Innholdsfortegnelse for March 1991 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ Spring is approaching according to the calendar, but in Hawaii waters winter-type weather can still appear in March. But there wiil be more good weather days than bad weather days There is always the possibility of the occurrence of any of the following severe weather events: cold front with strong Kona winds, upper trough with heavy rain, gusty trade winds and high northwest wave and surf. Trade winds should be present on more than half the days in March with the possibility of about eight to14 days of gusty trades. Northwest swell activity should he noticeably less. There may be about five days of high surf greater 25 feet high at Sunset Beach, O‘ahu. March 1—Sunrise: 6:52 am, Sunset: 6:36 pm March 15—Sunrise: 6:40 am, Sunset: 6:41 pm March…

■ A local commercial fisherman recently spoke with HAWAII FISHING NEWS about his past experiences with life vests. Not all types can be depended upon to save your life, the fisherman explained. The fisherman learned this fact the frightful way. While in the military, he participated in survival training in Japan, where he and other airmen were exposed to rough waters while wearing a Mae Westtype, inflatable life vest. “Half of the time our heads were underwater,” the fisherman recalled. “We could have drowned or panicked from that.” Later, the men were given a different survival vest to test. This type had flotation under the armpits, which kept not only the men’s head but also their shoulders above water. State and federal laws require that life vests, also known as…

■ Brisk! That’s what the morning was—brisk. The How but thick grass around the camp glistened with glassy dew. The sky was graying slowly, and everything seemed still except the surf, which pounded lightly on the lava rock shore. Even the rocks were covered with a light clinging mist, and the hood and top of the truck looked gray with millions of suspended droplets. One had enough size to dribble a trail like a demented snail’s path down the angled hood. Ed Mostoles was up at 6:30 a.m. Michelle, his wife, was still in the tent and was lying down listening to the sounds on the shoreline. Ed had his two rods on the rocks. One rod was a 12-foot bamboo fiberglass to which he had clamped a 6/0 Penn…

■ After landing the last blue marlin of the year, a 578-pounder, the ABSOLUTE started the new year with a 535-lb blue marlin. Capt. Mark Shultz and deckman Mark Norris trolled out to the MC-buoy to look for the first blue of the year. Once at the buoy, Mark Norris snagged a 2-lb aku on the bait rod and then put the aku back in the water as live bait. The aku was in the water for about 10 minutes before it attracted a fish. Capt. Shultz was making a turn by the buoy when they got a strike on the bait. Capt. Shultz stopped the ABSOLUTE and waited as Mark Norris checked the reel. No line was coming off the rod, but Mark Norris felt something on the other…

■ The flight over to Moloka‘i was a smooth one, and we had high anticipations of landing tons of papio and monster ulua. Little did we know what strange adventures were in store for us from the moment we got to Ho‘olehua Airport. Our fishing group consisted of Ted Teramoto, Kyle Watanabe, Jack Wong, Hal Higuchi and me, all avid whippers and close work buddies. We planned to stay just two short days for some relaxed fishing at some choice spots on the east and west shores of Moloka‘i. After arriving at Ho‘olehua Airport we eagerly grabbed all our luggage and quickly loaded up our van with what seemed like tons of gear. What seemed to be a slight “tilt” in the van was quickly diagnosed as not a shot…

■ Once again, the Rizzuto clan has successfully avoided getting into the record books. For 52 years the IGFA has been recording distinguished catches; for an equal span, the patriarch of our clan has been bungling through life. (In this poor fellow’s lexicon, “bungling” and “angling” aren’t just harmonious, they are synonymous.) Over those five decades, we’ve managed to eat world records, release (intentionally and otherwise) world records and (it must be said) even disqualify world records by ignoring (inadvertently, of course) IGFA rules. In the case of our recent potential women’s world-record 30-lb class 55 lb barracuda, however, the fish took matters into its own hands (well, actually, my hands). Daughter Rahna (the oldest offspring of me and “the fishwife”) was back home from New York with her husband,…

