2000 Ho’ole’a Fishing Tournament Rules
(Note: These rules, posted 8/10/00, are subject to change. Final rules will be
announced and placed in effect at the skipper's meeting on Friday, September 1, 2000)

Participants

A team may consist of any number of up to six persons, including the captain.  The base entry fee covers up to four (4) anglers and two (2) crew, including the captain.  Base entries paid by August 5 also include one t-shirt and banquet ticket up to four.  Additional shirts and meal tickets are available for $15.00 each.   

Entries paid after August 5 will not receive complimentary t-shirts or banquet tickets, but teams may purchase shirts and tickets for $15.00 each. 

Applications

Applications must be completed and tournament fees paid in full by adjournment of the mandatory skippers meeting held the Friday evening before the tournament. The Tournament Committee reserves the right to refuse entry to any person, boat or team. No refunds will be made after adjournment of the skipper’s meeting.

Registration/Briefing

All teams must register via captain or representative between 1200 and 1700 hours on the day of the skippers meeting, and at least one representative of each boat must be in attendance at the skippers meeting. This is the time to learn the rules and understand what to do, and also ask questions. Failure of a team to have a representative present at the briefing may result in a time penalty of two hours per day.

Fishing Area

Fishing during the tournament will be confined to the grid area only. A copy of the grid is published in the program book. Any participating boat fishing outside the grid area during the tournament will be automatically disqualified from the tournament, along with any previous catch made. The grid area may be reduced to the small craft warning radius if announced by the tournament committee prior to the start of each fishing day.

Start Boat/Check-In

All boats will be required to check in at the start of each day.  On Saturday, each boat must stop by the Aloha dock at Hawaii Yacht club to pick up a packet containing a camera and any updates to rules, prizes, optional entries, etc.  After receiving the packet, boats should proceed to the start boat located at the Ewa end of the start area, which is the green Ala Wai entrance buoy.   Pass close to the start boat at no-wake speed and display your team number card.   Be sure you get an acknowledgment from the start boat.  Radio check-in with MONEY BOX is not necessary except for radio check.

On Sunday, boats do not need to stop at the Aloha Dock unless the issued camera was used on Saturday.  Boats should again pass by the start boat with their numbers showing and receive acknowledgment.

Fishing Rules

This tournament is considered “loose” rules, meaning a combination of IGFA and jungle rule formats is used.  There are no restrictions on line class, length of leader, etc. but anglers must fight the fish in a sporting manner once hooked.  Fish may be raised by the use of artificial lures, live or dead baits and birds up to 12” in length. 

Live baits, if used must be caught after start fishing time and may not be aboard prior to the start of fishing each day.  Green sticks may be used only as a center rigger. 

Upon the striking of a fish, only the angler may touch the rod or reel, and must fight the fish using only the rod and reel until the leader is reached.  If the boat does not have a chair or other fixed gimbal, the fish may be fought from the rod holder.  At the point where the leader is reached, the leader man may control the fish, and may be taken or released.  No handlining, use of bang sticks, guns, etc. is permitted.  Fish must either be taken by gaff or released under control.

Mutilation is an IGFA rule.  We have modified this rule to accommodate local custom on the care of fish.  If the fish is marked by gunshot, prop mark, or other exterior blemish, the fish will be considered mutilated and will be disqualified.  If the fish is brought aboard and bled as a means to preserve the meat for consumption, the fish will count.   Photographs of the knife in the fish would greatly enhance the believability of your story.

FYI:   Potential world records cannot be considered unless a team angles their fish under 100% IGFA rules and submits all gear to the tournament committee for measurement and compliance.  Any gear on board the vessel that does not meet IGFA specifications could invalidate a claim for a world record, and the IGFA will disqualify a fish if ANY mutilation is observed (regardless of tournament rules).  If you have any intention of submitting claim for a record, we recommend you familiarize yourself with IGFA rules and remove all non-conforming gear prior to the start of fishing.  

