Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1989 i Hawaii Fishing News

The sun was slowly dwindling on the horizon as I walked down the sandy beach and prepared to cast my ulua pole. The fast-tapered Fenwick SU1389 rod was neatly matched with a Penn Jigmaster that was extended to give the reel added line capacity and lightness. The Jigmaster was loaded to the bars with 40-lb test Ande monofilament, a favorite choice of mine mainly because of its easy handling and superb castability. The water was shallow, and long casts were a must. Hitting the outside channel would almost guarantee some kind of strike, but a cast of at least 110 yards was needed. I layed the rod tip on the sand and concentrated on making a good bird’s-nest free cast. After taking several steps, I put it to the lead…

As gasoline refiners phase out leaded gasoline, many so-called lead substitute additives have been introduced, and their manufacturers claim everything from anti-wear protection to increased horsepower. Because there are no industry specifications, boaters and RV owners who are attempting to prevent engine damage that can be caused by unleaded gasoline are forced to rely solely on manufacturers’ claims. It is difficult or impossible to determine which product works and which does not, and has definitely created a “buyer beware” situation. In response to consumer and engine manufacturer concerns, two reports on the effectiveness of fuel additives have been submitted and published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The SAE accepts, audits, and publishes test data on fuels, lubricants and other products to be used in American petroleum, automotive and…

Dear Fishermen: Hawaii’s fishing: community faces a serious problem and we need everyone’s help to solve it immediately. By now you are all aware of the friction between some longline vessels and small boats off the Waianae coast of Oahu. Conflicts among various fishermen in other areas through-out the state have also been reported periodically. More than 15,000 boats are registered in Hawaii and many of them are used for fishing to some degree. With so many vessels in search of fish, conflicts among various gear types are inevitable. Some conflicts are resolved easily due to the nature of the gear used and size of the boats; other gear, such as longlines, cannot be moved or avoided easily. Hawati’s longline fishermen, with their larger and more seaworthy vessels, do not…

With a cannonlike boom and a high arching aerial flare, the Fifth Annual Aloha Jackpot was under way. The flotilla of 80 boats ranging in size from 16-foot mosquitoes to modern 52-foot high-tech fishing machines gunned their engines and headed to their favorite grounds. The speed at the start was short-lived, however, for once beyond the protected waters of Maunalua Bay the fleet was met by mountainous 10-to 12-foot seas driven by two days of gusty trades. It seems ironic that each year the Aloha Jackpot, which is held over the Labor Day weekend, is plagued with marginal sea conditions, especially when you consider that for two weeks prior, the ocean around O‘ahu was as calm as the word “Pacific” implies. We were fishing aboard HFN’s 18-foot Shark Cat, a…

Aloha and greetings from the Pineapple Island? What pineapples? The only sugar loaf I’ve seen lately is on the mural on the main building of the up and coming Koele Lodge. Maybe we should call this the “Construction Island.” Or how about the “Destruction Island?” This place is changing fast—too fast—and unfortunately not for the better. It is out of our hands, but, hey, we can still go fishing! Once again I apologize for the inconsistency of my reports. I would have been pumping them out, but my hands have been pummeled by hammers and have gotten other work-bites, so I couldn’t have typed them even if I had had the energy. I am a fishing musician at heart, but I haven’t seen or even smelled a fish in so…

The fishing community of Kona recently bid aloha to a fixture on the Kailua Pier for the last 15 years, photographer James Sloan, who announced his retirement in early September. Jim’s photographic coverage of the fish weighed in on the historic wharf that juts out into Kailua Bay spanned a decade and a I half, and his documentation of the catch by the world-famed Kona marlin fleet has been found in the pages of HAWAII FISHING NEWS for nearly the entire life span of this publication. In that time, Jim has photographed the catch of virtually every tournament fished on the Kona Coast., more than 25 “granders” (marlin of over 1000 lbs) and numerous world-record catches. Besides the famous fish that Jim captured on film, many celebrities who fished in…

