All Mike Fishing Tournament in Majuro

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to represent the Pohnpei Fishing Club in the 'All Micronesia' fishing tournament over the first weekend in September. Free flights, entry fee covered and accomodation with the Navy family on Majuro, it's as good as it gets.

 

A seven oclock shot-gun start saw all the boats going flat out to get out to the fishing grounds. Todd is the Navy Advisor in Majuro doing the same thing as me in Pohnpei. As luck would have it my team drew Todd's boat on the first day so we got to fish together. Todd and I hadn't landed a marlin together on my two previous visits to Majuro. Today was going to be the day.....

 

 About 1030 we hooked up solid. The aim of the competition is get as many points as you can via the weight of the fish. Believe it or not the fastest way to get a fish to the boat is handlining. So with one guys winding the line back on the reel we took turns fighting the marlin to the boat. Definately an experience I won't forget, marlin are very strong fish and you can feel every head and tail shake when fighting them like this.

 

 After half an hour or so we saw it for the first time. Time to calm down now and get the bad boy in the boat. There'll be time to cheer later.......

 

 Two happy RAN sailors. Love it when a plan comes together.

 

Straight to the Pool Room.

 

Only five marlin were caught on the first day with three tagged and released. Ours was the first marlin the crowd on the dock had seen so they were a pretty happy bunch. 

 Go Pohnpei.

 

I don't know where it came from but someone had an Australian flag. Glad they did though.

 



 Day Two saw us fish all day for one wahoo and two tagged and released tuna. It was a very long day but in the end it was the biggest wahoo of the tournament. You beauty.

 

Not massive at 33lbs but nobody caught a bigger one, so that's all that matters come trophy time.

 



 My team with our prizes for the biggest marlin and biggest wahoo of the tournament.

 

 We also took out second place in the points section of the tournament.

 

The other Pohnpei team also did well taking out first place in the points section, biggest mahi mahi, second and third biggest yellowfin and most tagged marlin. Combined with our trophies it makes for a very impressive haul by the Pohnpei teams. An absolutely awesome weekend.