2000 Big Island Invitational Report

"CORMORANT" WINS BIG WITH BIG MARLIN

Fishing and fishing tournaments are well known for being unpredictable. The events that unfolded at the 14th Big Island Invitational Marlin Tournament, finishing up tonight, were even more unpredictable than usual. Take for instance the broadbill swordfish that decided to swim right up to Kailua Pier - in 10 feet of water - and show off for the ESPN 2 cameras in town to film the marlin action. The broadbill swordfish, a tasty fish known as shutome (shoe-tomy) is a target of the longline fishery and often found in slightly cooler waters than in the main Hawaiian islands, and certainly a rarity to be in shallow waters right off the pier. The press boat was coming in to the scale on the Pier for a crew change at the exact time the fish came wandering in, causing shouts of disbelief from all onlookers. The two coincidences might happen together once in about every 4 lifetimes.

Another unpredictable fishing phenomenon confronted tournament organizers when big marlin took center stage and small marlin were few and far between. Normally the bigger the marlin the better, and there were two big fish landed in the event that bested 600 pounds. However, the tournament was working with the Hawaii Conservation Association and National Marine Fisheries Service on a new program called "lure an Angler to Research" and the focus was to be the small marlin. Marlin under 300 pounds were to be tagged and released with new cutting edge technological devices attached by a tether to the marlin's back.

The program was designed to set up to 6 small marlin free with the devices so that the mini computers could archive light and water temperature data for 3 to 5 months in order to determine for the first time where marlin go after being tagged and released. Although 3 marlin and 8 spearfish were tagged and released during the tournament of 26 boats fishing up to 15 miles offshore, none of the boats releasing a Marlin had one of the 6 high tech devices on board. Furthermore, the press boat was unable to reach them in time to deploy the spare archival tag kept on board for just this circumstance.

So the roaming swordfish, which doesn't count in the tournament, came in so close to the weigh scale that it appeared he was offering himself up for sacrifice to be weighed in for scoring without a fight, and the little marlin to scientifically studied must of been tipped off because they eluded the anglers and the scientists for three days.

A final unexpected occurrence was the number of very large marlin that were hooked and lost by a field of teams that features some of the highest caliber anglers and crews in the world. The number of fish getting away to the number landed was about 10 to 2 in this year's event. By comparison, Marlin usually win over the anglers at a rate of about 2 to 1.

And the winners are..... Regardless of these oddities of nature, there were some ecstatic fishermen at the end of the tournament. Rick Chapanot of Honolulu was especially pleased as he angled the largest marlin of the tournament, a 693 pound blue marlin that earned his team a total of $52,190.00 in cash and a 14 ct. gold marlin pendant with a diamond eye. Chapanot was fishing on board Bruce Matson's "Cormorant," a 47 foot Buddy Davis that is entered into much of the tournament circuit each summer and is certainly no stranger to the winner's circle. Recall Matson currently holds the world tournament record for the largest Marlin ever caught in a tournament with his 1,201 pound monster in the 1993 Lahaina Jackpot.

Rick's win was especially sweet as this catch moved him out front in the standings for the statewide Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series that runs from now through December. The BIIMT was the second stop on the 8 stop, 3 island tour featuring six tournaments in Kona, the Ho'ole'a in Oahu (September 2 and 3), and the Lahaina Jackpot in Maui the weekend before Halloween.

Charles Helscel proved that his first place finish of the BIIMT back in 1992 was no fluke by catching a 637.5 pound blue marlin to take Second place over all. Helscel will pick up a Tahitian Black Pearl pendant for catching the second largest marlin of the tournament, and winnings of $10,440.00. Charles fishes more for the competition than the prize money, and rarely elects to enter any of the optional entry divisions that generate better than 57% of the total available purse.

In Third Place ended up being split between two teams with tagged marlin. Jeff Smith scored with a tag and release of a blue marlin on board the charter boat "Pamela". Smith and company will split the Third Place purse with the second boat to achieve the tie position, "Billfisher II" as stipulated by the tie breaker clause in the rules. However, Smith's greatest payout came by entering the optional entry level categories. While his tag points and split of the Third Place pot earned him $7,176.00, his winnings from the optional categories totaled $25,470.00. Their total purse equaled $32,646.00.

Kona skipper Jeff Metzler is a fishing buddy of Andy Kolbe who has been coming to Kona to fish since the 1950's. Kolbe lets Metzler catch the small fish, and sits back and reserves the big ones for himself. Thus, when a 50 pound striped marlin took the bait, Kolbe waived his cigar and didn't get up, his sign for Metzler to take the fish. The smallest marlin of the tournament earned a total of $4,784.00.

Another unusual occurrence surfaced when there was third boat that tagged a small marlin, and made the tie three way. Clifton Morris caught a blue marlin of about 100 pounds on the final day of fishing, but the rules stipulated that the tie would be broken only to the first two teams that reached the tie score. Capt. Dennis Smith found the fish from the wheel of the "Nimble" and Morris will receive the final Tahitian Black Pearl as a consolation prize.

The next stop in the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series will be the 12th Firecracker Open Big Game Fishing Tournament scheduled for July 1 and 2, 2000. The Firecracker runs back to back with the Skins Marlin Derby slated for July 7, 8 & 9. At the very end of the Maui Jim Series, the top five scoring anglers and the top 3 scoring teams will be invited to a made for TV championship tournament to be held at wild and wooly South Point, as the most remote tip of the Big Island. Organizers plan to stage the event from a mothership that provides sleeping accommodation and a chef to feed the contestants, as well as a supply boat needed to bring down ice and fuel , as well as provide sleeping space for the ESPN 2 camera crew.

The nation wide show "Athletes in Motion" - featuring the Series action to date - will air July 12 at 11:30 AM Hawaii time, 5:30 PM East Coast time. It will air again on July 23 at 8:30 PM, prime time Sunday night, and 11:30 PM in California.

For more information contact Tropidilla Productions, 808-327-1440, tropdil@aloha.net