President's Day Tournament Report

The first event of the fishing season was held by Hawaii Yacht Club and Waikiki Yacht club over the President’s Day weekend with the fishing days held on Saturday and Sunday, and a great pupu party hosted by Hawaii Yacht Club afterward. Our rules indicate the boats can start fishing at 1 minute past midnight, and they don’t have to be back until 17:00 on the second day. This extended fishing time makes for some enjoyable competition and radio chatter, and also allows the boats to spend a full weekend away from home.

The weather for the week prior to the tournament was nice, but the winds built up on Friday to small craft advisories, meaning Saturdays fishing area had to be restricted to the lee sides of Oahu. Eighteen boats indicated they would enter the tournament, and seventeen paid their entry fee (only $20.00 for these club events, and ANYBODY can enter!). We also had several boats which would have been in the tournament but for mechanical problems, trips to other islands or the mainland, and Valentine’s Day.

Saturday’s weigh in, which is an optional day to record fish, provided the highest quantity of fish for the weekend, even though only boat arrived at the scale. Lee Severs, aboard Sea Verse III, recorded a total combined weight of 199.5 pounds, most of which were the result of his finding a cargo net laden with Mahi-Mahi. Lee’s fish were angled by a paid charter and he brought a total of 19 pieces to the scale. The highest weight for a qualifying fish was a 23.5 Mahi-Mahi, and several other Mahis were weighed in ranging from 10 to 20 lbs.

Bamboo Opperman of the Golden Marlin called in Saturday night to tell us they were staying out on the west coast of Oahu, and that they had several good Marlin hits during the day. Nothing had stuck, unfortunately, but they were looking forward to a great barbeque and a productive second day. One skipper also tagged and released a Blue Marlin on Saturday, however, he was unable to photograph it and he thus voluntarily withdrew his fish from the tournament.

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The Crew of Golden Marlin

Sunday’s weather was much nicer with the winds down below advisory level, and the boats scattered a little more in search of the winning fish. With only 23.5 pounds to beat, the field was wide open. We got several calls from the skippers asking what had been weighed thus far, but the morning started out slow. Suddenly, while having lunch at the club, we saw one of our new members, Craig Mitchell, standing at the upper deck door. He looked filthy and exhausted and asked if we could come help him weigh in his fish. He was out running solo on a small whaler in Waianae, and he had boated a Blue Marlin which was about a hundred pounds. While cleaning up the boat and working a live bait, he hooked up to what he figured was a great fish and spent the next little while trying to manhandle a his boat, the Marlin in the bag, and this large fish on the end of his line. After some time, he managed to boat a 151 lb. Ahi to go with the Marlin. Unfortunately, in order to get it in the fishbag and make some room on board, he had to cut off the tail of the Marlin, thus disqualifying it from the tournament. Nonetheless, Craig was to be awarded first prize for his first-rate effort on that Ahi.

A few more frantic calls and a few more good strikes later, the time was running out. 17:00 was fast approaching, and we watched as several boats went past the scale flagless and into their slips. A few more boats did come and weighed their catch, and like the day before, the fish weighed in were mostly Mahi-Mahi. Nothing else even came close to the Ahi boated by the single hander, and he ended up winning the tournament for his efforts.

Final Results:
18 boats declared intent to enter, 17 paid and entered. An excellent start for the season.

Total Fish Caught:

1 Blue Marlin weighed at 97.5 lb. with no tail - yikes (next time leave it intact!)

1 Blue released but withdrawn from tournament

2 Striped Marlin weighing 55 and 33 lbs respectively. Neither qualified as the minimum weight for stripers is 60 lbs.

3 Ahi weighing 151, 9 and 10 lbs

21 Mahi from 9.5 to 23.5

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The Crew of Chieme with some nice Mahi's

Winners - Power Division

Winner was Craig Mitchell aboard Tanda Manzi with his 151 lb Ahi
Second was Lee Severs aboard Sea Verse III with a 23.5 lb Mahi
Third was Steve Shoda aboard Chieme with a 22.5 lb Mahi
Golden Marlin just made it by winning the highest combined weight with a 10 lb Mahi (note: only one prize is awarded per boat, and although Sea Verse had more total poundage, they already had claimed second prize)

Winners - Sail Division

No qualifying fish caught. A few good whacks on the lures, but get ‘em next time.

See you next month with the results of the No Alibi/Spring Tournament. Until then, keep safe, follow the Iwa, but be in on time!