Captain Fuzzy Alboro (left) and deckman Sam Thies caught this 475.5-pound marlin on Die Hard 2.

LAHAINA – Trying to come up with the top Lahaina Harbor charter sport fishing boat statistics for billfish involves several variables. Just looking at total numbers doesn’t reflect all of the variables in the final rankings.

The billfish numbers overall (363) were the second best since 2011. Obviously, everyone looks at the number of blue marlin caught and total weight as an indicator of the top ranking. The blue marlin numbers were 98 weighed and 66 released, totaling 164, but 2016 was the worst year for big blue marlin since 1988, with only eight over 400 pounds making it to the Lahaina Harbor scales.

The striped marlin numbers weighed totaled 38. The shortnose spearfish weighed totaled 114, the highest since 2008. The majority of the spearfish were “guesstimated,” so their total weight numbers are ballpark and lower ranked.

Tagged or released billfish (66 blue, 12 striped and 33 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 the top boats released more billfish than others and should get due credit.

The final statistics are my own and are open to opinion and interpretation.

This year, ranking the top boats was a challenge, since the top boat only started fishing in June and missed a majority of the billfish caught the first half of the year. The second and third place boats only fished the first nine months of the year and were tied for most total billfish caught.

Now, the rankings for the top charter sport fishing boats

The 35-foot Bertram Die Hard 2 captured the top Lahaina Harbor charter sport fishing boat title among the 16 boats that caught a billfish in 2016, only fishing the last six months of the year.

It weighed 12 blue marlin, second most among the fleet, totaling 2,228.9 pounds, the highest total blue weight. Its largest was 475.5 pounds. It also released two blue marlin estimated at 260 total pounds. This gave the Die Hard 2 14 blue marlin captured (third most) totaling 2,488.9 pounds, the fifth highest total blue capture weight.

The Die Hard 2 also weighed one striped marlin at 98.4 pounds, the second largest of the year. It also weighed seven spearfish, third most, totaling 203 pounds, the third highest total weight.

This gave the Die Hard 2 a total of 22 billfish captured (fourth most) for a grand total of 2,790.3 pounds, the sixth highest total billfish capture weight.

The 32-foot Blackfin Action tied for most billfish among the fleet, only fishing the first nine months of the year.

It weighed six blue marlin (fifth most) totaling 1,101.5 pounds, the seventh highest total blue weight. Its largest was 631.5 pounds, the second largest of the year. It also released 12 blue marlin (most released) estimated at 1,395 pounds, the third highest estimated total release weight.

This gave the Action a total of 18 blue marlin captured (the most blues captured) totaling 2,496.5 pounds, the fourth highest total capture weight.

The Action weighed five striped marlin, the second most, totaling 272.2 pounds, the second highest total weight. It also released one striped marlin estimated at 50 pounds. This gave the boat six striped marlin captured (second most) for a total of 322.2 pounds, the second highest total capture weight.

The Action weighed 19 spearfish, most among the fleet, totaling 545.1 pounds, the highest total weight. It also released four spearfish, tied for most released, for an estimated total of 95 pounds, the second highest estimated weight. This gave the boat a total of 23 spearfish captured – the highest total captured – estimated at 640.1 pounds, the highest total captured weight.

This gave the Action a total of 47 billfish captured, tied for most among the fleet, for a grand total of 3,458.8 pounds, the second highest total billfish capture weight among the fleet.

The 37-foot Merritt No Problem tied for most billfish among the fleet, only fishing the first nine months of the year.

It weighed nine blue marlin (fourth most) totaling 1,355.8 pounds, the fifth highest total blue weight. It also released six blue marlin (fifth most) estimated at 1,025 pounds, the fifth highest estimated total release weight. This gave the No Problem a total of 15 blue marlin captured (second most) totaling 2,380.8 pounds, the sixth highest total capture weight.

The No Problem weighed 12 striped marlin (most weighed) totaling 719.8 pounds, the highest total weight. It also released one striped marlin estimated at 50 pounds. This gave the boat 13 striped marlin captured, the most captured, for a total of 769.8 pounds, the highest total capture weight.

The No Problem weighed 17 spearfish, second most, totaling 488.5 pounds, the second highest total weight. It also released two spearfish, fourth most, for a total estimated weight of 65 pounds, the third most estimated weight. This gave the boat a total of 19 spearfish captured (second most) estimated at 553.5 pounds, the second highest total capture weight.

This gave the No Problem a total of 47 billfish captured – tied for most among the fleet – for a grand total of 3,704.1 pounds, the highest total billfish capture weight among the fleet.