Anglers from all over the world gathered Saturday for the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament awards banquet, which marked the end of nearly week-long competition. The 54th edition of the event brought 38 teams from 10 countries together, and attracted eager crowds daily to the Kailua Pier to see what the anglers reeled in.
Anglers from all over the world gathered Saturday for the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament awards banquet, which marked the end of nearly week-long competition. The 54th edition of the event brought 38 teams from 10 countries together, and attracted eager crowds daily to the Kailua Pier to see what the anglers reeled in.
“The week went very well,” said Peter Fithian, founder of the HIBT. “The tournament ran good and we had great competition that was decided the final day of fishing.”
The fish count was down from previous years — from 142 in 2012, to 68 this year — but fishing is unlike mainstream sports. While some sports can sometimes result in boring affairs — whether because of a lack of scoring, or runaway victories — fishing is always a good time, even if teams are unlucky out on the water.
After the legendary, “start fishing, start fishing, start fishing,” opener rang out across Kailua Bay, it seemed that the fish were as eager for the start of the tournament as the anglers. Just 16 minutes into the tournament, Bejing Fishing club hooked a fish, and eight minutes later Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club Ohana felt their lines tighten. The highlight catch of Day 1 was a 386-pound blue marlin, boated by Ralph Czabayski of the Game Fishing Club of South Australia. The catch gave Czabayski’s team a slight edge, but four teams were lurking in the second place position, just 15 points back.
Among those teams in a logjam for second was eventual winners Old South Marlin Club East Coast I, that would not see another boated fish until the final day of the tournament. On Day 2 the women got in on the action. Bay of Island Swordfish Club angler Sue Woolston tagged an estimated 125-pound Pacific blue marlin in just nine minutes. Veteran angler Sally Kurz with Laguna Niguel Billfish Club No. 1 fishing aboard Rod Bender, boated an ahi.
Despite hopes that a grander was on the horizon, the only marlin brought in during the next two days would be a 428-pound blue marlin caught by Murray Parsons of the Port Villa Sport Fishing Club of Vanuatu. Parsons boated the fish using 50-lb test line, a smart move in scoreboard strategy since lighter lines earn larger points. The final day of fishing kept the judges and scoreboard crew active. Old South Marlin Club East Coast No. 1 had been shutout since the first day of fishing, but staged a thrilling comeback victory, taking advantage of the bonus point system of the HIBT.
“The biggest fish of the day was a 100-point booster, the big fish of the tournament was 100-point booster and over 500-pound distinction was also 100-point booster,” Fithian said. “We created the scoring that way so you could play from behind and make a run — that’s exactly what they did.”
The victory kept the Governor’s Trophy with the Old South Club, which also won last year but with a different set of anglers. The club is based out of North Carolina.
An angler of high notoriety in the tournament was China’s three-time Olympic gold medal gymnast Chen Yibing, who competed at HIBT with Hui Hai Hu Fishing Club. Yibing tagged and released two Pacific blue marlin Friday, with estimated weights of 180 and 175 pounds, both on 50-pound test line.
The 2014 HIBT is set for Aug. 23-30.
Hawaii County Mayor’s Trophy
Team that traveled the farthest
c The Protea Team, South Africa
Barry Bovee Tag and Release
Awarded to team with highest tag and release points
c Balboa Angling Club, USA
C.M. Cooke III
Awarded to team scoring the highest number of tuna points
c Old South Marlin Club Pacific Rim, USA
Jim Harvey Memorial Trophy
Awarded to angler boating the heaviest qualifying tuna.
c Steve Gunther, Old South Marlin Club Pacific Rim, USA
Desmond Stanley Memorial Trophy
Awarded to male angler not placing on a podium team scoring highest number of billfish points.
c Hidemi Hayashi, Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club Ohana, USA
Dudley C. Lewis Memorial Trophy
Awarded to female angler not placing on a podium team scoring highest number of billfish points.
c Janice Allan, Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club No. 1, New Zealand
Porter Dickenson Memorial Trophy
Awarded to angler boating the heaviest qualifying billfish on 50-lb test line.
c Murray Parsons, Port Villa Sport Fishing Club, Vanuatu
Edward D. Sultan Memorial Trophy
Awarded to angler boating the heaviest qualifying billfish on 80-lb test line.
c CJ Dugan, Old South Marlin Club East Coast No. 1, USA
Duke Kahanamoku Memorial Trophy
Awarded to angler boating the heaviest billfish of the tournament.
c CJ Dugan, Old South Marlin Club East Coast No. 1, USA
Henry Chee Memorial Trophy
Awarded to captain and crewmembers of the charter boat upon which anglers scored the highest number of billfish points.
c Captain John Bagwell, Dave Bensko and Tobin Hudgins, Silky