2023 Kona Fishing Tournaments

Tournament	Date	Description
Lazy Marlin Hunt	March 24th, 25th, & 26th, 2023	The first event in the 2023 Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series, is the 2023 Lazy Marlin Hunt in Kona Hawaii. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Rock & Reel Hawaiian Open Fishing Tournament Kona 2023	TBD	Hosted by the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club, the 2023 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. Book the Boat Register
Kona Kickoff	June 24th & 25th, 2023	The 2023 Kona Kickoff will be held June 24th & 25th, 2023 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. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Firecracker Open	July 1st & 2nd, 2023	The 2023 Firecracker Open will be held July 1st & 2nd, 2023. 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. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Blue Marlin World Cup	July 4, 2023	The 2023 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. 2023 will mark the 36th 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. Book the Boat Register
Kona Throw Down	July 4th, 5th, & 6th, 2023	The 2023 Kona Throwdown Tournament is a winner take all event for the Largest Marlin of the Tournament, and will be held this year July 4th, 5th, & 6th, 2023. Optional daily categories for the largest marlin each day. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Skins Marlin Derby	July 7th, 8th, & 9th, 2023	The 2023 Skins Marlin Derby is fashioned after the popular golf event and will be held at Honokohau Harbor in Kona Hawaii on July 7th, 8th, & 9th, 2023. 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. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge	July 14th, 15th, & 16th, 2023	The 2023 Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge will be held July 14th, 15th, & 16th, 2023 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. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Big Island Marlin Tournament	August 18th, 19th, & 20th, 2023	The 2023 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 18th, 19th, & 20th, 2023 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. Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
It’s a Wrap Tournament 2023	Sept 15th, 16th & 17th, 2023	The 2023 “It’s a Wrap” Tournament will be held Sept 15th, 16th & 17th, 2023 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.Visit the Kona Tournaments Website for more information and registration forms. https://konatournaments.com/ Call Captain Jeff Fay at (808) 425-9228 for more information about booking this fishing tournament. Book the Boat Register
Tag and Release Tournament – TART 2023	August 21st – 25th, 2023	The 2023 Pacific Blue Marlin Tag & Release Tournament (TART), will be held in Kona, August 21st – 25th, 2023 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 2023

Complete List of Kona Fishing Tournaments in 2023

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.