Innholdsfortegnelse for April 1989 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ Weather-wise, this is a transitional month between our winter and summer. This means that the surface cold front of winter and the upper trough of summer can “meet” over the islands in April. The result is a few days of bad weather with heavy rain and gusty winds. Bad weather doesn’t occur every April over Hawai‘i waters, but it happens often enough, or the potential is there, to warrant being aware of its possibility. Trade wind days continue to increase-about 75 percent of the time we’ll have trades. Expect eight to 15 days of gusty trades. High northwest swell and surf action is tapering down. Expect only about two days of surf 10 to 15 feet high at Sunset Beach, O‘ahu.…

■ It seems that more and more Hawaii fishermen are complaining about the decreasing quality of Hawaii’s fishing environment, the fact that there are fewer fish availabte to local fishermen and the general state of the ocean environment off our shores. Some of these complainers are taking their gripes to government; some are wonting to educate the public. A while back, HAWAII FISHING NEWS received a copy of a letter to Department of Land and Natural Resources Chairman Bill Paty from concerned Honoka’a resident Gloria Kanemoto. Along with the letter was a petition signed by a number of fishermen who were upset by the continued degradation of the fishing experience along the South Kohala coastline. More specifically, they were upset with the use of surround and cross nets in Kawaihae…

■ The seafood and pasta combination has lots going for it. First, it’s a good way to use leftover fish; second, pasta is a nice change from rice and is even more delicious now that stores carry the fresh-packaged variety; and third, non-fish eaters who love sauce-laden pastas don’t realize they’re earing fish until it’s too late! This month’s recipes are all extremely easy to prepare. I know I say that all the time, but easy is the only way to cook! Lemon-Shrimp Pasta (one of my old standards from Sunset magazine) ¼ cup white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1½ tablespoons honey 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh ginger 1 tablespoon shoyu Pinch of cayenne 1½ pounds large shrimp (about 30 per pound), shelled and deveined 12 ounces fettuccini 1…

■ The big kaku lay motionless deep in the dark recesses of the giant kiawe tree’s shadow. The. area was layered with a thick blanket of mangrove and kiawe trees that provided perfect protection from the stiff blowing trade winds that swept the area. I crouched down low and kept a constant eye on the floating kaku; I had been stalking him for 15 minutes through the brush, and I had finally come close enough to make a cast at the 3-foot long brute. The kaku in this area were very wary about what they attacked; artificial lures proved good for nothing except a sore arm after tons of casts. I was convinced. that live bait was the only thing to attract these toothy critters. I was well-prepared for the…

■ I’m writing this with great trepidation. The fishing method to be described here has great potential for harm because it can be unbelievably effective. One of the first mornings we tried it, for example, we hooked 20 fish-an assortment that included ‘omilu, kagami, giant trevally, kahala and uku. Ulua populations are extremely vulnerable to overfishing. All indications suggest that ulua grow slowly and don’t travel much. We now use this “deep jigging” method solely for sport and research. All hooked ulua are tagged and released unless there is simply no way they can survive hooking injuries. We’ll make a deal with you. We’ll teach you this technique if you agree to be a part of the tag-and-release program. Otherwise, read no further and burn this issue of HFN so…

■ The 1988 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 became effective on November 23, 1988. One of the major issues covered by these amendments involves the allowance of incidental take of marine mammals during commercial fishing operations and the replacement of the General Permit System for that allowance with a five-year exemption program. Under this new exemption system, all U.S. fisheries are required to be categorized by the frequency of incidental taking. Once the fisheries are categorized, vessels in the appropriate fisheries will be issued a form of identification (decal and/or registration document). Depending upon the category, fishermen will be required to submit reports documenting incidents of interactions with marine mammals and may be required to take observers. With the data col-, lected on interactions and the…

