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By mid-July, Kona’s tournament season had already produced enough drama for an entire summer.
The Kona Kick Off opened the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series’ busiest stretch, followed almost immediately by the Firecracker Open and the Blue Marlin World Cup, starting Kona on a remarkable run of large fish around the Fourth of July. From there, the fleet moved directly into two more back-to-back events: the Kona Throw Down and the Skins Marlin Derby.
Together, the tournaments capped the rapid-fire portion of Kona’s July calendar. The Throw Down continued the big-fish momentum with three blue marlin exceeding 650 pounds, while the Skins Derby unfolded at a slower pace, producing only two qualifying blue marlin.
Afterward, the fleet would finally receive a break before returning for the final push of the HMTS. Only the Big Island Marlin Tournament and the season-ending It’s A Wrap Tournament, both scheduled for late August, remained.
Big Blues Light Up the Kona Throw Down
Running July 7-9, the Kona Throw Down drew 24 teams competing for $619,675. The bite showed little sign of cooling after the Fourth of July tournament excitement. Over three fishing days, the fleet recorded 56 catches, including 35 blue marlin, 13 striped marlin and eight quality ahi.
More significantly, during its three-day run, the tournament saw six qualifying blue marlin come to the scales, three of which weighed more than 650 pounds.
Tantrum, a 41-foot G&S led by Capt. Nick Durham, assembled the tournament’s strongest overall performance. The team released two blue marlin and one striped marlin before boating a 666-pound blue caught by Jeffrey Stafford. The performance earned the team 996 points, the most in the tournament, and third place in the weighed-marlin standings with the third-largest blue.
First to the scales was the 57-foot Spencer Marlin Magic, led by Capt. Marlin Parker, with a 707.5-pound fish caught by Grady Mulbery. The team also released one blue marlin, giving it 872.5 points and a second-place overall finish.
Yet the largest fish—and biggest payday—belonged to Bad Company.
Caught during the final hour of day one, the 778-pound blue marlin gave Capt. Joe Thrasher and the team aboard the 46-foot Ricky Scarborough the tournament victory. Angler Ret Torkelson’s fish measured 122 inches and gave Bad Company 778 points. As the tournament’s largest marlin, the fish powered the team to $361,700 in earnings, representing more than half of the total purse. It was another major result during an extraordinary Kona stretch for the team and reinforced the Throw Down’s emphasis on landing the one fish capable of changing everything.
Bwana earned $108,545 thanks to a 522-pound fish and the good fortune of boating the only qualifier caught on day two, while overall points champion Tantrum collected $92,565. Five Star earned $30,600 with its 550.5-pound blue, and Marlin Magic collected $16,065.
Between the active bite and three large blues crossing the scales, the Kona Throw Down maintained the energy that had built throughout the opening days of July.
Skins Derby Ends in Photo Finish
After a short turnaround, 23 teams returned to the water July 11-13 for the Skins Marlin Derby, competing for $450,980.
This time, the fleet encountered a different fishery.
Following the Throw Down’s 56 catches, the Skins Derby produced 25 total catches, including 22 blue marlin, two striped marlin and one ahi. With fewer opportunities available, each release and weighed fish carried even greater significance.
By the end of the tournament, the top three teams were separated by just half a point.
Capt. Greg Fogarty and the team aboard Xtreme Dream, a 45-foot Rybovich, weighed the tournament’s largest marlin—a 494.5-pound blue measuring 105 inches and caught by Emma Cooke. With no additional releases, the fish gave Xtreme Dream 494.5 points and a third-place finish. By winning most of the biggest-marlin jackpots, the team became the tournament’s leading money winner with $94,435.
SNAFU, a 50-foot G&S captained by Bryan Toney, and Huntress, the 42-foot Merritt led by Capt. Jack Leverone, each finished with 495 points from two blue marlin releases, tying for the most points overall. SNAFU claimed the overall victory based on time, with Huntress taking second.
Huntress earned $75,978, including additional winnings from the daily points jackpots, while overall champion SNAFU collected $66,741. Also earning money in the daily points jackpots, Apex finished with $35,513, followed by Sea Genie with $28,713.
Lightspeed produced the tournament’s other weighed blue, a 447-pound fish caught by Larry Peardon. The fish measured 103 inches and earned the team $15,300.
The bite may have slowed, but the competition remained tight. With a tie at the top, half a point separating the first three boats and multiple jackpots riding on two weighed fish, the Skins Derby rewarded teams that converted every available opportunity.
The Final Push Awaits
The Kona Throw Down and Skins Marlin Derby brought the most concentrated portion of Kona’s summer tournament schedule to a fitting close.
One event delivered fast fishing and three substantial blue marlin. The next became a tactical contest decided by a tiebreaker, a half-point separation among the top three teams and carefully accumulated releases.
The fleet now pauses before returning in late August for the Big Island Marlin Tournament and the season-ending It’s A Wrap Tournament, where the final Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series standings will be decided.
HMTS Overall Standings
Bwana — 4,615 points
Last Chance — 3,675 points
Tantrum — 2,690 points
