Chasing 100 blue marlin

Kona’s “100 Blues Club” is a small and very selective group. Over the history of sportfishing here, only a few charter captains have caught 100 blue marlin during a single year. On Thursday, the sportfishing boat Raptor joined the club by catching numbers 98, 99 and 100. On Saturday, Capt. Bruce Herren, crew K. J. Robinson and angler RaptorCarol Hinkle-Herren added one more for good measure to up the Raptor total to 101. (Worth noting, all but a few of these were tagged, released and sent off to keep on growing and spawning.)

What’s more, there are still three months left to run up the score and a lot of unseasonably warm, blue marlin water, around to keep billfishing hot. According to Bruce, they were still finding sea temps as high as 88 degrees F at the end of the week. Most years, we don’t see readings like that even during the height of the summer blue marlin run.

For fear of jinxing himself for the rest of the year, Bruce wasn’t really ready to talk about hitting the mark, but I already had the numbers. Raptor has been calling in its catches after every trip and we’ve been publishing them here every week for all to see. The 101 is unquestionable because you’ve already seen the dates, weights and baits here every Monday.

For the rest of the story.

 

Beasts of the week (marlin weighing 500 pounds or more).

September 20: Blue marlin (671) Mike Kehoe, Capt. Oskie Rice, Ihu Nui

Tag and Release

September 20: Blue marlin (100 and 150) John Bawers, Capt. Brian Wargo, Kila Kila

September 20: Blue marlin (150 and 250) Mike Holtz, Capt. Jason Holtz, Pursuit

September 20: Blue marlin (120) Larry Peardon, El Jobean

September 20: Blue marlin (200) Jim Robinson, (150) Pat Corgin, (150) Rick Shedore, Capt. Scott Fuller, JR’s Hooker

September 20: Blue marlin (130, 140, 140, and 150) Heather Masunaga, Capt. Kerwin Masunaga, Rod Bender

September 20: Blue marlin (140 and 150) Jada Holt, Capt. Chip Van Mols, Luna

September 20: Blue marlin (140) Nick Cala, Capt. Al Gustavson, Topshape

September 20: Blue marlin (100) Steve Marinello, Capt. Al Gustavson, Topshape

September 20: Blue marlin (130) Carol Herren, Capt. Bruce Herren, Raptor

September 20: Blue marlin (200) Tim Wurster, Capt. Marlin Parker, Marlin Magic II

September 20: Blue marlin (130 and 200) David Tubbs, Capt. Neil Isaacs, Anxious

September 20: Blue marlin (170) Shawn Weaver, Capt. Bryan Toney, Marlin Magic

September 20: Blue marlin (120) Heidi McBride, Capt. Reuben Rubio, Sundowner

September 21: Blue marlin (150) Carol Herren, Capt. Bruce Herren, Raptor

September 21: Blue marlin (200) Christina Green, Capt. Jeff Watson, Linda Sue III

September 21: Blue marlin (180) Hiroshi Koyama, Capt. Guy Terwilliger, High Flier

September 21: Blue marlin (170) Nate Wilkerson, Capt. Marlin Parker, Marlin Magic II

September 21: Blue marlin (110) Linda Frank, Capt. Kerwin Masunaga, Rod Bender

September 21: Blue marlin (200) Tim McBride, Capt. Reuben Rubio, Sundowner

September 22: Blue marlin (150) Michael Taylor, Capt. McGrew Rice, Ihu Nui

September 22: Blue marlin (280) Tim Trevatehen, (125 and 150) Tom Trevatehen, Capt. Kenny Fogarty, Hula Girl

September 22: Blue marlin (180) James Pelt, Capt, Tobin Hudgins, Silky

September 22: Blue marlin (140 and 140) Jason Flanary, Capt. Marlin Parker, Marlin Magic II

September 23: Blue marlin (160) Brooke Gammon, (200) Kenny Gammon, Capt. Kenny Fogarty, Hula Girl

September 23: Blue marlin (150) Bruce Shewalter, Capt. James Dean, Blue Hawaii

September 23: Blue marlin (160, 180, and 200) Hiroshi Koyama, Capt. Guy Terwilliger, High Flier

September 23: Blue marlin (150 and 200) Carol Herren, Capt. Bruce Herren, Raptor

September 23: Blue marlin (150) Allen von Hollend, (175) Jean Von Hollend, Capt. John Bennett, Topshape.

September 24: Blue marlin (200, 200, and 250) Carol Herren, Capt. Bruce Herren, Raptor

September 24: Blue marlin (170) Nicole Banks, Capt. McGrew Rice, Ihu Nui

September 24: Blue marlin (150) Michael Balda, Capt. Guy Terwilliger, High Flier

September 24: Blue marlin (225) John Carter Frank, (200) Linda Frank, Capt. Kerwin Masunaga, Rod Bender

September 24: Blue marlin (275) Steve Lopez, Bill Jardine, Kakalina

September 25: Blue marlin (200) Antti Sironen, Capt. McGrew Rice, Ihu Nui II

September 26: Blue marlin (180) Bill Twible, Capt. Chris Cawthon, Ohana

September 26: Blue marlin (200) Carol Herren, Capt. Bruce Herren, Raptor

September 26: Blue marlin (125 and 125) Mike Jacobsen, Capt. James Dean, Blue Hawaii

 

Notables:

September 20: Blue marlin (435.5) Mike Holtz, Capt. Jason Holtz, Pursuit

September 22: Blue marlin (454) Joe Page/Mark Childers, Pekekini

September 24: Ahi (103.5) Dick Russell, (167.5) Mike Watson, Capt. Bobby Cherry, Cherry Pit II