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The 38th Annual Big Island Marlin Tournament (BIMT), a cornerstone of the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series (HMTS), recently wrapped up in Kona with a 20-boat fleet battling through unusually slow fishing.
In the end, it was Capt. Teddy Hoogs and his crew aboard Bwana—angler Don Ensle, angler Laura Johnson, and mates KJ Robinson, Bobby Cherry, and Landon Hoogs—who rose to the top. Posting 330 points on Day Two, the team secured first place overall and $53,570. For Hoogs, the victory was particularly special—his father, the legendary Capt. Peter Hoogs, helped found this tournament alongside Capt. Jody Bright back in 1987. Alongside the quality payout, Bwana and Hoogs will be added to the BIMT perpetual trophy, which is displayed year-round at the new POP Fishing & Marine location in Kailua-Kona.
Five Star, led by Capt. Carlton Taniyama, matched the top score with 330 points on Day Three to finish second overall, collecting $53,642. Their strong push late in the week added drama to the scoreboard and ensured a close battle for the top slots.
Fresh off their historic grander, Tantrum kept their momentum alive with a third-place finish, earning $32,512.50 for a blue marlin release on Day One and additional daily points on Day Two.
Other highlights included Beast Mode, which claimed $12,250 for daily honors, along with smaller payouts for Medusa, Pursuit, and Last Chance. In total, the tournament awarded $308,600, with nearly $144,000 refunded due to no qualifying weighed marlin.
Overall, the fleet released only 14 blue marlin releases and two ahi over 100 pounds. Despite the slow pace, the tournament atmosphere remained upbeat. Just days before the tournament began, Capt. Nick Durham’s Tantrum shocked the docks with a grander blue marlin—a catch that had the entire fleet buzzing with anticipation. From the dockside celebrations to the closing awards at Royal Kona, camaraderie carried the week.
With one event left on the 2025 Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series schedule, the season leaderboard remains wide open. Tantrum leads the charge with 5,298.5 points, followed by Five Star with 3,235 and Last Chance with 3,005. APEX (2,911.5) and Huntress (2,740) round out the top five as the fleet looks ahead to September’s finale, with the It’s a Wrap tournament.
