Fishing: Lady anglers in the spotlight at Wahine Tournament

Teams of wahine anglers will fish for their chance to reel in the big one at the 20th annual Huggo’s Wahine Fishing Tournament on Saturday.

The event is themed “South Pacific Decadence.” The anglers are encouraged to don the most outlandish, vintage or contemporary Polynesian attire.

The full day of fishing starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday at Kailua Bay. Weigh-ins will be held at the Fuel Dock/Charter Desk located at Honokohau Harbor at 4 p.m. after the call of stop fishing. The public is welcome to attend the weigh-ins. Anglers can also win prizes and cash for the best decorated boat and team costumes. Awards will be announced at a special awards presentation Sunday evening at Huggo’s On the Rocks.

All-women teams compete for cash prizes awarded to the anglers with the biggest marlin/billfish weighing more than 300 pounds. There are also tuna, ono, and mahi mahi categories that will receive trophies for the largest catch.

Proceeds from the tournament are donated to Family Support Hawaii (FSH), formally Family Support Services of West Hawaii, a Hawaii Island United Way agency. This event has a special camaraderie between the all-women teams and this worthwhile community organization. Past tournaments have netted Family Support Hawaii nearly $100,000 in cumulative donations.

“The Huggo’s Wahine Tournament is one of the largest ladies fishing tournament in the world,” said Eric von Platen Luder, Huggo’s President. “The volunteers have so much fun planning the tournament, and the proceeds go to such a good cause. It’s a win-win event for everybody involved.”