Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1984 i Hawaii Fishing News

PORT Michel CENTRE de PECHERS SPORTIVE Dear Chuck, We are far from your beautiful country, but we receive sometimes your nice newspaper here in Africa. You know certainly that Port Michel Fishing Camp is the best place in the world to easily catch a large tarpon of more than 200 lbs. In fact, last season we proposed to the I.G.F.A. two new world records. The first, at 112.60 kgs (247 lbs 12 oz) tied with the tarpon of 112.40 kgs (!) caught here at Port Michel by Thomas F. Gibson Jr. in December 1980, and the second, at 99.10 kgs (218 lbs 7 oz), was caught by a woman about five feet tall and weighing about 88 lbs (wet!). We plan to try other records in light tackles (8, 12…

Marlin Action Continues Off Wai‘anae Coast ■ Marlin fishing off the Wai‘anae Coast was great during the month of August! Many happy anglers who captured mighty fighters will remember the thrilling experience of their battle for a long time. Jerry Leonard had the biggest thrill of his life when he captured a terrific 227-lb Pacific blue marlin while fishing aboard the charter boat KAMALIIKAI TOO on August 31. Jerry, along with his wife Phylis, daughter Katy, son Jerry II, and two friends, Kurt Vandeloop and Ken Le Vasseur, fished for three days with Capt. Jim Hilton and crew member Willie Burt. They hoped to capture a good size fish, but by their last day of fishing…Jerry thought he would have to wait till next year for the big one. However,…

■ Things are looking bad around the lake. The water hit its lowest point in several years, bordering once on the 48-foot mark. That doesn’t sound too bad until you realize there are approximately 18 feet of silt that have built up through the years. I’m not even sure Waialua Sugar knows that, for they are continuing to draw, and sometimes the water level can drastically change overnight. It’s lucky the aeration system was installed, or there surely would have been a fish kill this year. As it is, something strange is happening to our fish. For some reason there are a lot of deformities showing up. Acid rain? PCB? Heptachlor? What is the cause? There is one positive side effect of the low water level. It offers an excellent…

■ There is a “new” sport blossoming here on Kaua‘i: hunting fish with bow and arrow. Or should I say, arrows. Groups and gobs of arrows. Buckets, bushels, nay, veritable bales of arrows. You gotta be well-stocked on your Zen supply, too. That’s the purpose of this article. It’s simple to get started in bowfishing. All you have to do is cut a guava branch, tie up a length of cord, cut a cane-field-worth of cane tassels, stick finishing nails in the ends of the tassles, wrap a few dozen turns of mono around a tomato can (you can use a can of kernel corn if you prefer), fasten the can to your bow, and go sticker some dinner. It’s also simple to starve by bowfishing. All you have to…

■ Amid the furor over the mercury-in-marhn ban, several small voices asked the question “Why keep marlin, anyway?” Let’s set aside the matter of any possible health hazard in consuming marlin. Let’s look instead at money, mortality and management. What’s the financial impact of marlin sales? What are the hooked marlin’s chances of survival after release? And, most important, what conservational advantages might result from releasing marlin? The financial picture includes both the revenue in market sales and the cost involved in equipment lost in the releasing process. A rough survey of wholesale market prices over the past year shows marlin prices typically ranging between 50 cents and $1.50 a pound. Prices depend on the condition of the fish and the total volume of fish on the market at the…

—Hawaii Council of Dive Clubs— ■ Well, its been such a busy month for me that I almost forgot all about you folks. Sorry. My wife presented me with a 7-lb 3½ oz baby boy on August 25, and it’s been hectic around the household ever since. In past columns of Aqualine, I’ve been promising some information on the various clubs that belong to the HCDC. I will begin with the Sea Wolves Diving Club, for it was the first club I joined in Hawaii. The Sea Wolves is a small but active club, currently composed of about 25 members. There is a wide cross section of the local community represented in the club, including local businessmen, businesswomen, school teachers, housewives, and military personnel, both active duty, and retired. Members…

■ It seemed too quiet for a tournament Saturday. I wasn’t basing this observation on much experience, for this was the first fishing tournament I’d ever been to. But as the new copy editor of HAWAII FISHING NEWS, I’d read about plenty of tournaments, and this seemed too quiet for a tournament Saturday. Hawaii Kai Marina was still and the tents that had been set up for the Labor Day weekend Aloha Jackpot Fishing Tournament looked empty. I checked my watch for the time and date. Two-thirty, September 1.1 was in the right place at the right time, but something seemed very wrong. I spotted two people in the far tent. “Hi. I was wondering if you could fill me in on the tournament.” A woman turned to answer me.…

Third Annual Lihue Fishing Supply Jackpot Tournament ■ Kaua‘i County’s fifth and final shore fishing contest of the season was held August 17—19, 1984. This was the very popular Lihue Fishing Supply Jackpot Tournament. Three years ago, this contest was the first in which cash prizes were awarded from the entry fees. It set a format, which is now used to support five fishing tournaments from May through August. If you’re an avid shore fisherman and you love the chance to win prizes, Kaua‘i is the place for you to be during the summer. The format for this jackpot tourney includes six categories in which prizes may be won. They are ulua, ‘o‘io, moi, papio (9 lb 15 oz and less), other saltwater fish and freshwater fish. A contestant may…

