Tournaments

2020 Kona Fishing Tournaments

Kona Kickoff

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionSat, July 4, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, July 5, 2020

The first event in the 2020 Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series, the Kona Kickoff will be held July 4-5, 2020 and is a Four Flags fishing tournament with cash prizes paid for the largest marlin, ahi, ono and mahimahi with 40% of the base purse paid for the largest marlin and 20% of the purse paid for each of the largest ahi, ono and mahimahi.  Win even more prize money by entering the options daily prize categories.  For more information and registration information, visit the Kona Tournaments website HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Kona Kickoff

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionTue, July 7, 2020
  • image descriptionWed, July 8, 2020
  • image descriptionThu, July 9, 2020

The 2020 Lazy Marlin Hunt in Kona Hawaii.Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Rock & Reel Hawaiian Open Fishing Tournament Kona 2020

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionSat, June 13, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, June 14, 2020

Hosted by the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club, the Rock & Reel Fishing Tournament in Kona Hawaii promises fun and excitement for the whole family. This fishing tournament, held annually in June, offers cash and prizes and promotes Tag & Release. For more information, visit the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Website at

https://www.hbgfc.org/tournaments.html.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Marlin Magic Pelagic Tournament

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionWed, July 1, 2020
  • image descriptionThu, July 2, 2020

The 2020 Marlin Magic Lures Fishing Tournament in Kona Hawaii. For more information, contact Captain Marlin Parker via his website at .

http://www.marlinmagicluretournament.com/

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Blue Marlin World Cup

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionSat, July 4, 2020

The 2020 Blue Marlin World Cup is a one day, one species fishing tournament that is conducted worldwide each July 4th. Each Year, anglers all over the world, compete during a one day, 8-hour fishing tournament in a winner take all event for the largest marlin. 2020 will mark the 33rd annual event and dozens of teams from around the world compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and bragging rights. For more information, registration forms and complete tournament rules, visit the Blue Marlin World Cup Website at https://bluemarlinworldcup.com/

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionFri, July 10, 2020
  • image descriptionSat, July 11, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, July 12, 2020

The 2020 Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge will be held July 10, 11 & 12, 2020 and began as the September Challenge in 2010. This popular Kona marlin tournament was conceived and designed form the ground up with input from the top skippers of 2010. With a 400 pound minimum weight, teams compete for the top prize of 70% of the base purse payout.  For more information and registration forms, visit the Kona Marlin Tournament Series September Lure Maker’s Challenge page  HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Huggo’s Wahine Open

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionSat, July 25, 2020

The Annual Huggo’s Wahine Fishing Tournament 2020 will be held again this year in Kailua-Kona Hawaii. This fun-filled fishing tournament, with prizes for the best decorated boat and best costumed team, benefits Family Support Hawaii (FSH), formally Family Support Services of West Hawaii. In addition to the prizes for best decorated boat and best costumed team, the all-women anglers compete for cash prizes which are awarded to the teams with the biggest marlin/billfish. For more information, visit their website at

 https://huggos.com/.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Firecracker Open

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionSat, August 8, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, August 9, 2020

The 2020 Kona Marlin Tournament Series – Firecracker Open will be held Aug 8-9, 2020. This two day fishing tournament awards the base purse to the highest point scoring team for the biggest marlin and biggest ahi of the tournament. Optional daily prize categories for the largest marlin and largest ahi each day are also available. For more information and registration forms, visit the Firecracker Open, Kona Marlin Tournament page located HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Kona Throw Down

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionTue, August 11, 2020
  • image descriptionWed, August 12, 2020
  • image descriptionThu, August 13, 2020

The 2020 Kona Throwdown Tournament is a winner take all event for the Largest Marlin of the Tournament, and will be held this year Aug 11, 12 & 13, 2020. Optional daily categories for the largest marlin each day. For more information and registration forms, visit the Kona Marlin Tournament Series Kona Throwdown page HERE

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Skins Marlin Derby

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionFri, August 14, 2020
  • image descriptionSat, August 15, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, August 16, 2020