Weighing and Judging

All Marlin must be reported to Money Box as soon as any member of the team recognizes a Marlin is hooked.   This requirement is absolutely mandatory.  Any Marlin brought to the scales or released without calling it in at the time it is identified on the line will not count.   No exceptions will be made. 

Hookup call-ins for other species are optional, but you will be expected to report your catch during radio round-ups.  If your radio does not work, call another boat on a cell phone, and have your report relayed into MONEY BOX. 

See radio instructions for further information on radio checkins.  Please do not call Money Box on the phone during round ups or the radio silence period.

Each landed fish must be weighed on the day caught at the official weigh scale.  Fish hooked and acknowledged by Money Box prior to the stop fishing call at 4:00 pm each day may be fought until lost, released or taken, so long as the boat hooking the fish remains in constant communication with Money Box. 

The following fish (and minimum weights) will be considered for qualification:

Marlin (Black, Blue, Stripe) 150

Spearfish and Sailfish 25

Ahi/Shibi 20

Mahimahi 20

Ono 20

Aku 20

It will not be necessary to present lines, lures or gaffs to the judges at the time of weigh-in unless a potential world record exists or the fish is to be considered for the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series.

Released Fish

The tournament committee will issue a camera to each team at the beginning of the tournament.  Any Billfish (Black, Blue, Stripe, Sail or Spear) may be released and credit for the release will be given in the amount of 100 points for each Black, Blue or Striped Marlin and 20 points for Spearfish or Sailfish.  Qualifying points earned from the release of a Billfish count as though the fish was weighed and therefore qualify for all prizes. 

For a released fish to count, the following will be required:

Hookup called in as soon as any team member identifies any Billfish on the line.

Fish fought by one angler from beginning to end with rod and reel only.

Leader (not the double line) taken by leaderman and fish brought along side of boat within the range of an 8 foot gaff.

At least one photograph taken from the bridge (or highest possible point) with fish near boat, and more taken right near the fish identifying the species as clearly as possible. The more photos the better, and at least one photo of the hand on the bill of the fish is best.

A tag placed in the fish is not required, but encouraged. The committee will not issue tags.

Hook should be removed, but if lodged, clip the leader as close to the hooks as possible.

Do not gaff any fish if you intend to release it. Any fish that is gaffed will not count for release points. If you make a mistake and gaff a small fish, bring it on home. It won’t count, but it also won’t be wasted.

REVIVE the fish. The idea is to let it go alive!

After the fish has been revived and released, the transaction must immediately be reported to Money Box, and specific instructions will be given over the radio at that time. Follow all instructions given by Money Box.

At the end of the day that one or more fish are released, the camera is to be treated as though it was a weighed fish. This means the boat must enter the Ala Wai harbor by the specified time, the boat must secure with Money box, and the camera must be presented to the official weighmaster and acknowledged by signature on the weighin sheet prior to the team leaving the area. A new camera will be issued if applicable.

Failure to adhere to these rules and all instructions given by Money Box will result in disqualification of the fish, and if any violation is deemed by the tournament committee flagrant enough to be considered cheating, the team will be disqualified from the tournament and all entry fees will be forfeited.

NOTE: Although no penalties will be issued for weighing non-qualifying Billfish, skippers should consider strategy when deciding whether or not to take a marginal fish. Total points may be worth considerably more to a team than a fish that fails to qualify.

Ties

In the event of a tie between two weighed fish, all teams tied for money positions will split corresponding prizes equally.  A fish weighing an amount equal to points earned for a release is not considered a tie, and the weighed fish shall prevail over the release.

In the event of a tie by release of Billfish, the tie shall be broken first by total points earned for releases, then by weight of the next largest qualifying fish, then by time of earliest release as reported to Money Box.

Examples:100 pound Ahi beats 100 points earned for a release of a Marlin.  20 pound Mahimahi beats a released Spear.  Two released Marlin beats one released Marlin.  One released Marlin beats two released Spears.  One released Marlin and one released Spear beats a single released Marlin.  One released Marlin and one 20 pound Mahimahi beats one released Marlin and one released Spear.

