let me tell you, as a fly fisherman from southern Alberta, Canada I’m sure he had never experienced anything like this. With over 1500 feet of line off the reel, he cranked and cranked.  We thought it was a Blue Marlin at first.  The fish tracked the lure and exploded on it.  After an intense 40 minute fight, Kyle has the fish to the boat only to have the hook pop out within in a few feet from landing it. Ouch!   A nice Yellowfin Tuna estimated at about 180 pounds… Kyle has landed hundreds of fish in his days but had never experienced a fight like this.  Truly a Fish Of A Lifetime.  As a catch and release fisherman he had no problem with the popped hook. It was a landed fish in his books.  As Captain, it is just deflating to see a trophy come undone.  Brett and I appreciated the understanding from Kyle and he knows “That’s Fishing.”  There is one way fish get hooked and a thousand ways they come off.  We hope Kyle and his family leave our beautiful Island with a lifetime of memories and come back again to claim their trophy.  That fish is only getting bigger.

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team

Family Fishing in Kona Hawaii at its Best

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DSC_0262Family Fishing in Kona Hawaii at its Best. The Dean Family from Eldorado Hills and Clear Lake California should purchase Lotto Tickets when they return home. Thats the kind of luck they had fishing the beautiful silky calm waters of Kona.  As we left the harbor we headed south.  The day started with the first bite, a nice Mahi Mahi just fifteen minutes out of the harbor.  Mike Dean is in the chair and although the fish came undone, it set the mood and pace for the rest of the day.  About forty five minutes later as we are headed farther south, we  have two lines come down, we are hooked up!  A double on Ono!  This time Mike Dean and Mike Dean Sr. are on the mark.  They each landed their fish.  Dinner for the family! Now just off Keahou Bay, we are patroling the area  and twenty minutes later the stinger line comes down,  and then wham, the long rigger line comes down.   We are hooked up again! A double on what turned out to be Blue Marlin.  Once again Mike and Mike Sr.  were the anglers.  The blue marlin were estimated at about 100 lbs and 40 lbs.  We are not done yet… as we were leaving the Captain Cook area we had anoher bite.  This one escaped, we think it was a Shortbill Spearfish.  And finally, after a two hour lull in activity, the stinger line is ripped down again, we are hooked up!  With Gina in the chair, she lands a Striped Marlin!  We sucessfully release it and we are now on our way back to the harbor. This is a banner day of fishing in Kona!  Going to need taller outriggers to hang this many flags.  A good problem to have.

Featured in the top photo is Fire Hatt First Mate Brett Lasenby with Gina Dean and her Shortbill Spearfish along with her husband Mike Dean and Mike Dean Sr. after landing their 20+ lb Onos.  The photo above is one of the Marlin that were sucessfully released.
Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team

Kona Hawaii and Captain Chuck Wilson Number 1 for Largest Weighed Blue Marlin

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Grander of the Year Kona PhotoKona Hawaii and Captain Chuck Wilson Number 1 for Largest Weighed Blue Marlin.

Year round Big Blue Marlin, fishing in calm sapphire blue waters with a volcano back-drop and less than half a mile offshore. Does it get any better than that? Well, we don’t think so. This is the third straight year Kona, Hawaii has made the Top 10 Billfishery List. This may not be a numbers fishery, but it is a Blue Marlin powerhouse. Kona recorded three (3) Grander Blue Marlin, with Captain Chuck Wilson on FIRE HATT, a 43’ Hatteras weighing the heaviest Blue Marlin in Hawaii this year at 1,058 lbs. Chuck also has the second largest Blue Marlin weighed in the world in 2013.   Chuck’s fish was caught on a Ken Matsuura Custom 50 lb Reel with a 130 lb Amilon mono topshot.  The heaviest Marlin weighed in the world came from Ascension Island , the famed big blue marlin fishery. Capt. Olaf Grimkowksi put angler Kevin Gardener on an absolute beast of a Blue Marlin, weighing 1,320 lbs

Captain Kerwin Masunaga on Rod Bender weighed the second heaviest Blue Marlin in Kona at 1,043 lbs with Captain Doug Pattengill on Holo Holo weighing in a 1,008 lb Blue Marlin. Kona is No.1 in the World with ninety-four (94) Blue Marlin over 500 lbs in 2013 which is also No. 1 in the World. From the ninety-four (94) there were four (4) weighed over 900 lbs and fourteen over 700 lbs

While the crews in Kona may not want to claim it, Kona is absolutely the best fishery in the world to catch a Shortbill Spearfish. While they don’t pack the punch of a Blue Marlin, they can be targeted reliably here on light tackle. In addition to the Shortbill Spearfish, the winter time brings a good run of smaller Striped Marlin and when the bite is on, catching 3+ in a day is not out of the question.

