Innholdsfortegnelse for September 1988 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ SEPTEMBER A TRANSITIONAL MONTH BETWEEN SUMMER AND WINTER, IS USUALLY THE MONTH WITH THE LEAST BAD WEATHER. IT WOULD BE THE MONTH OF THE LOWEST BAD WEATHER ACTIVITY IF TROPICAL CYCLONES DID NOT APPEAR IN HAWAI‘I WATERS. THE POTENTIAL OF A TROPICAL CYCLONE INVADING OUR WATERS IS ABOUT THE ONLY MAJOR THREAT DURING THE MONTH. TRADE WINDS WILL STILL PREVAIL BUT THE GUSTY TRADES WILL BE AT THEIR MINIMUM FOR THE YEAR: ONLY ABOUT FOUR DAYS IN THE MONTH. NORTHWESTERLY SWELL AND SURF HEIGHTS ARE SLOWLY PICKING UP, BUT THE VERY HIGH SURF IS STILL A MONTH OR MORE AWAY. SOUTHERLY SURF ACTION IS DECREASING, BUT THERE’S STILL A CHANCE OF A HIGHER THAN NORMAL SWELL FROM THAT DIRECTION.…

■ A new milestone was passed along the road of collaboration between sportfishermen and research scientists during the 1988 Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament (HIBT) in Kona. For the first time ever, marlin hooked up by, anglers during a fishing tournament were tagged with ultrasonic transmitters so that their movements could be tracked by research scientists waiting nearby aboard a pursuit vessel. This collaboration was advantageous to all concerned because the fishing teams still scored 200 points for the tag and release of the fish, and the scientists had over 80 fishing boats with a chance of hooking up to a marlin suitable for tracking. Of course, everyone will also benefit from the insights into marlin behavior and movements that the tracking data will provide. For the past six years, Dr.…

A History of Scientist/Sportsman Cooperation ■ The 1988 Billfish Symposium is the second time anglers and scientists from around the world have gotten together in Kona to discuss mutual concerns and interests in a major conference. That first session in the summer of 1972 generated worldwide interest, forged bonds between the fishing and scientific communities and laid the foundation for what eventually became the Pacific Gamefish Research Foundation. In subsequent summers, the HIBT hosted scientists on a smaller scale through mini-symposia, offering them the chance to conduct research on freshly-caught marlin during the tournament and to continue developing sportsman/scientist cooperation essential to the future of billfish and billfishing. HFN Associate Editor Jim Rizzuto covered those early years for Field & Stream magazine. An article he wrote for the January 1976…

Hilo Casting Club Tournament ■ This was a record-breaking year for the Hilo Casting Club Tournament. A total of 5,817.4 lbs of fish were weighed in during the 13th Annual Tournament held June 16 through 19. One hundred fifty-three anglers participated, and 63 hauled in 216 fish. Among the catch were three ulua of more than 100 lbs. This year’s first place largest fish award went to Richard Arai of Hilo. He brought in a 107.8-lb ulua. Richard also won the fourth place largest fish award with an 88.8-lb ulua. Richard’s catch this year garnered over $1,000 in merchandise. Among the prizes were two round trip tickets, one from Aloha Airlines and the other from Hawaiian Airlines, accessories, a 6/0 Penn reel, 80-lb Maxima line, a stainless steel slide gaff,…

Don’t Foul the Water ■ Hawai‘i boat owners who keep their boats in the water at a harbor, in a marina or at a mooring site are familiar with bio-fouling of props, rudders, struts and bottoms. Here in the tropics we suffer from the quick build up of marine organisms on our boat bottoms, more than most places in the world. The popular solution to bottom growth is an antifouling paint. These bottom paints used to contain high amounts of copper, but modern anti-fouling bottom paints are more likely to contain TBT (tributyltin) which, the manufacturers will tell you, is more effective. TBT may well be more effective than the copper-based paints of old, but it is also a great deal more toxic, both to those applying it and to…

■ Local superstitious customs influence charter boat captains in the strangest ways. Some skippers believe these traditions determine whether they’ 11 be successful or “skunked.” For example, the banana. In Hawaii it is regarded as “bad luck” to bring the fruit on a fishing vessel. The saying goes “banana on boat, no fish in boat.” The reason, as told by a few old-timers, is “its peel is slippery, and if you have a hookup the hook will slip out of the fish’s mouth.” A staunch believer, Capt. Chris Lightfoot of the COREENE C-III, related an incident involving bananas on a charter. “We had 12 hookups and couldn’t hang on to one; plus three of the lines became tangled. I knew there were bananas on board. I proceeded to the lower…

■ When Palau’s Koror-Babledoab bridge was completed in 1977, its bright lights attracted schools of bait fish. At night dozens of bigeye trevally waited under the bridge in the shadow of the light, their noses to the tide, their eyes twinkling—horses in the starting gate. Now and again one would charge the edge of the light, creating phosphorous streaks and crashing splashes as it sought the errant sardine. I was in Palau because Rod Kimura, the manager of the Bank of Hawaii in Guam, had sent me pictures of bigeye jacks he caught under the K-B bridge. The biggest of these fish had been bitten in half by a shark, but it would have weighed more than the current all-tackle record! I took long, light poles, light line, and homemade…

