August 22, 2011 Kona Fish Report – 12yr Old Alex Catches Her First Blue Marlin!

Brad Hopkins and his 12 year old daughter Alex were in town to try their luck fishing Kona.  We left the harbor early and headed south.  I took us down the 500 fathom line towards Kealakekua Bay following the south current in hopes of running into some signs of bait and blue marlin.  Alex was first in the chair and as we passed Capt. Cook point I marked a big fish on the sounder at 40 fathoms.  I told Brad, “Watch back there!  That’s a nice fish…maybe it will come up and bite…”  Seconds went on and nothing.  Just when we were about to lose hope a big dorsal popped up behind the long rigger and snapped it down.  The fish looked around 400lbs but it quickly disappeared then piled on the last lure in the spread.  Line screamed out and as I was clipping Alex into the chair the hooks pulled out!  UGH!  Digusted we trolled on.  Shortly after, another mark on the sounder appeared and this fish was hungry.  It ate the long rigger like it was starving and it was hooked good.  Alex was in the chair and with a little help from dad fought her first 150lb blue marlin to the boat in about 15 minutes!  As the day went on we had 3 more shots at blue marlin roughly the same size and all of them came off!  That’s how it goes with blue marlin fishing sometimes!