Captain Marlin Parker

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In November of 1954, Kona charter Captain George Parker captured a 1,002-pound Pacific blue marlin. The first grander ever landed in U.S. waters, it smashed the All-Tackle world record. His first son was born shortly thereafter and was named in honor of the great fish. It was destiny that landed Marlin Parker in the world of big game fishing.

Marlin Parker was raised fishing with his father. His most memorable moment as a child was when he was just 5 years old and was fishing with both of his parents, together his mother and father took turns in the fighting chair trying to catch a giant marlin estimated over 1000 pounds. He remembers being at the controls during a portion of the long fight. After many hours the giant fish was lost but now as an adult he remembers the event vividly as though it happened last week.

Capt. George Parker, with two year old son Marlin at the Kona Inn weigh station in 1957. Before the Kailua Pier weigh scale was built, all marlin caught were loaded on to a truck and transported to the Kona Inn were they were weighed. He helped his father on many occasions, and was always seen on the docks during the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament which began in 1959.

The young Parker began chartering professionally in 1976. While at the helm of his first boat, the ISLANDER - only months after receiving his captain's license - he landed what, at the time, was the largest blue marlin ever weighed in at Kailua-Kona on 80-pound class tackle, a 1,257-pound monster. It was a prophetic beginning for this skipper who is regarded as one of the best marlin fisherman in the islands, and even worldwide. His largest blue to date hit the scales at an incredible 1,400 pounds. It still stands as the fourth largest Pacific blue marlin ever landed on rod and reel!

Capt. Marlin Parker's tournament record is enviable. His teams have taken first place honors more than fourteen times in major tournaments in the last 15 years, in addition to numerous "top-five" finishes and individual angler awards. He is the well earned recipient four times of the prestigious Richard Boone Award, given to the "top skipper" in the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, and second place skipper in the 2000 Rolex / IGFA Offshore Championship Tag & Release Tournament.

In more recent years Marlin was the 2002 World Cup First Place winner, also in 2002 he placed first in the Shoot Out Tournament. The luck continued in 2003 with 5 First place tournament wins for the Marlin Magic including the HIBT Henry Chee Award.

More Memorable moments Click Here.

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