■ It usually starts around 4 p.m., that question that pops into our heads every day of the year: “What shall I fix for dinner?” How often do you stare into your open refrigerator or cupboard, praying for something to jump out saying, “Have me! I’m ready to serve!” Let’s face it. Some days, we cooks just don’t feel creative. Although we don’t want to feed our families “the same old thing,” we don’t always have the energy, time or desire to whip up a great, new taste sensation. Well, we’ve been overlooking the obvious! Our kitchens have in them lots of ingredients that can change a basic recipe into something new—even sensational — without any effort at all! Take tomatoes. I don’t think there is a kitchen in the…

■ One month after Hilo’s Casting Tournament, my friends Kei Kado and Dale Takeguchi came over to the Big Island to do some fishing. I advised them I had plans to go to Mahana Bay or further in at South Point to meet Brad Perez to do some whipping and baitcasting, Brad’s style. Kei and Dale were willing to try it out as well. By the time I got there, Brad already had a 20-lb ‘omilu, and, as I started to whip, he had another hookup. We were using the Whopper Poppers that Brad manufactures. His hookup eventually broke line, and as for me, white wash!. At Mahana Bay, Kei and Dale were challenging the gusty 45 mph winds and blowing dust, but that night a monster of a strike…

■ They’re here! Finally, after a long wait, the yellowfin tuna have arrived, and they are biting enthusiastically. The ‘ahi have been quite cooperative in taking artificial lures and dead bait, and the green stick method has been equally successful. Most of the ‘ahi schools have been seen in the areas known as the second and third valley, 25 miles from shore. There have been other fish taken near the LL-buoy and farther out. It appears the ‘ahi are not going to come very close to the island, and the fishing range of the smaller boats will be tested. I would urge all fishermen to check and test their safety equipment in the event of an emergency, due to the increased distance between fishing areas. It seems strange that a…

■ The prestigious Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament celebrated its 30th birthday this summer in an exceptional manner, which included one of the best turn outs of both anglers and billfish in the proud history of Hawaii’s best known sport fishing competition. By the time it was over, a Hawai‘i tournament record of three fish over 700 lbs had hung from the Kailua scales, and there were two other fish over 500 lbs, which helped make the event a cliff hanger. As many as four teams had a reasonable chance of winning it right through the fifth and final day of fishing. The Blinker Sport and Gamefish Club of Hamburg, West Germany scored the first European team victory after boating marlin of 704½ and 602½ lbs two days running. The team,…

■ The 5,000-lb Great White Shark photo above and caption came to HFN courtesy of the International Game Fishing Association through their publication, The International Angler. The IGFA has been serving recreational anglers across the globe since 1939. As their 50th Anniversary will be celebrated in 1989, all of us here at HAWAII FISHING NEWS would like to extend our congratulations and thanks.…

■ If you fish for papio long enough you’ll find that there’s more than one way to skin an ‘omilu. Fishermen can be the most ingenious people. The problem, of course, is how to make a fish bite your lure with total conviction. Most people approach a new problem based on their previous experiences in similar situations. In this case, the individual is a Texas bass guide by the name of Pete Smith. Pete’s favorite fish, the largemouth bass, has a temperament similar to the ‘omilu, and probably would hit Pete’s favorite bass lures, like the Zara Spook, Rebel Pop-R, Heddon Lucky-13, and the Heddon Tiny Torpedo. Kenny Takashima, captain of the ROBALO I, has guided more ulua and papio anglers than any other captain I know, so when he…

■ The rocky finger of lava protruded out beyond the high cliff line of Manele Bay, a perfect spot for whipping. The black Rebel Windcheater that was tied to my line was drawing blanks, but I was convinced big fish were in the area. The steep coral ledge that disappeared into deep blue water was excellent roaming ground for predatory ulua and papio. I repeatedly made casts over the area with the Windcheater, hoping for a sudden strike, but nothing happened. I finally decided to change lures and dug into my backpack, searching for an appealing lure. I came up with a black 1½-oz Reef Ripper. The Reef Ripper is quite similar to a PILI lure only the body is made of wood, making it quite indestructible to savage ulua…

6th Hawaiian Dredging Fishing Tournament ■ Talk about contrasts, last year this tournament was so poor that a 6¾-lb ‘ahi won the side jackpot for fish of the day. The first prize in qualifying fish went to the team with a 43-lb marlin. This year 15 marlin were caught in the one-day event. The winner was a 216-lb marlin, and fish of the day was a 156-lb ‘ahi. Talk about turnabout! Fifteen marlin in one day has to be some sort of record. This year we had everything going for us. The seas were flat and the winds light. The marlin knew where we were, and We Host another six to eight to overeager anglers and light strikes. Wai‘anae was the right place and this tournament will be hard to…

Say What? ■ Misinformation is tenacious. Here’s an example from the category, “If you don’t know what you’re talking about, blame a scientist.” The following quote comes from a nationally-circulated magazine on big game fishing: “Marlin can only see in shades of black and white, according to some biologists.” We’ll bet no biologist ever said that. Every fishing writer and editor should be required to read the February 1982 issue of Scientific American, in which the studies on color vision in fish are reported. The research demonstrates that marlin and tuna see everything in shades of blue and green. If you think about it, that makes sense. Almost everything in their world is blue or green. Undoubtedly, they also see black and white—but not only black and white. Here’s another…