328 lb Blue marlin Honolulu.Oahu, Hawaii

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#1 Post by **big fish** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:36 pm

People:Brent caswell

Duration:10 hrs

Tide:dropping

Weather:tropical

Bait:lug

Rigs:80 lb

Results:big marlin

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#2 Post by **JOHN1** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 9:47 pm

#3 Post by **Etihad** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:55 pm

Surely that's a bluefin tuna? Lovely fish all the same

#4 Post by **meath** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:57 pm

big fish, where was it caught, hardly donegal ireland, I dont know any port up there with high rise buildings.

#5 Post by **big fish** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 11:10 pm

USA

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Dragonfly · #6 Post by **Dragonfly** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 2:29 am

328 lb Blue marlin
14 miles out from Honolulu.Oahu, Hawaii:

From hook up to getting him on board was only 18 minutes..So the fish was still very strong when at side of the boat. Needed a huge flying gaff and two other gaffs to get him under control...The line used was 750 yds of 80lb mono which he spooled on the first run. Dacron braid is used as the backing line for the mono, but always scary when knots are exposed and under strain. Hauled back the 750 yards then he went under the boat and wouldn't budge at all for a while. Persuaded him up though !! Fish of a lifetime, it really is !

#7 Post by **Determined Dan** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:02 am

Fantastic fish well done.

#8 Post by jd » Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:55 am

big fish wrote:USA

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Could you please edit the subject of your original post if it wasn't caught in Donegal. Is it a Blue Fin Tuna or a Blue Marlin? I can't make out a bill - below is a blue marlin

Well done - great fish!

#9 Post by **big fish** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 10:25 am

328 lb Blue marlin
14 miles out from Honolulu.Oahu, Hawaii:

From hook up to getting him on board was only 18 minutes..So the fish was still very strong when at side of the boat. Needed a huge flying gaff and two other gaffs to get him under control...The line used was 750 yds of 80lb mono which he spooled on the first run. Dacron braid is used as the backing line for the mono, but always scary when knots are exposed and under strain. Hauled back the 750 yards then he went under the boat and wouldn't budge at all for a while. Persuaded him up though !! Fish of a lifetime, it really is !

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#10 Post by **Martin46585** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 9:25 pm

It really is a fantastic fish, and remember fishing for them years ago, at the time being told that all bill fish are to be returned in US waters, so if the fish was at the boat after 18 mins, why feel the need to kill it.

Dragonfly · #11 Post by **Dragonfly** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 11:16 pm

Martin46585 wrote:It really is a fantastic fish, and remember fishing for them years ago, at the time being told that all bill fish are to be returned in US waters, so if the fish was at the boat after 18 mins, why feel the need to kill it.

The majority of blue marlin are returned especially if they are estimated at under 200lb. In fact another marlin on another charter was caught that day, estimated at 230lb but was released. Almost all are tagged and released in Hawaiian bill fish tournaments as is the case with most IGFA rule controlled tourneys worldwide. This fish was the biggest caught so far this year in Hawaii. At the end of the day, it was my call, I could have had it released. It was my first blue and there is an unwritten rule that your first is for the bucket list and the trophy is yours. For that matter, specimens here have to be killed to be ratified. I have caught numerous tope here above 50lb and one approx 70lb. I wouldnt ever dream of killing one for a little badge.

On this charter the crew gain the spoils, I gave the fish to them (tricky to ship back to Laytown), they would sell the fish at auction and its value would be $5-$8 per pound. I have the bill which will be mounted and shipped to me. The two crew work on this boat owned by someone else. They essentially work for tips and fish when the weight is above 100lb for tuna , wahoo etc. They worked damned hard for it too. You have to have very experienced crew to successfully haul a fish like this. The skipper worked the boat frantically when the fish dived deep to get it up again, the mate shouting directions to me and the skipper constantly.. All very frenetic, but three guys working together.

I hope to head back there in January, for sure I will have another go, but unless its a monster, it will be released to swim another day.Thats if of course I get lucky again..

#12 Post by **Martin46585** » Thu Aug 29, 2013 7:07 pm

Dragonfly wrote:
Martin46585 wrote:It really is a fantastic fish, and remember fishing for them years ago, at the time being told that all bill fish are to be returned in US waters, so if the fish was at the boat after 18 mins, why feel the need to kill it.
The majority of blue marlin are returned especially if they are estimated at under 200lb. In fact another marlin on another charter was caught that day, estimated at 230lb but was released. Almost all are tagged and released in Hawaiian bill fish tournaments as is the case with most IGFA rule controlled tourneys worldwide. This fish was the biggest caught so far this year in Hawaii. At the end of the day, it was my call, I could have had it released. It was my first blue and there is an unwritten rule that your first is for the bucket list and the trophy is yours. For that matter, specimens here have to be killed to be ratified. I have caught numerous tope here above 50lb and one approx 70lb. I wouldnt ever dream of killing one for a little badge.

On this charter the crew gain the spoils, I gave the fish to them (tricky to ship back to Laytown), they would sell the fish at auction and its value would be $5-$8 per pound. I have the bill which will be mounted and shipped to me. The two crew work on this boat owned by someone else. They essentially work for tips and fish when the weight is above 100lb for tuna , wahoo etc. They worked damned hard for it too. You have to have very experienced crew to successfully haul a fish like this. The skipper worked the boat frantically when the fish dived deep to get it up again, the mate shouting directions to me and the skipper constantly.. All very frenetic, but three guys working together.

I hope to head back there in January, for sure I will have another go, but unless its a monster, it will be released to swim another day.Thats if of course I get lucky again..

Good for you.. Regardless what the crew, deckhands get in earnings, that fish is worth many times more, to the local economy, as a going concern, than mounted,on a piece of mahogany,
Each to their own, but to willingly kill a specimen as your and not a tope, is a contradiction in itself is it not...

Does the same principal of c&r not apply to the marlin as the tope,

#13 Post by **ShaneH** » Thu Aug 29, 2013 7:49 pm

#14 Post by **freedom1916** » Thu Aug 29, 2013 10:51 pm

There's always one.

Sea Angling Ireland