Kona catch of 958-pound blue marlin could be a world record

Alexandra Nuttall's first-ever catch of a Pacific blue marlin probably will earn the Australian angler a world record.

She landed the 958-pound behemoth off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, where she was vacationing recently with her boyfriend, Nick Durham.

They were on their third and final day of fishing aboard the 38-foot Monkey Biz II, captained by Chip van Mols. It was getting late and the boat was headed to port, and Nuttall had become seasick.

But that's when the monstrous marlin struck a trolling lure on the short outrigger.

Nuttall grabbed the rod, climbed into the fighting chair and waged a 90-minute battle with a marlin that was  eight pounds heavier than the current women's record in the 130-pound-test line category.

(The International Game Fish Association 950-pound blue marlin caught off Mauritius in 1994 as the record.)

"It was without a doubt one of the most exhilarating things that I have ever done," Nuttall said of her catch. "I fish a lot back home in Australia. Although I have caught many sharks, ono, and ahi here at home, I have spent the last few years chasing my elusive first marlin."

Van Mols was hired specifically to find a blue marlin for Nuttall, and he knew that the fish weighed at least 900 pounds when it jumped soon after striking the lure. "She was kind of in shock," he said of the angler's response to such an impressive sight.

"We usually let our marlin go but we were prepared to take a fish if we knew it had a shot at a record. So we got our flying gaffs out."

The marlin was subdued with flying gaffs and hauled aboard by crewman J.D. Hudson, Durham and Van Mols.

"It was a task dragging a huge marlin like that through the [vessel's] back door with only four people, but we managed," Nuttall said. "The feeling that we may have gotten the world record only sunk in on our way back to the harbor. I don't remember ever feeling the sort of happiness that I was feeling at that point."

An IGFA representative questioned Nuttall at the marina and her catch has been submitted for world record consideration.

She won't know for at least a few weeks whether she'll be credited with the record, but Van Mols said IGFA rules were adhered to during the fight.

Of Nuttall he added: "She did an outstanding job. She's a strong girl with good strong legs."

The captain said the marlin did not go to waste. "The front half of the fish was molded by a local taxidermist to make a head mount for Alex, and the back half was sold for marlin jerky," he said.

The Kona coast is famous for its big blue marlin and several weighing 500 pounds or more have been caught during the spring. The action usually picks up during the summer, Van Mols said, but the larger fish become harder to find.

--Photos showing Alex Nuttall, boyfriend Nick Durham and the Monkey Biz II crew are courtesy of The Charter Desk

--Follow Pete Thomas on Facebook and Twitter 

Comments

[juan]

But yes sicerly if you caught a marlin like the one in this picture dont kill him this is a sport make the catch and realese, take pictures, video whatever you want but dont kill him

[Shelby]

That is HUGE and awesome

[docsavage]

I wonder how old he/she was? Incredible creature. I caught and mounted a golden hammerhead in 1977. Still have regrets about taking it's life.

[Teresa Wagner]

Legal or not, it is tragic and sad that this woman and others find satisfaction in killing ocean life for nothing more than their own ego. This Marlin is spectacular, or was, and will now be nothing more than a trophy for this woman, while the ocean has been robbed of yet another of its creatures. Rather than killing animals for "sport", for fun and for "feeling so much happiness" as this woman did after murdering this beautiful fish, maybe those who do so could take up photography and learn to appreciate the beauty and awe of those who live in the ocean. Photos of live animals inspire and allow life in the oceans to continue. Photos of animals dead at the hands of humans are sad and grotesque. Let's enjoy nature, not rape it.

[Pete Thomas]

Deborah, I merely wrote about this catch being a potential world record. I didn't promote anything. That said, most billfish anglers are conservation oriented and practice catch and release, while long-liners and their indiscriminate gear are the major threat to the species. Thankfully, Hawaii recently protected much of its waters against that much larger threat. Perhaps I should have put something along these lines in the story.

[Pete Thomas]

Jennifer, I did not glorify the catch. Nor did I inject my opinion one way or another. I would have released this marlin, but I'm not going to attack this woman for legally keeping one fish because it might be a world record. In the story the captain says he usually practices catch-and-release, but made an exception here. I'm dead against shark finning and unregulated slaughter by commercial gill-net and long-line fishermen, which are the real threats to the fisheries. But I'm not against sport anglers keeping an occasional fish if it's within the law, which was the case here. Thankfully, most billfish anglers, including this woman, practice catch-and-release almost 100% of the time.

[Deborah Bluangel]

Once again Pete Thomas Outdoors are promoting ego-driven, selfish killing of our oceans' wildlife. Would like to see more catch and release, guys...this is unacceptable.
IUCN have listed this species as vulnerable to extinction and here you are celebrating it's death.
As for the comment of it not going to waste...huh? This animal was important to keep the species healthy and abundant, the smaller the populations are, the smaller the gene pool is.

[Jennifer]

Under the header of your site you mention "with special emphasis on ocean issues"...obviously you are not meaning important ocean issues like the status of the many species living there or the fact that we're depleting the oceans. I find it sickening that you are glorifying the death of this magnificent creature that had more value alive, keeping our oceans healthy.
I would hope that in the future you might think more about supporting/promoting catch and release events. The oceans are not just here for us to use and abuse.
thanks for your time.

[Scott Seward]

So awesome!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!