Start Me Up La Dat hooks marlin 20 minutes from home

From left, Jarett Brugger and Captains Ryan Fiedorowicz and Brandon McKinley with their 640.0-pound blue marlin caught aboard the Start Me Up La Dat.
LAHAINA — Just four days after weighing a 603.3-pound marlin, the Start Me Up La Dat brought in a 640.0-pound blue for Jarett Brugger. He was fishing with Captains Ryan “Ryno” Fiedorowicz and Brandon McKinley.
Ryno was heading home at the end of a six-hour charter, having no bites all day, at the “bottom of the ninth.” Coming in from the LA-Buoy area, they raised the fish on the 40-fathom ledge off Olowalu just 20 minutes from town.
Brandon saw a marlin come up on the long corner position. As he watched the shadow, the dorsal fin cut through the surface as the bill popped up. The marlin took a swipe at the lure but missed it.
Brandon was at the reel trying to tease the marlin up on the long corner position. As he free-spooled the lure, the marlin dropped back to the long rigger position. It raised its back and shoulders out of the water as it lunged on the long rigger lure and inhaled it.
The marlin never jumped as it got them down to Dacron in a hurry. It was about 350 yards out when it finally stopped. Ryno started backing the boat straight toward the fish. The marlin turned toward the boat and headed underneath it.
Ryno could see the line going straight under the stern. He throttled the boat ahead, spinning it around off to the port side. The marlin headed away from them as Ryno reversed aggressively after it, with Jarett gaining line. They had the fish within sight in about eight minutes, with it showing color below just past double line.
The marlin took off on a 50-yard run. Ryno got right back after it. Jarett was able to get the fish turned toward the boat. It came to double line a few minutes later. As soon as Brandon could grab leader, he did.
The marlin went ballistic, kicking up a mass of whitewater and soaking everybody on the back deck. It was digging down hard trying to swim away.
Brandon held on to the leader and made two pulls on the line, turning the fish. Ryno reached out off the transom and planted the fly-gaff to end the 15-minute fight.
Start Me Up Sportfishing gave Jarett his trip for free for catching a marlin over 500 pounds. Start Me Up Sportfishing also donated $300 to the Maui Police Department as part of their continuing charity donation program for a marlin caught over 500 pounds on one of their boats.