Innholdsfortegnelse for January 1989 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ What do a Corvette Stingray and a shark have in common? They share a kinship with the Hawaiian stingray, a recent addition to the Waikiki Aquarium's Hunters on the Reef exhibit. The obvious connection between the car and the ray is the classic Corvette Stingray sports car favored by hot rodders everywhere. In addition to sharing a name and ominous appearance, the two possess a similar set of “gill” slits on their sides. While these slits are merely an embellishment to the car, they are a distinguishing characteristic of all rays and sharks. Rays and sharks are related; they all have cartilagenous skeletons and have their gills in separate slits. Stingrays possess another unique feature: a venomous spine located on the top of its whip-like tail. When threatened, the…

■ “Hey, Syd!” The tanned, handsome fellow in shorts and slippers looks up from his bubbling tanks and grins. The public address system of the Waikiki Aquarium pages someone while the surf murmurs in the background. “Hi Dale. How’s it going? I’ll be right with you.” I’m at the aquarium to interview Syd Kraul, a larval fish culture specialist who’s currently raising mahimahi (the common dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus) from eggs to adulthood here in a small area behind the aquarium. Kraul grew up in Hawai‘i, then attended the universities of California and Maine where he received degrees in zoology. On his return to Hawai‘i he worked with oyster, marine shrimp, mullet and mahimahi aquaculture at Makai Range and the Oceanic Institute. Kraul started his research at the aquarium as a…

■ Some of Hawai‘i’s most important seasonal tourists–the humpback whales-are here for the winter. We all need to welcome them and make sure their stay is relaxing, pleasant and comfortable. The humpback whales that winter in Hawai‘i are among the last of a huge population of these massive marine mammals that once roamed the Pacific coasts on either shore of the world’s largest ocean. Hunted relentlessly by U.S. and international whaling fleets, the population was decimated to a fraction of its former self. Historical records indicate that humpbacks may have started migrating to Hawai‘i in response to the whaling pressure, and that they seem to have been unknown in these waters in the days prior to the last half of the 19th century. At one time, the future of the…

■ The water was flat and calm as Stan Hanzawa turned the 19’ GlasPro boat toward the open ocean and opened the throttle on the OMC Seadrive outboard. Over the loud roaring of the engine. I talked with Sian, Don Carroll and Ted Teramoto about our fishing strategy for the day. We planned to use ‘oama (juvenile goatfish) as our primary bait throughout the day and use the slow-troll technique (2 to 4 knots). Because the ‘oama season was in full swing, we were very optimistic about our chances of catching some nice papio. After leaving Keehi Boat Harbor, we made a turn toward the airport reef runway and began to set up our equipment, which consisted of light tackle spinning outfits that were loaded with 6- to 12-lb test…

◼ 1. If you aren’t picking ‘opihi, you aren’t catching papio,” Kimi Bryce hollered to us from the bridge of the NO KA OI IV as he eased the 40-footer into the shallows off the backside of Kaho’olawe. ‘Opihi cling to the rocks in the crash of the surf–the same swirling madness where papio hunt. They like the confused swiri where unsteady creatures lose their bearings and flail helplessly for the last few unmolested seconds of their lives. Seeing the frantic jerk of a disoriented fish or footloose crab, a papio turns mugger. And, to make the things pounce on our lures, Kimi reminded us, we had to whisk them within an inch of the rocks, even if that meant occasionally pounding them against the hard biack lava. We had…

■ This year’s Annual Lahaina Jackpot Tournament had the makings of an excellent event. The. weather was looking exceptional, and the marlin action off the North Shore of Moloka’i had been unbelievable. There had been over 80 marlin taken off the North Shore during the three weeks prior to the tournament, and the local boats were feeling a slight advantage by knowing where their “secret stash” was kept. It was quite a sight on the first day to view the 122 boats at the start. At least 115 boats raced off toward the North Shore, and a few boats headed to the backside of Lana’i and the Four Hills area off Maui. The AERIAL, with Capt. Chris Rose, Co-capt. Mike Kearns, team captain Doug Redding, Ken Schlotfeldt and R.K. Wooten…

