×
×
homepage logo

Kai Akua boats five blue marlin in epic day

By Staff | Sep 17, 2015

From left, James Brangert, Capt. Jeremy Webb, Scott Ladner, Jeff Eaton, Ian Belanger and Capt. Kenny Bauchman with their five blue marlin. PHOTO BY DONNELL TATE.

LAHAINA – The Kai Akua had an epic blue marlin day, boating five fish during a full-day charter. Captains Jeremy Webb and Kenny Bauchman headed out to the Kahoolawe Shoals located off the southwest corner of the island. There were schools of bait and birds there, and several blue marlin had been caught in the area over the past few days.

As they headed toward the shoals, they raised their first blue just outside the LA-Buoy marks off Olowalu. Jeremy heard Kenny yell. He looked back to see the fish kicking up a lot of whitewater. It ripped out 400 yards, putting on a good show before it slowed down. Jeff Eaton was the first angler, landing his 135.4-pound fish in about 30 minutes.

They wanted to head to the backside of Kahoolawe, where there had been some bites reported. Jeremy cut across the channel, coming up on a huge bird pile in about 70 fathoms just before the shoals. He turned the boat out and through the birds to go around the tip of the shoals.

They raised their second blue right off the tip with James Brangert in the chair. As James was cranking in his fish, and the rest of the lines were being cleared, they had another blue hook-up estimated at 250 pounds. This fish jumped over the line the first blue was on and went down. Luckily it came off, or they might have lost both fish with the lines getting tangled. This allowed Jeremy to concentrate on one fish, with James muscling his 148.8-pound marlin to the boat in about 15 minutes.

They just had enough time to clear up the deck and set the pattern back out when they raised their third blue about a mile-and-a-half away. It was a short corner bite. The marlin didn’t show itself. It grabbed the lure and freight-trained straight away from the boat about 400 yards.

It was Scott Lander’s turn. This blue took a little longer. It came up 15 minutes later, made a few whitewater splashes then went back down. This was the longest fight, and biggest blue, weighing 151.4 pounds, with them getting it to the boat in about 40 minutes.

Jeremy and Kenny were laughing after the third blue, wondering if they should put the lures back out. Less then five minutes later, they raised their fourth blue. This one was Ian Belanger’s weighing in at 129.6 pounds.

The second, third and fourth blues were about 2-3 miles apart off the shoals heading toward the SO-Buoy marks.

They were about two miles outside the shoals when they raised their fifth blue. Since everyone had caught a fish, Jeff Eaton got back into the chair on his second blue. This one weighed 89.8 pounds.

Jeremy and Kenny both mentioned that after watching Jeff crank on the first blue, the other anglers saw how it was done and how to improve on their angling techniques. Every fish got easier and easier. It was a total team effort, with everyone jumping in to clear lines and turn the chair when needed.

Every fish came in “hot,” mentioned Kenny – no bill-whacks, no teasing; just grab and go. They ate the lure they wanted and took off. They had their first bite at 8 a.m. and last fish in at 10:30 a.m. Two-and-a-half hours and five blue marlin. It was an epic bite, both Jeremy and Kenny stated, and the best blue marlin day for both of them.