While adding some species variety makes it interesting, anglers continue to return here in search of that “special” Blue Marlin. Kona remains King of the Pacific when it comes to getting a shot at a Grander. Kona has weighed eight (8) Grander Blue Marlin over the past three years. Once again, No.1 in the World.

*For Statistics and Information on all Granders weighed and released in 2013 and prior years, visit  GRANDERWATCH .

2014 Kona Hawaii Billfish Tournaments

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Charter Desk New Year’s Day Tournament  –   January 1st

  • The Charter Desk is hosting their annual New Year’s Day Tournament!

Dirty Dozen

  • First Saturday of Every Month.

Rock and Reel Tournament  –  June 13th, 14th & 15th

  •  The Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club invites you to come join the fun and excitement of our 12th Annual Rock ‘n Reel Hawaiian Open!

Kona Kick Off  –  June 28th  & 29th

  • The Tournament that kicks it all off. Local Style. Largest flag fish of each category splits purse.

29th Annual Blue Marlin World Cup Tournament  –  July 4th

  • The “World Cup” is truly the only worldwide tournament of its kind. Each July 4, teams fish for 8 hours in their time zone to see who can catch the largest blue marlin over 500 pounds. Winner takes all. There is no second place.  The World Cup supports game fishing though its support of the IGFA and The Billfish Foundation.  http://www.bluemarlinworldcup.com/

Firecracker Open  –  July 5th, 6th & 7th

  • Kona’s signature “Big Game” Tournament that scores ahi and marlin points for the base purse. Optional categories for the largest marlin and ahi of each day and of the two day tournament.

Marlin Magic Lure Tournament  –  July 8th & 9th

Skins Marlin Derby  –  July 11th, 12th, 13th, & 14th

  • The most unique Big Marlin competition in the world! Patterned after the golf format, the base purse is available each fishing day to the largest marlin weighing 500 lbs or more. If no one catches a marlin of that size, the day’s purse rolls over and is added to the next day’s purse.

Throw Down   –  July 15th, 16th, 17th

  • The Single Largest Marlin of the Tournament will be Winner Take All the purse from the Base Entry division. Entry fee to be posted soon.

54th Annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament  –   July 26th – August 2nd 

  • Five days of tournament fishing July 26th – August 2nd. Anglers and teams are invited to apply early as full tournament participation is anticipated. Log onto http://www.hibtfishing.com/ for details.

 Big Island Marlin Tournament  –   August 8th, 9th & 10th 

  • The event that started it all off in 1986. The BIMT was the very first high stakes, big game tournament in Hawaii to pay a cash purse for tag and release. The base entry pays the top three largest marlin. Optionals pay most points and largest marlin per day.

Veterans Helping Veterans  –  August 29th, 30th & 31st

September Challenge  –   September 12th, 13th  & 14th

  • Designed with input from the top skippers of 2010, minimum size fish is 400 lbs and 1st Place takes 70% of the base purse.

Feel free to contact me about availability and information about these events.  

Big Island Big Moon Big Fish

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548 lb Blue Marlin October 2013

Randy and Donna Macleod and Kathy and Gilbert Kee with their 548 pound Blue Marlin in Kona, Hawaii

Big Island Big Moon Big Fish It seems that a big full moon motivates the bigger Marlin to get hungry and attack.  Yesterday, Randy Mcleod along with longtime friend Gilbert Kee boarded FIRE HATT with high hopes of catching a Blue Marlin.  On a three quarter day trip I headed south on a tip that there was some action in the area of “Red Hill” the day before.  It had been reported that one Marlin was hooked and lost and another big Marlin broke off.   With that info to go on, we patroled the area and waited for our turn.  At just after 11:00 am we had a beauty come up in the pattern and bat at the short rigger line.  Crewman Ryan Thurner teased the fish in on a Moldcraft Softhead lure and the fight was on!  We are hooked up!  After a 45 minute battle, Randy landed a 548 pound Blue Marlin.  That was not our intention though.  We highly recommend releasing Marlin that size as they are potentially the best breed stock.  This big one stayed deep almost the entire fight.  Once we removed the hook we pulled her for 15 to 20 minutes trying to get her to “Kick” her tail and be able to swim.  She did not recover so we had to boat her.

