Innholdsfortegnelse for June 1986 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ It was Saturday, May 10, and dawn broke through the early morning clouds. The Wahiawa Reservoir had risen suddenly overnight to a point where the water level was higher than anyone had seen it in years. “Bob hadn’t intended to fish that day because he had scheduled an 11 a.m. meeting with another HFFA member to plan a future tournament,” Bob’s wife, Cynthia recalled. But as he stood on the lanai overlooking the lake early that morning, he remarked, “It’s just so beautiful out there today; I’m going out fishing for a while.” Bob put on his fishing hat, loaded his boat moored behind his house and started one of the two motors he had borrowed from a friend. As he worked his way up the lake, he stopped…

■ One of the giant ulua in the pond of the Pagoda’s Floating Restaurant hit Stan Wright’s hookless lure and ran for 20 yards under the restaurant before spitting the lure out. This 25-lb fish had come slanting out from behind one of the cement supports and had struck a light blue topped lure with the fury of his wild ancestors. Stan, Jeff Konn and I were there to meet with Harry Hayashi, the gracious host and president of the HTH Corporation, which runs the restaurant as well as the Pacific Beach Hotel. Harry’s eyes lighted with enthusiasm as he talked about fishing and stocking the Pagoda pond. Six years ago Harry and some of his children caught some small papio (baby trevally) 3 to 4 inches long off Barber’s…

Off to Far-Flung Places ■ Yeah, we were away for a while. That’s why you’ll see many references in this column to fishing elsewhere. As a matter of fact, we were fishing a stretch of Florida coastline just below Cape Canaveral when word came that the salvage boats off in the distance had located the cabin of the CHALLENGER. We considered joining other reporters at the NASA facility to gather information for a special report to HFN readers. But NASA was extremely tight-lipped about the salvage operations and their findings. So we knew we would have nothing to add to the reports already reaching Hawai‘i through the wire services. And, frankly, we weren’t very enthusiastic about trying. We hadn’t really come to grips with our feelings about this tragedy. As…

■ Normally, we don’t identify the source of our pictures, except to say they’ve been published somewhere. This one is special, however. The illustration is our artist’s rendering of a photo that appeared in Marlin magazine and was taken by fellow HAWAII FISHING NEWS Associate Editor Capt. Rick Gaffney. What’s more it shows a 641-lb marlin being boated aboard the Kona boat MALIA, skippered by Butch Chee. That’s Butch in the middle, pulling for all he’s worth. But unbeknown to him, he’s doing it all alone. His deckhand is pulling on the rope of a flying gaff that is hooked around the transom. The deckhand is really struggling at this point. He’s hauling on two gaff ropes, but because one is anchored to the boat, he’s not really helping at…

■ Aloha from Lahaina Town. The top boat for April was the ISLANDER II with the Putnam brothers, Capt. Denny and Capt. Tim. The boys landed the first-, second- and fifth-place marlin for the month. The top fish, 454 lbs, took angler Gary Sharp about 45 minutes to land. Capt. Denny was working the lighthouse off Lana‘i when the marlin came in on their number one tournament lure rigged up on the short rigger. Capt. Denny related that it was the perfect show fish, tailwalking and jumping across the water in the afternoon sun. Quite a sight. The second largest marlin, 446 lbs, had double anglers, Brian Westrick and Paul Hass. These two 18-year-olds did double duty on their marlin and had it to the back of the boat in…

■ Large varieties of fish have been caught along the Kona Coast this spring by anglers from many states and from many countries. There were plenty of mahimahi, ‘ahi, ono, spearfish, striped marlin, black marlin and Pacific blue marlin arriving at the Kailua Pier scales. Also some real large-sized tuna (‘ahi)—the 150- to 200-lb size—made a good showing here at the weigh-in scales. For instance, the ANNETTA brought in a 200-lb tuna on April 28. April started off with some 500-plus-lb Pacific blue marlin. A 544½ blue came in on the KONA LURE; a 531-plus-lb Pacific blue was caught from the LEI ALOHA; and the GINGER FLOWER had a 521½-lb blue. The largest fish for the month of April was the 825-lb marlin brought in on the charter boat SHADOW.…

A full room of participants showed up at an advertised lobster meeting held recently at the tuna cannery at Kewalo Basin. There appeared to be two factions of lobster fishermen. Lobster fisherman Jerry Ray reported that lobster fisherman Jay Herbert is asking for an immediate closed season. Conversely, processor and lobster advisory panel chairman Jed Inouye stated that a closed season was occurring naturally and there was no real decline. Further, Inouye suggested that it might be better to go back to a7.7 cl (carapace length) measurement or use an intact measurement and include a 15 percent tolerance factor. Inouye also stated that those fishermen who work for him need help to continue present fishing methods and levels of trapping effort. He also stated that limited entry was out of…

