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Final Results: 25th Anniversary 2019 Hatteras Village Offshore Open

May 20, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

This year marked the 25th Anniversary for the Hatteras Village Offshore Open with Top Dog, captained by Ryan Knapp and a new boat to the tournament, taking 1st place. They released a Blue Marlin on Day 1 and cemented their win with 2 more Blue Marlin releases on Day 4 and weighed a 455.5 lber. They walked away with $30,047.50. Marlin Gull placed 2nd and Sea Toy, last year’s winner, finished up in 3rd. 29 boats fished this year and everyone had a great time as they competed for a $160,395 purse.

This year’s tournament proved quite exciting with some quality Blue Marlins being brought to the dock:

‐ Day 1: Wall Hanger ‐ 563.9 lbs. (Captain Gray Blount/Angler Chris West)

‐ Day 2: Marlin Gull – 507.7 lbs. (Captain Kenny Midgett/Angler Josh Brown)

‐ Day 2: Piracy – 655.9 lbs. (Captain Chris Russell/Angler Curtis Struyk)

‐ Day 4: Top Dog – 455.5 lbs. (Captain Ryan Knapp/Angler Kyle Dickerson)

Piracy was the top money winner walking away with $56,780 earned on their 655.9 lber. $24,650 of it was earned in Level 4 – Biggest Blue Marlin and the other $32,130 was earned in Level 7 – Additional Biggest Blue Marlin, which was a new level in the HVOO this year which payed out for both 1st and 2nd at a 60%/40% split and cost $3,000 to enter. Wall Hanger took home 2nd place in Level 7, winning $21,420, plus another $5,950 for having the most release points on Day 3.

In Level 3 ‐ Meat Fish Division, Hatteras Fever II took 1st in the Dolphin category with a 44.4 lb. Dolphin and 2nd went to Sea Toy with a 38.6 lber. Outlaw took 1st in the Wahoo category with a 21.7 lb. Wahoo and Release took 2nd with a 16.1 lber. No yellowfin tuna were weighed in. Daily Billfish Release winners were Top Dog (Day 1 & 4), Sea Toy and Wall Hanger and Daily Meat Fish winners were Tuna Duck, Hog Wild, Sea Toy, Hatteras Fever II, Outlaw and Release. Total numbers for the tournament included 4 Sailfish Releases, 2 White Marlin Releases, 10 Blue Marlin Releases and 4 boated Blue Marlin.

The tournament again this year had some great sponsors including the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau as a Grand Slam Sponsor, and Atlantic Packaging and Bonze Lures as Blue Marlin Sponsors. White Marlin Sponsors included Western Branch, Gregory Poole, Bayliss Boatworks, Jernigan Oil, Bray’s House Moving, Flying Fish Ink and Carolan’s Bay Shore Construction. Point Click Fish joined us with their Mobile Command Center and Bonze Lures who was new to our tournament came with their trailer which featured a great display of their lures, hooks, shirts, cups, etc. and were all for sale. Mark your calendars for next year and plan to get in on some awesome Hatteras Billfish Action– May 12 – 16, 2020!!!

www.hvoo.org

Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News, Tournament Results Tagged With: 25th anniversary, Blue Marlin, final results, fishing, hatteras island, Hatteras Village Offshore Open, HVOO, InTheBite, magazine, north carolina, offshore, piracy, sportfish, top dog, Tournament, update

Kona – The Big Blues of Spring

May 13, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

By Capt. Jody Bright

March

March and April have long been hailed as “big fish months” in Kona, and indeed, there have been some very nice ones of late. We counted 31 blue marlin over 500 pounds in March and April. Here is the catch report from the Kona charter fleet – at least the ones we know of:

In the first week of March, Capt. B.T. of Melee Sport Fishing reports that a skiff released a marlin “about 800 pounds after it burned up their electric reel!  600 pounders were reported on Huntress and Jun Ken Po.

The largest blue marlin weighed in early March was a 713 pounder caught on Ihu Nui with Capt. McGrew Rice and the Clarence Clemons of the Cockpit, Carlton Arai.