 AFTCO  Proudly Supports Pro Team Captain Chuck Wilson and Team Fire Hatt

Marlin Double Feature

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One of the two marlin released today.

First Mate Adam Ludwig releasing one of the two marlin caught today.

Marlin Double Feature!  On Saturday, first mate Adam Ludwig and I found ourselves in a very wild battle with more than 1,200 pounds of Blue Marlin.  We had a Father-and-son party from Australia aboard.  Peter Dalle-Nagare  and his son, Kyle along with their family boarded Fire Hatt  and we headed off shore and then out to “C Buoy” .  It was an uneventful ride up to this point so we headed back up the line inside.  At around noon, we were trolling off Captain Cook in around 500 fathoms.  The water was glassy calm, which would be a help in the battle to come.  I had just reassured my anglers that there was a lot of good trolling water around them when the stinger line started screaming and took over the dialogue.  A 500-pound marlin had grabbed a John Lau lure on the stinger line and then took to the air in an almost continuous tail-walk for nearly two minutes.  Peter is in the chair just starting his battle when I slowed the boat so Adam could start clearing the lines so we could chase the fish.  As Adam reeled in the Aloha Smash Bait lure on the short outrigger, an even bigger marlin charged it.  We were almost in idle when the marlin showed. The lure was back at about the third wave so we could easily see its big bill, big head and big shoulders.  Then, wham, we were now hooked up to two big fish at once.  The second marlin screamed off about 500 yards of line, which caused a great predicament.  Which fish do we follow and try to get first (if at all)?  Fortunately, the first two minutes of intense acrobatic effort had taken a lot of steam out of the first marlin.  The second fish, estimated at 725 or more pounds, had headed off in a different direction so there was no present danger of getting the lines crossed and tangled. By then, we had gotten all of our gear out of the way by raising the outriggers and transferring all of their rods into the cabin. While Peter fought his fish from the chair, Kyle fought his fish from a rod holder on the gunwale.  Depending on which fish was giving the most trouble at the time, I eased the pressure on the anglers by crabbing the boat sideways in one direction and then the other.  The tactic was to keep one fish at 4 o’clock and the other at 8 o’clock to avoid crossed and cut off lines.  With smaller fish in mind through the coming months, I had downshifted to 50-class Matsuura reels but they held more than enough of the thin strong braid to keep from running out even if the fish got a half mile apart.  The crabbing tactic got the first fish to the boat successfully for a quick tag and safe release.  Soon after we got Kyle into the chair and started working exclusively on the second fish, he got it to the boat for another release.  The whole unbelievable event was over by a little more than an hour after the first strike.

Blue Marlin Release for Romania Family

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August Marlin

Blue Marlin Release for Romania Family fishing in Kona.  When Octavian Mardarasevici and his family boarded Fire Hatt today they had hopes of just catching anything.  What happened next turned into a true Family Fishing Adventure in Kona.  We went almost the whole day without a single bite.  Octavian being the angler today, paced the deck, got in and out of the fighting chair a few times and helped scan the horizon all day just looking for a sign.  Then finally, the Blue Marlin bite we had been waiting for came.  The fish came in on the long corner and devoured a Crampton lure.  We are Hooked Up!  The fish went straight down and did not surface until a lot of line was retrieved.  We thought maybe a tuna?  Then as the line started to come to the surface the marlin came exploding out of the water and put on quite a show!  Octavian fought the fish on a 50lb Matsuura reel for just under 40 minutes.  Once the fish was leadered, tagged and secured beside the boat, Mike Fir and Linda was able to get Octavian out of the fighting chair and encouraged him to take the Marlin by the bill and start to revive it.  In just a short time the fish was kicking and Octavian released it.  Just watching the expression on Octavian’s face when it was over reminds me of what we take for granted in this sport.  Having reeled in a fish and then putting your hands on it to revive and release it is the most satisfying experience a fisherman can participate in.  A true Kona Family Fishing Experience.

Octavian Mardarasevici Featured in the photo wearing AFTCO release gloves.

