SFA: Size matters in the tournament

With much of the spotlight focused upon the prizewinning 519.40-lbs. marlin reeled in by Nguyen Hoa and the crew of the Charlie Cat in the final minutes of the 20th Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament, it is easy to see that the biggest catch comes equipped with all of the glory.

The two-day fish-a-thon officially came to a close last night, when anglers, members of the Saipan Fishermen’s Association, and volunteers attended the annual banquet at the Dai-Ichi Hotel, but this year’s event will be one that many will remember.

Certainly, the spectators will recall the rush of energy that filled the crowd when Team Palau made their way to the scales, toting a 379.19-lbs. marlin with the help of the Mayor’s Office boom truck, as well as the 220.02-pounder brought in by Tony Sablan and Sam Mendiola.

The anglers who participated in this year’s fish-off were so good that they made it look easy, bringing in several hundreds of pounds of marlin, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and mahi mahi. Forgotten amidst all of the excitement is that the fishing involved is anything but easy, and a far cry from relaxing on the open seas with beer and bait.

At the other end of the seas-going spectrum are the not-so well-known Sea Amigos—Sherman White, Mark Hanson, and Tim Brasuell. After reeling in a pair of Wahoo between the 11 and 18 lbs. apiece, the trio of trollers managed to fit their second day catch in their pocket—literally.

The team held a strangle hold on the tiny Tuna category, however they will have to make a case for the new class, as none exists for the under respected catch.

Nobody seemed quite sure what to make of the little swimmer that fit snugly in Hanson’s shirt pocket, and although some suggestions were offered, they were mostly tongue in cheek.

The Sea Amigos laughed at the prospect of donating it to the banquet, but that could be because the fish was not even accepted for record in their overall catch.

“We tried to get them to weigh it, but they don’t want it. It’s total weight man!” said Hanson

The crew fared a bit better than initially let on, as Brasuell explained that they hooked a couple of Barracudas in addition to their tiny Tuna, only to let them go because they were not category fish in the tournament.

If you are interested in further information about the Saipan Fishermen’s Association, please contact Martin F. Duenas at 664-3200/3201 or Wolf Mojica at 234-6615.