Editor’s Note: This is Bob’s last article, written the week before his untimely death in an accident on the lake he loved. We dedicate this issue of HFN to our fishing friend Bob Kincaid. ■ On April 1, Mother Nature pulled one of her patented pranks and gave us enough rain to put the water over the dam. That didn’t hurt the overall makeup of the lake, though, because the water was already high enough that another couple of feet made no difference. Throughout the month, the north fork stayed extra clear, but for some unexplainable reason, about midmonth the south fork got extremely muddy. We can only speculate that our friendly corp of engineers was up to its old tricks, fooling around with Ku Tree Reservoir. Needless to say,…

■ Windsurfer Tom Peach, who was featured on the cover of the April issue of HAWAII FISHING NEWS, is producing some impressive catches. Tom, who has a specially rigged windsurfer, uses a short rod with a 9/0 reel spooled with 80-lb test mono. On Sunday, April 13 at 1:30 p.m. while trolling off Mokule‘ia on O‘ahu‘s North Shore, Tom’s reel screamed with the run of a big fish. Sailing in water about 40 feet deep just outside the reef, Tom was running a Rebel windcheater on a 150-lb test leader. Experimenting with a new concept, Tom rigged the plug 15 feet behind a 12-inch bird purchased at Philip’s Fishing Supply. The force of the initial strike actually knocked Tom off the board. After two more runs and a 25-minute battle,…

Back at Nawiliwili, we quickly launched Arnold’s boat and put the motor on. After priming the fuel pump, Arnold gave a sharp tug on the starting cable, and the motor roared to life. Arnold and Robbie jumped into the boat and shoved off. As Arnold cut back the throttle to shift into gear, the motor died! Well, folks, for the next half-hour we took turns cranking away on that motor. That metal mule refused to start! We sweet-talked to it, swore at it, kicked it, checked all the connections, primed it, cranked it and swore at it some more. Absolutely nothing worked! It wouldn’t give even a half-hearted putt. “Gee, what is it?” Robbie asked. “Is it the motor, or is the boat cursed?” Well, we decided to haul the…

■ The fishing sure slowed in comparison to previous months. Due to unfavorable wind conditions, many fishermen stayed in port while others chose to fish the already crowded waters of Wai‘anae. It goes without saying that fish are still being caught. Harry Parks, skipper of the RED FOXX, who if you remember is one of Pearl Harbor’s steady bottom fishing fishermen, turned to trolling this month because of the high winds. Harry sure showed us that he has not forgotten how to troll. On April 13, Harry boated 50 small aku and a mahimahi weighing 25 lbs. Again on April 20, Harry returned home with a 25-lb mahimahi. Then on May 2, he topped it off with a 20-lb ono and more aku. Harry did mention that he was able…

■ The weather during the month of April proved to be as unpredictable as the fishing for the fleet at Kewalo Basin. Gusts of mahimahi, spurts of yellowfin and a spattering of marlin kept everyone guessing about the fishing forecast. A whirlwind of tournaments had all of the boats bustling with friendly competition. Several of the boats were chartered by a convention of people from the Canon Camera Corporation for an informal contest among themselves. Mahimahi catches proved predominant during the impromptu match. The PACIFIC BLUE, SHARON ANN, ELO I, and AUKAI all brought in their share of dorado while the ALII KAI picked up a 25-lb spearfish. The ILIMA V claimed the kudos with their catch of five mahimahi, including an outstanding 57-lb bull angled by Karl Krueger of…

■ It becomes an afternoon ritual for many malihini and kama‘aina on the Kona Coast. Fishing-minded tourists and local residents alike make a point of visiting Honokohau Harbor each day as the big charter boats line up on the horizon. Hopefully, their adventures brought success and a multitude of colored fish flags will fly from outriggers as the boats reenter the protection of Ocean Basin. The loyal observers gather on the elevated point by the harbor mouth or topside at the Fuel Dock. When a flagged vessel makes the grand entrance, all attention is focused on scaling in the game fish. The lucky boat snags a bow-buoy and backs into the dock where the waiting crew tosses lines and lends a hand in off-boating the trophy. A digital scale, capable…

■ Since the beginning of the migration of the Hawaiian people, the mano (shark) has been an important figure in Hawai‘i’s folklore. One famous shark linked with Pele, the Fire Goddess, was her handsome brother Kamohoali‘i, Kamohoali‘i’s name appears continually in folklore telling of the early developmental stage of the Hawaiian Islands. The story that you are about to read has been repeated in many villages throughout the Hawaiian Island chain. Island-born readers will probably recognize this story of Kanahu with a few var iations and name changes. The changes in folk stories come about in areas such as Hawai‘i where data is collected from a culture highly dependent upon oral tradition. Kanahu literally means “to bite.” Kanahu the shark was not only known for biting people but was also…

