Boats and hosts ready to go for SFA

An extra two weeks of hype has gotten the anglers and their prey ready for the 21st Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament this weekend, as all of the previously delayed activities get underway tonight.

The official pre-registration for the longest running local event starts tonight at 5pm at the Smiling Cove Marina, where SFA officials will briefly go over the rules and regulations of the tournament until 6:30pm. Following the informative session, there will be the ever-popular blessing of the boats.

The line-casters will finally get their chance to bag the big ones tomorrow morning, Saturday, Sept. 10, and Sunday, Sept. 11, in the big blue as the Saipan Fisherman’s Association presides over the captains and their crews at the Smiling Cove Marina in Lower Base.

The tournament was originally slated to hit the waters two weeks ago, but a small craft advisory put and end to that—prompting a few of the out-of-towners to seek a refund of their entry fees.

Most of the participants understood that there was nothing that the organizers could do but to hold off on the tournament when faced such hazardous conditions, and half of the Guamanian skippers are flying back to the CNMI as they opted to dock their boats on Saipan for the fish-travaganza.

The Guamanians who stuck around did so with good reason, as last year’s champion Nguyen Hoa and the crew of the Charlie Cat of Guam sailed away with the Governor’s Cup and $10,000 in prize money for the biggest catch of the tournament with a monster marlin that tipped the scales at 519.40 lbs.

They also placed third in the bill fish category with another catch of 129.19 lbs., and bagged the total weight category minus their biggest marlin at 370.77 lbs. By the time the awards ceremony was completed, Nguyen and company took home over $17,000.

Though they were pleased with their haul, Danny Agulto’s record 674.43-lb. marlin still stands from 1997, along with James Taitano’s record-setting 106-lb. yellowfin 15 years ago.

For more information about the Saipan Fisherman’s Association or the upcoming tournament, contact Frank Tudela or Ed Diaz at the Marianas Visitors Authority by calling 664-3200/01. Additional information on the side bet group refund can be obtained from Tony Scragg by calling 483-1112.