Trying to come up with top charter boat statistics for billfish for the year is like trying to decide who should play in the BCS Championship. Just looking at total numbers doesn’t reflect all the variables in coming up with the final rankings for the top ten Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boats. The majority of the boats were only a few fish one way or the other for the year.

Obviously, everyone looks at the number of blue marlin caught and total weight as an indicator of the top ranking. However, certain years, the striped marlin and shortnose spearfish make up a large number of the yearly catch, as in 2008 with spearfish. Spearfish (25-35 pounds) are not normally weighed, but “guesstimated,” so their total weight numbers are ballpark and lower ranked.

Tagged or released billfish (27 blue marlin, seven striped marlin and two spearfish) are noted as both a total number and estimated weight, since the weights are “guesstimations,” and you know how fishermen are! These numbers do reflect into the ranking, since some boats tag or release more billfish than others and should get due credit.

I cross-referenced my monthly numbers and totals with the boats and captains as close as possible. I look at all the variables in each category, give them a number and try to come up with a fair ranking. I’m not going to please everyone.     The final statistics are my own and are open to opinion and interpretation.

The Finest Kind had the most total billfish for the year with 31, and the Action was second with 26. The Start Me Up La Dat, Start Me Up, and Reel Hooker each had 18 billfish. The Kai Akua and Start Me Up Das It both had 17, with the No Problem, Ikaika Kai, Die Hard and Start Me Up Too all with 11 each. The Hinatea rounded out the top ten with ten billfish.

Now the ranking, based on six different categories and ten variables for the top six boats.

The 37-foot Merritt Finest Kind captured the top Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boat title among the 18 boats for 2009. It weighed 23 blue marlin (most among the fleet) totaling 4,775.3 pounds (highest blue weight), one striped marlin weighing 85 pounds and three spearfish (most among the fleet) totaling 100 pounds. The 27 billfish weighed (most among the fleet) totaled 4,960.3 pounds (highest total weight).

The Finest Kind also released three blue marlin estimated at 780 total pounds, and one striped marlin estimated at 35 pounds, giving them a total of four billfish for an estimated 814 total pounds.

The boat’s 31 billfish (most captured among the fleet) weighed a grand total of 5,775.3 pounds (highest total weight).

Their largest marlin weighed came in at 439.2 pounds (13th largest). They had one ahi weighing 144.4 pounds (fifth largest).

The 32-foot Blackfin Action took second place. It weighed 15 blue marlin (second most) totaling 3841.3 pounds (second highest blue weight), five striped marlin (most among the fleet) totaling 189 pounds (highest striped weight) and one spearfish weighing 35 pounds. The 21 billfish weighed (second most among the fleet) totaled 4.065.3 pounds (third highest total weight).

The Action also released four blue marlin (tied for most among the fleet) estimated at 450 total pounds and one striped marlin estimated at 25 pounds, giving them five billfish for an estimated 475 total pounds. The boat’s 26 billfish (second most captured) weighed a grand total of 4,540.3 pounds (second highest total weight).

Their largest marlin weighed 567.7 (good for tenth place) and 429.8 pounds (15th).

The Action was the top ahi boat for the second year in a row with nine fish over 100 pounds (most among the fleet) totaling 1,237.1 pounds (highest total weight). It landed the top two ahi coming in at 200.0 and 191.8 pounds, with their fourth place fish weighing 159.6 pounds.

The 37-foot Bertram Start Me Up La Dat ended up in third place with 18 billfish, even though the Start Me Up and Reel Hooker also had 18 total billfish for the year. It weighed ten blue marlin (sixth most) totaling 3,792.3 pounds (third highest blue weight) and four striped marlin (second most) totaling 209 pounds (highest striped weight). The 16 billfish weighed (fourth most) totaled 4,081.3 pounds (second highest total weight).

The Start Me Up La Dat also released two blue marlin estimated at 350 total pounds. The boat’s 18 billfish (tied for third most captured) weighed a grand total of 4,431.3 pounds (third highest total weight).

Their biggest marlin weighed 670.9 (fourth largest), 640.0 (fifth) and 603.3 pounds (sixth), all during a 14-day period. The 603.3-pound blue was the largest marlin by a wahine angler. It is also the 13th largest blue marlin by a wahine angler since 1990 in Lahaina Harbor.

The 35-foot Cabo Kai Akua took the fourth place spot with 17 billfish, tied with the Start Me Up Das It, which also had 17 total billfish for the year. It weighed 14 blue marlin (third most) totaling 3,585.4 pounds (fourth highest blue weight) and three striped marlin totaling 154 pounds. The 17 billfish weighed (third most) totaled 3,739.4 pounds (fourth highest total weight). The boat’s 17 billfish (tied for fourth most captured) weighed a grand total of 3,739.4 pounds (fourth highest total weight).

Their largest marlin was the second place fish weighing 764.8 pounds. The boat also weighed a 142.3-pound ahi (sixth place).

The 37-foot Bertram Start Me Up Das It held a too-close-to-call fifth place spot with 17 total billfish. It weighed 12 blue marlin (fourth most) weighing 2,829.2 pounds (sixth highest blue weight), two striped marlin totaling 75 pounds and two spearfish totaling 56.2 pounds. The 16 billfish weighed (fourth most) totaled 2,960.4 pounds (sixth highest total weight).

The Start Me Up Das It also released one blue marlin estimated at 150 pounds. The boat’s 17 billfish (tied for fourth most captured) weighed a grand total of 3,110.4 pounds (sixth highest total weight).

The boat caught the largest marlin of the year weighing 774.7 pounds. It also weighed a 574.7- (ninth) and 418.7-pounder (18th). They landed one ahi weighing 128 pounds (eighth largest).

The 37-Bertram Start Me Up was in a fish-for-fish, pound-for-pound mix with the Start Me Up Das It with 18 total billfish. It weighed 11 blue marlin (fifth most) totaling 2,899.7 pounds (fifth highest blue weight), two striped marlin totaling 105 pounds and two spearfish totaling 66 pounds. The 15 billfish weighed (tied for fifth most) totaled 3,070.7 pounds (fifth highest total weight).

The Start Me Up also released two striped marlin estimated at 100 total pounds. The boat’s 18 billfish (tied for third most captured) weighed a grand total of 3,170.7 pounds (fifth highest total weight).

Their largest marlin weighed 592.4 pounds (seventh largest).