Hanapaa! Father, son hook 433 lb marlin from shore

KAANAPALI, MAUI (HawaiiNewsNow) - - A father and son from Lahaina hoped to reel in an ulua over the weekend, but they ended up with an incredible fishing tale instead.

Joshua Malacas and his father almost didn't go fishing on Saturday after a long day at work. But soon after setting up on an old pier in Kaanapali, they hooked a big one.

"It was unbelievable because when I first heard the splashing, I thought it was a monk seal. Then, when I looked again, the fin, the bill, the nose -- I was like, 'Oh, it's a marlin!'" recalled Joshua.

His father, Robert Malacas, tossed a throw net on the thrashing marlin which unexpectedly came in close to shore.

"The waves were big and I guess it surfed the waves straight into shore," said Joshua.

Several beachgoers helped haul the giant fish up the sand. They even used a golf cart to drag the marlin to the parking lot. The stunned fishermen drove straight to Lahaina Harbor where the official weighmaster recorded their catch at a whopping 433.8 pounds.

"It's probably one of the craziest fish stories I've ever heard!" said weighmaster Donnell Tate. "Maybe some bait school came in and this marlin was just fishing, going in after some of the bait that was close to shore, and got caught up in the surf."

Robert spent several hours chopping up the marlin to share with relatives and the new friends they made.

"That was my main thing, the people that helped get it off the beach get their share," he said.

Days later, they're still in shock about the one that didn't get away.

"People can believe what they like, but it happened. Right place, right time, it was just a miracle," said Joshua.

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