First Ulua-First Ono ■ During the winter months the sea conditions are usually poor, and that affects the fishing. On the morning of February 5, after two months of bad weather, Capt. Itsuo Kitamura set out on his boat, the PINK LADY, for an exciting adventure. Masatoshi “Mugs” Nishida, Bobby Shiroma and I were the crew members aboard. After leaving Wailoa Ramp that morning, Capt. Itsuo decided to troll for ono, because the sea conditions were good. At 7 a.m. lures were set on five poles. As we traveled along the reef, we could see campers enjoying the weather. An hour passed, and Mugs said, “Where are the fish, Captain? Take us to the fish.” “Don’t be silly,” Capt. Itsuo replied. We finally reached Kapoho lighthouse and decided to keep…

Dear Chuck, I decided to show off mt/big catch of the summer. I went fishing one morning in late July with my uncle, Ed Sorenson, and two other cousins. We had fished down the north part of the Napall Coast on Kaua’i and were heading back when we scored these two fish. The papio was about 4 lbs and the ulua was about 16 lbs. Thank you for sharing this. Mahalo, Toby King Kilauea, Kaua’i Dear Chuck, Enclosed are pictures of a few fishing buddies. One is a picture of David Sugiyama holding a good size bluegill. The other is of Clyde and Ella Shin-sato with their nice 2-lb tuc. These and many others were caught on a recent outing to Lake Wilson. Hope to be as lucky during ulua…

■ Last year’s fishing season had to rank as one of the best in recent history. Now that winter is gone and spring is here, we can look forward to better weather, and hopefully overall better water conditions. Most of you will agree that summer is the best time for fishing; and, with that season rapidly approaching, you have to ask yourself if you are ready for the upcoming fishing season. The big question marks right now are probably your rods and reels that have been sitting in your closet since last Thanksgiving. You quietly ask yourself, “Are my reels frozen? Did I damage my poles last season? Will my fishing gear hold up?” I get flashbacks of that detective movie in which Inspector Callahan, a.k.a.: “Dirty Harry,” asked, “Do…

Yes, It Is-Yes, It Is-Yes, It Is ■ The International Game Fish Association is sticking to its original decision in the case of the 96-lb, maybe-it’s-not-an-‘omilu. Few people suspected that ‘omilu (bluefin.trevally, Caranx melampygus) grew much over 25 or 30 lbs until Honolulu dentist Harvey K. Minatoya caught the controversial 96-pounder at Christmas Island in December of 1987. When the IGFA recognized Dr. Minatoya’s fish as a world record for the species, many anglers doubted the fish was correctly identified. Some felt it was really a giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) or a hybrid bluefin/giant trevally. Because of the hue and cry, the IGFA re-examined the matter and submitted photos of the fish to eminent authorities in the fish-identifying business. IGFA President Elwood Harry wrote to us to describe the results…

■ On Saturday, February 18, 1989, eight members of the West Maui Casting Club all ended up fishing at the same spot. They had heard that Club President Richard Arase and his friend Dale had caught two ulua there the previous night. After everyone finished casting, there were 16 poles lined up on the beach. At 8:15 p.m. the action started, and by 9:30 p.m., when it was over,, there were five uiua lying on the beach. Wayne Watanabe caught four of the five ulua that came up-that night. Layne Otomo caught the other one. What was Wayne’s secret? Well, while everyone was back at camp drinking beer and having a good time, Wayne was busy throwing palu next to his pole. Fortunately for Layne, his pole was right next…

A Big Fish Story ■ December 31, 1977, was the day the Hawaii Freshwater Fishing Association record for the largest largemouth bass caught at Lake Wilson was set. The lunker was caught by Dick Roudebush, and it weighed in at a whopping 7 lbs 2-p oz. This lake record still stands today. A lot of 6-pounders have been caught in the last two years. As far as I (Russ) know, the closest to the record was the 6-1 b 10.9-oz (certified digital weight) bass caught by Lloyd Kupau Jr. back in 1988. Because all these 6-pounders have been caught, many of the lake regulars have mentioned that there have to be 7-pounders in the lake, too. In March of 1989, David Yingst caught a huge bass during a club tournament.…

