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The Lure Maker’s Challenge is more than a tournament—it’s a tribute to Hawaii’s rich sport fishing legacy. From handcrafted bone and shell lures of the past to the cutting-edge designs of today, this unique event honors the pioneers who laid the groundwork for the global lure-making industry. This year, the event was presented by Kraken Lures, and featured teams representing elite brands like Niiyama, Tantrum, Aloha, Barela, Fair Chase, Lei’N Low, and of course, Kraken.
Held over three days, the 18-boat fleet released 56 blue marlin and one striped marlin while competing for a total purse of $267,481. Historically a big-fish event, this year saw no qualifying marlin weighed, leading to refunds on the base purse and largest marlin categories. Instead, top honors were awarded to teams with the highest release points.
Huntress—fishing under a new banner but familiar to many as Team Liquidated from Florida—lit up the leaderboard with eight blue marlin releases. Led by angler Patrick Wieland and captained by Kona veteran Jack Leverone, the team’s focused execution and contagious enthusiasm earned them the tournament’s highest point total and a winner’s purse of $60,200.
In the branded division, Kraken Lures delivered once again—this time captained by the brand’s creator himself, Cyrus Widhalm. Fishing aboard Apex, a 54-foot Caison, the team released eight blue marlin on Kraken Lures to take home the Branded Division title and a $6,781 payday. For the second year in a row, Kraken also earned the coveted presenting sponsorship for next year’s event, inclusive of a $2,500 promotional package in Marlin magazine.
Tantrum, a 41-foot G&S captained by Nick Durham, continued its hot streak with seven blue marlin releases using their own lures, finishing second in the branded division and adding $27,563 to their growing 2025 winnings.
Additional daily honors went to the 43-foot Merritt Strong Persuader, led by Capt. Shane O’Brien, with three releases and a $20,563 payout on Day 1.
After a nonstop summer run of weekly events stretching back to the Kona Kick-Off on June 28, the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series finally takes a well-earned breather. But the race is far from over. The final two legs—the Big Island Marlin Tournament (August 22–24) and the It’s a Wrap Tournament (September 19–21)—will decide it all.
As it stands, Tantrum holds a commanding lead in the boat standings with 5,133.5 points, thanks to an impressive run of consistent performances. Behind them, Five Star (2,905 points) and Last Chance (2,840 points) remain within striking distance.
With two events left and the field still wide open, expect the final weeks of the 2025 HMTS to deliver fireworks.
