Trying to come up with the top charter boat statistics for billfish involves several variables. Just looking at total numbers doesn’t reflect all the variables in coming up with the final rankings for the top Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boats.

The billfish numbers overall were the third worst I have seen in the 26 years I have been keeping stats. With the low numbers, the top boats were only a few fish apart, 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. The blue marlin numbers (112) were the third lowest in 26 years, with only 13 over 400 pounds and 11 in the 300-pound range. The striped marlin numbers (18) were the third lowest, and the shortnose spearfish (77), at seventh lowest numbers, were not much of a factor. The majority of the spearfish were “guesstimated,” so their total weight numbers are ballpark and lower ranked.

Tagged or released billfish (23 blue, five striped and 15 spearfish) were noted as both a total number and estimated weight, but all weights were “guesstimations,” and you know how fishermen are. These numbers do reflect into the ranking, since some boats release more billfish than others and should get due credit. The release numbers did have an additional benefit to the top boat for the year.

I look at all the variables in each category, give them a number and try to come up with a fair ranking. The final statistics are my own and are open to opinion and interpretation.

Now, the rankings for the top boats

The 37-foot Bertram Start Me Up La Dat captured the top Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boat title among the 17 boats that caught a billfish in 2013. It weighed ten blue marlin (tied for most among the fleet) totaling 2,794.6 pounds (highest blue weight). Its largest marlin was 443.6 pounds. It had only one striped marlin weighing 25.1 pounds and four spearfish totaling 128.9 pounds. This gave the Start Me Up La Dat 15 billfish weighed (in a three-way tie for second most weighed) totaling 2,948.6 pounds (highest total billfish weight).

The Start Me Up La Dat also released seven billfish (tied for most released) estimated at 530 pounds (third highest estimated released). Two were blue marlin (tied for third most blues released) estimated at 350 pounds (fourth highest estimated release weight). This gave them a total of 12 blue marlin captured (highest among the fleet) totaling 3,144.6 pounds (highest total blue marlin capture weight).

It also released one striped marlin estimated at 75 pounds. This gave them two striped marlin captured (three way tie for second most striped marlin captured). It also released four spearfish (most released) estimated at 105 pounds (highest estimated spearfish total released). This gave them a total of eight spearfish captured (tied for second most captured) totaling 233.9 pounds (third highest capture weight).

The boat’s 22 billfish (second most captured) weighed a grand total of 3,478.6 pounds (highest total weight).

The 37-foot Bertram Start Me Up Das It was real close across the board, taking second place. It weighed ten blue marlin (tied for most among the fleet) totaling 2,501.0 pounds (second highest blue weight). Its largest was 536.4 pounds (third largest blue).

It had two striped marlin (second most) totaling 117.2 pounds (second highest striped weight). They had three spearfish (fifth most) totaling 140.0 pounds (fourth highest spearfish weight). This gave the Start Me Up Das It 15 billfish weighed (three way tie for second most weighed) totaling 2,758.2 pounds (second highest total billfish weight).

The Start Me Up Das It also released one spearfish estimated at 25 pounds. The boat’s 16 billfish captured (fourth most captured) weighed a grand total of 2,782.9 pounds (second highest total weight).

The 35-foot Bertram Reel Hooker captured the third place spot. It weighed nine blue marlin (tied for second most) totaling 2,332.5 pounds (third highest blue weight). Its largest were 449.1 and 442.6 pounds.

It had six spearfish (third most) totaling 152 pounds (third highest spearfish weight). This gave the Reel Hooker 15 billfish (three way tie for second most weighed) totaling 2,484.5 pounds (third highest total billfish weight).

The Reel Hooker released one blue marlin estimated at 150 pounds. The boat’s 16 billfish captured (two way tie for fourth most captured) totaled 2,634.5 pounds (third highest total weight).