Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2019 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ This past August, six divers, four of whom are from Hawai‘i, proudly represented the United States at the 2019 CMAS World Championships of Freediving, held in Roatan, Honduras. This was the second consecutive year that the United States Freediving Federation participated in the world championships. Hawaii and other U.S. Divers have been participating in this competition for decades, diving under different club names. Team Captain Wins Bronze & 2019 Team America Sets New U.S. Records at Championships Competing with elite professional divers from 30 different countries, Team America placed seventh overall, and four of the six team members set new U.S. records. Daniel Koval, this year’s Team America captain, set a new national record and brought home a bronze medal in the Constant Weight Mono Fin Division after diving…

The Newest National Security Cutter Arrives in Hawai‘i Coast Guard cutters KIMBALL and MIDGETT were “brought to life” on August 24 during a rare dual-commissioning ceremony at Base Honolulu where the two cutters home-port. “These national security cutters will continue our 150 years of partnership and commitment to the Pacific region–since September 1849, when Revenue Cutter LAWRENCE sailed into Honolulu Harbor, escorted by Native Hawaiians in outrigger canoes,” said Adm. Schultz. “In today’s complex geostrategic environment with rising great power competition, the importance and demand for a strong Coast Guard presence in the Pacific has never been greater.” From the Bering Sea and the Arctic to patrolling known drug-trafficking zones off Central and South America to working to strengthen the capabilities of our partners across the Indo-Pacific, national security cutters…

Women Learn Skills at Venues Across Hawai‘i Island ■ Forty-five women, mostly from Hawai‘i, spent a few days in early September being schooled in outdoor skills during the first-ever “Becoming an Outdoors Woman” (BOW) retreat in Hawai’i. This is the Aloha State’s initial foray into a 20-year-old international program that sponsors skill-development weekends in 41 states, seven Canadian provinces and seven other countries. Andrew Choy, DLNR’s hunter education coordinator, led a team of 20 instructors, trip leaders, drivers, observers and cooks, with the collective purpose of making certain the newly learned outdoor women had rich and rewarding experiences. They succeeded, according to participant Kathy Camp of O‘ahu. On Saturday, the second day of BOW, standing far below Mauna Kea, preparing to go on a trail ride, Kathy remarked, “This has…

DLNR and NOAA Ask for Help Dealing With Upcoming Coral Bleaching Event ■ Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Coral Reef Watch program indicates Hawai‘i’s coral reefs are entering a major bleaching event within the next two months, if not sooner. Rising sea temperatures are likely to cause corals in Hawai‘i’s waters to bleach and even die. According to NOAA Scientist Jamison Gove, “Ocean temperatures are extremely warm right now across Hawai‘i. They’re about 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than what we typically experience. If the ocean continues to warm even further as predicted, we are likely to witness a repeat of unprecedented bleaching events in 2014 and 2015.” “We’re already observing bleaching of corals in West Hawai‘i, along with some paling of other species at some of…

Another Amazing Fishing Trip ■ Aloha from the Big Island. One day I started a lot later than usual. I got out on the water at around 10 a.m. I was not expecting to find any bait because it was so late, so I brought a few bags of frozen ‘opelu to troll around and do some bottom drops. I was trying to get some food for family and friends. Plus, I’m always on the search for that moment most fishermen crave: holding the rod tightly as the line peels off the reel, not quite knowing what’s on the other end. I actually ran across a bait pile and was able to catch one to use for live bait. I let the live one out on a Nitta zip tie…

■ “So, what did you do during kidtime?” This topic often came up when I spoke of my childhood days and of course now when I do my parent-talk with my daughters with the . . . “when I was your age” . . . bit. I was not the most daring member of the family growing up but I always enjoyed the excitement of going fishing. With minimal knowledge of the “how-tos” of fishing but with the ever-present youthful enthusiasm, I was always ready for a new experience. Many of my KIDTIME ADVENTURES centered around fish, fishing, the oceans and streams. The ‘Opelu Run “The ‘opelu are running!” announced the arrival of an exciting summertime event. The word that schools of spindle-shaped mackerel scad were around in the deep…

