Grander Numbers

[Fishing Hawaii]

Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting Kona-based article about granders. In the article the writer says she contacted the IGFA and was told they have only 51 granders on record since the organization began in 1939. That gives the reader a really strange sense of how many granders have been caught over time. I want to put together some numbers to give a better sense of how many grander marlin (black and blue) have been caught by anglers world wide. That would include Australia, Madeira, Bermuda, Hawaii, Tahiti, and every other place grander blues and blacks have been caught on rod and reel. The list I have compiled from Kona, alone, has 74 since 1960. For your fishing area, if you know totals over time, please post them so I can do a quick tally of all areas.

One more thing related to the article. Does anyone have any authoritative information on the real size of the marlin that became famous in "The Old Man and the Sea?" I know the story was based on an actual catch and the fish was too chewed up to
give more than an idea of the weight. I've heard that someone researched this and came up with a number.

To find a link to the article, search for wall street journal kona granders.


Jim Rizzuto

[Capt Art]

Today's Wall Street Journal has an interesting Kona-based article about granders. In the article the writer says she contacted the IGFA and was told they have only 51 granders on record since the organization began in 1939. That gives the reader a really strange sense of how many granders have been caught over time. I want to put together some numbers to give a better sense of how many grander marlin (black and blue) have been caught by anglers world wide. That would include Australia, Madeira, Bermuda, Hawaii, Tahiti, and every other place grander blues and blacks have been caught on rod and reel. The list I have compiled from Kona, alone, has 74 since 1960. For your fishing area, if you know totals over time, please post them so I can do a quick tally of all areas.

One more thing related to the article. Does anyone have any authoritative information on the real size of the marlin that became famous in "The Old Man and the Sea?" I know the story was based on an actual catch and the fish was too chewed up to
give more than an idea of the weight. I've heard that someone researched this and came up with a number.

To find a link to the article, search for wall street journal kona granders.


Jim Rizzuto

There have been several granders caught in North Carolina - in fact there was one tournament in the 80's that weighed 3 of them in a 2 or 3 day span. There's been at least one in the Bahamas (Sam Jennings 1,060 in the mid 70s) and one in St. Thomas (the old standing record that was beaten by the current Atlantic Blue Marlin in Brazil). Having fished in Cape Verde as well as the Canary Island, I've heard a number of stories of weighed 1,000 lb Blue Marlin. Presumably, with the emphasis of T&R today, there are not good numbers of certified fish, but as the technology and equipment keeps getting better and better, the numbers are growing.

I'm not sure where I read it, but the film of Santiago's Blue Marlin in the Old Man & The Sea, was actual filmed footage of Alfred Glassel's standing 1,560 lb. Black Marlin all-tackle record caught in Cabo Blanco, Peru in the early 50s.

[Deep C]

The mount of the tore up fish that inspired Old Man is in key west and is actually an 800lb class fish. Photos at the now burned down Compleat Angler hotel in Bimini confirmed much the same and I want to say the remains was 568 pounds. Not the near ton fish of lore.
as for the toals it has to be much much higher.
I released two grander class fish in the Hudson and one down near the 461 over the years. Our Murray Bros Lures I know accounted for at least six more. My own lures have also accounted for six and I would venture a guess that member Roddy Hayes has that many or more to his credit.
I know Jersey has weighed at least a couple. Virgin Islands has produced a couple, carolina a few, Bahamas a coupleFlorida a couple... Brazil and Bermuda each have weighed quite a few along with Madiera.
In the pacific I know Hawaii must have totalled seventy or eighty or more. I wouldn't have a clue how many grander blacks have been taken between Cabo Blanco and Austalia...
Over in Mauritus the Black River Club wall has a list of granders from club members that looked to be two dozen deep.
God knows how many commercially caught fish there have been.
Kenya has probably over a dozen to its credit...
I'm not sure if IGFA is talking just say weighed Atlantic fish or perhaps weighed fish submitted for records from world wide just in Blues...

[tim R]

This includes handline caught fish and non-IGFA captured fish, but all are documented / weighed captures...AND you can read Jim Rizzuto's articles by getting a subscription (which is priceless).

I am not sure how Jim has compiled his list of 74, but I am sure he has quite a bit of knowledge of the attached list, so I will let him break it down...

http://www.hawaiifishingnews.com/gra...m?Order=Weight

[Wound Up James]

Weighed Granders -
6 -Challenger- between 1,130,1,153,1,162,1,190,1,190,1,195#
3 - Mako - 1032,1057,1352#
1 -Triple Play - 1,189#
1- Sothern Exposure- 1,023#
1 - Big Game 1,000#
1- Wound Up 1,049#


there have been a handful of Granders released by above mentioned capts and mates, but to my knowledge those listed above are the only ones weighed here..

[Wound Up James]

an audit of the 'Challenger's' Granders - 1,130 , 1,153, 1,162, 1,190, 1,195, 1,199#....Alan Card declares to this day that he's never caught a Grander...............only 1,100 lber's....

what a year it's been for big fish......Maderia, Bermuda and Kona...

[Fishing Hawaii]

The posts have all been extremely revealing.

Tim mentioned that the HFN site has several Kona granders that are not on my list. Those fish weren't weighed at one of the "official" sportfishing scales of the day, which explains only why I don't have them and does not suggest that they don't count. I'm sure there are a lot more catches like that around the world.

I'm really interested in watching people in different areas dig back into their sportfishing history. I'll bet there are far more big fish in years past that are in danger of being forgotten. Ask around!

Jim

[deadbaiter]

I think I read in Marlin mag, not to long ago, that there have been over 70 grander blacks in Australia and a few more around the world.

[TunaTeaser1]

I know of three from nc- the 1077 last year, 1128, 1142


And stumbled across and article last week with some numbers
from the Azores- I counted 16 from this list

http://www.bigmarinefish.com/grander_hunting.html

[fishvenezuela]

There has been seven 1000lb+ blue marlin landed in North Carolina. Four weighed at Oregon Inlet, two in Hatteras and one in Morehead City.

*Also another 1000lb+ blue was caught off the coast of NC but was weighed in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Jo Boy (1142) Hatteras w/Capt Harry Baum
Jersey Devil(1126) Hatteras w/Capt Ronnie Jones
Smoker (1080) Oregon Inlet w/Capt Brynner Parks
Fight-n-Lady (1020) Oregon Inlet w/Capt Sam Stokes
Wave Runner (1002) Morehead City w/Capt Howard Basnight
Allison (1029) Oregon Inlet w/Capt Ron "Buckshot" Pieper
Swordfish (1077) OregonInlet w/Capt Justin Ringer

*Gannet (1093) Virginia Beach w/Capt Mike Romeo