News And Events

BIG BLUE TAKES 7 HOURS TO BOAT

At 963 pounds, the big blue marlin was as stubborn as it was big.  Capt. Robert Hudson of the Camelot reports that this giant took seven hours to boat after snatching a live bait at 9:20am on the "Middle Grounds" offshore from Keahole airport.

Angler Jerry Whitaker, a youngster at 74 years old, hung in for the first five hours and then passed the rod to Mark Schubert, an oldster at 13, for a one-hour spell.  Rested, Whitaker finished the fight in another hour.

With Kent Corneilson as crew, the determined fishing team had to battle the big marlin and a white tip shark, too. "Three hours into the fight, this big white tip came circling the boat,"  Hudson said.  Hudson attached a hook and leader to a plastic jug, baited it with an aku, and distracted the shark. After eating the aku, the shark swam slowly away with Pine-Sol bottle in tow.

"The shark seemed very embarrassed," Hudson said. "He bumped the bottle with his nose twice and swam away confused, never to be seen again."  (Not, that is, until he bites through the leader and releases the jug and returns for another look at the Camelot).

"Five hours into it, the marlin charged the boat and broke its nose on the prop," Hudson said.  Fighting didn't work, so flight was the next tactic. "It turned away very quickly, and we were full-rack reverse in hot pursuit," Hudson said.  "The fish took us about four miles outside the top corner of the grounds, then back into the top corner, and then three miles on the other side of the cinder cone."

Seven hours into the fight, the fish died, with about 200 feet of line out.

OLD NEWS

June 21 2000
Camelot Sport Fishing was the first craft to successfully catch, tag and release Pacific blue marlin. Pop up date September 17th, 2000.