Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament Returns to Kona

As the world takes active measures to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) is making plans to return to Kona for big game tournament fishing. The 61st tournament dates are set for Saturday, July 31 through Sunday, August 8, 2021. Five days of tournament fishing start Monday, August 2 as teams fish each day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through stop fishing on Friday, August 6.

Teams and anglers from around the world are invited to experience the tradition of big Marlin fishing aboard some of Kona’s finest fishing fleet, captains and crews. HIBT teams fish for five days in the world-famous waters off the Kona Coast at a chance of capturing the HIBT’s prestigious Governor’s trophy.

Built on prestige, trophies and strict International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules for world records, HIBT attracts elite fishing enthusiasts from around the world. Since its inception, the tournament has spotlighted Kona as the fishing destination and more recently, encouraged fish conservation by implementing its tag and release point scoring program and its successful satellite tagging through the efforts of the IGFA. All the big game fishing happens at HIBT as teams from around the world gather to fish the world-famous waters off the Kona Coast.

In 2019, the father and son team of Laguna Niguel Billfish Club-Firestein captured the win and the HIBT’s prestigious Governor’s trophy with 1,600 points. Japan’s Olympian Dream Fishing Club hooked second place. Captain Kevin Hibbard won the prestigious 2019 Henry Chee Award, that recognizes the charter boat captain accumulating the greatest number of billfish points during the tournament.

Since the Tournament was founded in 1959, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament’s iconic status has evolved throughout the fishing world to become the prestigious tournament it is today.

For more information on the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, including complete team registration forms, IGFA world-record rules and a look at previous tournament winners, log onto www.hibtfishing.com.