Innholdsfortegnelse for February 1987 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ Two different conversations at my 20th class reunion reminded me of the polar opposite opinions of ulua fishermen regarding the use of light tackle in pursuit of our favorite adversary. “It’s crazy to use anything lighter than 60-lb test for ulua,” one classmate announced assuredly, recounting experiences at Christmas Island and in Hawai‘i to back up his claim. In another conversation, during the same weekend of renewing old friendships, classmate Terry Baird went into great detail on the capture of ulua on fly fishing tackle. Fly tackle allows a maximum of 16-lb test! A quick look at the IGFA world record book will show that when an angler is fishing from a boat light tackle is extremely effective on ulua. In fact, the 16-lb test world record is 78…

■ As I worked my way along the lava edge, I paused to toss a shiny plug at a likely looking fish area. The water was very blue where the lure first landed. As I made my retrieve, the lure scooted out of the blue and across the shallower reef. There were three ‘omilu darting back and forth maneuvering for position. Within a second I was out of water! Confident I would get a striking response, I cast out a little farther in the direction of where the trio was last cruising. After several more casts with no results, I decided to keep moving. It felt good to be there fishing. I had finished a job early. It was still a nice morning, so I decided to do some spinning.…

■ December is the month when many people decide to take a vacation. In December 1986, the fish did, too! It seemed a shame that the crew of the TINA REI was preparing for a charter at 5:30 a.m. on Christmas Day. The fishing was slow, and the holiday atmosphere would soon dissipate after a few hours of silent trolling. Capt. Pete Bierley and mate John Smith got the boat ready as Marcie Walker brought the food and beverages aboard. (Marcie works in the Island Charters office and has also been known to give John a hug or two.) Pete and John stopped their work to give Marcie a hand with the food. “Wow! Look at all of this stuff!” the men cried. “Is that a whole roast turkey? Potatoes,…

■ Most of the labor for the street entrance improvements to Honokohau Harbor is coming from community members who are more commonly seen at sea on Kona’s sportfishing vessels than at the business end of a pick or shovel. Led by Otis “Red” Butler, new president of the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club and owner/skipper of the venerable MARLIN QUEEN, this hard-working group of volunteers is turning both sides of the Kealakehe Parkway, which leads into Honokohau Harbor, into an attractively landscaped reflection, of pride in the state’s most important sportfishing harbor. Kona Outdoor Circle (and HBGFC) member Art McKay brought the sensibilities and financial resources of the KOC to a meeting with Butler and HBGFC member Phil Parker last December, initiating the beautification project. The indefatigable threesome then pursued…

(Reprinted from Honolulu Advertiser, January 22, 1987) ■ Evangelito Etrata of Lana‘i has been sentenced to five days in jail for spearing an undersized octopus. People involved in fish and game enforcement said yesterday they cannot recall anyone previously being jailed for a similar violation. Maui deputy prosecutor Rob Maez said Maui District Judge Yoshio Shigezawa was annoyed that Etrata had three prior convictions for similar offenses—taking undersized octopus and using fine-meshed nets. Any octopus weighing less than a pound is illegal to take from the ocean. According to court observers, Judge Shigezawa wants to make an example of repeat offenders. Etrata, 34, was fined $500, ordered to pay another $25 for the dead animal and required to spend five days in jail beginning tomorrow. Although Etrata was fined the…

■ The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council held two public hearings on a proposal to control entry into the bottomfish fishery conducted in federal waters in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The first hearing was held on Kaua‘i, the island closest to NWHI fishing grounds; the other was held in Honolulu, where most of the NWHI bottomfish vessels are homeported. Both public hearings were well-attended by a very good cross section of fishermen who either fish for bottom fish in the NWHI, in the main Hawaiian Islands or in both. Fish dealers, vessel insurance agents, representatives from environmental organizations, staff from government agencies and individuals of various other affiliations also attended the hearings. The proposal to control access into the NWHI bottomfish fishery was developed by the council at the…

■ There are so many varied activities for the youth of Hawai‘i today that it pleases me greatly when I hear the youngsters zero in on talks of their fishing experiences. Their stories remind me so much of my fishing experiences during my youth. I once overheard a heated discussion in which a young boy told his girlfriend that the ‘o‘opuwai was the same fish as the ‘o‘opukai. The girl’s reply was, “Oh, you’re so stupid. If the two fish were the same, they would have the same name!” Although I didn’t know those two youngsters, I volunteered an answer to satisfy both of them. Basically, I told them that both fish are ‘o‘opu (goby fish) but one was able to adapt to the ocean so it took on the…

