KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII — ACTIVE YEARS 1990s – 2015

Randy Llanes was a Kona charter captain and lure maker, and a member of the islands' great Llanes fishing family — one of six Llanes relatives who ran boats out of Kona, and a cousin of Bomboy Llanes. Within Hawaii's vintage-lure circles, his plungers are remembered in the company of makers like Joe Yee, Gene VanderHoek, and Scott Crampton.

Those who knew him describe a rough exterior over a deep well of Aloha — the kind of captain who would strike up a conversation with a stranger on the street and have them invited to a barbecue before they parted, and who would give away his last fifty dollars to someone who needed it more. His personal-best blue marlin weighed 990 pounds, just shy of the grander mark he chased his whole life.

His story ended far too early. On May 29, 2015, at age 47, Randy died in a freak accident in Honokōhau Harbor when a swordfish he had speared struck him — an event that made headlines worldwide and prompted an outpouring from the sportfishing community, which rallied to support his wife and two children. His lures, and the generous spirit behind them, remain treasured in Kona.

As a museum and archive, we're honored to preserve the memory and the work of Capt. Randy Llanes, a true son of Kona's fishing community.

Notable shapes: Hawaiian-style plungers

Identification tips:

• Genuinely scarce; remembered primarily as a vintage plunger maker within the Llanes lineage

Below, you’ll find our ever-growing digital archive showcasing every lure that has come through our shop. This collection is constantly evolving as new lures arrive, making it a living record of rare, limited-production lures. We will continue updating this database regularly, building what we aim to be the largest digital archive of offshore trolling lures in the world.

If you have any further information or any lures you believe deserve to be showcased, please reach out to us at ren@luremonger.com