Fishing for a score
on Big Island

If you've followed the daily reports from Kailua-Kona, then you know that the 45th Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament has been underway this week off the Big Island's leeward coast.

In fact, you will surely find the final results today to the right of this column.

But because my deadline for Water Ways was on Thursday, rather than presenting a catch-report of the winning team, I'll give you a glimpse of some of the less-reported aspects of this "granddaddy of all fishing tournaments."

To begin with, after a one-year change of venue to Honokohau, the tournament's boats have again been backing into the newly reconstructed Kailua-Kona pier to pick up and drop off the teams of anglers.

There is, however, a major difference this year due to the requirements of our nation's Homeland Security efforts and the weekly cruise ship operations that are conducted on that pier.

Not only does a barrier segregate anglers from any cruise ship passengers that may be on the pier, but also a 100-yard clearance is required between the tournament sportfishing boats and the ship and its tenders.

"The cruise ships have told us their tenders will stand off whenever we have fish to be weighed," HIBT-founder Peter Fithian told me before the tournament.

Homeland Security issues apparently also caused one of the teams that intended to compete in this year's HIBT to drop out.

A four-angler team from Seoul, South Korea -- the first from that nation looking to compete in the HIBT -- was unable to obtain visas in time to attend, even with Fithian asking for congressional assistance to speed the process.

"It's another traveling snag in this post-9/11 era," Fithian said.

Nevertheless, 14 of the 18 teams did arrive from such far-flung locales as Japan, Australia, East Africa, the Bahamas, Tahiti and the mainland U.S.

And, if this year's tournament ends like many HIBTs of the past, we will all be reminded that its contestants were dedicated anglers who fished to compete, but often without killing their catch.

Part of the reason may be due to HIBT rules that allow teams to score points for even those fish they reel up to their boat and then let swim away.

Under those rules, any sized billfish, no matter how small, if tagged-and-released in accordance with International Game Fish Association rules, receives points depending upon the fish species and the line used.

For example, if a team brings a black or blue marlin up to where the leader is reeled up to the rod tip, the leader must then be taken in hand and the fish tagged. Then, the fish must be freed by disengaging any hooks, or the leader must be cut.

If the fish was caught on 50-pound test line, the team receives 300 points, or if on 80-pound test, it receives 250.

Because the rules also state that fish weighing less than 300 pounds at the scale will receive no points, you can bet few borderline fish are brought to the dock.

So, even though there has been more than once when a "grander" (a fish over 1,000 pounds) won the HIBT, don't be surprised if this year's winner has several fish stories with no catch.