■ Is Kona’s reputation as a sportfishing center being tarnished by sport fishermen who don’t play by the rules? Hugo von Platen Luder thinks so. “Huggo” is a longtime Kona fisherman and owner of charter boats. Even if you aren’t a fisherman, you’ll recognize the name from the waterfront restaurant Huggo has turned into a Kona landmark. The “rules” of sport fishing, if such really exist, are those laid down by the International Game Fish Association (1GFA). The IGFA sets the standards by which records are set, and these regulations carry over into the daily pursuit of game fish, defining “sport fishing” in the process. Breaking the rules won’t earn you a fine or a jail term. It’ll get you a questionable reputation, though, one that reflects on your ability—even…

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

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) = Biack marlin and T = tag and release, weight estimated.…

■ Bill Hulick and Bill Patrick, who temporarily lived in Los Angeles and San Diego, respectively, returned home after a year of unproductive fishing in California. They brought with them the latest in stand-up, custom-made, fish-fighting equipment from the West Coast. Capt. Steve Panfiglio, with crew members Russel “The Professor” McRae and Lyle “Hollow Leg” Okuda on board the Rimson HOKULELE, was successful in refreshing the memories of the California boys. They tested the new equipment by landing a 241-lb blue marlin. After the crew watched the video tape of the action taken by Hulick of Bill Patrick. He said that the best part of the ordeal was “sinking in the gaff.” The marlin was caught using live aku for bait at the MM-buoy. One beautiful day Capt. Steve Vidinha…

■ Aloha from Maui. December is a month normally associated with good bottom fishing and not-so-good surface fishing. Last year, though, Santa brought good fishing for almost everyone. The offshore weather was beautiful throughout the month, and the fish were biting everywhere. The north shore fleet was on top of the action again, bringing in tons of mahi for Maui seafood lovers. For a long time Dennis Alvarez was the Maui Trailer Boat Club’s top mahi slayer but a few months back he sold the old GENA, and some other members moved in on his title. Well, watch out gang, because Dennis is back with a new 22’ Yellowfin with the same name. He took the new GENA out on her maiden voyage in mid-December and picked up 11 mahi.…

■ “The waters around the boat were boiling with ‘ahi; I’d never seen anything like it,” said Jocelyn Everette. “Everything was perfect—the weather was good, we had just put new 16-lb line on the reel, and we’d just picked up the perfect-sized bait—when I got hit.” Jocelyn would fight that “hit” for the next 10 hours and 10 minutes on 16-lb line. Her husband, Kelley Everette, at the helm of their boat, the NORTHERN LIGHTS, would follow the fish some 15 miles before they were able to boat it—a 120½-lb ‘ahi on 16-lb line, a potential women’s record. The Everettes had been looking for that fish all summer. Jocelyn, 27, a licensed charter captain, and Kelley have specialized in light-tackle fishing since they put the NORTHERN LIGHTS in the water…

SEND AND LETTER ABOUT YOUR CATCH AND WE WILL MAIL YOU A FREE GIFT…OUR WAY OF SAYING THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR CATCH! SEND TO: P.O. BOX 25413, HONOLULU, HAWAII 96825 Dear Chuck, On a recent trip to Fiji, while diving, we happened upon this beautiful “pack horse crayfish” weighing in at a nice 5+ kilos. Many mahalos,Jeff SaphoreKihei, Maui P.S. You have a lot of faithful HFN readers in Fiji, too. Dear Chuck, Here’s a picture of three papio weighing 3½, 2½, and ½ lbs my girlfriend Nanette caught while whipping at a secret spot on the Leeward Coast with 8-lb test line and a Kastmaster lure. Her expression shows It all. Keep da press rolling,Space Cowboy Pearl City, O‘ahu Dear Chuck, Here’s a picture of one of my best…

■ 1. Ever play catch with an ulua? A few years back we reported on an experience we had when tossing pieces of bait to several ulua held captive in a pond. The fish were able to spot the bait as it flew through the air and accurately intercept it as it struck the water. Since these were someone’s pets, the action stopped there. On the other hand, Honolulu angler Mel Moore found a wild fish off the Kohala Coast of the Big Island willing to play the same game and ended up landing a 34-lb ulua. Mel was fishing on the Big Island toward the end of June at a beach near Spencer Park. Since the water is too shallow for slide-baiting, Mel was dunking with the rig shown…

