Innholdsfortegnelse for January 1987 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ In January, the middle of winter, weather can be varied—ranging from very nice to very bad days. More days will be nice, but the month probably will have some severe weather that no one should be caught in. The onset of bad weather is faster than at other times, and the weather is more severe. The severe weather in decreasing events that are likely to occur are, gusty trade winds, high northwest swell and surf, cold front with gusty Kona winds, upper trough and Kona lows. Expect six to 12 days of gusty trades even though January has the lowest number of trade wind days. High northwest swell and surf continue in January. Expect about eight days with surf heights at Sunset Beach, O‘ahu, to be over 10 feet…

HCDC News ■ The holidays are past, and it is time to look forward to the new year. January means election of officers for the council’s executive board. Elections will be held at the first business meeting of 1987, on Tuesday, 6 January. All clubs are reminded to ensure their representative is present to vote. January is also the month that club dues are due (no pun intended). Each of the member clubs celebrated this past holiday season with parties and well-wishes for the new year. Each is actively planning the coming months’ activities. The Pearl Divers’ trip to Kaho‘olawe and Maui over Thanksgiving weekend was rescheduled due to the bad weather. The Sea Lancers have been busy making the arrangements for the 1987 Outstanding Diver of the Year Banquet.…

■ In Part I of this series, we reviewed the traditional system used by Hawaiians prior to Western tontact. In Part II we outlined the changes that took place during the past century with the destruction of konohiki rights and fishponds, with the introduction of modern fishing equipment and techniques, and with the ruin of nearshore marine habitats. In this concluding part, we will take a look at modern fishery management plans. The overwhelming consensus is that marine life in the main Hawaiian Islands is declining, especially in nearshore waters. Major complaints have focused on overfishing, gill netting, introduced species, the lack of enforcement of marine laws and inadequate marine laws. Seeking more information, I contacted Don Heacock, the District Aquatic Biologist for Kaua‘i. “There is still a lot of…

■ Aloha from Maui. If one or two of you noticed that HFN wasn’t quite the same last month, my apologies. I had a hectic schedule and couldn’t get the Maui catch report out on time. For those interested, October saw lots of nice weather and very few fish (outside of the large marlin caught in the Lahaina Jackpot). November, on the other hand, was full of gale winds, large surf and mahimahi. For the brave few who persisted, the fish cooperated nicely. The Ma‘alaea charter boats pounded around out there and brought in some nice fish. The NO KA OI III with Capt. Joe Yurkanin brought in three billfish during the month; the largest was a 344-lb blue caught on the 1st by Randy Brisco from Manhattan Beach, California.…

■ Happy 1987! New Year’s Day hails the first day of the fishing season at Kewalo Basin. All of the charter boats busily pursue the prestigious “first marlin of the year.’ The annual Captains’ Jackpot plays a small part in the competition, but the real thrill is announcing that you have just boated “The Fish.” Some very convincing fish stories seem to pop up at the end of every good New Year’s Day. There is always a bit of good-natured teasing about the fish that got away and tales of adventure about the ones that didn’t. After the fishing and along with the stories, excitement and backslapping there inevitably come a few cups of cheer. That’s not to say all of the captains partake in the spirits of the moment.…

■ Thanks to research by home economists and scientists, reporting by the media and the intelligence of health-conscious consumers, Americans have developed educated palates. Our concerns about cooking and eating healthfully steer us away from prepackaged and “fast” foods with their high sodium and fat contents and direct us toward selecting the freshest, healthiest ingredients to use in “scratch” cooking. Contrary to popular belief, cooking from scratch does not have to mean hours of meal preparation. In our busy society, we’ve learned to adapt recipes that make cooking fast, easy and tasty. The staff of Waimea Elementary and Intermediate School on the Big Island capitalized on the present interest in fast and healthy cooking with their cookbook, The Educated Palate. The cookbook, with 700 fast, easy and tasty recipes shared…

■ The first series of winter waves spawned by North Pacific storms reached O‘ahu‘s North Shore on Monday, November 3. The small boat harbor at Haleiwa is home port to a group of fishermen who leave early every day to fish the waters between Ka‘ena Point and Kahuku. This particular morning, four of the boats headed for the fishing grounds. Early marine broadcasts had signaled a high surf warning, but it was a bit early for the channel-closing waves that occur several times in the winter months. As the boats spread out, open-ocean swells were getting noticeably higher, but wind conditions were good, and the sea was quite pleasant. At midmorning, a call to Junior Hookala at the Hale‘iwa Harbor Ice House confirmed that the surf was rising to substantial…

