Still trying for a Grander

[luckydave215]

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?

 

[Finalee]

Good luck Dave!

 

[Fish Tales]

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

Tim

 

[Boatsb]

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.

 

[Spellbound]

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.

 

[Avenger]

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.

 

[ageless]

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