Team Troppo of Troppo Fishing Adventures said fishing conditions were mixed during the competition in the Samoa International Game Fishing Association tournament, with anglers managing to land mahi-mahi and successfully releasing a blue marlin.

The competition started on Monday with the leaderboard changing hands each day. 

Greg Hopping, a charter operator with Troppo Fishing Adventures, said the day on the water proved challenging but rewarding for participating boats.

“The fishing today was fairly slow. But a few boats caught some nice mahi-mahi,” Hopping said. “And one boat released a blue marlin. And that was a really good catch. And of course it's always good to release the marlin.”

He emphasised the importance of catch-and-release practices for sustainability, noting the role it plays in maintaining fish populations in Samoan waters.

“We let the marlin go, so they go and make babies. So we get more marlin,” he said.

The annual tournament draws both local and international anglers and is considered an important event for Samoa’s fishing tourism sector. Hopping said the competition also plays a significant role in supporting the local economy.

“This tournament's very important to us, and also very important to the Samoan community because it generates a lot of income from all the tourists that come and fish,” he said.

He added that anglers travel from New Zealand, the United States, Australia and American Samoa to compete, with additional boats shipped in for the event under sponsorship arrangements.

“In this tournament, four boats are brought up from New Zealand, shipped up. And they're teamed by Neptune Pacific,” he said, referring to the shipping company that serves as a major sponsor.

Hopping noted that local knowledge remains essential for success, especially given changing ocean conditions and pressures on fish stocks.

“The greatest challenge is to find the fish. So local knowledge helps,” he said. “But due to overfishing by commercial fishermen, there are not many fish left in the ocean. So it's very hard to find a fish.”

Despite the challenges, he said camaraderie among competitors remains a major highlight of the event.

“Getting together with all our friends and other anglers and making new friends, and having a good time on the ocean and back at the club,” he said.

Greg also pointed to specific fishing gear used by Team Troppo, including JB Lures, with a preference for the “dingo” model.

“We caught a nice mahi-mahi today on the JB dingo,” he said. “Mahi-mahi loves it. And the marlin loves them too.”