Papa San catches biggest wahoo; Hello Fishy nets total weight

Saipan vessel Papa San caught the biggest wahoo, while Hello Fishy‘s bounty landed atop the total weight category of the two-day Saipan Fishermen’s Association 40th Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament last weekend.

All five categories’ top winners—billfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahimahi, and skipjack—were announced in an awards banquet at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan last Monday night.

Papa San, captained by Jack Torres, topped the wahoo category sponsored by Docomo Pacific with their 35.5-lb. catch. Second was Saigon Girl with 26.5 lbs., and third was My Princess Jasmine at 24.9 lbs.

The Mobil Total Weight category was won by Hello Fishy with the heaviest overall haul of 319.4 lbs.

The heaviest yellowfin—which was sponsored by Paradise Dental, was caught by Chang with their 52.9-lb fish. Second was Carmelita II at 46.9 lbs., and third was Emmanuel at 45.6 lbs.

On the first day last Saturday, down south, Papa San caught a fish head that weighed 15 lbs. alone. The next day, they then went south again because Torres wanted to honor his late friend Paul Roberto. There, three minutes after they dropped a lure, they hooked the winning wahoo.

He said he’s been fishing in the tournament for about 18 years and it’s the first time he’s placed. “We’ve caught fish every year, but we’ve never placed in any of the categories. This is the first time. I thank captain Paul—I think he’s blessing us.”

Torres then thanked his late friend for watching over them, and dedicated their win to him, his mom, and his late dad.

Torres is also a member of the SFA and said, “People don’t realize how much work is put into this tournament… It’s just so much work, but, at the end of the day, it’s just very fulfilling. Everyone is here celebrating our fishermen and the camaraderie between the CNMI and Guam.”

Derby chair Curtis Dancoe said this year’s turnout of 90 boats from the CNMI, Guam, and the U.S.A. was a great one.

“The first day, the weather was optimal, but the second day was kind of rough. What’s interesting this year is that it looked bigger in the boat. They just kept saying, ‘gee, it looked bigger in the boat.’ And when they came to the weigh station, it wasn’t the case. So I thought that was hilarious… but we’re really happy and it’s fun.”

Tournament sponsors are the Marianas Visitors Authority, Mobil Oil Marianas, Budweiser, Docomo Pacific, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Paradise Dental, Hawaiian Rock Products, Matson Navigation, Coca-Cola/Foremost, Pacifica Insurance, Century Insurance Co. Ltd., RNV Construction, Bridge Capital Investments, LLC, United Management International, JEM Mobile Stations, Fishing Tackle & Sporting Goods Store, Pacific Basin Insurance, and Tinian Shipping.