Where have all the ‘ahi gone? Were they entangled in the thousands of miles of drift nets that are set in the North Pacific each night? Or were they tempted to eat one of the thousands of longline baits that are set out each day? No one knows for sure, but one thing is certain. The large schools of ‘ahi that normally show up around O‘ahu each summer never arrived. A few small schools provided some lucky anglers with a little action. By far, however, most of the ‘ahi taken off the Wai‘anae Coast this year were caught by anglers trolling in the blind. Unless something extraordinary happens, this will be the first year that the ‘ahi didn’t “bust” off of Wai‘anae. According to the statements that some federal and…

The Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 regulates fishing for every species of marine fish—except tuna. This “loophole” in the law not only threatens the health of our tuna fisheries, but makes it nearly impossible to conserve swordfish, billfish and sharks, too. The tuna exemption has already taken a terrible toll on fisheries of supreme importance to American fishermen. The Atlantic bluefin tuna and the broadbill swordfish are today severely overfished; the bluefin because international management hasn’t been effective, and the swordfish because our tuna policy has handcuffed domestic managers. Billfish and shark are headed toward the same fate, unless the law is changed. Congress is right now considering amendments to the Magnuson Act, which it must renew this year. The National Coalition for Marine Conservation (NCMC) believes…

The issue of who should be allowed to fish for Hawai‘i’s ‘ahi, and where, is presently troubling a lot of Hawai‘i sport fishermen as the number of longline vessels working in island waters continues to grow by leaps and bounds. As the controversy centered in the waters off Wai‘anae continues to garner inflammatory and often racist headlines and news coverage on television, it is easy to lose sight of the big picture. In the long run looms the reality that unless fishing pressures at home and across the Pacific can be reduced, unless we can effectively manage cur local, national and international fishery resources, several stocks of popular island game fish could decline irreversibly. In short, the poor fishing of this summer and last could become permanent. The inability of…

The 1989 Aloha Jackpot Fishing Tournament is relegated to the log; however, those who participated in its successful finish will always remember its highs (fish on board), lows (lost fish), and doldrums (waiting for a strike). The Hawaii Kai Yacht Club and many of its members participated in organizing and coordinating the activity, and volunteered their time to make the fishing tournament successful. A tournament requires communications, and that’s where “Mountain Man” came into play. Mountain Man acted as the “eyes and ears” of the tournament to provide the uniformity for the start, announce hookups, roundups and stop fishing, provide safety at sea and ascertain that all vessels were secure at the end of the day. Mountain Man was not just one individual, for without his helpers, the confusion that…

Hilo Trollers August Tournament Due to the weather conditions in the month of July, the Hilo Trollers canceled their tournament for that month. Their tournament was rescheduled for August 13, and 18 participating teams were ready for the big catch at the crack of dawn that day. The highlight of the tournament was a 214-lb marlin caught from aboard the SUSAN K by angler R. Koga, who won the largest fish category and also the tournament Grand Champion Award. Hilo Trollers Tournament Results On August 13,1 was invited on the PINK LADY by Capt. Itsuo Kitamura to participate in the Hilo Trollers Tournament. Crew members were Masatoshi “Mugs” Nishida and Craig Sakamoto. Leaving the harbor at 6:15 a.m., we quickly headed south for the ono grounds. An hour later our…

The billfish action during August reflected quality, not quantity; there were 30 blues, two stripers, one spearfish and one tag-and-release billfish captured. The top marlin for the month was also the largest marlin brought to the Lahaina Town scales in the last 17 years, the MANO KELA’s 890-!b Pacific blue. Capt. Denny Putnam was at the helm of the MANO KELA and was assisted by crewman Sal Tarantino. The anglers were chief pilot Steve Purwin of McNall Aviation and his co-pilot Mike Homewood of L.A. Jet, private pilots for Bruce McNall, owner of the L.A. Kings Hockey team, who was vacationing on Maui with Wayne Gretsky, his new multimillion dollar superstar. Capt. Putnam hooked the marlin with an Ian Thomas lure on the first pass through the “Factory” area south…

Honokohau Catch Report 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) = Black marlin and (T) ≡ Tag and release, weight estimated.…