Tenatious Fight by 9 Year Old Aidan Hunter Lands Blue Marlin

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Justin and Lenora Hunter are completing a full year of traveling around the world with their two sons.  Fishing in Kona Hawaii is one of their last trips before heading to Alaska.   9 year old Aidan and 12 year old Zach are experiencing opportunities of a life time while getting to fish in places like South Africa and various other destinations in the South Pacific.  Having caught some impressive fish along the way, they could only dream about hooking a Pacific Blue Marlin.  They Did!  We left the harbor at 7:00 am for a 3/4 day charter and headed South towards Captain Cook.  They enjoyed a beautiful snorkel in the bay and anxiously got back to the boat to continue the quest.  So far we did not even get a bite.  The boys are begining to look at Me and Adam and Mom and Dad giving the “Where’s the fish?” look. No pressure there… On our way back up the line just after noon, the long rigger line is bit and line is screaming!  The Ice Blue Lucky Linda Lure comes through for us again, we are Hooked Up!  It is a Blue Marlin and 9 year old Aidan is in the chair.  With lines cleared and Adam at his side, the battle begins.  I was so amazed at the tenacity of this young man!  He fought sooo hard.  After about fifteen minutes Aidan gave his older brother Zach an opportunity in the chair.  Knowing this was Aidan’s fish, Zach lets Aidan back in the chair to finish the fight.  This fish was to the boat quickly, we had it to leader two times and had to let go. On the third try we were able to successfully get the hook out and release a nice healthy fiesty Pacific Blue Marlin.  We estimated Aidan’s fish to be about 400 pounds.  This crushes the family record Marlin held by Aidan’s Grandfather, a 300+ pounder.  I think the bar has been set quite high for Zach now!

Featured in photo above is Adam Ludwig with Aidan’s Pacific Blue Marlin to leader wearing AFTCO Release Gloves.  The Lucky Linda Lure is by Bomboy Lures.

Not a Bad Day of Fishing In Kona Hawaii

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Not a Bad Day of Fishing In Kona Hawaii with this group visiting from across the country attending a Medical Conference.  Coincidently, the Wives won this trip and the guys got to catch the fish.  Marriages made in heaven!   The group boarded at 7:00 am with so much energy and excitement I knew this was going to be a great day.  Once we cleared the harbor and lines were set, Linda gave the chair talk.  Everyone was just settling in when the stinger line was bit.  The fish did not stick, I made a turn and worked the area for a while and then moved on.  Linda spotted a bird pile in the distance about five miles out so I turned and headed that way.  As we approached there was still a lot of bait and birds in the area.  I had a lot of activity the last few days out deep so we stayed outside and headed south.  Then the action started and kept going all day!  First, the stinger is bit, Jeff Jackson is in the chair and I am helping to clear lines and now the short rigger line is bit.  Double Hook Up!  Kurt Andresen was designated as the second angler and  is fighting his fish from the gunnell.  Talk about exciting!  And we got both fish.  Two Shortbill Spearfish about 35 to 40 lbs each.  With lines back out I stay deep and follow a current line.  After just a short distance, the Stinger line is bit….again.  Line is screaming and I can tell this one is NOT a Spearfish.   Mike Agema is in the chair and the fight begins.  Mike brings his fish to the boat in just under 15 minutes and has officially caught and released his first Pacific Blue Marlin estimated at about 125 pounds!  Nice Job!  Linda no sooner has lines back in the water and the stinger line is down again!  A nice Shortbill Spearfish is caught this time by Brad Browder, this one we tagged and released.  All the guys got to fight a fish today.  Now the ladies enter the rotation.  Erin Browder is first up and she is ready!  Reluctant at the start of the day, the ladies did not want to pull on any fish.  Now…. after seeing the unbeleivable action all day, they want their time in the chair!  Unfortunately the day ended with not more action and they are talking about coming back next year and getting their shot!  These Guests are part of a larger group and wondered if they could have some of the Spearfish to take back to their Hotel to have prepared for everyone?  I delivered the two Spearfish to the Hotel and was told by these guests that the Chef’s did a fabulous job preparing the fish a couple of different ways and it fed everyone.  It was the hit of the trip for them! They all agreed that is was”Not a Bad Day of Fishing In Kona Hawaii.”

I have been seeing large schools of bait, hundreds of acres, and a lot of birds in the past week mostly off shore to the southwest where our Pelagic fish migrate in to the Kona shores.  This is typical of the start of the season.  Bait arrives followed by the large predators.  While always watching for signs on the water,  and studying tides, currents and water temps,  there are signs that give you a better chance of finding fish such as, that Spearfish are a favorite food for big Blue Marlin and when you find them in numbers as we did today….hang on folks as this could get interesting in a hurry!

Featured in the photo above is Erin Browder “Tending the Bat”,  Jeff Jackson (boated Spearfish), Brad Browder (tagged Spearfish), Mike Agema (tagged Blue Marlin),  Amy Agema (with gaff ready) and  Kurt Andresen (first boated Spearfish)

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team