■ The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s first event of their new “Know Your Ocean Speaker Series” will be an inspiring presentation by Nainoa Thompson, a master in the traditional Polynesian art of non-instrument navigating who led Hokule‘a’s celebrated global “Malama Honua” (Care for Island Earth) voyage. When: Tuesday, Oct. 8. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Presentation at 6:00 pm. Where: At the historic ‘Iao Theater in Wailuku. Tickets: $10 to $20 with reserved seating. To purchase your ticket, please visit http://bit.ly/NainoaThompson. About Nainoa Thompson Nainoa Thompson is President of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. Inspired by his k‘puna (his teachers) he has dedicated his life to exploring the deep meaning of voyaging. On long voyages, Nainoa came to appreciate the Hawaiian concept of “malama” (caretaking). “Our ancestors learned that if…

For Spinning and Conventional Rigs, Freshwater or Saltwater Fishing! For years, Tony Lopez of Fishing Solutions produced small- and large-diameter bell holders for Hawai‘i’s anglers. These bell holders fit all sizes and brands of shoreline casting rods and alerted anglers of nibbles and strikes. Now Tony resides in Texas, and he has just released his new Bell Buddy for Hawai‘i’s anglers. The product’s intended purpose is to hold a light stick, which can visually signal early nibbling. I find this product very helpful. On one fishing outing, a school of jacks passed by and my rigs went down one at a time, with the bells ringing loudly. This attracted other fishermen from 100 yards away, and my spot was no longer my spot. Now I only put bells on my…

Kawaihae Marine Research Center Jupiter Research Foundation, based in Los Altos, California, and Puako, Hawai‘i, wants to lease up to 2 acres and build a state-of-the-art marine research center at Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor–South. The foundation plans to constructa 14,000-square-foot office building and electronics workshop, and a 2,400-square-foot attached garage for its research vessel, the May Maru. The foundation anticipates 17 office and three boat employees. The foundation is headed by Joseph D. Rizzi, chairman and CEO, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who co-founded Liquid Robotics, the wave-glider robot company bought by Boeing, the airplane and defense contractor. Jupiter Research Foundation’s high-tech work includes research on whales, wave-glider instrumentation and the electrical behavior of plants. Marine research will focus on how climate change, plankton cycles and microplastics affect the ocean…

Hilo Trollers August Tournament Results ■ The Hilo Trollers held their fifth monthly tournament of the season on Sunday, August 4. The weather report was iffy because of swells, no wind and chop, so the ocean was flat and safe offshore. Sixteen boats were entered and eight landed qualifying flag fish. The largest marlin and largest fish overall was a 128.1-lb beauty landed on the HOLOKAI by Capt. Ricky Torres and crew. The second largest fish overall was a 104.5-lb marlin landed on the KEALANI by Capt. Nathan Mattos and crew. The largest ono was a 32.9-lb fish landed on the CARLA H by Capt. Jimmy Hiraki and crew. The largest mahimahi was a 13.7-lb fish landed on the HIILEI by Capt. Ryan Sanoria and crew. The HIILEI’s mahimahi won…

Ciguatera toxicity is a serious health issue in many parts of the world, but in Hawai‘i ciguatera toxicity is relatively low. Consumers are encouraged to continue to catch and eat fish, but officials recommend that everyone learn more about the risks associated with eating certain species of reef fish in Hawai‘i. Knowing general information about the toxin, and where and why it occurs can decrease your risk of exposure. Many fishers and doctors alike have thought that the location where the fish was caught might provide an indication of toxicity risk. Scientists have concluded that this is not true because the migratory nature of fish and the variations in feeding behavior prevents the use of location as a potential screen for ciguatoxicity. Studies have shown that the ciguatoxin is more…

