One more year and it’s thirty for the gang at the Ma’alea Boat and Fishing Club holding the world famous Lanai Rendezvous Fishing Tournament.  In existence since 1947, the Ma’alea Club is probably the second oldest fishing club in the state, behind the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club in Kona.  Their well-established traditions and longstanding memberships have enabled the club to succeed for all these years, and one of those great traditions is the Rendezvous.

In 1999, the 29^th straight year it has run, Terry Woodall and his team of organizers were able to round up fifty-six boats, but unfortunately two had engine trouble, leaving the tournament with fifty-four boats and some one hundred and ninety anglers participating and getting together for good times at Manele Bay on the island of Lanai. 

The tournament is quite unique.  Each boat pays $50.00 per angler to enter, meaning a team of six will pay $300.00 while solo vessels run only $50.00 to play.  However, prizes are awarded to the boat catching the fish, so anglers have to balance the issues of safety and ability to harvest volumes and/or size of these fish versus the potential prizes that could be won and the amount of camaraderie they are looking for.  Then, with all this information in mind, select the appropriate number of crew. 

Also unique to the tournament is a single weigh-in day despite two days of fishing.  Anglers leave early in the morning on Friday, pick the areas they want to fish and spend the night somewhere within gunshot of Lanai, then rendezvous in Manele Bay on Saturday where Karen Kawasaki and the ground team sets up for an awards Mele that usually lasts into the night.

Manele Bay is a tiny little harbor on the South shore of Lanai.  It’s not far from the Manele Bay Hotel and Holopo’e Bay, of the most magnificent beaches in the world.  Otherwise known as Black Manele (Holopo’e is White Manele for the color of the beach, Black Manele is the harbor for the color of the bluffs and lava surrounding it), the harbor only holds about twenty boats in the main basin slips and a few more tied up Tahiti Style along the wall opposite the breakwater.  It was not designed for volumes of boats, but every year, the spider’s web runs across the harbor and the boats are all tied to one another in a clump, reminiscent of lake boat parties often seen on Lake Powell during Spring break.

For twenty-eight years, the Ma’alea Boat and Fishing Club has used a makeshift hoist to weigh the tournament fish.  Some years a line over a tree branch was used, while other years saw a backhoe hoist the fish.  This year, the club was able to get a permit from the state to erect a hoist similar to the one used in Ma’alea, suggesting the tournament will probably be around for a couple more 29-year spans. 

The weather was great and the bite was hot…two keys in making the crowd happy.  Tournament organizers estimate over three hundred fish were caught by anglers in 1999, but really have no way of saying for sure.  That’s because fishing was so good that the third place Ono and Mahimahi were 39.5 pounds each and in order to win anything this weekend, anglers had to fish hard and catch big.  One boat, the Catherine A, caught sixty (that’s right, 60) fish, giving them the title for most in the tournament.  Pualele caught thirteen Ono alone with their biggest at forty-nine pounds, and the Hukikamanu caught eleven Ono and a 120 pound Ahi.  And some people say the fishing isn’t as good around Maui? 

There were six divisions in this jungle rules, no minimum weight tournament.  Prizes were awarded to first, second and third in each of the Marlin, Ahi, Ono, Mahimahi, Aku/Kawakawa, Ulua and Kaku divisions, and a separate award was given to the smallest fish and the highest number of fish caught.  An optional cash-based side jackpot was also added, giving anglers a well-rounded group of ways to win. 

Not all the action was in the triangle, though.  Many boats were able to get up to the North Shore of Molokai over the weekend because of the great weather, and a great number of fish were caught all up and down the coast from Ilio Point on the West end to the rocks at Mokuhooniki on the East end. 

The winning Marlin (Photo by Elmo Browning)

In the Ahi division, Oasis brought home a 132 pound effort, giving skipper/angler Jeff Mueller bragging rights for being number one.  In second was a 120 pounder coming in on Sean Ross’ Hukikamanu, with the fish being angled by Kimo Mills.   Third went to Taipan II, as Chris Hera angled a 109 pound Ahi with skipper Steve Yamasaki. 

Pualele topped the Ono category with their 49 pound dog, caught by Joey Luuwai off the North shore of Molokai in deep water.  Oasis and angler Jeff Mueller managed to land a 43.5 pound Ono for second, while Chris Egan skippered and angled his way into third with a 39.5 pounder.

Next was the Mahimahi division, and Catherine A managed to hang one of their sixty fish as the champion.  Their 47 pound Mahi gave them first place, beating Taipan II’s 40 pound greenback.  Not far from second was Elia Long’s Manu, where Rudy Espina just missed second place with a 39.5 pound Mahi. 

The Aku/Kawakawa Division had some nice fish recorded, too.  Hukikamanu won the honors with their 20-pound belly-striper, while Wendy Lou and angler Eric Munster landed a 14.5 pounder for second place.  Third place saw a tie in this division, with Kanani Kai and Tammy I both catching a 9.5 pound fish.

We’re almost done…so many fish, and these are just the winners!  Catherine A struck twice in the Ulua division by boating a nice 42 pounder and a 25 pounder to follow.  And the Hukikamanu scored third by boating a 21 pound Trevally.

The last species division was for Kaku (barracuda).  Usually not caught all that often in tournaments, the fishing was so hot that all three places wee paid here too.  First went to the Casey Ann and Chris Egan for a 35 pounder (yikes, watch the teeth on that one).  Second was Lahaina Boy for an eleven pounder, and third went to the Carleen for a 10.5 pounder angled by Harold Sharpe. 

The smallest fish of the tournament also got a prize, and this was awarded to the Kikini Kai, a local Lanai boat owned by Ken Kauffman.  Angler Candace Anderson brought up a little bitty Aku that wasn’t even weighed, but it was good enough for the prize!

Each of the first place fish in each division was worth a stubby bent but rod furnished by Blue Water Enterprises, while second and third place in each received nice gift certificates to The Sports Authority.  The Ma’alea Boat and Fishing Club expressed their thanks to Blue Water Enterprises, the Sports Authority, and Pacific Ocean Producers for all the donations and helping to make the 29^th annual Lanai Rendezvous a roaring success, and they welcome all anglers again next year for the big anniversary celebration in Manele Bay.