■ Maui canoe paddlers are now privy to the technique that keeps O‘ahu paddlers fit and competitive throughout the year. After the season culminates with the Moloka‘i to O‘ahu race in October, O‘ahu paddlers get out of their canoes and into their kayaks. Lou Cocherella, an avid Maui paddler, discovered mis secret to success during his forays to O‘ahu, where he has participated in the Steinlager Hawaiian Canoe and Kayak Championships, Kanaka-I-Kaika kavak races as well as outrigger canoe races. He noticed that often the winners of the canoe and kayak races were the same. “Their advantage is their basis of training,” Cocherella said. “They win because they have all these events.” Meanwhile, on the outer islands, canoe paddlers compete only during the four or five months of the outrigger…

Pitching and ‘Stealth Bassin” ■ It’s first light, and the angler stealthily approaches the fishing hole with the aid of a whisper-quiet electric motor. While covering the distance to the hole, a small cove full of fallen timber and heavy weeds, he arms the 6½-foot graphite pitching stick or rod with a black rubber jig-and-pig combination. He reaches the target-rich area and with his target acquisition computer in his programmed brain, discreetly selects a target, an 8-inch opening in the weeds adjacent to a tree trunk where a branch forks out. Employing the pitching technique, the angler fires his monofilament guided “smart weapon” to it from a distance of 15 feet or more. He deftly guides the airborne missile precisely to the target in a low trajectory flight and skillfully…

■ The past month was horrendous for almost any type of fishing, except maybe for bottomfishing, which seemed productive because no other fishing methods produced good catches. Many veteran fishermen said it’s normal for fishing to be slow during this time of the year and that fishing will improve in the spring. Kane‘ohe Bay has gotten a lot of attention recently with the formation of the Kaneohe Bay Task Force by the state of Hawai‘i. This group of citizens is preparing a long-range master plan for Kane‘ohe Bay. So far, they have touched on many issues like golf courses, commercial operations and zoning issues, all of which affect the bay. If you wish to attend the meetings, they are open to the public and are held at the capitol and…

■ With all that’s going on in the world around us, it’s hard to keep focused. I just want to express my best wishes to all those participating in Desert Storm and their families waiting for their safe returns. Hopefully, they’ll all be home soon and can get back to the job of raising their families and enjoying the things they’ve fought for, and maybe a little fishing, too. The public hearings regarding regulations concerning longline gear went well and brought out the concerns of a great deal of people. The task force members from each island were able to hear the concerns of fishermen from Hilo to Kaua‘i. The concerns of the fishermen were pretty basic and not surprisingly very similar in nature. Everyone felt that area closures and…

■ It could be a bleak summer for Hawaii’s offshore fishermen if Henry Sakuda, head of the Aquatic Resources Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Rep. Reb Bellinger get their way in the 1991 state legislature. This is the same infamous duo who last session tried to get passed a state law requiring a recreational fishing license for Hawaii’s fishermen. If you recall, subsequent surveys in HFN indicated that, of those responding to the fishing license bill, 31 were in favor and 1,465 were against. This year the target is to restrict bottom fishing in the summer throughout the main Hawaiian Islands for all fishermen—commercial, subsistence and recreational. The notice of an 8:30 a.m. hearing was FAXed to HFN at 4:30 p.m. the previous day (by…

■ Whenever any spearfishing news appears in HFN, chances are the name Brian Yoshikawa is mentioned. Whether the story is about a statewide or national tournament, a diving adventure or a stoked fisherman thanking someone for advice on equipment or technique, the Yoshikawa name is constantly showing up in the spearfishing “slimelight.” While searching for a spearfishing rig for myself, everyone I talked to eventually referred me to Maui Sporting Goods and Brian Yoshikawa, the man with all the answers. I first heard of Brian from Gary Onuma, one of Lana‘i’s premier spearmen, who gave rave reviews of the great custom spears this friend of his in Wailuku made. Another buddy from Olowalu, Maui, who’s a nut for pneumatics, referred me to Maui Sporting Goods and you-know-who for anything I…

