California team wins Kona billfish tournament

Advertiser Staff

Pajaro Valley Gamefish Club (Calif.) won the four-day 42nd annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament at Kailua, Kona, yesterday.

Pajaro Valley, led by veteran angler Rocky Franich, won its second HIBT title, scoring 1,350 points. Hokulia Anglers of Hawai'i was second with 1,284, including 884 points from a Pacific blue marlin weighing 513 pounds. Malibu (Calif.) Marlin Club was third with 1,250 points.

Late Thursday night, angler Koji Otsuka, aboard Chirpa with Capt. Bill Crawford, hooked a 617-pound Pacific blue marlin for the King Marlin Big Game Fishing Club. Otsuka battled the marlin for 6 hours, 43 minutes on 80-pound line.

It was the largest catch of the tournament, earning the club 817 points for a sixth-place finish.

A total of 17 fish were tagged and released yesterday bringing the tournament total to 72. Fifty-six Pacific blue marlin, one striped marlin, 13 shortnosed spearfish and two ahi were caught.

According to tournament officials, every team (25) caught at least one fish.