Labor Day weekend at the
Waikiki and Hawaii Yacht Clubs is going to be busy. Ho'ole'a is back again, this
year promises to be even larger than 1999's turnout of 77 boats. The principal logo
sponsors are in place, and the Ho'ole'a tournament committee gratefully acknowledges
long-time sponsors CSX Lines (formerly Sealand) and Caterpillar, along with newer sponsors
Jim Beam and Dekuyper, brought to us courtesy of Aloha Importing and Brokerage. Also
back for another year, and the first to commit for 2000 is Budweiser, King of Beers.
Murphy's Bar and Grill in downtown Honolulu has also stepped up as a cash sponsor, and we
expect more to join as we roll out the red carpet through the summer.
Here's a rundown of what to expect this year:
$375.00 entry fee, making it still very
competitive among the tournaments of Oahu, yet still maintaining status as an elite event
that pays at least 100% of the main entry jackpot back to the anglers.
Get your entry in early!! Those who
get their paid entry form in by August 5 will receive four free shirts and banquet
tickets. Those who register after August 5 will have to buy them, so at $15.00 per
shirt and banquet ticket, that's a $120.00 value you'll be passing up by waiting.
Online entry with a credit card is available
as of June 3 through the Sportfish Hawaii website located at www.sportfishhawaii.com.
Additional rules and information will also be available on the website on June 3.
Entry blanks will be available at most
fishing stores in Hawaii beginning June 3 and on-line at the Sportfish Hawaii website at www.sportfishhawaii.com.
Ho'ole'a will pay the top 5 places based on
heaviest individual fish subject to minimum weights of 150 for Marlin, 25 for Spears and
Sails, 20 for Ahi, Mahimahi, Ono and Aku. Releases will count for Marlin at 100
points, Spears and Sail released are worth 20. Ties on weighed fish versus a release
goes to the weighed fish, ties on 2 or more weighed fish are split, ties on releases
broken by multiple releases, then weight of next qualifying fish, then time of release.
Simple, huh?
The Ho'ole'a is part of the Maui Jim Hawaii
Marlin Series, a statewide series of tournaments that will end up at a made-for-TV
super-bowl-like fish-off at South Point for the series' top five anglers. Points are
earned by participation in tournaments all around the state (6 in Kona, plus the
Ho'ole'a and Lahaina Jackpot in Maui), and additional points are earned by catching
qualifying fish and/or placing in the tournament. Ho'ole'a stands to add several
teams simply by virtue of anglers emerging from the Kona events in a race for the lead,
and since all it takes is one big fish to change the whole picture in this fishery,
literally everyone who enters has a chance to fish in South Point.
The Hawaii Marlin Series is also sponsored
by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, and we are all grateful for the support of
the event and series, and yet another opportunity to demonstrate to the world that large
fish are caught all over Hawaii.
This year, Ho'ole'a will be a qualifying
event for the 2001 Rolex/IGFA International Tournament of Champions, and the winning team
will receive an invite to the second annual ITOC in Kona next March. The ITOC was
well received in 2000, and the more time the IGFA comes to Hawaii to hold these major
events, the better exposure everyone involved will receive.
In addition to the winner receiving an entry
into the ITOC, each and every person who participates in the Ho'ole'a this year will
receive a COMPLIMENTARY associate membership in the IGFA for a year. The Hawaii and
Waikiki Yacht Clubs have been leaders on Oahu in advocating the future of Hawaii's
fishery, and this generous offer from IGFA may help several anglers who have never even
considered becoming a member to understand the IGFA, thus continuing to bridge the gap
between philosophies of fishing in the Atlantic and Pacific.
Ho'ole'a will again sponsor Ahi Fever
(Waianae, Oahu - June 10 and 11, 2000). Once again, the largest qualifying Ahi will
receive a pre-paid entry as team #2 into next year's Ahi Fever. Ho'ole'a is very
grateful to the Waianae Boat Fishing Club for working with us as Ho'ole'a does receive a
lot of entries from Waianae. Even Ahi Fever tournament director Ed Nelson has
declared he will enter the 2000 Ho'ole'a!
Ho'ole'a will give a free entry into the
2001 Hana Pa'a (Haleiwa, Oahu - June 21, 22, and 23, 2000) for the team recording the
highest total qualifying poundage including releases, and in return, the 2000 Hana Pa'a
will give away as prizes a free entry into this year's Ho'ole'a and the 2001 Senoritas
(ladies jackpot tournament).
In addition to the 100% or more jackpot,
Ho'ole'a will once again run optional entry categories which will offer the potential for
significant winnings over and above the main entry. The beauty of the optional
categories is it forces all kinds of different strategy and lets everyone from the small
trailer boat to the larger sportfishers to play at whatever level they feel comfortable
with.
Product and merchandise prizes will awarded
as in the past. In 1999, a total of 40 local merchants donated products and services
to the Ho'ole'a for awards. Penn Reels is one of the major product donors again for
2000, and the Ho'ole'a is grateful for their continued support of conservation efforts in
Hawaii's fishery.
There will also be TV coverage at this
year's Ho'ole'a. The Hawaii Marlin Series crew will be on Oahu gathering footage for
the series, and if the winner of the series happens to be a significant catch in the
Ho'ole'a, the tournament stands to receive significant exposure. The TV show
will be broadcast on ESPN2's X-treme Sports later on, probably next year, and other shows
are in the works.
Ho'ole'a is also working with other
television producers to obtain coverage both locally and nationally. Additional
information will be announced at a later date.
Even with all these affiliations, like last
year there will be no line class or leader restrictions for the Ho'ole'a itself. The
tournament is defined as loose rules (not jungle, not IGFA, but in between), and anglers
may use live bait so long as it is caught after the start fishing gun. For points to
be earned in the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series, qualifying fish must conform to additional
series rules.
SCHEDULE
The schedule will be much the same format as
in previous years, with the skipper's meeting at 7:00 pm at Waikiki Yacht Club on the 1st
of September, fishing Saturday and Sunday the 2nd and 3rd, awards banquet on Monday the
4th at the Hawaii Yacht Club located in the ocean heart of Waikiki.
It will be a great weekend with big money on the line, so get your entry in early and
sharpen your hooks.
For more information, please contact tournament co-chairs:
Mike House or Rick Abille
(808) 396-2607 or (808) 845-4104
sportfish@hawaii.rr.com or ratyphoon@aol.com
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