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.…

The prizes for letters received during the month of March are a Krocodile 5 oz Flutter Jig and Hawaii Fishing News Visor. Two great Gifts. our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch! …Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O-Box 25413. Honolulu. Howai‘i. 96825 Dear Chuck, Howzit from Maui! This is a picture of me and my 17-lb ulua that I caught with a black surface popper (Kaku Lure) with red eyes. The hookup was outside a place we call Fisherman’s Wharf. We were slow trolling right off the Wharf when all of a sudden, BANG, the reel started screaming. It took me about 10 to 15 minutes to eventually land this nice fish. It was the first time out on our homemade boat, which is only 9 feet long.…

■ Michael Mraz, of Princeville, has won the Hawai‘i State Championship—worth more than $1,000 in prizes—for catching the state’s largest bass in the 1990 Goodyear/BASSIN’ Big Bass World Championship. The fishing competition is sponsored by BASSIN’ magazine and Goodyear, maker of quality Wrangler radial tires. Unlike other fishing tournaments, BBWC anglers can fish any time and in any body of water with the opportunity to, win valuable prizes if they catch a qualified largemouth bass. Mraz’s leading bass of 6.72 lbs was caught from a private farm pond with a live The 48 anglers who caught the largest bass in participating states during the competition (January through December 1990) received a Coleman RAM-X PRO two-man boat, outfitted with a MotorGuide electric trolling motor, a Humminbird Depthfinder, a Delco marine battery,…

Save Hawai‘i’s Fishing Grounds Action to conserve Hawai‘i’s fish must be set into motion without further delay. Historically, Hawaiians were known to take from the sea only what they could use. Unfortunately, our government officials, in trying to promote economic growth, have invited disaster to Hawai‘i’s fishing grounds and now must take immediate steps to rectify the situation before the Hawaiian Islands are surrounded by sterile waters. Personally, as recreational fishermen who have used or shared with friends all fish we’ve caught, we have in the past three years experienced a terrifying decline in the number of fish we’ve caught. In 1990, we didn’t catch enough fish to feed a baby. At Port Allen (where our boat is kept) in the past two to three years we’ve seen commercial fishermen…

Reprinted from the October 27, 1979 issue of HFN ■ Mention “ta‘ape” to some fishermen in Hawai‘i and you may get an earful about how they are taking over favorite bottomfishing grounds or the low price they command in the market. Mention “ta‘ape” to the typical fish eater and you may draw a look of indifference. Ta‘ape, the “blue-line” snapper, introduced from the Marquesas and Moorea, appears to be well established in Hawaiian waters, but there is much to be learned about its feeding habits and how it interacts with other native fishes such as u’u, weke and ‘opakapaka. Also, its potential as a more popular food fish needs to be explored, and perhaps, exploited more fully. Ta‘ape were first introduced in 1955 by the state Division of Fish and…

■ A glorious era came to an end Friday, February 8, 1991, when Eleanor M. L. Choy, widow of Capt. Cornelius Choy and owner of the COREENE-C Sportfishing Charters, died at Queens Medical Center in the late morning. “How could this be?” I asked. I had spoken to Ma, as Eleanor was fondly known, on Thursday evening, February 7, 1991, and she had been fine. “What happened? No! Dear God, no!,” I screamed, “not Ma.” As the tears fell, the memories of yesterdays came flashing back. The trials and tribulations of a boat owner, the good times as well as the bad, appeared vividly before me. I remembered the day time stood still for Ma as she sat at base awaiting the final outcome of the COREENE-C III as the…

■ I woke up early on Friday, December 28, and heard a soft wind blowing off Mauna Loa. It looked like a great day for fishing, but all my friends were otherwise occupied. I tossed and turned for 30 seconds and reached my decision—I’d fish alone. Honokohau Harbor was still dark when I arrived at 6 a.m. I got some ice and started rigging my boat. As I was leaving the harbor, all the normal questions raced through my mind. Should I go north to OTEC or to “the grounds”? Should I go south to C-buoy or W-buoy? Should I go out to F-buoy or maybe to the current line? The wind was picking up, so I decided to head south and fish the ledge while running two heavy popper…