Prizes

The total Jackpot purse will be at least 100% of the total paid base entries, and additional merchandise prizes will be awarded depending on sponsor wishes. The actual total jackpot will be announced when all final tallies are in. Cash prizes from the jackpot will distributed as follows:

Money not claimed on the first day in daily prizes will be rolled over to the second day and vice versa. Money not claimed on either day will roll into the mail jackpot as outlined below.

Largest Fish Division – 75% of remaining purse 

Largest fish (tournament winner) – 50% of remaining purse
Second largest fish – 15% of remaining purse
Third largest fish – 10% of remaining purse

Total Weight Including Released Fish Division – 25% of remaining purse 

Highest total weight including releases – 17.5% of remaining purse
Second total weight including releases – 7.5% of remaining purse

NOTE: Teams may only win one of the main jackpot prizes, but may win more than one merchandise, optional, and other prizes. 

Optional Daily Entries

The tournament committee will operate in addition to the base entry jackpot a series of optional entries. Skippers wishing to enter these categories should fill out any or all spaces on the official form, pay the tournament committee, and a complete sheet of all boats entered in each category will be provided to each skipper along with the amount of winnings available for each category.

All rules from the tournament apply and 10% of the total entries in the optional categories will be deducted for tournament expenses.

Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series

The Ho’ole’a is part of the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series, a statewide series of tournaments that will end up at a made-for-TV super-bowl-like fish-off at South Point for the series’ top five anglers.  The Hawaii Marlin Series is co-sponsored by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and we are all grateful for the support of the event and series.  It is yet another opportunity to demonstrate to the world that large fish are caught all over Hawaii.

Points are earned by participation in tournaments all around the state (Kona Classic, Big Island Invitational, Firecracker Open, Skins, August Moon and Okoe Bay tournaments on the Big Island, Ho’ole’a, and Lahaina Jackpot in Maui), and additional points are earned by catching qualifying fish and/or placing in the tournament.  Though participation points are also earned and everyone who wishes to be a part of the series may do so, teams wishing to earn points toward the series MUST fish 100% IGFA rules and comply with all other Hawaii Marlin Series rules also.

Anglers must understand that Series points will be awarded by Tropidilla Productions according to series rules, and the Ho’ole’a has no authority to render decisions on Series points.  The Ho’ole’a is merely a sanctioned event.  For further information on the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series and how teams can earn a place in the state championship, please contact Jody Bright of Tropidilla Productions at (808) 331-1191

Rolex/IGFA International Tournament of Champions

Ho’ole’a is a qualifying event for the 2001 Rolex/IGFA International Tournament of Champions.   The team winning the 2000 Ho’ole’a will receive an invite to the second annual ITOC in Kona next March.  Though any team winning the Ho’ole’a will have to fish in the ITOC under IGFA rules, it is NOT a requirement to fish IGFA rules in the Ho’ole’a.

In addition to the winner receiving an entry into the ITOC, each and every person who participates in the Ho’ole’a this year will receive a COMPLIMENTARY associate membership in the IGFA for a year.  The Hawaii and Waikiki Yacht Clubs have been leaders on Oahu in advocating the future of Hawaii’s fishery, and this generous offer from IGFA may help several anglers who have never considered becoming a member to understand the IGFA, thus continuing to bridge the gap between philosophies of fishing in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Penn International 2-speed 80 Rod and Reel Combo

Penn Reels has donated rod and reel combo(s) to the tournament to be given to the team earning the most points for releasing Billfish. Scoring for releases shall be done in accordance with all tournament rules.

Ahi Fever Entry

The team recording the largest qualifying Ahi/Shibi will receive a prepaid entry as team #2 in the 2001 Ahi Fever tournament in Waianae. This award does not reduce the jackpot. If no qualifying fish are caught, the prize will still be awarded via drawing from all boats entered.

Hana Pa’a Entry