■ Please use our Fishing Forecast as a general guide to what is normally available this month. We won’t take the blame if Mother Nature messes up her grand design with poor fishing—nor will we take the credit for unseasonably good catches. Big Game Pacific blue marlin, poorest. Last year, Kona fishing started off in a grand way. Capt. John Prettyman checked in with a New Year’s baby of 1,229 lbs. A typical January fishing day, however, sees about half a dozen blues checked into the pier for the whole fleet, and that’s slow fishing. Largest marlin for Lahaina last January was the 185-pounder boated by Capt. Mike Kearns’s FINEST KIND. Off O‘ahu‘s Windward Coast, the biggest blue was a 200-pounder on the SEI-BOP. A 580-lb marlin on Capt. Ray…

Largest Fish (Regular Tournaments) 1986 President’s Day Tournament 1986 Four Flags Tournament 1986 Labor Day Tournament 1986 Fourth of July Tournament 1986 Memorial Day Tournament…

■ Do you have an interesting fish story? We invite our readers to share those stories that are both humorous and unusual. Stories submitted should be as factual as possible and limited to 500 words. Pertinent photos are more than welcome. As our way of saying thank you for sharing your unusual tale, we’ll send a complimentary HAWAII FISHING NEWS cap to readers whose stories are published in this column. Send your humorous or unusual fish story to HFN/Sounds Fishy to Me, Atten: Jeff Konn, 2474 Kapiolani Boulevard, Suite 1703, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96826. □ Longtime shorecaster and good friend Doug Fujii of Kaua‘i used to invite my brother Wendell and me over every summer for some good papio fishing. On one particular summer day, Doug took us to Anahola Beach,…

Dear Chuck, Enclosed are some samples of the favorable mail we’ve been receiving for “Fishing Tales With Mike Sakamoto.” As you know, Mike has made numerous public appearances on all islands recently, and wherever he goes, people tell him how much’they love and appreciate the show. Naturally, we’re very happy. As you can see in these letters, and as you should have known when you wrote the review of “Fishing Tales,” your readers and our viewers could care less about what you had to eat when you were invited to our little preview screening. Your readers want to know more about that which impacts and enhances their love of the fishing sport, and have little regard that you did not enjoy yourself for lack of a lavish spread of food…

Look for Tiny, Tiny Marlin ■ The Pacific Gamefish Research Foundation (PGRF) is interested in acquiring some tiny marlin to study. Dr. David Grobecker, Scientific Director of PGRF, told us. he’s heard persistent rumors about night fishermen who have seen small marlin gather under their lights while ika-shibi fishing. Dr. Grobecker told us there have been virtually no studies of marlin under 10 lbs. As a result, there is a large gap in our understanding of the life cycle of billfish. Examination of the ovaries of female marlin suggests that Hawaii is a spawning area. If so, the fish resulting from last summer’s spawning could now be a few inches long, perhaps even a foot or more. These “fingerlings” might still be here, or they may have traveled off with…

Introduction ■ This month in Part III of “Shore Casting Basics,” we will conclude what turned out to be for me an interesting and informative venture. In Part I we discussed the gear and equipment required to become a shore caster. In Part II we went a step further to choose and prepare the terminal tackle required to engage in this interesting and unusual sport. Now in Part III we will attempt to apply Parts I and II. Casting I’ve had several discussions with fellow shore casters on the best method to cast, and I’ve gotten several opinions on how to get the most distance. We’ve illustrated the basic casting style in which you are pushing with the top hand and pulling down with the lower hand. Think in terms…

■ Wayne Yanagisawa and I were invited to go fishing with Rody and Joe DaSalla on Halloween weekend, Friday, October 31, to Sunday, November 2. Our destination was Papa‘ikou, where Rody had caught his 87-lb ulua. We left Friday after work, and, after arriving there, Wayne and I immediately set up camp and started to put it to the lead. Rody and Joe came later, brought their things in and returned home to take their kids trick or treating. Wayne and I began waiting for the first ulua strike, but instead we got tohei strikes. Between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., I had about seven strikes, and four of them cut my 40-lb anchor line. Finally, Wayne caught a tohei. Boy, it was a biggie! Fresh bait!! But it was…

