1,058-pound blue marlin is Kona's first 'grander' of 2015; landed by 16-year-old

Kai Rizzuto (middle) poses with giant marlin; photo via Ihu Nui Sportfishing

By Pete Thomas/ GrindTv

Hawaii’s Kona Coast is one of the world’s premier destinations for giant marlin, and the most sought-after prize is a billfish topping 1,000 pounds, or a grander.

That dream is rarely realized but on Wednesday, 16-year-old Kai Rizzuto, while visiting from New York, landed a blue marlin weighing 1,058 pounds, while fishing aboard the Ihu Nui .

It was Rizzuto’s first blue marlin and the first grander caught this year off Kona.

Rizzuto, grandson of Hawaii fishing author Jim Rizzuto , is believed to be the youngest angler ever to have landed a grander off Kona.

Though the growing trend is to release large billfish, Kai’s fish succumbed after a ferocious 30-minute battle, so it was hauled to port and weighed in Kailua-Kona.

For second-generation Captain McGrew Rice and crewman Carlton Arai, who have been fishing for much of their lives off Kona, it was the third grander they’ve brought aboard the boat.

Only a handful of granders are landed each year in Hawaiian waters. The largest blue marlin ever landed on rod and reel weighed 1,805 pounds and was caught off Oahu by multiple anglers in 1971.

Jim Rizzuto, who also was aboard Ihu Nui, described his grandson’s hookup via email:

“We saw the fish jump and immediately went into ‘big-fish mode.’ That meant going hard right from the start. Carlton Arai is world-famous for being cool and calm, but he yelled, ‘Big Fish’ at the top of his lungs and flew across the deck to get the angler settled and bring in the [other] lines.

“The fish tore up the surface from port to starboard and back, which kept us close. Carlton told Kai to push the drag to ‘sunset’ (full bore), and lean on the fish for maximum advantage. McGrew kept after the fish wherever it went. When it got close after 30 minutes, it rolled over and was done. At that point, all matters of possible release became moot.”

Kai Rizzuto tries to gain upper hand against giant marlin

All five people aboard could not hoist the billfish entirely onto the boat, but managed to secure it enough for measurements, which are used to determine a probable weight, so they knew they were bringing in a potential grander.

Said Rizzuto: “By the time we got back to the dock, the news of a potential grander had drawn a big crowd. Lots of cheers when the 1,058 pounds was announced. Kai comes to the Big Island several times a year and has been fishing since he was 2. This was his first blue marlin.”

Rizzuto added that the billfish was not wasted: Marlin meat is very nutritious and is used in a lot of dishes from poke and sashimi to sausages, jerky, tacos, fish cake and other delicacies. This fish was shared widely and there are probably more than 100 people enjoying it now.