CAPTAIN Aaron Benavente of the boat Only Reels repeated history over the weekend as he and his crew won the $3,000 grand prize for catching a 241-pound billfish during the Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament.
Captain Benavente, along with crewmates Anthony Benavente, Jesse Ramon, and Austin Benavente, seemed to know the island’s best fishing spots, reeling in another tournament-winning catch — 30 pounds heavier than last year’s grand prize catch of 211 pounds.
Some say Only Reels used the same lures. Some say he returned to the same spot. Others say he’s superstitious and brought the same team.
Captain Benavente’s answer? “Let’s just say we used Morris Lure.”
Everyone wanted to know where and how he caught it. But like every seasoned fisherman, he wasn’t about to give away his secrets.
“We called it the ‘7th inning stretch,’ ” said Captain Benavente as he received the perpetual trophy.
When asked if the marlin jumped, he replied, “Oh yeah, it jumped. I didn’t think it was a marlin until it jumped, and that’s when I said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a marlin.’ ”
Only Reels caught the 241-pound billfish around 1 p.m., and it took about an hour of fighting before the fish was finally hauled in and gaffed by the captain’s brother, Anthony Benavente.
As the back-to-back winner of the Governor’s Cup (biggest fish), Captain Benavente and his crew took home the $3,000 grand prize.
But that wasn’t all.
Only Reels also won the $5,500 side bet; two free angler entries to the 2026 Palau Fishing Derby as Etpison Cup Prize winners (sponsored by Budweiser); and an additional two-angler entry to the Rota Fishing Derby, sponsored by Bud Light.
For the Mobil Cup (total weight), it was Lady V that bagged the title with a total of 118.5 pounds, earning $2,000. Lady V is captained by Chris Pangelinan and crewed by Joseph Villagomez, Timmy Villagomez, Timothy Villagomez, Kirida Villagomez, and Jon Villagomez.
Also joining the spotlight were the top three finishers in each category:
Billfish (sponsored by Marpac)
Mahi-Mahi (sponsored by Tan Siu Lin)
Wahoo (sponsored by Docomo)
Yellowfin (sponsored by Niao’s Pole)
Skipjack/Katsu (sponsored by Hawaiian Rock)
Billfish Category (Marlin)
1st place: Rod Bender, captained by Ed Wong and crew Vern Perez, Frank Tominez, and John Bagaford — 213-pound marlin ($2,000)
2nd place: Rose1, captained by Melvin Tenorio with Richard, Jimmy, Juan Jr., and Juan Tenorio — 211-pound marlin ($1,500)
3rd place: San Juan, captained by Antonio Maestro with Errol and Ariel Moises and Arvin Hornejas — 155.5-pound marlin ($1,000)
A special fourth-place prize, sponsored by Greg Perez, was awarded to Lady V for their 118.5-pound catch.
Wahoo Category
1st place: Rose1 — 29.8-pound catch ($1,000)
2nd place: Fifty Club, captained by Frank Quinata and crew Myungjin Park, Jun Biroya, Jesse Mendiola, Vic Camacho, and Thomas Sapp III — 29.4-pound catch ($750)
3rd place: Kachan III, captained by Bob Teguchi and crew Biran Ardegarde, Troy Manahane, Yejoon Su, Seok Kim, Ham Su, MJ Aldan, and Joe Borja — 19.5-pound catch ($500)
Yellowfin Category
1st place: Mama Loling, captained by Mark Hapdei and crew Philip Aldan, Kiku Togawa, Vernalani Mike, Maria Camacho, and Henry Sablan — 79.1-pound catch ($1,000)
2nd place: Sweet Candy 2, captained by George Moses and crew Mike Kukkua, George I. Moses, Dennis Moses, Candelaria Moses, and Daymart Tergego — 64.5-pound catch ($750)
3rd place: My Princess Jasmine, captained by Jeremy Tereas and crew Stephanie Tereas, Promise Teren, and Lasty Tereas — 54.4-pound catch ($500)
Skipjack/Katsu Category
1st place: Ava Rose, captained by Daniel Elliot and crew Cole Brub and Ghandi Iwanaga — 20-pound catch ($750)
2nd place: Victoria, captained by Diego Benavente and crew Scott Shular and Vicky Benavente — 17.3-pound catch ($500)
3rd place: Defiance, captained by Rufin Inos Jr. and crew Vincent Inos, Rufin Inos Sr., Asapmar Ogumuro, and Brian Torres — 17.1-pound catch ($250)
No boat was able to land a mahi-mahi this year, leaving that category without any winners.
Additionally, Rod Bender received a $250 gift certificate sponsored by Joeten Motors Inc. for winning Yamaha’s Biggest Catch, a category limited to boats powered by Yamaha engines.
The grand prize winners — Only Reels’ Captain Aaron Benavente, Anthony Benavente, Jesse Ramon, and Austin Benavente — pose with their trophies and prizes during the awards banquet for the Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
Lady V crewmembers pose alongside Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s board members as the Mobil Cup (total weight) category winner during the awards banquet for SFA’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
Rose 1 crewmembers pose alongside SFA board members as the first-place winner in the Wahoo category during the awards banquet for Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
Mama Loling crewmembers pose alongside SFA board members as the first-place winner in the Yellow Fin category during the awards banquet for the Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
Ava Rose crewmembers pose alongside SFA board members as the first-place winner in the Skipjack/Katsu category during the awards banquet for the Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
Rod Bender crewmembers pose alongside Gov. Arnold I. Palacios and SFA board members as the first-place winner in the Billfish (Marlin) category during the awards banquet for Saipan Fishermen’s Association’s 41st Saipan International Fishing Tournament at the Taga Hall of Saipan World Resort on Monday night.