On March 11, the High Noon caught a 670 pounder to back up a 642 they weighed in February. They are also reported to have broken off a fish that could have been 800 pounds.

Capt. Gene Vanderhoek went out holoholo on March 13 to train a new crew and ended up catching his old crew – 72 year old Skip Dasher – the largest fish of his angling career, a 708 pound blue. Dasher and company subdued their catch in a quick fifteen minutes.

Gene’s “crewman in training”, Brett Mowens, also caught a blue they tagged at 500+. They were back at the dock by 1:00 pm. Now that is a mighty fine busman’s holiday!

On March 14, Capt. Chad Contessa on a Bite Me boat weighed a 596 pound blue on Bite Me 1 after it arrived at the boat DOA.

Based on an informal phone survey, additional nice ones tagged recently include a 650+ released by Humdinger with Capt. Jeff Fay at the wheel. Marlin Magic II released one they called 550+ and Kona Blue released one about 500 pounds and pulled hook on another, also about 500. Nasty Habit also released one that they called 500.

EZ Pickens has been fishing with owners Brad and Vicky Picking every Saturday and Sunday since December. Up until last weekend they averaged one blue a day for a total of 25 blues so far, as well as lots of stripes and spearfish. Their largest to date was in the 500 pound range, tagged and released. In big game fishing, no hot streak lasts forever and last weekend they finally experienced a fishless day.

Photo courtesy, Capt. Bryan Toney on Melee.

March 20: Linda Sue weighed a 722 pounder overtaking Ihu Nui in the top position of the Big Fish List. Foxy Lady tagged a 500 pounder.

A few fish under 400 rose on the 21st, Hula Girl caught one about 450 but Sea Genie II would start the 22nd as the pole sitter after tagging a 600 pound blue.

On Friday March 22nd, Night Runner had the “encounter of the week” when they swung and missed a few times at a marlin the experienced skipper and crew both said was the largest either have ever seen.

Huntress tagged two on the 22nd to top singles around the fleet.  March 23rd was a “big fish day.” Marlin Magic II tagged one over 500, another at 375 – and also pulled hook on another 500 and one they called 650!  Foxy Lady caught a youngster a 492 pound blue.

Honey returned from an overnighter on March 24 with 12 big ahi.

March 25 saw Maverick tag one and set it free, calling it 500 pounds. Hooked Up tagged and blue and two stripeys that day, which sounded like a January report. Waiopai almost got their “Kona Slam” with a nice blue and a stripey but when the spearfish they hooked came unhooked, that was all she wrote.

The next day, Waiopai got even with the billfish gods and caught, tagged and released a blue they called 650, telling it to come back during a tournament.

Northern Lights had the next “encounter of the week” on the 27th., while out holoho, whale watching and relaxing.  According to the story posted on the new Facebook page Kona Marlin Report, their relaxation was shattered by a marlin that exceeded all the superlatives usually used such as “monster” or “biggest ever seen” and “giant”. You get the picture. We aren’t talking first timers or novices here, either. These are veterans “to da max” to throw in just one more superlative.

Hooked Up tagged a 450 on March 29 and on March 30 Marlin Magic II was back in the news with two blues tagged, one about 275 and one they estimated to be 575.

No “granders” yet, but that was a total of 20 blues over 500 pounds caught in March alone.

April

There were some real nice fish caught in April too, and a lot of days where boats caught multiple marlin and multiple species as well. Again, check the Kona Marlin Report page on Facebook for up to the minute catch logs.

Between April 2 and April 5 marlin in the 600 pound class were caught by Pair O Dice, Sapo, Honey and Maverick.

The charter boat Melee had an interesting day on the 9th of April going 1/3, tagging a 700 pound blue. The two they lost were also hefty, estimated at 500+ and 700+.

 Blue Hawaii had what they called a 500 pounder expire on them and when they weighed it, the tally was 497. That’s real close to 500!

On April 12, a noteworthy report came in from a skiff. They went 4/8 on marlin, with the largest over 500 pounds.

Multiple catches were logged through all phases of the April moon and some of the reports have been pretty spectacular.

