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On the morning of September 11, 2024, Ian Keinath boarded his boat Last Chance in Kona’s Honokohau Harbor for the second day of a six-day adventure, unaware he was about to achieve a goal 16 years in the making.
In 2008, at Huggo’s on the Rocks in Kona, Keinath met Jarad “Dingo” Boshammer, an Aussie with sportfishing in his DNA and a renowned skillset in the cockpit. They both aspired to target world records, specifically light tackle and fly records for blue marlin and tarpon—two of the most challenging species on which to accomplish such a feat.
More than a decade passed since their initial conversation, but they stayed in touch and began serious planning in 2022. Dingo got to work, diligently researching the best locations and captains, testing tippets, fine-tuning gear, and studying the IGFA World Record Book to find the best opportunities to pursue. Their journey began in the Florida Everglades in early 2023, followed by their first attempt in Kona. Both trips fell short, but they returned this September for another shot.
Capt. Tracy Epstein pointed the bow of Last Chance south and the crew deployed the spread as they left the harbor on the morning of September 11, and it wasn’t long before their epic day started to unfold. The first fish raised was a 700-pounder to which Ian wisely pitched a bait on heavy conventional gear; however, the fish did not switch. Next was a 500-pounder that also snubbed the pitch bait on conventional, followed by a 350 that would not take Ian’s fly on 20-pound tippet.
Not long after the spread was redeployed, Epstein marked a pair of fish on the omni and quickly raised one of the two on the left long. “The fish was hot and teased in very aggressively,” said Boshammer. “Several times, it came out of the water as our mate Kyle Vannatta teased it up.” As the marlin charged the boat, Keinath made his cast with the 12-pound tippet after Epstein dropped the boat into neutral. “I saw the fish eat the fly and immediately came tight,” Keinath recounted. But then, just like that, the fish was off.
Stripping the fly back quickly, Keinath saw the fish return and pile onto it just as it reached the surface. Now hooked solidly, the marlin took off, dumping Ian’s spool, which had been set to zero pounds of drag to withstand the intense first run. “We got close after that brutal initial run,” Keinath recalled, “but once it saw the boat, it dove deep.”
The fight turned into a stalemate as Epstein adjusted angles while Keinath increased the drag to try and move the stubborn fish. After more than two hours, the fish began to surface, only to dive back down, teasing the crew with brief glimmers of hope. “I was putting around four pounds of drag on it, which is pushing it on 12-pound gear,” Keinath recalls.
Finally, the fish surfaced again, this time close enough for all three gaff men to strike, but they only managed to glance the fish, causing it to dive once more. Now at the three-hour mark and with daylight fading, Keinath pushed harder, applying even more drag. This time as the fish surfaced, the required 8-foot, fixed gaffs found their marks: Boshammer sank the first, followed by Vannatta and veteran Hawaiian captain Chip Van Mols.
After 16 years of dreaming and planning and a grueling three-and-a-half-hour fight, they had achieved their goal. “It was the biggest victory of my entire life,” Keinath said a few days later. “I’m not typically an emotional person, but I felt like I wanted to cry as we headed back to the harbor.” He noted that the moment was especially poignant as he had recently lost two loved ones who played pivotal roles in his journey. “I felt like they were there with me on the boat that day.”
Pulling into the harbor after hours, the team borrowed a certified scale from Kona Tournament Series Director Capt. Jody Bright and officially weighed the fish at 106.8 pounds, surpassing the previous record of 104.2 pounds set by Enrico Capozzi in 2007. Keinath’s record awaits IGFA review and will remain pending until officially approved in early November.
As Keinath and Boshammer headed to the airport after their successful trip, excitement filled their voices as they reflected their long-awaited accomplishment. Yet, instead of resting on their laurels, they are already planning their next record quest, hoping it won’t take another 16 years—but if it does, they know it will be worth the wait.
