Captain Peter Hoogs remains an indomitable force in big game tournament fishing.  For the year 2002, he won the captain’s award in the annual Tag/Flag Tournament hosted by AFTCO and sponsored by the Recreational Fishing Alliance.  The award, generated by Hoogs’ willingness to do his part on the conservation of the fishery in Hawaii, earned him yet more accolades to hang on his living room walls. 

Hoogs is a legend in Kona.   In his early years, he has developed the ability to recognize currents, know when to use bait versus lures, and consistently place in major tournaments.  In the past several years, Hoogs has added more to the quality of the fishery by letting more fish go than most of the other captains in the state. 

As an average angler who has played a small role in the fishery in Hawaii, I admire the true pros like Hoogs and his son Teddy, also a licensed captain.  These guys are among the top echelon of the sport, and few reach the levels they have.  It is their constant willingness and desire to reinvent themselves that have kept them at these high levels. 

All too many people think it’s about luck and just happening to drive over the right fish. But luck is a part of any sport, and even driving over the right fish takes a great deal of skill.  Hoogs’ ability to consistently place in tournaments over the years is a matter of true skill, something that is earned with time and experience, and being able to tap into that ability is the very essence of what makes big game fishing fun for anglers of all skill levels.

According to the AFTCO website (www.AFTCO.com), “AFTCO’s year long Tag/Flag Tournament is designed to help create awareness and participation in tag and release by recognizing conservation minded anglers and captains.  The Aftco Tag/Flag Tournament, with its separate Atlantic and Pacific divisions, offers a full measure of honors and awards to celebrate fishing skills, but its most important yield is a treasure of vital information on how best to ensure the survival of big game fishing.

“Our fisheries are in peril. Relentless pressure from super-efficient commercial fleets compounded by the growing menace of habitat loss and ocean pollution are seriously threatening our saltwater fisheries.

 
“Concerned groups, private and governmental, have joined forces to fight back, and the key weapon in their counter-attack is reliable information concerning fish populations, life spans, growth rates and migration patterns.

“The Aftco Tag/Flag Tournament is an outgrowth of the “Tag A Tuna For Tomorrow” Tournament started in 1987. The concept of tag-and-release has grown significantly since that time, and one of the reasons for that growth has been the awareness created by this Tournament.   Here is a Tournament that is absolutely unique — it lasts a full year, is divided into both an Atlantic Tournament and a separate Pacific Tournament, and combines the influence and expertise of leading ocean anglers, marine conservation groups and sportfishing publications.”

Sportfish Hawaii remains proud to represent Captain Peter Hoogs onboard Pamela as an excellent choice in charter fishing Hawaiian waters.