Melee went 3 for 6 on blues on April 14, the same day Humdinger caught 3 blues as well. The next day, Kona Blue caught 4 striped marlin.

Night Runner caught a blue, a spearfish and a sailfish on April 14 and backed that up with a sailfish on April 19 and 20th.  Sails are rare in Kona, so they must have found one of those famous secret spots without a name.

Capt. Jeff Fay has been quoted (tongue in cheek) to say that there are few sailfish in calm Kona because there is not enough wind. This might be the reason why Kona is not a sail boaters mecca, but that’s a “Fay-ism” when it comes to sailfish. Truth be told, sailfish are usually a Continental inhabitant, preferring shallow water, the one thing Kona is lacking that actually makes a difference.

Honey went 3 for 4 on blue marlin and 1/1 on striped marlin on April 20, evidence that the full moon does not always dampen the marlin bite.

Photo courtesy, Kaiwi Joe on Waiopai.

If that didn’t make you a believer, you would have no choice but to pay attention when Humdinger caught 2 blues, 6 striped marlin and a spearfish, all on April 21 when the moon was bright.

Rounding the turn into the third quarter moon phase, the bite has even gotten better! Anxious went 3 for 3 on blues on April 25, with the largest a healthy 600 pounder.

April 26 was a banner day with Tropical Sun going 3 for 4 on blues with one spearfish and Go Get Em went 3 for 4 on blues AND 3 for 4 on spearfish. J.R.’s Hooker was 2 for 2 on blues as was Waiopai.

The second half of April has produced four more marlin over 500 pounds, a 682 pounder on Bite Me 6 that was brought in because it would not revive at boat side, the largest fish weighed in April – so far.

Bite Me 3 released one they called 600 on April 26, and putting icing on the cake, Pursuit tagged a very thick 800 pounder, fishing one of Kona’s famous fishing spots – “the trail run.”

Melee closed out April going 1 out of 2 bites, catching a 700 pounder and losing a 700 pounder.

So, when wrapping up the month of April, it appears that two more fish over 500 were caught on the waxing first quarter than the waning third quarter. In March, there were more blues caught over 500 than in April, but there was no discernable pattern relative to moon phase. In March the biggest fish so far (722) was caught on the full moon, but in April there were no big ones caught on the full moon. There was action in the moonlight though, and a number of boats caught multiples on a few big moon days.

So, which moon phase is best? Does the moon phase even matter?

People are always trying to figure out when the best fishing occurs. Is it the moon or is it the tide? Could it be the current, or is ocean surface temperature the key? Perhaps, as my grandmother used to say, it’s just the way you hold your mouth.

For those who can contemplate more complex theories, the idea that the best fishing is created by some combination of these elements can have them contemplating complexities, all the live long day.

The fact of the matter is that none of those items contribute to fishing success if there are no fish in the area. Yes, current can cause them to gather in an area but you can have good current and no fish. You just can’t catch fish that are somewhere you are not. And that does happen. Sometimes the fish are just gone. Obviously, that is not the case in Kona, at present.

Once they move in, like now, then those elements may come in to play. Marlin tend to bite around a tide change, but even that is not set in stone. As Capt. Tomo Rogers once said, “If I thought that the only time I had a chance at getting a bite was during the tide change, I’d only fish during the tide change, but I don’t. So, what does that tell you?”

On top of that, the phase of the moon has not seemed to have had much effect on the bite this April, because the fish have been biting throughout the lunar cycle. If one was so inclined, contemplating this complexity could make a live long day drag on forever, if it weren’t for the distraction of all those marlin bites.

The other bottom line is you can’t catch em if you don’t go, so stop wishing and go fishing! No better time then now, by the looks of it.

If you can’t jump a plane now, tournament season starts in June. There are 7 tourneys in the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series and an entry fee and format for every style of angler. Events are open to everyone and no experience is required because Kona’s pro charter fleet teaches novices to catch marlin 365 days a year. If you are experienced, better yet!