■ “I can’t help it if I’m the best fisherman in the world!” Larry Gaffrod expressed that sentiment to me as he stepped off the MAGGIE JOE onto the pier at Kewalo Basin. Larry beamed from ear to ear as his 375-lb Pacific blue marlin was hoisted into place for some well-earned photos. As he shook hands with Capt. John DeRego, Larry confessed that he was very happy he had opted sport fishing over plans he had made to go snorkeling. I guess it is safe to assume nothing beats the thrill of capturing a marlin. Just ask Pete Bierley, captain of the BLUE NUN, about that. He’s become such an expert he’s bringing them in backwards now. A 200-lb marlin managed to get itself foul hooked as it slashed…

Hawaii Fishing News, I am not a serious ulua fisherman, but I managed to catch a big one on September 2, 1984, at Opihaele, Hawaii. My gear included a High-speed 6/0 Senator reel, #32X Tankichi, menpachi bait, and 80-lb test Izlon. In addition, I had the help of three friends, also amateurs. The previous night I had four strikes on 30-lb test line, so we got serious on the second night and put out the borrowed U.F.O. (Ulua Fishing Outfit—6/0, pole, leader, hooks, ringsand stand). Thefirst menpachi was sent down as the moon was setting at about midnight. Fifteen minutes later, a loud clang signaled a strike, but there was no hookup. A second 4-inch menpachi was sent down and, after an hour, the opinion was that it too was…

WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL News ReleaseSeptember 14, 1984 Wadsworth Yee, former state senator and present chairman of the Western Pacific Fisheries Management Council, learned today from U.S. Sen. Spark M. Matsunaga and the office of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has changed its standard of measuring mercury in billfish from 1 part per million (ppm) total mercury to 1 ppm methyl mercury. This new standard will apply nationwide to all fishes and is effective immediately. Sometime in 1984, the State Health Department adopted by reference the federal guideline as a state regulation. In early July the State Department of Health announced a total ban sales of Pacific blue marlin and other billfish over 200 lbs. At its June meeting, the Western…

■ Opelu and their cousins akule are among the most popular types of fish sold in the market and by fishermen peddling their catch along the roadside. Opelu are relatively inexpensive, tasty, and especially abundant from September through December. In addition, most fish lovers find them easy to prepare, since they’re usually small enough to be cooked whole or butterflied. My resident fishing expert tells me that opelu are also known in other parts as “mackerel scad,” so if you come across recipes for mackerel in your cookbooks, you might try some of those recipes on your opelu. Opelu aren’t a particularly strong-flavored fish and take well to various types of cooking. While most folks like to fry them, opelu can be stuffed, broiled or steamed on a bed of…

■ Many people made snide remarks when George Molholm first started talking about his Golden Marlin Tournament. “A million dollar jackpot,” the graying Dane touted in his classic old country accent. The number of doubters increased in 1983 when various circumstances, perhaps including the massive entry fee of $35,000 per team, kept the entry list down to six teams. A couple of Australians fishing with Tioni Judd boated some small marlin and took home a bundle of dough. Well this year, the doubters have changed their tune. The pessimists have gone back to predicting the end of the world, because Hawai‘i’s largest fishing tournament payoff ever has become a reality. In early September, George Molholm handed a check for $130,000 to angler Mike Kehoe and the team aboard Mike LyCar’s…

■ This year’s tournament season will be long remembered. Early on there were some fears and doubts. The pessimists laid down their predictions of gloom. “Where’s da fish?” said many, paraphrasing America’s gravel-voiced sweetheart of the Wendy’s ads. Well, in the end, the fish showed. Hawai‘i always seems to produce big fish when tournament lines hit the water, but this season, the number of big fish caught was phenomenal. The recently completed Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament is a classic example. A new record for fish caught (112) was set this year, and that only included qualifying fish of 100 lbs or better. A slew of smaller shortbill spearfish and even some rare sailfish were caught, but these didn’t show up in the statistics. These numbers imply that the people who…

■ Aloha from the Valiev Isle. Lahaina harbor had its busiest month in August with quite a bit of marlin action and, surprisingly, some rather large ‘ahi brought in. The largest marlin was caught aboard the AERIAL II by angler Tim Kirkman trom Texas. Its weight was 510 lbs. Capt. Mike Kearns and crew member Gary Bingham shared the honors on this nice fish. The HALCYON had the next largest marlin at 510 lbs. Tad Hillier of California was the angler with Cocapt, Randy (R.O.) Orkish at the wheel. Crewing was Donovan Niles. Also, marlin of 165 and 140 lbs were caught aboard the HALCYON with Capt. Dave Rockett and Co-capt. R.O. The AERIAL III took third place for August with a 465-lb marlin angled by 72-year-old Tom Jamieson of…