Charlie Cat repeats with 422.4-lb. marlin

They did it again. The captain and crew from the Charlie Cat returned from Guam to reel in a 422.40-lb. marlin to repeat as the ace anglers of the 21st Annual Saipan International Fishing Tournament over the weekend.

Back-to-back 12-hour days on the seas proved fruitful, as captain Quang Ly and Jesus Ciura were unable to match the previous year’s success on opening day, but when the call came in over the radio that the Charlie Cat was coming in, everyone at the marina knew something big was on the way.

The crowd around the scales doubled in the time it took for the big crane truck to hoist the creature from the boat and bring it to the scale, and they went crazy when the weight was announced.

When he was finally able to take the smile from his face, the captain was only able to utter a few words as he realized that there was only 30 minutes remaining for another boat to dock with a bigger catch.

“I am very happy,” said Ly as he took a deep breath before the perma-grin returned to his face.

Local fisherman wondering how the same boat was able to win two years in a row got a tip from SFA president Juan San Nicolas, who offered some of the rumors that passed through the angling circles.

“I heard that they are some of the most trained people from Guam and know how to find the big ones by following the birds,” he said.

Last year Nguyen Hoa and the Charlie Cat bagged a 519.40-lb. behemoth, but Hoa was unable to make the trip out so his brother was more than happy to oblige the crew by taking the 2005 title of king fisher. Despite the large bounty, Danny Agulto’s record 624.34-lb. marlin is still atop the record books as the biggest that made the scales in time.

The Charlie Cat wasn’t the only boat that experienced success on the seas, as Lawrence Concepcion of the Mari led the pack for more than half of tournament with a sizable 334. 22-lb. marlin they caught on the first day.

While other docked with large fish, none held a candle to the gargantuan gills of the Mari until Ly and company earned the Charlie Cat its second title in two years.

Team Mobil of the Nombei had plenty of success as well as they crushed the competition with a 73.85-lb. yellowfin tuna that was bigger than some of the small craft that line the Beach Pathway along the Saipan Lagoon.

With less than two hours to go in the tournament, Steve Rice, Jerry Smith, Duey Cooper, Ivan Quinata, and captain John Faisao delivered a devastating blow to the hopes of the captain and crew of the Lemetau who had been holding onto first place with a 63.10-lb. catch.

James Taitano’s record-setting 106-lb. yellowfin from 15 years ago is still the titan tuna of all time, but those who threatened his title will have to return next year for another shot.