60 boats hit the line on the labor day weekend for the 15th annual Ho'ole'a Fishing Tournament, the 6th stop on the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series. The seas were a little rough on the Friday of the skipper’s meeting, causing some of the smaller boats to pass on the weekend of fun. Unfortunately, they missed out because the seas came down nicely during the weekend, making for a most enjoyable couple days of fishing.

Though the overall fishing was a little slow for 2001, the big news was the number of fish released. For the first time in the history of a fishing tournament on Oahu, five Marlin were released of the 12 brought boatside, and everyone who released a Marlin received prizes in the form of cash and/or merchandise. Though only a total of 12 Marlin were caught/released in the two days, many more hooked and lost, and there were numerous stories back at the docks of the ones that got away. Hawaii has been a fabulous fishery for 2001, and the talk at the clubs confirmed good numbers of large fish remain around the island into the fall. Curiously, though, the Ahi bite has been slow, and it remained as such throughout the weekend, with just one Yellowfin making it to the scales, a 104.5 pounder caught by Iwalani with captain Hugh Okuda.
 

For 2001, it seems one of the better ways to win money in a tournament is to sponsor it. Take for instance Monkey Biz Sportfishing and the Hawaii Charter Skipper’s Association. They were Hoolea’s main sponsor this year, and while they didn’t win it with the largest fish, they did manage to capture and also release a Marlin. Between the prizes earned for third largest Marlin and the optional entries, Monkey Biz walked away with almost $7,000.00 in cash, plus prizes.

Another example of a sponsor boat doing well is the Maui Jim that came over from Lahaina to participate. They released a Marlin and added to their totals in the team division of the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series, a series of tournaments that the Hoolea is proud to be a part of. Two major sponsors, two boats winning - would-be sponsors take note…

The Maui Jim Series, hosted by Tropidilla Productions, features two divisions - anglers and teams – that accumulate points in a group of events leading to a made for television "fish-off" held at South Point at the end of the year. Of the eight tournaments in the series, most are in Kona, but the Hoolea and the Lahaina Jackpot in Maui add to the mix, making the series more statewide in nature as opposed to holding all the events in Kona. The series promotes conservation via the release of undersized Marlin, and Hoolea released 5 of the 12 brought to the side of the boats this year. It seems the word is getting around that prizes and cash can be won with a caught fish going back to the sea. It’s good for the fishery, and it’s great to see more and more participants.

2001 Ho'ole'a Winner's Lynell
(Photo by John Davis)