SEND A PHOTO AND LETTER ABOUT YOUR CATCH, AMP WE WILL MAh-NOU A FREE GIFT…0012 WAV OF SAVING THANKS FOR SHARING NOUR CATCH! …CHUCK SEND TO: P.O. BOX 25413, HONOLULU. HAWAII 96825 Dear Chuck, On our Easter vacation, we spent the weekend in sunny Kona. While swimming in front of the Kona Lagoon Hotel, my friend Harry and I went exploring in the tidepools. We noticed that this ‘omilu papio was caught in one tidepool and could not escape, so Harry and I trapped it between the rocks, picked it up with my T-shirt and took it home. Approximate weight—6 lbs. Mahalo,Preston Cabreira (Age 13)Harry Klaus Jr. (Age 13)Hilo, Hawai‘i Howzit Chuck, This is a picture of two tako that my dad and I caught at our secret spot where…

■ To reflect upon the tragic passing of my longtime friend and associate, Bob Kincaid, while the shock is still so fresh cannot do justice to his contributions to Hawaii’s freshwater fisheries. From the earliest days he was always willing to share information about freshwater fishing. He recognized the need for an organized voice of freshwater anglers and was instrumental in the formation of the Hawaii Freshwater Fishing Association. He understood the vital importance of communication for both the preservation and enhancement of the freshwater fishery and became a regular contributor to HAWAII FISHING NEWS. His observations were incisive, dependable and often unique. When help was needed, he was the first to volunteer his services. He was, in every sense of the word, irreplaceable. Everybody knew Bob. Everybody liked him.…

JUNE 5 and 7 Thursday and Saturday FOCUS ON MARINE LIFE In an evening lecture and lab session on some of the reefs’ smallest inhabitants, Education Department’s Carol Hopper demonstrate that computer chips aren’t the only inspired examples of miniaturization. Fee: Adults (over 16 years): $14, FOWA: $12. JUNE 17, 19 and 21 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday LIFE AT THE EDGE Science advisor Carol Hopper lectures on the hardy plants and animals of the intertidal zone. Field trips, to a sandy beach at night and rocky tide pools at day. illuminate the lecture. Fee: Adults (over 16 years): $18; JUNE 18 Wednesday MARINE LIFE AND MODERN MEDICINE” Dr. Reimar Bruening of the U.H’s Chemistry Department explains how chemists and pharmacologists find and test marine chemicals for medical use, describing how…

Author and columnist Commissioner for Hawaiian International Billfish Association ■ 1. Our first tip may actually have no point, after all. We are passing it along just in case it does. San Diego fisherman Todd Allison visited Kona a few weeks ago and dropped us a line after leaving. Here’s part of his letter. “I was surprised to see Kona fishermen rigging their lures and live baits with forged hooks. In California, we only fish for tuna with round-shanked hooks. The flat sides of the forged hooks act like a rasp. During the fight, they steadily enlarge the hook hole with every change of direction of the fish. In other words, they twist back and forth as the fish redirects, and the flat sides open up a bigger and bigger…

■ In the last “Windward Coast” report I mentioned that the ‘ahi were on the way. Soon after 1 turned in that report, I began to receive accounts of big shibi-ko off Ka‘ena Point and on Kaua‘i. Fish were coming up regularly, and, although they were not very large, they were big enough for sashimi. Mahimahi were still coming up in large numbers, mostly around the various logs and nets that frequent our area this time of the year. The trade winds have not been consistent for sustained fishing conditions. This inconsistency has made fishing a day-to-day trip. Fishing in the early part of the month was very good, and quite a few boats had very impressive catches from numerous logs and nets. Capt. Rueben Ching aboard the POPO TOO…

■ A recently acquired deep-sea camera was used to survey fishery resources at Penguin Bank, off Moloka‘i, said Richard S. Shomura, director of the Honolulu Laboratory, Southwest Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The camera was set on the ocean floor in 404 feet of water during a cruise of the NOAA ship TOWNSEND CROMWELL completed on April 18. Surveys were conducted near areas where three artificial reefs had been placed by the NMFS. Bait placed in front of the camera attracted animals from the surrounding water to the place where they were photographed. The camera, prepared by NMFS fishery biologist John T. Harrison, took a picture every minute for 2 hours. Although ‘aweoweo were the only food fish attracted to the camera, other fish, such as puffer and…

■ Aloha from the Pineapple Island. Since my last report, we have had the return of Halley’s comet, the Easter bunny, May Day, a tsunami that never struck, a full lunar eclipse and plenty of action at our K- and CC-buoys, which have been busting at the seams with mahimahi and tons of tuna that kept Lana‘i folks as happy as clams. Kazu “Skipjack” Masada has been busy enjoying his retirement by catching plenty on his daily runs around Lana‘i. He checked in with over 30 mahimahi, including a 58-lb bull. He also caught a 35-lb spear-chucker and stuffed multiple coolers to the gills with aku and ‘ahi. “Wave Rider” Fujie aboard the HOLO NALU waged his weekend war on the buoy and scored a dozen mahimahi and hundreds of…

Due to the limited space available and the large number of fish caught, catch reports are limited to tuna over 100 lbs and billfish of any size, any species. (S) = Striped marlin, (B) = Black marlin.…