Team Angry Marlin takes two first place trophies in Central America's oldest and largest International Fishing Tournament, the Torneo de Pesca Sabalo Real.  This tournament has been held every year since 1955 on the Rio San Juan, in Nicaragua. This years tournament took place September 13^th through the 15^th.

This world renown event draws anglers from all over the world to this one solitary river that empties into Lake Nicaragua.  This year over 300 anglers competed in the tournament to catch the largest and meanest Tarpon on earth!

This region is really only accessible via the waterways, there are no cars or roads here . Gliding along the river you can see and hear howler monkeys, sloth’s, numerous tropical birds and passing locals paddling or motoring their way in their day-to-day activities.

This long-standing fishing tournament for tarpon, snook, lagunero, machaca, and roncador has the entire region and nearby villages alive for the festivities and celebrations.

Normally there is a catch and release rule for tarpon however during the tournament any tarpon weighing above 60 pounds may be caught and kept.  The largest three tarpon caught are brought ashore to be officially weighed and recorded. The meat from these fish are donated to the local hospital and town.

Capt. Jose caught the first fish on day one of the tournament about mid morning, as they trolled along the river near El Castillo.  All of a sudden this huge tarpon lunged out of the water about 6 times.

Immediately the reel was screaming and line was going out fast.He was using a very light G-loomis rod with a Shimano calcutta reel.This was a big one and we were all worried that it would spool the reel.

After about an hour on the fight it was discovered that the local boat we were renting was about to run out of gas!  Our river guide was very worried about the situation and called out to someone on shore for another boat to help us.Capt. Jose had to jump into the other boat while fighting the fish.

After another 30 minutes passed we began to approach the rapids. Concern grew that the new boat we were now on was not able to go through the rapids and so another boat transfer would have to be made. Shortly before we entered the rapids and about two hours into the fight our first boat came back full of gas and Capt. Jose once again made another jump back into the first boat.

About 20 minutes later we were forced to go through the rapids. Amazingly we kept the fish off the banks and out of the branches by cuting it off and banging on the bottom of the boat.  Capt. Jose had to go through the rapids while standing on the bow of this narrow boat on his feet while fighting this huge fish.  We almost lost him and the fish twice!  He kept the tarpon in deeper water through the rapids and stayed on his feet!  After an another hour and a half the huge fish was in the boat!

Day two saw another large Tarpon hooked at about 1:30pm, this time by Team Angry Marlin's Mono! Mono, who was actually born in a canoe on the river and was raised on these rivers in Costa Rica has fished tarpon most of his life. He hooked his tarpon on another G-loomis rod and a calcutta reel. About 15 minutes after hookup another boat watching us fight our fish crossed our line and their lure hooked our line. Reacting quickly Capt. Jose was able reach the lure and cut out the tangle before the line was cut.

The next few hours we saw the fish trying to dive into the branches of trees along the river bank.  When this happened we pounded the boat bottom and cut it off.   But then it happened, the fish took the line into the trees and the line fouled on a tree branch.   The tarpon ran down stream about 100 yards. Capt. Jose striped off his cloths and jumped in to free the line.  After it was free another boat re-hooked the line and once again it looked like the fish was going to get away.   The people on the boat cut their line free and we took off the lure and fouled line. Two more hours and Mono had landed the fish

These two large tarpon won Team Angry Marlin two first place trophies in this years 2009 Torneo de Pesca Sabalo Real.