For more information log on:  https://konatournaments.com/

Or Write:  jody@konatournaments.com  – 808.557.0908

JB

The great early fishing in Hawaii in 2019 could be a primer for a wide open tournament season this summer. Check the updates on Hawaii’s tournaments in the 2019 Hawaii Division of the Captain of the Year, presented by Sea Genie II! First tournament event is in June, check back at InTheBite for standings and updates. There are also charter spots available for tournament anglers should you like to fish the tournaments yourself.  

Linked: 2019 Hawaiian Division Captain of the Year Standings

 

Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: april, big, billfish, Blue Marlin, Captain of the Year, fishing report, Hawaii, InTheBite, kona, magazine, march, moon phases, pacific, Sailfish, season, series, Spearfish, sportfishing, spring, striped marlin, tides, Tournament

InTheBite Dock Talk: Grand Slam Sportfishing Supply

April 29, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

Have you ever wanted to know the most popular lures used around the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico and the Mid-Atlantic? Take a minute and listen in to Grand Slam Sportfishing Supply owner Jim McGrath as he showcases the best lures for 2019. Lures include the recent World Cup and the Mid-Atlantic winner. Don’t wait and order yours today!

Filed Under: Dock Talk, Featured Stories, General News, News, Tackle Tips Tagged With: Bahamas, bait, billfish, blue heron, bluewater, dredges, east coast, fishing, Florida, Grand Slam, Gulf, gulf of mexico, InTheBite, lure, Lures, magazine, marlin, mid atlantic, offshore, popular lures, Sailfish, season, South Florida, sportfish, sportfishing, squids, supply, tackle, Tackle Tips, top gun, Tournament

Final Sail Results– Team “Showtime” Wins the Burgundy Jacket

April 11, 2019 By InTheBite Editor

1st place in Final Sail and Quest for the Crest Champions – Showtime Captain Nick Carulo $214,720 won in Final Sail and $271,800 overall won in the Quest

Miami Beach, Fla. (April 7, 2019) – The stakes were high, and the pressure was on for the 37 teams competing off Miami Beach in Final Sail, the grand finale of the 2019 Quest for the Crest Sailfish Series. The tournament opened with a kickoff party at the DoubleTree Grand by Hilton that included a casino fundraiser to benefit the tournament’s charity, Fishing for Muscular Dystrophy (FFMD). The combined efforts of the teams and the casino night enabled Bluewater Movements to present FFMD with a check for $5,000 to help them on their mission to cured MD. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News, Tournament Results Tagged With: billfish, burgundy jacket, Captain of the Year, Contender One, division, final results, Final Sail, fishing, Florida, hall of fame, hot mix, InTheBite, jackpot, magazine, off shore, Quest for the Crest, reel captivating, Sailfish, Showtime, sportfish, sportfishing, Tournament, winners

2018 Viking Key West Challenge Day 1 Update

April 5, 2018 By InTheBite Editor

Current standings for Day 1 of the Viking Yachts Key West Challenge:

View the full Leaderboard here:

https://reeltimeapps.com/live/tournaments/2018-viking-yachts-key-west-challenge/leaderboards

Filed Under: Featured Stories, News, Tournament Results Tagged With: custom yachts, florida keys, InTheBite, irish twin, leaderboard, ragin cajun, sportfish, Tournament, Viking Key West Challenge, viking yacht company, Viking Yachts

The Billfish Foundation President Shares Reminder With InTheBite Readers

March 2, 2018 By InTheBite Editor

What Follows You When Fishing Outside the U.S. May Bite You Upon Your Return

We’re sharing an EXCLUSIVE look of this article from our latest March 2018 Issue – InTheBite The Professionals’ Sportfishing Magazine.

A Public Service Announcement from Ellen Peel, President, The Billfish Foundation

Did you know that a US-registered vessel holding a federally issued HMS permit must comply with US rules and regulations, no matter where it fishes? While traveling beyond the bounds of the U.S. and into waters of other nations may give you a sense of being unburdened by fishing regulations, this is not the case. Just as the IRS taxes income generated by Americans regardless as to where in the world the income was derived, the rules and regulations of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) follow permit-holding vessels no matter where they fish.