■ Many of you readers out there are familiar with the many articles written by HFN feature writer Peter Dunn-Rankin. His travels into the far corners of the Pacific have resulted in many fabulous fishing stories that he has shared with all of us. Peter, an accomplished topwater fisherman, is the originator and inventor of the highly popularized PILI surface lure. Without a doubt, this resin surface popper has changed forever the way we local anglers go after certain game fish, especially papio and ulua. In addition to being an avid surf and shore fisherman, “Pete,” as he likes to be called, has in the last couple of years taken up the art of canvas painting. In just a brief period of time, he has become well-known for his personal…

RISKY BUSINESS and Robert Carroll ■ I thought I was working on a really exciting story until I ran into Robert Carroll, who fishes out of Hana, Maui. Robert, age 46, was featured on the March 1986 cover of HAWAII FISHING NEWS; he was holding some nice looking lobster. Now I have the opportunity to share with you readers Robert’s exciting story and his love affair with the ocean. Robert came to Hawai’i as a teenager in 1957 with his single mother. They settled in Hana, and, by the time he was sixteen, he was selling his first fish. During those youthful years, he owned his own boat and he used surround nets for moi and throw nets, or he dove for tish that he would sell around the many…

■ Like a lot of Christmas Island first-timers, Gary Au’s enthusiasm was enervating. He’s heard the stories, read the articles in HAWAII FISHING NEWS and talked to everyone he could find who had already been there. Finally he and fishing buddy Scott Kono were winging their way south on an Air Tungaru charter flight, headed for a week of papio and ulua heaven. If they could have trolled out the window of the Aloha Airlines jet, I think they would have tried. They rigged leaders, sharpened hooks, fiddled and fidgeted as the two hour and 45-minute flight carried them toward what they knew would be the best fishing of their lives. Gary’s enthusiasm was two-fold; he was not only headed toward ulua mecca, but he was also armed with bags…

Drunk Boaters and Volunteer Marine Patrol Officers? ■ As expected, the boaring under the influence bill is back this year. Essentially it is still a clone of the highway DUI law, but some new language from the Coast Guard’s recent CFR 33 has been added. Unlike last year, a request for funding for more patrol officers is also included in this bill. The proposed law establishes a definition of intoxication and sets penalties for the offense of operating a vessel under the influence. It is important to note that the offense targeted is operating a vessel while intoxicated. To be charged, you do not have to be involved in an accident, you just have to be drunk and carrying out an essential role in operating a vessel underway. The worrisome…

■ It was a tough winter for fishing and for weather; just when you thought one would improve, it would disappoint you. Fishing has been below average, even for the aku boats, but higher prices have helped the commercial fishermen maintain their income levels. The price of aku is a barometer of fishing activity. A high price indicates a lack of aku, which means there is not a good chance that the average guy is going to catch a lot of fish. A low price indicates an abundance of the fish and a good chance of successful fishing. When the weather is questionable, the aku boats provide valuable information to the smaller boats by reporting the actual wave heights and wind speed and direction. Many fishermen keep a close eye…

■ Lt. Gary Napert, an intelligent and friendly pilot with short, red hair and blue eyes, expertly guided our huge cargo plane down on the coral runway of Kure Atoll in one of the smoothest landings I have ever experienced. Kure (pronounced “curry”) is the northernmost atoll in the world. The circular reef and major small island, called Green Island, is more than 1,200 miles west-northwest of O‘ahu. Kure, along with other islands and atolls in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands chain, is actually part of the city and county of Honolulu. Kure’s white sand beach, crystal-clear lagoon and abundant bird life are delights to the eye. The island is quite small, measuring 1½-miles long and about a half mile wide. Jeff Konn and I and other media representatives were invited…