Lahaina Seawatch
2019 was Lahaina Harbor’s worst year for 400-plus-lb Pacific blue marlin since I started keeping big-fish statistics in 1984. Last year, only six made it to the scales. I had to go back to 2016, and then all the way back to 1988 to find a close comparison. During each of those two years, only eight were weighed in. Lahaina typically sees 15 to 25 400-plus-lb blue marlin in a year. In 2019, only three 300-pounders were weighed. For blue marlin less than 300 lbs, 102 were weighed and another 169 were released, for a total of 271 fish.
Lahaina Harbor’s Top Marlin
On January 2, the ACTION started off 2019 by setting the top blue marlin mark high with a 728-lb fish angled by Todd Spence. Todd was fishing with Capt. Jonny Keiley and deckman John Verfurth.
Jonny was two miles outside of the K-buoy, coming back in from the MC-buoy, located off the southwest corner of Lana‘i, when they raised the fish on the short-corner position. The fish pulled the 130-lb test line very slowly
