August 29, 2026
Pohnpei – The potential for fantastic cash prizes for heaviest fish overall, heaviest of species, and top fish caught by a lady angler in the Annual Matson Fishing Tournament would usually attract a large number of Pohnpei Fishing Club members. Only 10 boats signed up for this year’s tournament. Certainly, the anglers who chose not to participate regret that decision when some good-sized fish were landed.
Taylor Paul landed a yellowfin tuna of 53 pounds earning him $750 for the heaviest fish caught in the tournament.
By club rules, sailfish have to weigh at least 50 pounds before they qualify for prizes. Kevin Sehpin’s 51-pound sailfish just made the cutoff earning him $550 for second prize.
The third and fourth prizes were both yellowfin, one caught by Taylor Paul for $350, and the other caught by the ubiquitous no-longer-a-junior-angler, Marvey Spencer for the fourth prize of $250.
Onel Optaia won $200 for the fifth heaviest fish caught, a barracuda.
Unfortunately, other than the weights of the two top heaviest fish, the club didn’t report the weight of any other fish caught in the tournament, something they usually do.
Jaegar Frederick caught the first and second prize winning skipjacks for the first-place prize of $150, as well as the second-place prize of $100.
Haworth Paddock had the top barracuda for $150. His was followed by John Pengelly for $100.
Haworth Paddock had the $150 prize for his yellowfin. Mauricio Joseph had the second-place winner for $100.
The top lady angler was Vandella Warren, $150 for a barracuda of unspecified size.
The club thanks Matson for once again sponsoring and supporting the tournament, and particularly their representative Stephen for making the trip out to Pohnpei for the event. Sponsorship like this allows us them to continue putting on tournaments and providing worthwhile prizes for our fishing community.
The Club also thanked Mangrove Bay Bar for hosting the club for registration and weigh-in and providing a great venue for everyone to get together after a day on the water.
The next Pohnpei Fishing Club tournament with be the 19th Annual Dr. Alexander Panuelo Sportfishing Derby on Saturday, September 26. Registration for that tournament is on September 25 beginning at 6:00 at Mangrove Bay Bar.
Leave a Reply