DEAR HAWAII FISHING NEWS, I noticed that one particular pier in Hawai’i is in dilapidated shape. Whenever my father, uncle and I go fishing, we always run into some kind of problem at the Sand Island Boat Harbor. I think the harbor needs many improvements. I think the number one priority is to install more launching ramps. This is the most important because time and time again we’ve had to wait 20 to 30 minutes just to launch our boat. I think the second priority is to make more parking stalls. This needs to be done also because very often there is no parking, which delays us also. My uncle, who drives the truck, sometimes has to wait 20 minutes just to park the truck and trailer. The third priority…

Precautionary Measures ■ Fishing on the Big Island, one should first familiarize himself with the ocean and the weather conditions. There are several ways to help predetermine these conditions. For one, call your local forecasters. Second, call a friend who knows through years of experience how conditions might be at certain times of the year at certain locations. Third, check charts in the newspaper, the monthly issues of HAWAII FISHING NEWS or annual fishing calendars. Keeping track of your own statistics every time you venture out might also help you plan your future trips. Another way to pin down an area with the best fishing conditions is to contact the National Marine Headquarters and check the ocean’s currents. Of course, all of the above sources may not help all the…

by Fuel Dock Fishing Center Due to the limited space available and the large number of fish caught, catch reports are limited to tuna over 100 lbs and billtish of any size, any species. (S) = Striped marlin, (B) = Black marlin and (T) = Tag and release, weight estimated.…

Yes, You Can Catch Tilapia ■ More than 350 children invaded the Capitol on November 6, and an equal number of parents were dose behind. The day was windy with a threat of rain, but, the reflecting pond was flat, and the tilapia were hungry and waiting. Governor Waihee caught the first fish. The children were eager; some had arrived as early as 7 a.m. They stood in groups and discussed strategy, a lot like adults ready for a day of fishing. Orange Halloween bags, filled with Fritos, candy and bread for bait and provided courtesy of Times Supermarket, were everywhere. The children positioned themselves around the pool. Moms and Dads were close by, ready to give instructions, take a fish off or bait hooks. Some participants were first-time fishermen…

■ Hawai‘i’s oldest and only statewide fishing club dosed out its 79th year of active benefit to the offshore fishermen of the state with the organization’s annual awards banquet. The mid-November event marked the end of a fishing year that included the club’s first major overseas visit, a trip to the All-Australian Bicentennial Fishing Tournament in Sydney in April by 13 teams of Hawai‘i Big Game Fishing Club anglers. The awards event was held next to the canoe hale of the Kai E Hitu Canoe Club at the old Kona Airport Park and featured traditional luau fare, and some Tahitian and Marquesan delicacies whipped up by the Kimitete family, purveyors of the banquet. As the awards for a year’s worth of club events were distributed, it became apparent that the…

SEND A LETTER AND PHOTO PURING THE MONTH OF JANUARY AND WE WILL SEND YOU A LUKR JENSEN KROCOPILE CASTING AND JIGGING LURE. OUR WAY OF SAYING THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR CATCH. …CHUCK SEND TO: P.O BOX 25413, HONOLULU HAWAI‘I 96825 Dear Chuck, I caught a 1½-lb barracuda and a 4-lb papio. They both gave me a good fight. Those are my first two fish over a pound. I caught them at Mokule‘ia. By the way, I’m 9 years old, and the shirt I’m wearing is my cousin’s. Your Fish Catcher,Lane NogawaHonolulu, O‘ahu Dear Chuck, The month of June was terrific for ‘o‘io. Here is one of the better catches from a Sunday morning. The larger ‘o’io weighed about 8 lbs. While liuebaiting with ‘oama, I caught this nice pair…

■ Outer island fishing trips are always an adventure. The Atlapac Casting Club’s recent journey to Lana’i was no exception. The trouble began on the day before the trip when several club members decided to cancel out and the planned ground transportation turned out to be unavailable. Great way to start a trip! Atlapac is a resourceful club, though; and, with the help of Jeff Konn, we were able to rent a four-wheel drive truck on Lana’i at the last minute. One four-wheel drive pick-up wasn’t going to handle seven guys and half a ton of gear, but at least it was a start. We’d also been given a few names of people who might be able to help us out. So with no real plans and one truck waiting…

