Categorized | Featured, Fishing, Sports

HIBT 2014: Day 4

Miss Billfish Nicolette Noelani Palacol congratulates angler Ji Xinhua. (Photo courtesy of HIBT)

Miss Billfish Nicolette Noelani Palacol congratulates angler Ji Xinhua. (Photo courtesy of HIBT)

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At the strike of 4:30 p.m., HIBT radio control closed Day Four of the 55th Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament with its signature “Stop fishing, stop fishing, stop fishing.”

Thirty-three HIBT teams and captains brought in their gear and headed for Kailua Pier. Fishing is getting hotter and tag and release points keep adding up.

Thirty minutes before the official end of Day Four, China Sea Wolf Club, fishing aboard 39-foot High Flyer, hooked up just north of Kailua in an area called Juliet.

Angler Ji Xinhua fought a hard fight and was well rewarded as he boated a 664.8-pound Pacific blue marlin.

As the fish was brought out of the boat to be weighed at the Kailua pier, cheers and shouts of excitement rang out from nearby spectators.

China Sea Wolf Club is now planted firmly in first place leading into Friday’s final day of fishing.

Right behind them, Team Friends of Kenya, fishing aboard 47-foot Nasty Habits weighed in a 394-pound Pacific blue marlin.

Team captain and angler Mark Allen caught this marlin using 50-lb test line.

Teammate Mark Smith tagged and released an estimated 275-pound Pacific blue marlin earlier in the afternoon.

The morning was quiet in comparison but certainly deserves a look at. First tag and release was called in just after 9am by Old South Marlin Club–Pacific Rim.

Fishing aboard the 41-foot Kona Seafari, veteran angler Steve Gunther tagged an estimated 140-pound Pacific blue marlin in 32 minutes, adding points to the scoreboard.

Australia’s Queensland Game Fishing Association, fishing aboard the 41-foot Bite Me 6, hooked-up in an area called Lima.

Angler Doug Sauderson was able to tag and release an estimated 135-pound Pacific blue marlin in 40 minutes, putting more points on the board for this spirited team.

Olympian Dream Fishing Club continued its fishing streak when team captain and angler Yasuhiko Kagabu hooked up, fishing aboard the 46-foot Foxy Lady. Kagabu tagged and released a Short nose spearfish in three minutes continuing to put points on the board.

Not to be outdone, teammate Mari Arakawa boated and weighed-in a 123 pound ahi. In 2012, this experienced woman angler won the HIBT Dudley C. Lewis Award for the highest individual women scorer.

2014 HIBT Day Four Standings

LEADERBOARD POINTS
China Sea Wolf Club 1686
Olympian Dream Fishing Club, Japan 1129
Team Friends of Kenya 1125
Port Vila Sport Fishing Club 1027
Laguna Niguel Billfish Club-Team 3 950

TOP CAPTAIN STANDINGS POINTS
Kevin Nakamaru, Northern Lights 1327
Guy Terwilliger, High Flier 1386
Tim Hicks, Illusions 1229
David Bertuleit, Kona Seafari 900
David Unger, Nasty Habits 825

For more tournament information, including daily fishing video recaps, IGFA world-records, rules, and entry information, visit: www.hibtfishing.com

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