For the past several years, there has been anecdotal evidence that Hawai‘i Island game-bird abundance has been in decline. There has been a significant reduction in sightings of birds feeding alongside island roadways, and hunters report fewer meals on the table. The continuing drop in spring turkey hunting harvest results was reported in the June issue of HFN. Available game-bird harvest data for the past five years was reviewed. The total number of game birds taken of all species per each hunter trip made, as reported at each of three hunter check stations, is shown in Figure 1. The results are reasonably consistent, showing a continuing diminished bird take over the recent five-year period. Similar data combined for corresponding spring turkey hunts conducted at two locations are illustrated in Figure…

Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or E-mail: <hawaiifishingnews@gmail.com> Hey there! Been a good month for feeding ‘da family. Spearfishing in the water. Mahalo, Wil Akana Puna, Hawaii Aloha, HFN I was spearfishing with my friend Copelan at Makai Pier in Waimanalo on a rough day. Just as we got to the breakers, 3 awas came swimming right in front of me and I managed to shoot this 22-lb Awa in the head. It was fighting pretty hard, but after Copelan slowed it down with a three prong back up shot, we managed to stop it. It was my first awa, and my first shot with my new speargun! We were very excited and screaming, giving God glory in the water! Mahalo, Devin Swanson Honolulu, HI Aloha, My…

This article is reprinted with permission from a new magazine: PMA, which stands for Positive Mental Attitude. <www.getthatpma.com> Paepae o He‘eia is a nonprofit entity that is working to repair and restore an early Hawaiian fishpond steeped in legend and lore. It was once the spiritual and political center of a complex society in the Ko‘olau Poko district of Windward O‘ahu. A strict kapu system was in place at the pond for generations. All who contributed to the fishpond’s function earned a right to its bounty. Gruesome executions and human sacrifice awaited those who broke bespoken laws. It’s been recently designated as part of NOAA’s National Estuary Research Reserve System. He‘eia Fishpond is a marvel of human ingenuity, cooperation and a living monument to a profound, native understanding of resource…

Catch of tuna and tunalike fish in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) saw a 6-percent increase in 2018 from the previous year. A total of 2,716,396 metric tons (mt) was caught–the second highest in recorded history. These tuna trend summaries were presented by the Pacific Community (SPC) to the Scientific Committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) when it met in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), this past August. The WCPFC Scientific Committee meetings are held annually for scientists and interested parties to review the status of highly migratory fisheries in the WCPO and make possible conservation recommendations for the WCPFC to consider. The United States is a party to this international commission, which develops tuna quotas that impact commercial longline, purse-seine and pole-and-line…

Monster Flounder Meets Diving Wahine ■ It was mid-morning on the North Kohala coast. The wind line was already encroaching quickly and we noticed how the current was charging along shore, creating rippling in the other direction. My buddy Chris Funada and I agreed it was still a beautiful opportunity to dive. It was my first time to this spot and I was excited. We spent several hours shore diving, making our way to the drop off. We were enjoying hunting a structure at depth, which is always fun when your buddy is a great diver. It was great training, but no luck. We had plenty of ground to cover to make it back to shore and we noticed the current had switched on us. Heading back in we see…

After attending the Alaska Reel Adventures “Salmon Bake” event in Honolulu, all my wife Florence could talk about was the butterfish. Sablefish, known in Hawai‘i markets as butterfish or black cod, are not actually cod. They range from Alaska to as far south as California and Japan, living at depths of 500 to 3,000 feet, which makes them hard for anglers to reach. Since they live in the deep water, electric reels are a must. Two circle hooks with cut bait are dropped to the bottom using a 4-lb. lead weight. It takes about 10 minutes or so for your baits to reach the bottom. Take up the slack and watch for the tell tell nibble. When the rod tip bounces up and down all you have to do is…

■ Our 10th grade students worked on a fishing project during two semesters, starting in October 2018. They provided community service and studied the food web of He‘eia Fishpond. They also designed and made lures to catch the predator fish in the fishpond. We partnered with HFN on a writing piece where students described their project and experiences. I gave students the choice of writing a poem or writing a narrative of their experiences. . . . Billie Elusive Lure by Jack Fukui The sun was blazing but that didn’t stop me from casting my lure. I casted my lure several times and got the hang of it, or so I thought. Right around my tenth cast I wanted it to go far and so I swung my pole as…