Capt. Kevin Nakamaru was in his early 20s and a mate aboard a Kona-based charter boat when he first met Capt. Peter B. Wright in 1991. Wright, who died in February, was already a legend in the big-game fishing community. Widely acknowledged as one of the most accomplished captains in the world, Peter, who was from the U.S., captured more gamefish over 1,000 pounds than any man in history, including 77 grander marlin brought to the scales and others released.
Kevin was born and raised in Kona by parents who were devoted blue-water anglers. He caught his first blue marlin at age 9 and his first big ahi at 10. The meeting with Peter aboard the charter would prove fortuitous as a year later Kevin would be fishing with him aboard his famous Cairns boat the as second mate. Kevin spent the 1992, ’93 and ’94 black marlin seasons on the Great Barrier Reef under Peter’s tutelage. Those years had a lasting impact on Kevin’s career, as he would go on to become one of the most successful big marlin captains of his generation. Here are some of his recollections about the iconic Peter B.
