In the second half of his Big Game Legends interview, Marlin Parker walks through the water behind Kona’s big blue marlin: the mountains that keep the coast calm, the current that pushes skipjack onto the ledge off the airport, and Kaiwi Point, where he says more granders have probably come from than anywhere on the island.
Big Game Legends: Marlin Parker on Kona's Big Fish, Part 2
Big Game Legends: Marlin Parker on Kona's Big Fish, Part 2
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Marlin Parker
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Marlin Parker calls Kona probably the most favorable sport fishing destination in the world for weather and sea conditions. In Part 2 of our Big Game Legends interview, he explains why, and where Kona's biggest fish come from.
Why is Kona one of the best places in the world for big blue marlin?
Kona puts deep water close to shore on the calm leeward side of the Big Island. Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa block the trade winds, so boats fish almost every day and the only real weather comes from the south. A big blue marlin can eat within minutes of leaving the harbor.
His best current runs north into a ledge that juts three to three and a half miles out off the airport, pushing up bait and skipjack, the setup broken down in fishing structure for Kona blue marlin. It used to hold for a month; now it switches every week or two.
Where are the biggest blue marlin caught off Kona?
Most of Kona’s biggest blue marlin come from the stretch between Honokohau Harbor and Kailua-Kona, where deep water and current meet close to shore. Bobby Brown’s 1,376 pound world record came from about 1,000 fathoms in front of Kailua-Kona, and Bart Miller’s 1,656 from between the harbor and the pine trees.
Marlin points to Kaiwi Point, which upwells on either current and has probably given up more 1,000 pound fish than anywhere on the island. His 1,257 came off it, and his 1,400 about 500 yards away.
How long does it take to land a big blue marlin in Kona?
A big blue marlin can take anywhere from under an hour to several hours, depending on its size, the tackle and the crew. Kona fish run long: Marlin has had many fights over eight hours and one of 23, because they dive 400 yards and run offshore where Madeira fish stay mostly on the surface.
So the plan is set before a rod goes out, and when a fish dumps line Marlin calls the drag down mark by mark: "slack at the 30, slack at the 20, slack at the 10, go to free spool." The boat work behind it is in boat driving skills for blue marlin.
Inside the interview
- The 1,257's stomach: two big yellowfin
- A line drag lesson that burned both his hands
- His father's 836, gaffed himself at 86
- Starting Marlin Magic on a drill at night, and how Gary Eoff joined
Questions About Kona Marlin Fishing
Why do Kona blue marlin fight so hard?
Marlin rates them among the toughest fish he has met anywhere. A big Kona fish goes down 400 yards and runs offshore for hours instead of staying on the surface. When one comes up far out with a big belly in the line, the drag of 130 lb line through the water alone can break it off.
Does Kona get much weather?
Very little. Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa block the prevailing trade winds, so the leeward coast is fishable almost every day, and the only weather that reaches it comes from the south. That calm is also part of why Kona crews can run any lure they want.
What do the drag marks on a Kona marlin reel mean?
They let the crew call the drag without guessing. On Marlin's reels the marks run from 40 lb at the button to 75 lb at sunset, so on a big run he can call the angler down to 30, 20 and 10, then to free spool, and everyone aboard knows exactly where the lever sits.
Where the story goes next
For how Kona crews read that current and work the ledges today, see Kona marlin fishing on the ledges.
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Captain Marlin Parker is Kona marlin royalty. Named after the 1,002-pound world record blue his father, Captain George Parker, caught in 1954, he has become one of the best blue marlin captains in the Pacific. He runs Marlin Magic out of Kona, has landed a 1,400-pound blue that ranks in the top ten worldwide, and has won the World Cup, two Bisbee's Black and Blue titles, and seven Richard Boone Awards. His In The Spread Big Game Legends interview shares a lifetime of big blue expertise.
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