Still trying for a Grander

Heading to Hawaii for a month and a half in the morning, will be fishing with Jeff Fay on Humdinger as usual.
I've been trying to catch an IGFA legal grander for ~30 years, (and get my picture on the Granders wall in Kona with the "Big Boys" of Marlin tournament fishing). I've fought a few we and the tournament observer on board were sure went over 1,000, but they only count when they're IN the boat.
The fishing was stellar last September, I tagged 22 decent size blues. Not 200 pound "rats" - but the biggest one ran only 700-ish.
My "best catch" - not biggest fish - so far is a 500 on 50lb test stand up in very rough conditions. Like breaking 12-18ft rough. No harness or anything, I just held the rod under my arm, threw it in the water with a ball on it every time I got spooled, chased it with the pointy end of the boat, gaffed it up and fought some more. This went on for a while.....
Maybe this is the year I'll finally check a Grander off my bucket list?

Good luck Dave!

Best of luck, any pics will be a treat. Even if the Grander is not in one.

Tim

a 485 lb tuna on stand up almost killed me 25 years ago. I cant imagine how hard it will be to land the grander.

Just returned from fishing the FAD's in Costa Rica with Skip on "Hooker", caught some nice ones but no grander. Two days fishing 18 Blues, 1 Black, 1 Stripe, 2 Sails, a super slam the second day. Good luck to you and have fun and keep us posted on results.

That would certainly be something to hang your hat on. At this.point I'd be thrilled just to catch a billfish of any kind on my boat. Even saildogs would apply. Of course to do that I'd actually have to take the boat fishing some time. Sigh. :(

Sorry, I digress. Good luck on checking that one off the bucket list. And yes, pictures either way.

An amazing goal you've set. We boated our first Bluefin this year, 87", estimated 600 range. Never leadered a Blue Marlin, top of the bucket list though