Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2019 i Hawaii Fishing News

The social media age has allowed me to learn from the past and the international G.T. (giant trevally) community. The history of fishermen chasing papio and ulua in Hawai‘i is unbelievable. It is fascinating to see the gear used in the early days, including big reels with 30- or 40-lb test line, 12-foot surf rods and 4- to 5-oz resin or wood lures. My desire to chase ulua came from watching Hari Kojima and friends on “Let’s Go Fishing” getting spooled in Fiji, and Mike Sakamoto casting into the surf off of Ni‘ihau. There was one huge difference—I wanted the same action, but from shore! In 1992, when I was in high school, I tried to catch a G.T. I saved my money and bought a stiff 11-foot surf rod…

A hook taken right out of the box is not sharp enough to fish with. That may not be true if you’re using the new Lazer Sharp hooks, but in general, most hooks you buy could use a little sharpening. A dull hook won’t provide good penetration. The best way to check a hook for sharpness is the “thumbnail test.” Place the hook point on your thumbnail, press down lightly, and try to slide the hook to the side. If the hook sticks, it’s sharp. If it slides, it should be sharpened or replaced. I always carry a hook sharpener in my tacklebox. Just a few swipes of the sharpener along the hook point, and the hook is ready to catch fish. Barbless Hooks Barbless hooks penetrate better. It’s easier…

Hilo Trollers June Tournament: Some Plenty ‘Ahi The Hilo Trollers ran a safe and successful offshore fishing tournament on Sunday, June 2. The forecast for Big Island windward waters was fine, but the sea was a bit bumpy. Twenty boaters entered, and 13 weighed in qualifying flag fish. ‘Ahi was the fish of the day. Sixteen ‘ahi were weighed in from 11 different boats, so more than half of the boats entered managed to land ‘ahi. There was plenty of sashimi to eat and to share! The Hilo Trollers weigh only two fish per flag fish category, so some teams may have caught additional fish. This rule is intended as a conservation strategy and as a way of encouraging captains to target different fish and demonstrate their overall skill. Six…

A recent article on the importance of insects caught my attention. One of the insects discussed was the dung beetle. Dung beetles feed partly or exclusively on feces (dung). A dung beetle can bury dung 250 times heavier than itself in one night. Many dung beetles, known as rollers, roll dung into round balls, which are used as a food source and breeding chambers. Dung beetles play a role in agriculture. By burying and consuming dung, they improve nutrient recycling and soil structure. They can protect livestock, such as cattle, by removing dung, which, if left, could provide habitat for pests such as flies. It has been reported that dung beetles save the U.S. cattle industry an estimated $380 million annually by burying above-ground livestock feces. They are certainly interesting…

Special Place on Earth Aloha, shoreline whippers. One Saturday morning, the big question was, “Where’s the hot spot?” I didn’t know where a bait ball was, so I was fishing in the blind. I figured I’d go to Waimea to see if there was some action. I got down there before daylight and started fishing near the church. The ocean conditions looked good, with small surf and texture on the surface. On about my sixth cast, hana pa‘a! I was testing out my new Okuma 12-foot menpachi pole paired with my reel of choice, a 5500 SSV PENN, loaded with 50-lb test J-Line mainline, a 50-lb test J-Line fluorocarbon leader and a 40g Pop Queen popper tied with a loop knot. I could tell it was a nice-sized papio by…

Big hooks generally require local anesthesia to numb the area so that a lot of wiggling and prodding can be done. So, when you’ve got a marlin or tuna hook stuck in you, plan to visit a doctor for anesthesia, removal, a course of antibiotics, probably a tetanus shot and a good scolding. The string-and-snatch is quick, like yanking out a loose baby tooth. You can master it by following the directions shown in the diagram and described here. 1. Make a loop from about 20 inches of fishing line of 30-lb test or more. Cut the leader off the hook, and slip the loop past the eye end of the hook. 2. Slide the loop back along the hook until it is in the eye. The pressure helps stretch…

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), National Standard 2, requires that determining the health of federally managed fish stocks and setting their annual quotas must be based on the best scientific information available (BSIA). It may seem like a straightforward and simple concept, but when it comes to fisheries, nothing is easy. We often hear the phrase, “garbage in, garbage out” in reference to the models used to produce stock assessments. Using the BSIA attempts to pick through the garbage to ensure fishery management decisions are based on the most up-to-date and scientifically valid information available. Congress recently added a twist to this requirement through an amendment to the MSA. The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (the Council) and its Scientific and Statistical Committee must look at…

