Remembering Capt. Peter B. Wright: Lessons from a Granders Legend

Capt. Kevin Nakamaru first met Capt. Peter B. Wright in 1991 when Kevin was in his early 20s and working as a mate on a Kona-based charter boat. Wright, who died in February, was already legendary in the big-game fishing world. A U.S.-born skipper, Peter captured more gamefish over 1,000 pounds than anyone else in history, including 77 grander marlin weighed at the scales and many more that were released. That early meeting on the Humdinger changed the course of Kevin’s career.

Raised in Kona by parents who fished the blue water, Kevin caught his first blue marlin at age nine and his first big ahi at ten. A year after meeting Peter, Kevin found himself aboard the famed Cairns sportfisher Duyfken as second mate, spending the 1992–94 black marlin seasons on the Great Barrier Reef under Peter’s tutelage. Those seasons shaped Kevin’s approach to big marlin fishing and helped him grow into one of his generation’s most successful grander captains.

Kevin remembers Peter as both a sharp thinker and an insatiable reader. “A lot of people don’t realize how incredibly intelligent Peter was,” he says. Peter devoured books on fishing and adventure novels alike, and he passed many of those reads on to Kevin. Those influences helped form a mindset of constant learning—one that Kevin still applies in the cockpit.

Conversation with Peter was never superficial. “If Peter respected you, he would push you to explain your positions, especially on anything concerning fishing,” Kevin recalls. Discussions ranged from tackle and tactics to broader strategy, and Peter expected his crew to justify their ideas. That intellectual rigor translated into practical testing: rods, reels, leaders, lures and rigs were all put to the trial on the water.

One memorable debate reflected the meeting of two fisheries and two philosophies. Kevin, schooled in Kona methods, favored trolling artificial lures for big blues. Peter, trained in Australia, preferred rigged natural baits for the huge blacks of the Coral Sea. Peter drilled Kevin on lure design, how different patterns ran behind the boat, where to place them, and how to rig them to survive a battle with a grander. Because Peter tested ideas rather than dismissing them, he eventually tried Hawaiian lures on the Reef and had success with very large black marlin.

Those seasons together were an apprenticeship in more ways than one. Kevin learned advanced boat handling, angler coaching, and how to set up chairs and harnesses so even novice anglers could have a real chance at a grander. “Peter was a wizard at the helm,” Kevin says. “He could throw the boat around when fighting big fish, even in rough water, and always worked the best angles to give his angler an advantage.” That skill translated into consistent success in light-tackle events and quick releases inside the Reef.

During fights with giant marlin, Peter demonstrated a near-instinctive feel for the vessel. He would maneuver to force a fish to tail down into the sea or back down rapidly so the crew could get in position for a gaff or a clean release. “It takes a remarkable understanding of your boat’s capabilities and a sixth sense to anticipate the fish’s moves,” Kevin notes. Those moments—where seamanship and tactical thinking met—are what made Peter so formidable.

Peter’s approach to fishing was grounded in a few clear rules: keep things simple and don’t abandon good fish to chase rumors. He urged patience and discipline, warning against reacting to every radio report. At the same time, he encouraged Kevin to scout new, untapped waters—primitive grounds where modern boats, tackle, and techniques could achieve extraordinary results. That advice led Kevin to sail for distant ports in search of 1,000-plus-pound marlin.

Following Peter’s guidance, Kevin ran boats in Madeira in the mid-1990s to chase Atlantic blue marlin and then returned to fish the black marlin seasons in Cairns with Peter, alternating with Kona’s blue-marlin season. His efforts produced remarkable results, including multiple granders and several seasons of 900- to 1,000-pound class catches, most of which were released. He also logged an extraordinary triple of very large marlin—Atlantic, Pacific and black—in notable seasons, underscoring both bold ambition and the value of Peter’s teachings.

Kevin still lives in Kona and charters his classic 37-foot Merritt, Northern Lights, for blue-water gamefish. He continues to apply lessons learned from Peter—boat handling, tactical simplicity, rigorous testing and a deep respect for fish behavior. “One of the things I loved about him was the way he expressed his thoughts. ‘Anthropomorphize’ was a big Pete word,” Kevin says. “Don’t give a fish credit for more brainpower than it possesses. They are creatures of instinct driven by hunger, and it’s our job to be where they feed.”

Kevin reflects on those years with gratitude and reverence. “I still miss the special days I spent with Peter chasing granders, and I will continue to fish hard to honor the legacy he has left as one of sportfishing’s most accomplished grander hunters,” he says. The lessons and the memory of Peter B. Wright live on in every line set, maneuver, and release aboard boats that carry on the pursuit of truly giant marlin.

This article was originally published in the May 2023 issue.