Capt. Jonny Keiley (left) and deckman Kapono Brown with their 595.4-pound blue marlin caught aboard Action. PHOTO BY DONNELL TATE.

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

The total billfish numbers overall (284) were the lowest since 2013. Obviously, everyone looks at the number of blue marlin caught and total weight as an indicator of the top ranking.

The blue marlin numbers totaled 182, but 2017 was a below average year for big blue marlin weighed, with only 14 making it to the scales.

The striped marlin were way below average. It was the same for the spearfish. The majority of the spearfish were “guesstimated,” so their total weight numbers are ballpark and lower ranked.

Released billfish 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 boat released more billfish than all the others and should get due credit.

Last year was one of the best for ahi over 100 pounds, with 28 being weighed.

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

Now, the rankings for the Top Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boats

The 32-foot Blackfin Action captured the top Lahaina Harbor Charter Sportfishing boat title among the 14 boats that caught a billfish in 2017.

It weighed 11 blue marlin, tied for third most among the fleet, totaling 2,944.4 pounds, the second highest total blue weight. Its largest was 595.4 pounds, second largest of the year. It also released 17 blue marlin, most among the fleet, for an estimated 2,575 pounds, the highest estimated total release weight.

This gave the Action 28 blue marlin captured, most captured, totaling 5,519.4 pounds, the highest total blue marlin capture weight.

The Action released one striped marlin estimated at 90 pounds. It also weighed eight spearfish, tied for second most weighed, totaling 198 pounds, the fourth highest total weight. It also released seven spearfish, most released, and estimated at 165 pounds, the highest estimated total weight. This gave the Action a total of 15 spearfish captured, most captured, for a total of 363.0 pounds, the highest total capture weight.

This gave the Action a total of 45 billfish captured, the most captured among the fleet, for a grand total of 5,972.9 pounds, the highest total billfish capture weight.

The Action had a record year for big tuna, weighing 17 of the 28 over 100 pounds, totaling 2,192.6 pounds, with the largest of the year at 171.6 pounds. It also weighed 18 between 80 and 99 pounds.

Taking second place was the 37-Merritt Finest Kind.

It weighed 18 blue marlin, most among the fleet, totaling 2,804.6 pounds, the third highest total blue weight. It also released three blue marlin, fourth most, for an estimated total weight of 625 pounds, the fifth highest estimated total release weight.

This gave the Finest Kind 21 blue marlin captured, second most captured, totaling 3,429.6 pounds, the third highest total blue marlin capture weight.

The Finest Kind weighed one striped marlin weighing 70 pounds and released one estimated at 70 pounds for a total weight of 140 pounds. It also weighed nine spearfish, most weighed, totaling 291.8 pounds, the highest total weight. This gave them nine spearfish captured, second most, for a total of 291.8 pounds, the second highest total capture weight.

This gave the Finest Kind a total of 32 billfish captured, second most, for a grand total of 3,861.4 pounds, the third highest total capture weight.

The Finest Kind weighed one ahi at 108 pounds.

The third place Charter Sportfishing boat was the 35-foot Bertram Die Hard 2.

Die Hard 2 had a total of 31 billfish captured, third most, for a grand total of 3,762.4 pounds, the fourth highest total billfish capture weight.

The Die Hard 2 also weighed eight big tuna over 100 pounds, second most, totaling 924.9 pounds, the second highest total weight. It also weighed four between 80 and 99 pounds.