■ The morning air was still and crisp as I got out of my car in the bitter darkness. I could barely hear the songs of awakening birds when a loud splash cut the silence: “SHSHSHSHSH…BOOOSH!” I was totally stoked, listening to all of this while standing in the dark. It was then that I realized that a large predatory fish was lurking nearby. Remembering similar experiences, I guessed that it was an ulua or giant trevally. These voracious predators are downright awesome when they invade the shallow waters of the flats. I’ve seen ulua as big as 80 lbs tearing through 2 feet of water in nothing flat which totally amazed me; I had thought fish that big would never attempt to come up in water that shallow. As…

■ For the average American boat owner and future owner, recent legislation reforming the country’s tax laws will have little or no effect on the “after-tax” cost of pleasure boat ownership. With the exception of nondeductibility of sales tax paid on all consumer purchases beginning in the 1987 tax year, the majority of other tax rules relating to boat ownership remain the same. Included is the provision for certain boats qualifying for deductions as second homes. “A large majority—86 percent—of our customers earn less than $50,000 annually, so that they will be in a new lower tax bracket. This should result in a small increase in discretionary income for the group,” suggested National Marine Manufacturers Association president Jeff Napier. “Discretionary dollars buy boats, so boat buyers and, in turn, our…

■ All six winners of the zone awards at the 1986 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament have already filed entries to defend their new titles in the 29th Annual HIBT to be held off the Kona Coast next August 21 to 30. The zone awards were made for the first time at the 28th renewal of the oldest billfish tournament in the Pacific, one of the world’s most prestigious angling contests. A total of 73 teams from 21 different countries fished in the all-invitation event in 1986. The Guam Billfish Club won the Asian Zone; the Nomads Gamefishing Club of South Africa won the Africa, Europe and Middle East Zone; the Bermuda Anglers won the Latin America and Caribbean Zone; the Beverly Hills Yacht Club captured the North American Zone; the…

Aquatic Biologist Division of Aquatic Resources Department of Land and Natural Resources Stale of Hawai‘i ■ What has 10 arms, a bird beak, eagle eyes, tail fins and jet propulsion? No, not some creature from a science fiction story, but a squid. In addition to being popular fishing baits and important links in the oceanic food chain, squids (muhe‘e or ika) are becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen, as well. Most people in Hawai‘i are familiar with these animals, but what they do not realize is that there are more than 50 different types of squids in Hawaii waters. This article will help to identify some of the squids encountered by offshore fishermen, provide some information about their biology and include tips on how to catch them. Squids belong to…

Dear Chuck, Here’s a first for HAWAII FISHING NEWS: we call it, “The Last Dive!” Shown here are the groom, best man and ushers. We made the last dive together on the day of my wedding, just before the ceremony, and bagged a. nice 4 lb uku. From left to right top row: Kenny Lee and Bernard Young. Bottom row: Eric Lee, Chris Dolan and Bruce Bauman. Bernard YoungHonolulu, O‘ahu P.S. Here’s proof that fishermen have class, too. Dear Chuck, Here’s a picture of my friend Joe Strona with a nice 37-lb uku he caught while spear fishing with friends off of Hawai‘i Kai. I watched him spear this monster with his speargun and watched the fish swim off with his shaft, only to turn around and head straight back…

■ A recent trip to the Great Barrier Reef for a look at the world famous black marlin fishery there reemphasized Australia’s successful approach to billfish (and other fish) conservation. In Australia, billfish (and other species including ulua) are considered to be “sport fish,” and as such they are nearly always tagged (for scientific research purposes) and released—to grow larger, procreate and fight again. The goal of charter skippers on the Great Barrier Reef is to maximize the number of tags they place in a season, not the number of fish they kill. During this past season (October to November 1986) boats tagged and released in the neighborhood of 50 fish per boat”—nearly one fish per day of fishing. The primary goal of all Great Barrier Reef skippers, and virtually…

FREE GIFT! FOR LETTERS AND PICTURES RECEIVED DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, WE’LL SEND YOU A FREE HFN VISOR. Dear Chuck, My wife and son are standing next to a 231-lb ‘ahi and a 38-lb ono my father, brother-in-law and I caught trolling off Maui earlier this year on our boat the EHU KAI Our fishing chair was broken so we ended up handlining the ‘ahi in. It only took about 15 minutes, but, boy, what a world of a workout we enjoyed! Mahalo, Chuck, Jack Williams Kihei, Maui P.S. Since we came in late we weighed the fish the next day, so we may have lost some pounds. Dear Chuck, I speared this ulua on Kauai’s north shore; it was my last shot of the summer! Lucky for me,…