Permit Requirements

If the vessel you are fishing on has a U.S. federal HMS Angling Permit, compliance to U.S. federal law and regulations follows you and the boat. HMS stands for highly migratory species—such as marlin, tuna, wahoo and swordfish. Whether the nation in whose waters you are fishing does or does not have size or daily limits on billfish or other species, vessels with US permits are bound by US regulations attached to the permit (101” ljfl blue marlin, for instance).

Big Picture: Potential Consequences to Your US Tournament Fishing

 The arm of the National Marine Fisheries Service is long with regard to highly migratory species. HMS species are governed by national law and by international agreements. The U.S. is obligated (via annual treaty negotiations and U.S. law) to regulate and manage the landing of fish in accordance with agreed-upon requirements. International fisheries management agreements divide catch among the many nations that harvest fish in the Atlantic. Therefore, NMFS is required to not only report landing information of fish caught in the US, but also those caught by US boats fishing internationally.

This is an important consideration. Not only do the permit constraints pertain to the individual vessel, but the actions of US vessels fishing abroad have the potential to impact fishing access in the US. As a group US sportfishing vessels with federal permits are restricted to landing no more than 250 Atlantic marlin (blue and white combined) each year. This 250-fish limit is the level that was negotiated by the US delegation to ICCAT (the international treaty that manages fisheries in the Atlantic). If the 250 Atlantic marlin limit is exceeded, all billfishing in US waters, whether in a tournament or not, will be required to follow an all release format.

If the number of marlin landed by US vessels significantly exceeds the annual limit, the all-release format could be extended for more than 12 months. Possible repercussions to vessels (captains, owners, mates and anglers included), who land or are responsible for landing an Atlantic marlin, say in the Dominican Republic, Bahamas or elsewhere, which counts against the 250 limit could be painful.

If you think there is no way the NMFS will know what Atlantic marlin you land or help land outside U.S. waters, well, think again. With technology and social media, it is often surprising how much information is shared and posted about fishing exploits each day. One successful day’s social media post may be determined by the HMS Office to be a reflection of how many fish are landed on an average day. This may be used by the NMFS to determine when the 250-marlin threshold is met.

Recently the US NMFS made significant staffing investments to more thoroughly review websites, Facebook posts and tournament news. The goals of this investment is to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of regulations, including the Atlantic marlin landing limit numbers.

A Special Note to Boat Owners

 If you enjoy fishing and winning big money tournaments in the US, please share this information with your captain and crew. Landing Atlantic marlin – or handing a hooked marlin from your boat to a local fisherman – may eliminate your access to big fish, big money tournaments in the states. Beyond the potential loss in tournament access, there exists the possibility for serious consequences for violating US regulations when fishing outside the US.

Reported landings of marlin in the Dominican Republic by crews on US vessels, through transfer of marlin to local pangas, has increased the number of landed Atlantic marlin exponentially. Great scrutiny is likely underway.

The best insurance for retaining the opportunity to win big money, big fish Atlantic marlin tournaments is to catch, resuscitate and release billfish you catch while fishing in other nations’ waters. The U.S. requires all U.S. tournaments with billfish categories to report landed fish; you can bet cross-checking the reported numbers to postings is a norm.  Protect your option to win the big purse at home by helping to keep the number of Atlantic marlin landed to a minimum.

March issue is hitting the docks now! Be sure to subscribe to the hottest bluewater magazine on the market. 

Filed Under: Featured Stories, General News, News Tagged With: atlantic billfish, fishing outside the U.S., InTheBite, rules and regulations, sportfishing, The Billfish Foundation, Tournament, U.S. vessels

Lone Star Shootout Update

July 21, 2015 By InTheBite Editor

Screen Shot 2015-07-21 at 6.27.16 PM

July 21-26, 2015

Port O’Connor, Texas

Great night at the Lone Star Saloon. Total purse $964,900 with 51 boats playing the pots! Will post some pics in the morning. Fun time.

lonestar_purse

Screen Shot 2015-07-21 at 6.31.31 PM

Tournament website Click Here

Filed Under: Tournament Results Tagged With: Lone Star Shootout, Tournament

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