For letters and photos received during, the month of October, we will send you a Luhr-Jensen “Mr. J” whipping and trolling lure selected for fishing in Hawaiian waters. Our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch. …Hana Pa‘a Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25413, Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawi‘i 96825 Dear Chuck, Here’s a spectacular catch from Kona. My brotherin-law John Kaeo with his light tackle of 15-lb test fought and landed this 44-lb ‘ahi, and I with my graphite spear banged this 8-lb rainbow runner at Mervin’s secret spot! Aloha, Ross Dolfo Kane‘ohe, O‘ahu Yo Chuck, Enclosed is a picture of my first moana weke caught aboard my first homebuilt 8’ dinghy off of Ala Moana in about 20’ of water over a sandy channel right off of Big Lefts.…

In the September 1989 issue of MARLIN magazine there’s a letter from Kona captain Freddy Rice touting Hawaii’s 365-day season. Big fish are caught here year-round, and October, the start of the “off-season,” is often the proof. Freddy’s letter took issue with a MARLIN article suggesting that blue marlin were only caught here from March to October. “This is incorrect as blue marlin are caught every month of the year,” Freddy wrote. “November, in the last three years, has been one of the best blue marlin months. January is generally big fish month; for example, in January of 1985 five blues over 1,000 lbs were weighed in Kona. Big ones are always hooked, if not landed, in January. December, January and February are hot and cold months, with some always…

When you’re finished fishing or using your boat, there is always one job remaining-cleanup. It can take the fun out of your day, or even be costly if the job is not done effectively. Now there is a solution to making cleanup easier, and it’s called Simple Green. Chuck Johnston, the publisher and editor of HAWAII FISHING NEWS, told a story of a four-day slide bait fishing trip on a remote coast of the Big Island. For this trip the participating fishermen made sure that they had plenty of fresh bait; they hauled numerous coolers of frozen tako (octopus) to their fishing spot. One of these coolers was used to thaw out the frozen bait before it was used. You can only imagine how that cooler looked and smelled after…

Chapter 13-51, Kaunakakai Harbor, Moloka‘i In Order to address the recurring conflict between pole and line fishing and net fishing in Kaunakakai Harbor Moloka‘i, a public discussion was held on September 28 at Mitchell Pauole Center. The aim of the proposal is to delineate the harbor area for pole and line fishing only, except for taking baitfish with a permit Interested persons unable to attend the pubic meeting, and to present relevant information, suggestions, comments and opinions may mail written comments to the Division of Aquatic Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813. For further information or a copy of the draft discussion proposal at no cost, contact the Divisions’s office on Moloka’i (Hoolehua, phone 567-6696) or Honolulu (1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330, phone 548-4002). HAR Amendments The…

Friday, September 1, the day of the Aloha Jackpot Wahine Fishing Tournament, was a bright, sunny and blustery day. Seventeen wahine teams headed out from Hawai‘i-Kai at 7 a.m. into a forecast of 20-to 25-knot winds and 14-to 18-foot seas. By 4 p.m., after the boats had returned, only three flags had been seen flying. The KARLYN skipper Craig Conklin, brought in a 165-Ib Pacific blue marlin after a great fight; Joelle Mulford was the angler. Second place went to the team on the MAGGIC JOE and skipper Mike DeRego. Angler and captain Cathi Jones brought home a 25-ib mahimahi. Third place was captured after a fierce struggle with a 17-Ib. ‘ahi. Dee Oliver’ was the angler, and Capt. Gary Oliver skippered the TOMMY’S ANGELS. Fourth prize was divided among…

Where did all the fish go? ‘Ahi season on the Windward Coast is supposed to last longer than one week. The early summer was slow, but there was one week in late July when the ‘ahi were really boiling. They disappeared just as quickly, though, and no one had a clear explanation. The longliner situation could be blamed, but many of the fishermen told me they had not seen many longliners in the area. Apparently, our less than calm water has kept the new longliners out of our area for the present. However, this does not explain the lack of fish this summer and the rest of the year. This writer believes that a combination of factors is causing the scarcity of fish. Overfishing where there is no quota or…