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The 2025 Firecracker Open brought fireworks to the water over the July 4th weekend, serving as the third leg of the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series (HMTS) and coinciding with the global Blue Marlin World Cup. With Kona’s rich history as one of the world’s premier big-game fishing destinations, the anticipation was high entering the holiday weekend.
At the end of two intense days of fishing, four boats topped the leaderboard with identical scores—each releasing two blue marlin worth a combined 330 points. With no fish weighed, tournament standings were determined by time of release. The 43-foot Merritt Huntress, captained by Jack Leverone and hosting Florida’s Team Liquidated, secured first place honors and a $45,045 payout after putting up their second blue marlin release the earliest. Huntress has been a consistent performer on the Kona circuit, and their swift execution in this event proved the difference.
Finishing second was Tantrum, a 41-foot G&S skippered by Nick Durham. The seasoned Kona team also released two blues, but their final release came in just behind Huntress on the timestamp, bumping them one position down and earning them $44,705. Rounding out the top three was Last Chance, a 40-foot Gamefisherman captained by Tracey Epstein. With two blues in the release column as well, Last Chance kept the pressure on but ended up in third place. However, due to their jackpot entries, the team took home an impressive $80,570.
The Firecracker Open is always one of the most exciting events in the Hawaiian summer tournament lineup, but this year’s edition carried added intensity as anglers competed for both local honors and a potential global title in the simultaneously held Blue Marlin World Cup. Though no qualifying fish were weighed in Kona for the World Cup, the shared atmosphere of high stakes and international competition fueled a heightened sense of urgency and camaraderie across the docks.
With the Firecracker Open now in the books, Tantrum’s second-place finish moves them into a tie for first overall in the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series standings with Five Star, both sitting at 1,585 points. Last Chance remains firmly in contention in third with 1,420 points, followed closely by SNAFU at 1,395.
As the series enters its final stretch, teams will now turn their focus to the Kona Throw Down and Skins Marlin Derby—two high-stakes events known for big fish and even bigger swings in the standings. From there, the circuit heads into its late-season run with the Big Island Marlin Tournament, the Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge, and the It’s A Wrap Tournament. With margins as tight as this weekend’s timestamp tiebreakers, the 2025 series title is still very much up for grabs.
