'Fish be with you' from Iloilo Anglers... Spill or no spill
Angler Michael Maquiran,
Globelines Iloilo manager,
weighs the day's prize catch,
a 13.14 lbs diamond jack
( bukan) caught by Joel
Camacho of Team Bluefin.
Over two hundred SportFishing enthusiasts of the Iloilo Anglers Association (ISA) proved Sunday that spill or no spill, Guimaras waters remain rich in marine life. With the day's catch of assorted bottom dwelling marine resources including a scary 23-lb. manta ray, the oil spill drama took a different twist.
'Armed' with reels and rods, the Ilonggo sportfishers prowled their favorite fishing grounds around Guimaras island the whole day Sunday to participate in a fishing tournament as it did every month for some 17 years now.
This month's event was dubbed the "Petron Invitational Fishing Tournament." Petron sponsored the tournament on invitation of ISA, through local Petron dealer Johnny Young who is also an angler and director of ISA.
Iloilo Angler's Association President
Jose Luis Echarri, ISA director Johnny
Young, Petron VP Noel Gonzales, and
Petron manager Noel Villoria.
Of the nine teams that sailed in separate boats, Team Bluefin proved to be the luckiest sweeping the top three individual contest for biggest catch and the Team Championship for the largest haul. The day's champion fisherman was businessman Joel Camacho who hauled in a 13.14 pound Diamond Jack (Bukan). Camacho said his 12-lb. fishing line was exactly the right gear for 'Diamond Jack' but not after he and 'Jack' put up a 20 minute fight.
Members of second place Team Apahap
with Guimaras Island in the background.
Camacho's team mates, Bing Custodio and Boy Jucaban came in second and third with an 8.4 lb. bukan and a 6.3 lb kilawan, respectively.
ISA president Jose Luis Echarri, co-owner of a successful chain of restaurants here, said the oil spill last August 11 off Guimaras island, has had little effect on the surrounding marine life as shown by the fisher's catch. And it's all edible too, Echarri added amidst concerns of 'toxic Guimaras fishes'.
Bulgan Team.
Same sentiments from weekend angler Michael Maquiran, manager of Globelines in Iloilo, who also said the oil spill has had no effect on the volume of fish they regularly catch during their monthly tournaments.
Echarri's group, Team Red Snapper came in only third even though it was team mate Edwin Villacruz who bagged the manta ray. The manta didn't count, according to rod and reel fishing rules. Second place went to Team Apahap which brought in some middling catch of groupers (lapu-lapu).
Bulfins Team.
During the awards program, Noel Gonzales, Petron Visayas and Mindanao Regional Reseller Trade Manager, thanked the anglers for showing that fish remains abundant in Guimaras. He reiterated the firm's commitment to continue helping restore Guimaras and Iloilo.\