Honoring 2009’s top crewmen at Lahaina Harbor
LAHAINA — As in the top boat and captain 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 crewmen. This group gets well-deserved recognition for their duties of running the deck and being the PR/answer men for the boats.
Of the 18 crew (non-co-captain status) that fished during 2009, Sean Hudson captured the most total billfish among the group with 24. Next was Peter Wong with 21 and his son, Chris, with 16. Jukka Hyytia ended up with 12, with Billy Burnett and Rich Lynch in a two-way tie with 11.
Now the ranking, based on six different categories and six variables for the top five crew.
Crewman Sean Hudson aboard the Finest Kind took top honors among the group for 2009. He weighed 16 blue marlin (most among the crew) totaling 3,406.2 pounds (highest blue weight), one striped marlin weighing 85 pounds and three spearfish totaling 100 pounds. Sean’s 20 billfish weighed (most among the crew) totaled 3,591.20 pounds (highest total weighed).
Sean also released three blue marlin (second most released) estimated at 780 total pounds, and one striped marlin estimated at 35 pounds, giving him a total of four billfish for an estimated 815 total pounds. His 24 billfish captured (most among the crew) weighed a grand total of 4,406.2 pounds (highest total weight). Sean’s largest marlin weighed 439.2 pounds.
In second place was Peter Wong. He weighed 14 blue marlin (second most among the crew) totaling 2,303.0 pounds (third highest blue weight), two striped marlin totaling 120 pounds, and two spearfish totaling 60 pounds. Peter’s 18 billfish weighed (second most among the crew) totaled 2,483.0 pounds (second highest total weighed).
Peter also released one blue marlin estimated at 125 pounds and two spearfish estimated at 65 total pounds, giving him a total of three billfish for an estimated 190 total pounds. His 21 billfish captured (second most among the crew) weighed a grand total of 2,673.0 pounds (third highest total weight).
Billy Burnett hooked the third place spot. He weighed ten blue marlin (third most) totaling 2,388.3 pounds (second highest blue weight) and one striped marlin weighing 60 pounds. Billy’s 11 billfish weighed (three-way tie for third most weighed and tied for fifth most captured) totaled 2,448.3 pounds (third highest total weighed and fourth highest grand total weighed). Billy’s largest marlin weighed 545.6 pounds. His largest ahi weighed 142.3 pounds.
There were two crew vying for “Rookie of the Year.” It was a close race between Chris Wong and Rich Lynch, with Chris finishing the year with 16 total billfish.
Chris weighed seven blue marlin (sixth most) totaling 1,434.5 pounds (sixth highest blue weight), one spearfish weighing 30 pounds, and the only sailfish of the year weighing 39 pounds. Chris’s nine billfish weighed (fourth most) totaled 1,503.5 pounds (fifth highest total weighed).
Chris also released five blue marlin (most released) estimated at 1,375 total pounds (highest released blue weight) and two spearfish weighing a total of 55 pounds. This gave him a total of seven billfish for an estimated 1,430 total pounds (highest release total and weight). His 16 billfish captured (third most captured) weighed a grand total of 2,933.5 pounds (second highest total weight).
Crewman Rich Lynch ended the year with 11 billfish. He weighed eight blue marlin (fifth most) totaling 2,141.5 pounds (fourth highest blue weight), two striped marlin totaling 75 pounds and one spearfish weighing 30 pounds. Rich’s 11 billfish weighed (three-way tie for third most weighed and tied for fifth most captured) totaled 2,246.5 pounds (fourth highest total weighed and fifth highest grand total weighed).
Rich’s largest marlin was the largest blue of the year weighing 774.7 pounds. He also weighed a 418.7-pound blue.