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

I look at all the variables in each category, give them a number and try to come up with a fair ranking. Tagged or released billfish were noted as both a total number and estimated weight, but all weights were “guesstimations.”

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

Now, the rankings for the top Lahaina sport fishing deckmen

Andy Payne took top honors for Lahaina Harbor in 2016 among the 22 deckmen that caught a billfish during the year. He accumulated his billfish while fishing aboard the No Problem.

Andy weighed nine blue marlin, second most, totaling 1,355.8 pounds, the second highest total blue weight. He also released six blue marlin (in a four-way tie for second most released) estimated at 1,025 total pounds, the third highest total release weight. This gave him 15 blue marlin captured – the highest total blue captured – for a total of 2,380.8 pounds, the second highest total blue capture weight.

Andy weighed 12 striped marlin, the most weighed, totaling 719.8 pounds, the highest total striped marlin weight. He also released one striped marlin estimated at 50 pounds. This gave him 13 striped marlin captured – the most striped marlin captured – estimated at 769.8 pounds, the highest total striped marlin capture weight.

Andy weighed 17 spearfish (second most weighed) totaling 488.5 pounds, the second highest total spearfish weight. He also released two spearfish totaling 65 pounds, tied for second highest total release weight. This gave him 19 spearfish captured, the highest total spearfish captured, estimated at 553.5 pounds, the highest total spearfish capture weight.

This gave Andy 47 billfish captured – the most total billfish captured – totaling 3,704.1 pounds, the highest total billfish capture weight.

Deckman Rob Cosgrove grabbed the second place spot while fishing aboard the Action, Start Me Up Cuz, and Start Me Up La Dat. He weighed six blue marlin, the sixth most, weighing 1,101.5 pounds, the fifth highest total blue weight. He weighed the second largest blue of the year at 631.5 pounds.

Rob also released seven blue marlin (the most released) estimated at 655 pounds, the fourth highest total blue release weight. This gave him 13 blue marlin captured, tied for second most blues captured, totaling 1,756.5 pounds, the fifth highest total blue capture weight.

Rob weighed four striped marlin (second most) totaling 232.2 pounds, the second highest total striped marlin weight. He also released one striped marlin estimated at 50 pounds. This gave him five striped marlin captured, second most, estimated at 282.2 pounds, the second highest total striped marlin capture weight.

Rob weighed 18 spearfish – the most weighed – totaling 507.1 pounds, the highest total spearfish weight. This gave him a total of 18 spearfish captured (second most) totaling 507.1 pounds, the second highest total spearfish capture weight.

This gave Rob 36 billfish captured – the second most total billfish captured – totaling 2,545.8 pounds, the third highest total billfish capture weight.

Rob also had a very rare “Grand Slam” billfish day, weighing a blue marlin, striped marlin and a spearfish. This was the first grand slam billfish day since 2005.

Deckman Sam Thies took the third place spot while fishing aboard the Die Hard 2, Exact 2, and Finest Kind. He weighed ten blue marlin (most weighed) totaling 1,748.9 pounds, the highest total blue marlin weight. He also released three blue marlin estimated at 560 pounds. This gave him 13 blue marlin captured, tied for second most blues captured, totaling 2,308.9 pounds, the third highest total blue capture weight.

Sam weighed two striped marlin (fourth most) totaling 148.4 pounds, the fourth highest striped marlin weight. This gave him two striped marlin captured, the fourth most, totaling 148.4 pounds, the sixth highest total striped marlin capture weight.

Sam weighed 14 spearfish (third most) totaling 416 pounds, the third highest total spearfish weight. He also released one spearfish estimated at 30 pounds. This gave him 15 spearfish captured, the third most, totaling 446 pounds, the third highest total spearfish capture weight.

This gave Sam 30 billfish captured (third most) totaling 2,903.3 pounds, the second highest total billfish capture weight.

Matt Hoff was the Rookie of the Year Deckman. He accumulated his billfish while fishing aboard the Start Me Up, Start Me Up Again, Start Me Up Das It, and Start Me Up Too.

He weighed two blue marlin totaling 380.8 pounds, while releasing six blue marlin (in a four-way tie for second most released) estimated at 865 pounds. This gave him eight blue marlin captured – tied for sixth most captured – totaling 1,246 pounds, the tenth highest total blue capture weight.

Matt also weighed six spearfish, fifth most, totaling 198 pounds, the fifth highest total spearfish weight. He also released three spearfish, tied for most released, totaling 95 pounds, the highest total spearfish weight. This gave him nine spearfish captured, fifth most, totaling 293 pounds, the fifth highest total spearfish capture weight.

This gave Matt 17 billfish captured, the seventh most total billfish captured, totaling 1,538.8 pounds, the ninth highest total billfish capture weight.