2022’s top Flag Fish | News, Sports, Jobs - Lahaina News

The Hinatea, with Deckman Jake Atafua and Captain Chris Cole, landed this 166.0-pound ahi. PHOTO BY DONNELL TATE.

There were some other nice Flag Fish weighed during 2022.

The first black marlin in seven years, weighing 117.2 pounds, was boated aboard the Reel Hooker with Captain Joel Cota and Deckman Kapono Brown. They were coming back in after a full-day charter, and were about 15 minutes from the harbor, when they had a strike on the long gone position. It only took them 15 minutes to boat their rare catch using 100-test line.

This black marlin was the 21st documented fish since 1977. There were none caught from 2003-2013, an 11- year span, one in 2014 and 2016. and none from 2017-2021, a five-year span.

The largest black weighed in Lahaina was a 597-pounder in 1991. The first black weighed in Lahaina was during the 1977 Lahaina Jackpot Tournament, with the winning fish at 559.5 pounds.

The largest striped marlin weighed in at 143.6 pounds aboard the Start Me Up Cuz with Captain Steve Carroll and Deckman Drew Chester. They raised their fish in 200 fathoms off Manele Bay, Lanai. It was a short rigger strike on 100-test line, boating their catch in 25 minutes. It was the largest fish since 2012. It was an excellent year for sailfish, with four making it to the scales. It was the best year since 2012 when four fish were also weighed.

The Finest Kind started off the run, with the largest fish weighing 52.4 pounds by Captain Anthony Riccio and Deckman Makani Kualii. They were fishing off the southwest corner of Lanai, in 150 fathoms between the K-Buoy and the Palaoa Point Lighthouse. It was a double bite, sticking the fish on the short rigger on 80-pound test in just a couple of minutes.

The next fish was just two days later, with a 41.0-pounder coming in aboard the Kai Mana with Captain Billy Hodge and Deckman Blake Parrish. They had their strike on the long rigger using 80-test line in only ten minutes.

Just three weeks later, the second-largest fish was weighed at 51.8-pounds aboard the Exact II with Captain Sean Hudson and Deckman Jordan Fuertes. They raised their fish at the K-Buoy off the southwest corner of Lanai on a live bait.

The Reel Hooker rounded out the run two months later with a 47.1-pound fish with Captain Joel Cota and Deckman Sam Walker. They were just past "Containers" off the northeast corner of Lanai in the Au Au Channel. They had a long rigger strike on 100-test line, landing their fish in ten minutes.

It wasn't the best year for big ahi, with the largest, an "Allison" Yellowfin weighing 166.0 pounds aboard the Hinatea with Captain Chris Cole and Deckman Jake Atafua. They were coming back in after working the backside of Lanai and were 150 fathoms off the Palaoa Point Lighthouse, getting their bite in a school of dolphins. It was a 50-minute fight using 50-pound test line. This is the largest ahi since 2018.

The Automatic weighed a nice 153.4-pound ahi, finding it off the south side of Kahoolawe in the JJ-Buoy area. The fish hit the short live bait on 80-test line, taking them 30 minutes to land their catch. This ahi was bled, gilled and gutted before being weighed.

The largest mahi mahi, weighing 59.6 pounds, was landed by a wahine aboard the Kai Mana with Captain Kihe and Deckman Blake Parrish. They were fishing the K-Buoy off the southwest corner of Lanai. They teased their bull on a live bait, using 60-pound test in 20 minutes. It was the largest by a wahine angler, and the largest since 2002.