■ “The old guys did it,” Rufus Spalding said, reflecting on the Chuck Machado Light Tackle Tournament held in August. By the “old guys,” Rufus meant his team on the KEALIA and the trio of Zander Budge, Ian Bowman and Jim Pietsch on the SUZIE Q. Zander’s team won the event based on a spectacular effort, and Rufus’ gang placed second with a catch that would have earned him an award for “outstanding angling achievement” in any contest ever staged. Zander may not look very old, but I attended his 60th birthday party so long ago I can’t remember when. And Ian is a contemporary of his, though perhaps a bit younger. How Pietsch got involved, I don’t know, because he’s in his mid-30s. (I guess they realized they needed…

■ The illustration is our artist’s rendering of a photo published in a national magazine. It shows a deckhand swinging a mahimahi aboard a charter boat by pulling on the leader. The fish has not been gaffed or controlled in any other way. What do you think of that practice? Not having been gaffed, the fish isn’t marked in any way, so none of the meat has been ruined. Though that is an advantage, disadvantages abound. 1. Suppose the hook is not well set and it comes free when you pull on the leader? You’ve lost the fish. Worse yet, you’ve yanked the released hooks back aboard the boat where they just might rip into someone standing nearby. 2. If the hook stays in, it’s your flying mahimahi that might…

■ The lonely young Kele sat staring up toward the lush rolling hills of Lana‘i. He yearned to be with his brothers and neighborhood friends climbing and racing through the green valleys and hills. He wished he could be chasing the pigs and dogs or just helping Mom and Dad in the taro patches. That was not possible, however, since he suffered from an unknown disease that limited his ability to walk and run. When Kele was born, his mother, Kanani, and father, Kalani, took Kele to their kahuna lapa‘au (medical doctor). The Kahuna recognized that Kele had a health disability that he could not cure so he advised Kele’s parents to take Kele to the ocean to participate in a thorough cleansing and washing. That was the only advice…

■ Throughout history a fishing pole with a line attached to it has been used by just about every fisherman trying his luck. No matter what type of fishing each individual is involved in, a particular rod is made to fit that type of fishing. Whether it is a super ultralight rod or a strong ulua pole or a trolling pole that can handle a large game fish, every fisherman has a favorite, or a “good luck,” rod that he is partial to. But as time progresses and the elements start to take their toll on your fishing rod, your rod wraps become damaged and your rod guides need changing, what do you do? Some fishermen wrap their own rods; but what about the fishermen who don’t? Well, I found…

Ke‘ehi Sport Fishing Club ■ The first ever A and B Tournament was held on November 22 and 23. It is sure to become a yearly event. Rarely has a tournament generated so much competitive spirit. Each team had a captain, chosen because he had caught the most fish for the year. Ke‘ehi’s best “fish catcher,” Vincent Park, was captain of the A Team. Vince caught 2,387 lbs of fish while trolling from his boat, the NO HU HU. The B Team captain, Richard Watanabe, caught 2,166 lbs. Richard captains the PACIFIC BLUE TOO. Twenty-eight boats of the 42 in the club, the best turnout for a tournament this year, joined this event. The prize was a dinner cooked arid served by the losing team members. A special flag fish…

■ Rough, windy and all-around ugly fishing conditions dominated on the Windward Coast for much of the month, and the fish were very hard to find. Winter months are usually very productive fpr mahimahi; however, the past winter and this winter have been exceptions. Mahimahi action has been very slow, and those that are caught are small in size. Let’s hope the fishing picks up and conditions improve so that we can enjoy the new year. Kaiser Hospital has a super fishing supervisor in Wendy Cockett, and she has the fish to prove it. Wendy was coming back from the Lahaina Jackpot Fishing Tournament aboard Reuben Ching’s POPO TOO when a marlin struck off Moloka‘i. Everyone jumped into action and let Wendy fight the fish. After all, there were side…

■ Over after-dinner cocktails my friend Jack and I talked about our next-day fishing trip. Or, we started to discuss our trip. But dinner had been preceded by three double margaritas apiece, after which we moved to the large koa dining table where we polished off a bottle of red (a presumptuous 1947 Lafitte-Rothschild something-or-other), and, now, drowsing before the fireplace, stomachs stretched out to here from a ballast-load of Christmas turkey leftovers, tongues in the process of dissolving from the corrosive effects of too much Frangelico, our attentions, um, wandered. I shouldn’t blame the booze, not entirely. Jack is a born wanderer, especially in conversations. He’s a bit of a philosopher and even looks like what one might imagine a lover of wisdom to look like: medium height, rounded-heavy,…