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Water Ways
IT wasn't long after he read a Water Ways column about Hawaii's big-money fishing contests that I heard from Sportfish Hawaii's Mike House. Hoolea fleet could
reach triple figures
for first time"Hey, the Big Island isn't the only place for anglers to get into jackpot fishing," House said. "We've got some pretty good tournaments on Oahu, too.
"In fact, the Hawaii and Waikiki yacht clubs will be hosting one of the fastest growing jackpot events on the island over Labor Day weekend, September 2 and 3. It's called the Hoolea."
And he is right. The Hoolea Fishing Tournament has been held every year since 1986, but it wasn't until last year that the number of entries began to look impressive.
Suddenly, instead of just a couple of dozen teams, the entry list jumped to a record 77 boats, and this year Hoolea has more than 60 paid entries with three weeks to go. House predicts the entries will top out near 100.
Whatever caused the Hoolea's surge in popularity is somewhat uncertain, but I'm sure it's more than coincidence that House and veteran angler Rick Abille took over as co-chairmen before last year's event.
One of the changes instigated last year involved the fishing rules.
Once restricted to official IGFA rules, House defines the current Hoolea tournament rules as "loose - not jungle, not IGFA, but in between.
"There will be no line class or leader restrictions for the Hoolea itself," House said. "But those fishing in the Maui Jim Series as well must conform to its rules."
The surge certainly wasn't caused by any change in the payouts to the anglers. The tournament always has had a policy of returning at least 100 percent of the entry fees back to the anglers in prize money. This is possible because the tournament's expenses have been covered by its many sponsors and the two host clubs.
With the Hoolea entry fee at $375, the predicted 100 teams will be competing for a minimum of $37,500 in prize money. And, like other jackpot tournaments, there will be other optional entry categories for individual gamefish species caught that will boost the anglers' total winnings.
THIS year's first-place team probably can expect to receive more than $15,000, plus an invitation to the 2001 Rolex/International Game Fishing Association's Tournament of Champions in Kona.
Along with the cash prizes, anglers will compete for a Penn rod and reel combination, free entries in the 2001 Ahi Fever and Hana Paa tournaments and dozens of Maui Jim sunglasses.
A new development for the Hoolea tournament this year is its inclusion in the Maui Jim Hawaii Marlin Series.
This season-long statewide event consists of eight fishing tournaments in which anglers can accumulate season points. At the end of the year, the top five anglers in the series will take part in a "made-for-TV" showdown at the Big Island's South Point.
A major plus for boat owners taking part in the Hoolea will be the free moorings available at the WYC and HYC during the two-day tournament.
In addition, family members will have the use of all club facilities.
Considering the largest fish to win the Hoolea was a 768 1/2-pound marlin and the smallest was a 118-pound ahi, you have got to believe almost any angler has a great chance of winning.
Call House at 396-2607 or Abille at 845-4104 for your chance.
Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu.
His column runs Saturdays in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached by e-mail at raypen@compuserve.com.