■ In the morning the sun was at our backs. We cast from the red roof of a 27’ Copra skiff. A purple, blue and pink lure arced 85 yards across the surface of the mottled emerald-green sea and made a crash landing at the edge of the reef. It drew the attention of the predators, and after three quick pulls, an attack was launched. From 20 yards away two ‘omilu, their backs breaking water, rushed the darting lure. At another time, the bottom seemed to move and charge. Here was the giant ulua. Not as agile but more ferocious than the bluefin, the ulua missed the first lure, charged after the second, and then finally took a third that has been thrown into the melee. Our group of 10…

■ The wahines finally got their wish. They had perfect weather tor the 11th Annual Lahaina Wahine Tournament, plus, before the event, the bite on the North Shore of Moloka’i had been exceptional. So ail but two of the 40 boats entered headed to the North Shore. The HINATEA captured the top honors with Carol Holt’s 245-lb Pacific blue marlin. Capt. Doug Barna was at the helm. Carol and team member Jill Reiley’s crew consisted of deckman Jeff Honings, Carol’s husband, Bob, and Jill’s husband, John. “It’s still pretty hard to believe,” said Carol. “I know that I did it, but it’s still…hard to believe.” Carol fidgeted with six or eight chopsticks as she told me her story. “We were out there all day long, with nothing. Everybody around us…

■ While searching for “The island of cloves,” Spanish explorer Capt Hernando De Grijalva briefly sighted the island in the year 1537. However, it wouldn’t be until two centuries later that a British explorer by the name of Capt. James Cook, who, on his third voyage to the Pacific, would set foot on and proclaim his new discovery “Christmas Island.” The date was December 24, 1777. Today in 1988, Christmas is no longer the “mystery” island that it once was. Not only is it a welcome stopover point for merchant vessels continuing on through the Central Pacific. “Kiritimati” (Gilbertese for Christmas) also continues to play a vital role in our understanding of outer space. A joint U.S./Japan satellite tracking facility is permanently stationed on the island. The facility provides invaluable…

■ The cool strong trade winds of the winter did not last long enough to produce the consistent fishing cycle that normally occurs at this time of year. Normally the mahimahi appear in open schools in which they are quite large and will take cut baits. Rubbish or floating objects will have smaller mahimahi around along with ono and shibi, which can also be quite large-50 lbs or more. However, after a few days of open schooling and after we had a few rubbish areas, the mahimahi disappeared and were replaced by medium-sized aku and marlin. The large amount of aku available was confirmed by the aku boat catches, and I personally saw more marlin brought in than I normally do in the late fall and early winter. The marlin…

■ The excellent fishing conditions continued through November, with the North Shore of Moloka’i and the backside of Lana’i showing many productive days. The EXACT had an excellent day on the North Shore of Moloka’i. Three Pacific blue marlin and one striper were boated, and three other stripers were tagged and released. Capt. Roy Dickey and” crewman Mitch Koss picked up their seven marlin all within a five-hour period. They started off with their first bite at 8:30. Angie Smith landed a 112-lb blue about a mile northeast of EE-buoy. At 9:15, the EXACT had its second hookup. Chuck Mandell landed a 245-lb blue after an hour-long struggle. As crewman Koss was setting the lines back out, they had another attack, but nothing stuck. Mitch got all the lines set…

■ It’s too bad Chuck Johnston didn’t get a copy of Mike Sakamoto’s new book in time to review it prior to the HAWAII FISHING NEWS December issue. My opening line would have been “The perfect Christmas present for any island fisherman.” Mike Sakamoto grew up fishing island waters, and, since becoming a full-time fishing personality, he has had the rare good fortune to fish with hundreds of Hawai‘i’s top fishermen. Mike has always been a quick study, and everyone familiar with Mike’s musings in HAWAII FISHING NEWS, The Honolulu Advertiser and other publications or his first how-to book, Pacific Shore Fishing, is well aware of his ability to impart basic to highly technical fishing knowledge in easy-to-understand terms. Those who tune in to his television show on KGMB-TV have…