Find More Tournament Info at <hawaiifishingnews.com> SHORECASTING TOURNAMENTS HAWAII OHANA SHORELINE FISHING TOURNAMENT August 16-18, 2019 OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS HAWAII 60TH ANNUAL HIBT TOURNAMENT July 27 - August 4, 2019 HAWAII BIG ISLAND MARLIN TOURNAMENT August 16-18, 2019 HAWAII IT’s A WRAP TOURNAMENT Septmenber 14-16, 2019 OAHU KEWALO HARBOR BIG FISH CHASE September 28, 2019 MAUI KAYAK CLASH November 8-10, 2019 Promote your event for free! Send all Tournament details: <hawaiifishingnews@gmail.com>…

When I was a youngster, collecting things was a very popular hobby. I collected stamps, match covers, milk caps, studio photos of movie stars via mail, JOE PALOOKA comic books, and trinkets and charms from the various pistachio and pine nut dispensing machines that were located in the neighborhood grocery stores. In addition to all these, I collected tropical fish while my younger brother collected pigeons. These fish were caught at the nearby Nu‘uanu Stream. There among the pools and waterways with its dark boulders, we could catch the ever present “color fish” (wild guppies) and the common wild swordtails. As this interest grew, I was allowed to purchase exotic tropical fish from the neighborhood “fish lady” who lived near the school grounds. Often times, I would go to her…

Navatek’s Quarter-Million Dump Haul The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) auctioned the 85’ NAVATEK II, and no bidders showed up. The once state-of-the-art rough-water catamaran had a minimum bid of $20,000. The boat had accumulated $16,000 in unpaid Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) mooring fees. “The NAVATEK did not sell at the auction. The DLNR Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) will prep a bid on HIePRO (state of Hawai‘i Procurement) for disposal of the vessel in the next few weeks,” the DLNR stated. To get the boat to auction, it was moved from Honolulu Harbor to Ke‘ehi Harbor by Xarbin Industries for $28,000. Xarbin changed plans when it couldn’t pump out mud-filled hulls. The vessel was then moved to Ala Wai Harbor where it…

It was the start of a normal work week in Hawai‘i nei, and I immediately began to look forward to our usual weekend fishing trip. About midweek, I got a call from my good friend Justin, a lure-maker at DaKine Lures. He told me about a prototype lure he wanted me and Carrie to test. He invited us to fish with him that weekend at a private fishing spot. We were so blessed! Friday after work, we packed up our gear and food. We knew it was going to be fun testing out the new lures. We brought our slide-bait gear for ulua, as well. We left Hilo at around 4:30 p.m. and got to the spot at around 6:30 p.m. I really couldn’t see the reef or its pinnacles…

‘Wired’ is a series of stories about the canine hunting partners who have shared their lives with me. It all began in California in the 1970s. I moved to Hawai‘i in the 1990s, where the adventure continues. I was blessed to have some fine gun dogs, and cherish the memories of each and every one. In these stories I share those memories with you. With my German wirehaired pointer Skeet gone and his littermate and sister, Echo, still hunting but slowing down, it was time to call my old California dog trainer friend Jim Rice to ask him to be on the lookout for another dog. Jim called back within a month or so saying he had located a breeder with a couple of wirehaired pups available–two females. He said…

The Wee Guys Fishing Tournament in Kona is the biggest fishing event of the year on the Big Island for small-boat fishermen with vessels up to 23½ feet. This year, the 130 tournament slots were filled by the end of May, and more than 30 teams were left out. My boat, THE OFFICE, was team number 102. Being a Puna-side fisherman, I needed a place to stay. I always book a room at the Courtyard by Marriott King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel for my son Chris and me because it’s the site of the event registration and the eagerly anticipated pau hana party. Three weeks before the event, I decided to buy a 2006 Chevy three-quarter-ton flatbed from O‘ahu that would have some pulling power. I planned to take our…

It was early, and I was hungry. I swam for hours looking for food, circling my spots with “the boys.” In and out of caves, up and down the ledge we went, looking for a bite to eat. Although it was still dark, I knew it was time that the group split up. I headed into shore to take a peek and see if food was attainable on the inside ledge. With the sun starting to beam through the ocean’s surface, I heard a loud rumbling sound from up above. I was down at the 450-foot mark. The noise got louder and was coming from right above me, so I decided to investigate. What I found was a small piece of driftwood with two good-looking bruddahs on board. I didn’t…

For letters, with photos, received during August we will send you these small lithograph art prints from HFN — our way of saying “thanks for sharing your catch!” . . . Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or E-mail: <hawaiifishingnews@gmail.com> Aloha! Here are some of my kids catches for the summer so far. Summer school is in session! Trying to keep the traditions alive by teaching them values and sustainability. The kids are Phoenix, Legacy, and Zaxsyn. Zaxyn is the boy with the fish in the back of the truck. Phoenix is with the single ahi that she caught and reeled in by her self. I just gaffed the fish in and brought it on the boat. She fought that fish for a little over…