(Hawaii 24/7 photo by Karin Stanton)

Special to Hawaii 24/7

The Old South Marlin Club #1 retained its two-day lead with another two fish adding valuable points to its overall total.

Angler Susan Ward, fishing aboard Anxious, a 33-foot Bertram, tagged an estimated 180-pound Pacific blue marlin using 50-pound test line.

“That was a tough fish and a tough fight. I can’t reel as fast as the guys, and the teamwork of Captain Neal Isaacs and his crew made all the difference,” Ward said.

Her husband caught his second shortnose spearfish in two days, giving Old South Marlin Club #1 enough points to hold first place on Day Two of this five-day sportfishing marathon.

Hilo Yacht Club, with three Pacific blue marlin tagged and released over two days, has vaulted into second place in the standings.

Beginners luck? Today China’s PKU Sun Fun Club tagged two Pacific blue marlin, launching themselves into third place on the HIBT scoreboard.

Fishing aboard Playtime, angler Duan Quancheng tagged his estimated 270-pound Pacific blue marlin in 42 minutes. Next up was first-time angler Yin Guochen, who tagged his estimated 150-pound Pacific blue marlin in a very impressive seven minutes.

“This is my first time ever catching a fish,” Gouchen said through an interpreter. “I liked it very much, and I thought seven minutes was pretty good for my first time.”

In fact, there are three new international teams debuting at the 2011 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament – China, Singapore and Vanuatu. All three teams managed to put points on the scoreboard.

Angler Ang Kha King, fishing with Singapore’s Xtreme Anglers, tagged an estimated 270-pound Pacific blue marlin in just over 40 minutes. Port Vila Game Fishing Club from Vanuatu also put points on the scoreboard today when angler Murray Parsons tagged an estimated 250-pound Pacific blue marlin in just six minutes.

Vanuatu and the Port Vila Game Fishing Club are known for excellent fishing action in their corner of the southern Pacific.

“Our new international teams are very competitive anglers who have immediately inserted themselves in the fishing action here at HIBT,” Tournament Founder Peter Fithian said. “Kona waters have a well earned reputation among the international fishing community. This week is no exception – calm seas, beautiful skies, a highly skilled fleet and very enticing billfish. It’s the reason these great sportfishing anglers from around the globe will be back again and again.”

Angler Janice Allan from Whangaroa Game Fishing Club of New Zealand tagged an estimated 150-pound Pacific blue marlin, earning points for her team and sliding into second place on the women’s leader board.

Veteran HIBT angler Fred Duerr of the Malibu Marlin Club boated his 162-pound ahi in 30 minutes.

“This ahi wanted to continue swimming with its school. The line was getting chafed by other ahi in the school bumping it. I knew I had to reel it in quick,” Duerr said.

In all, 13 billfish were tagged and released on Day Two – 9 Pacific blue marlin and four short nose spearfish – plus one qualifying ahi.

The 2011 HIBT is comprised of five days of tournament fishing and continues through Friday, July 29.

DAILY CATCH (Tuesday)
9 Pacific blue marlin tagged & released
4 Short nose spearfish tagged & released
1 Ahi boated

HIBT CUMULATIVE WEEK TOTAL
25 Pacific blue marlin tagged & released
1 Pacific blue marlin weighed
1 Striped marlin tagged & released
8 Short nose spearfish tagged & released
3 Ahi boated
38 TOTAL

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Old South Marlin Club #1 – 1,100
2. Hilo Yacht Club – 900
3. PKU Sun Fun Club – 850

TOP CAPTAIN STANDINGS
Rob Ellyn, Lightspeed – 700
Tim Hicks, Last Chance – 682
Jeff Fay, Humdinger – 600
David Bertuleit, Kona Seafari – 600
Jason Holtz, Marlin Magic – 600

*Note: in the event of point ties, place standings are determined by the time the fish is boated.

For more information on the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, including team listings, IGFA world-record rules and a daily video recap of tournament standings, log onto www.hibtfishing.com