LAHAINA — As in the Top Boat rankings, just looking at total numbers doesn’t reflect all the variables in coming up with the final rankings for the top Lahaina Harbor Sportfishing captains.

I cross-reference my monthly numbers and totals with the 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.

Of the 39 Lahaina Sportfishing captains that fished during 2009, Capt. Tio Kearney captured the most total billfish among the top captains with 24. Capt. Patrick Dorn was next with 21. Captains Ryan Fiedorowicz and Greg France had 18 each; Captains Brandon McKinley and Steve Lambert both had 17. Captains Randy Evans and Tim Putnam captured 16 each, with Jeremy Webb ending up with 15.

Now the ranking, based on six different categories and ten variables for the top five captains and co-captains:

Capt. Tio Kearney, aboard the Finest Kind, took top honors among the fleet for 2009. He weighed 18 blue marlin (most among the captains) totaling 3,397.0 pounds (second highest blue weight), one striped marlin weighing 85 pounds and two spearfish totaling 63 pounds. Tio’s 21 billfish weighed (most among the captains) totaled 3,545.0 pounds (third highest total weighed).

Tio also released two blue marlin estimated at 580 total pounds and one spearfish estimated at 35 pounds, giving him a total of three billfish for an estimated 615 pounds.

His 24 billfish captured (most among the captains) weighed a grand total of 4,160.0 pounds (second highest total weight).   

Capt. Patrick Dorn aboard the Action was second, weighing 13 blue marlin (tied for second most) totaling 3,339.4 pounds (fourth highest blue weight). He also weighed three striped marlin (second most) totaling 140 pounds (second highest striper weight) and one spearfish weighing 35 pounds. Patrick’s 17 billfish weighed (second most) totaled 3,514.4 pounds (fourth highest total weighed).

Patrick also released three blue marlin (most among the captains) estimated at 325 total pounds and one spearfish estimated at 35 pounds, giving him a total of four billfish (most among the captains) estimated at 350 total pounds.

 His 21 billfish captured (second most) weighed a grand total of 3,864 pounds (fourth highest total weight).

Patrick’s largest marlin weighed 567.7 pounds (tenth biggest) and 429.8 pounds (15th).

Patrick landed four ahi over 100 pounds (second most among the captains) totaling 479.3 pounds (second highest total ahi weighed). His largest weighed 159.6 pounds (fourth place).

Capt. Ryan Fiedorowicz aboard the Start Me Up La Dat grabbed the third place spot by weighing ten blue marlin (three-way tie for fourth most) totaling 3,587.5 pounds (highest blue weight). He also weighed four striped marlin (tied for most among the captains) totaling 209 pounds (tied for highest striper weight) and two spearfish totaling 80 pounds. Ryan’s 16 billfish weighed (third most) totaled 3,876.5 pounds (highest total weighed).

Ryan also released two blue marlin estimated at 350 total pounds. His 18 billfish captured (tied for third most) weighed a grand total of 4,226.5 pounds (highest total weight).

Ryan’s largest marlin weighed — 670.9 (fourth), 640.0 (fifth) and 603.3 pounds (sixth) — were all caught during a 14-day period.

Co-captain Brandon McKinley aboard the Start Me Up La Dat finished in the fourth place spot, followed by Capt. Jeremy Webb aboard the Kai Akua.

Special mentions: Capt. Randy Evans aboard the Start Me Up Das It weighed the largest blue marlin of the year at 774.7 pounds. Capt. Steve Lambert aboard the Action took top ahi honors, weighing eight over 100 pounds totaling 1,136.5 pounds. His top fish weighed 200.0 (first), 191.8 (second) and 159.6 pounds (fourth).