The 2020 Skins Marlin Derby is fashioned after the popular golf event and will be held at Honokohau Harbor in Kona Hawaii on Aug 14, 15 & 16, 2020. The base purse of the tournament is available each day to the largest marlin over 500 pounds. If nobody catches a marlin over 500 pounds, the purse rolls to the next day. The Skins Marlin Derby has traditionally paid out large purses and remains one of the most unique fishing tournament in Kona to this day. For more information and registration forms, visit the Kona Marlin Tournament Series Skins marlin Derby Page HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Hawaii International Billfish Tournament

Tournament Dates

The 61st Annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, HIBT 2020 has been cancelled. This prestigious tournament attracts fishing teams from around the world who descend on the Big Island each year for five days of intense fishing with Kona’s most experienced captains and crews. For more information on this year’s event and registration forms, visit the Hawaiian Internal Billfish Tournament’s Official Website

http://hibtfishing.com/

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Big Island Marlin Tournament

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionFri, August 21, 2020
  • image descriptionSat, August 22, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, August 23, 2020

The Big Island Marlin Tournament was founded in Kona in 1986. This event, the first of its kind to pay a cash purse for tag-and-release, will be held August 21-23, 2020 and was the first Big Game Sportfishing Tournament of its kind in Hawaii. The top three largest marlin of the tournament are paid from the base purse, and optional daily purses pay the most points and largest marlin each day of the tournament. For more information and registration forms, visit the Kona Marlin Tournament Series Big Island Marlin Tournament page HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

It’s a Wrap Tournament 2020

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionFri, September 18, 2020
  • image descriptionSat, September 19, 2020
  • image descriptionSun, September 20, 2020

The annual “It’s a Wrap” Tournament will be held September 18-20, 2020 at Honokohau Harbor on the Big Island of Hawaii in Kona. This event will follow the Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series points scoring system. This Bonus tournament allows all teams in the running to compete for additional points. For more information and registration forms, visit the Kona Marlin Tournament Series Website HERE.

Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament.

Tag and Release Tournament – TART 2020

Tournament Dates
  • image descriptionMon, September 21, 2020
  • image descriptionTue, September 22, 2020
  • image descriptionWed, September 23, 2020
  • image descriptionMon, August 24, 2020
  • image descriptionFri, September 25, 2020

The Pacific Blue Marlin Tag & Release Tournament (TART), will be held in Kona, September 21-25, 2020 and promotes billfish conservation through a tag and release tournament format while educating viewers about the biology, science and habits of blue marlin and other billfish species. The tournament format features five boats, five captains and five anglers competing over a five day span—boat to boat, captain versus captain and angler versus angler. Contestants earn points from tagging and releasing Pacific Blue Marlin.

Marlin Fishing Tournaments in Kona Hawaii for 2020

Complete List of Kona Fishing Tournaments in 2020

Each year, Kona Hawaii plays host to over a dozen sportfishing tournaments where anglers from around the world meet and compete for millions of dollars in cash and prizes. Known as one of the premier blue marlin fisheries anywhere in the world, the productive fishing grounds that lie just a short 5 to10-minute run outside the harbor are an ideal venue and popular draw for big game anglers seeking the excitement of high stakes sportfishing competitions.

Kona just also happens to be home to over 100 charter boats and some of the most accomplished Captains and sportfishing crews anywhere in the world. The short runs to the fishing grounds and ample supply of sportfishing charters make the cost of chartering a boat with a professional captain and crew one of the most reasonable around. While Blue Marlin are caught in Kona year-round, the peak season of June through September is tournament season here in Kona. In addition to the popular Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series which, produces nine events each year where anglers compete for over $2 Million in prize money, the Prestigious Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament draws teams of anglers from around the world who return to Kona Hawaii each year to fish for bragging rights and the love of the sport.

Kona is also a very popular destination for the Blue Marlin World Cup Tournament that is fished on July 4th each year around the world. In this event, anglers’ fish in any location of their choosing, and the event is a winner-take-all format with over $1 million in prize money awarded to the team that weighs the largest marlin over 500 pounds. Since 1985, Kona Hawaii has produced a winner of the Blue Marlin World Cup 10 out of 33 years a qualifying fish has been entered.

In addition to the competitive fishing tournaments that happen each year in Kona, there are a number of other events that are very popular with locals for boats under 20 feet, and fun tournaments like Huggo’s Wahine Fishing Tournament which is dedicated to women angler teams. So if you want to compete against the best sportfishing teams in the world for cash and prizes, or just enjoy the spirit of friendly competition and have some fun, Tournament Season in Kona has something for everyone.