Grander Weight Angler Location Date Blue Marlin 1100 Willie Erickson Kona, Hawaii 05/23/67 Kona's fame as a destination for giant blue marlin took another leap forward when Willie Erickson returned on the VALKYRIE II with another grander in May of 1967. This was the VALKYRIE II's second 1,000-lb marlin and only the seventh caught in Hawaii until this time.