Innholdsfortegnelse for April 1994 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ 1993 brought me my biggest ulua to date. Friends asked me to write about it for HAWAII FISHING NEWS, but I told them that I didn’t think I would because there wasn’t anything unusual about this fish, except that it was big. Normally, when I contribute something it’s either a story worth telling about some other angler’s good fortune or perhaps a story containing some knowledge I can pass on. I wanted to find something to share with HFN’s readers, so I pondered and pondered. At first, I thought about my leader setup, but it was just a regular cable leader with a stainless steel wire connecting my #3 Mustad ulua hook to a pigtail slide. Then I thought about my bait-the ulua had hit a fresh tako. Then…

■ You’ve spotted a new trolling head at the fishing store. Looking carefully, you notice that it is the only one of its kind. Holding it in your hand, you can feel the heat that emanates from it. “This lure is hot,” you think. “It even smells like fish bait.” Wrapping your hand tightly around it so other, less-knowledgeable fishermen can’t see your new prize, you saunter over to the “wall of skirts” and slyly make your selections. To block the view of others, you hunch over and lay your skirt selections next to the head in your hand and critically examine the match. Satisfied that you have the ingredients for a devastating secret fish slayer, you scurry for the checkout counter. As soon as you’re out the door, the…

■ For over 10 years now, I’ve been on outings and fishing trips with my club, the Light Tackle Anglers of Kaua’i (also known as Da’ KULT), and I can proudly say that the experience has not yet broken my spirit! Oh, I’m not saying that we haven’t caught anything. In fact, we’ve had many experiences where we’ve hooked some really big ones on our small lines. The ensuing fights (long, screaming runs; brows covered with sweat; teeth gritted in exertion; curses splitting the air as the rod bends over once more) have left both anglers and spectators absolutely drained and exhilarated. Even after the lines have been reeled in, we have had epic struggles just to subdue a catch, often requiring spectators to pile on until the catch stopped…

For Holoholo letters, with photos, received during the month of April, your prize is the NEW “HFN SUPER KOOLZIE” The serrated center (for easier container removal) and the plastic hard bottom make this the “Best of the Best” …our way of saying thanks for sharing youe catch! …Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25413, Honalulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Dear Chuck, The Uyeno family would like to share this remarkable crab caught by Danny Uyeno in December, 1993. It was the biggest white crab any of us has ever seen. We were so shocked by what he caught on his 6-foot pole that we measured and measured it and we even took a picture so his fish story was believable. Something like this makes fishing so much fun. The excitement and…

■ “Fishing Tales®” airs every Saturday at 5 p.m. on KHON-TV-2. Here’s a preview of what host Mike Sakamoto has in store for you. Saturday, April 2nd Night Diving With Audy Kimura Talented musician and song writer Audy Kimura and his friend Dean Sensui of the Honolulu Advertiser join Mike for some shallow-water free-diving during the day. Then, when the sun sets, they return to the water with flashlights and it’s time hunt for kumu, uhu, palani and lobsters. This is a great night diving show Saturday, April 9th Spinning for Ulua on Lana‘i Mike loves to whip surface plugs for ulua and other reef predators, so on this show he joins up with Jeff Menzie and Tournas Phelps for some casting over the reefs of Lana‘i. You’ll see some…

■ There’s been a lot of talk lately about the new braided polyethylene fishing lines on the market. They’re strong, durable, easily cast, low-stretch, abrasion-resistant and expensive. But little experience with the superlines has been gained thus far in the field of ulua fishing, and in particular, slide-bait ulua fishing. In the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to try three of these new lines while fishing on the Big Island. While my level of experience with superbraids is admittedly limited, I have been able to discover some rather obvious characteristics of the lines, some of which have not yet been considered by those who haven’t used them under the unique circumstances encountered while slide-baiting. Rather than attempting to cover all of the characteristics (many of which have already…

■ It has been 20 years since Pat Houck first introduced Hawai‘i fishermen to his hard-charging NOKAOI boats. His no-nonsense 20-foot center-console skiffs proved to be extraordinary rough-water boats, and their superior construction allowed them to withstand anything island waters could throw at them. The radically swept bow configuration made those early boats unmistakable to the eye and extremely efficient while underway in any sea conditions. Originally built in an old warehouse near the Kahului, Maui, airport, Pat’s NOKAOI boats quickly found a loyal following among local boaters. Tales of what Pat’s boats were able to withstand-from successfully surfing Waimea Bay to being bounced over a reef and then dragged, full of sand, up a launch ramp only to return to the sea for more after minor repairs-are legion. The…

■ Here’s a way to shoot out of season at challenging game that won’t get you bagged for poaching. It’s the exciting sport of target shooting. Shooting targets comes three ways in Hawai‘i, and they’re known as the sports of skeet, trap and sporting clays. Dusty Rhodes, a Hilo general contractor and an active member of the Big Island Gun Club, took some time to tell us about these fun ways to shoot. Skeet Dusty explained that skeet is done on a shooting range where eight stations are set up. These eight stations have an alternate high house and low house, which are at the opposite end of the field from where the shooters stand. At stations 1, 2, 6 and 7, you shoot both a single and a double.…

Dear Chuck, January 5, 1994 was one of those “light and variable” days before a cold front with a forecast of 2-foot seas. I launched my 14-foot Livingston from Waianae Boat Harbor at 6:30 a.m. and set course for S-buoy. Trolling three lures about 75 yards back, I got my first strike heading in to S-buoy. Unable to hookup, I trolled past the buoy and turned north toward R-buoy. About halfway there, I got another strike among a school of small kawakawa, but again no hookup. This had been the patter the last few times I had been out—a strike, a short run and no fish. I decided to back off the drags on the 6/0 Senators and the Jigmaster far enough to just allow the lures to run without…

A Whirlpool and a Wild Ride ■ Ka’ena Point is known for its treacherous waters and unforgiving weather that can change in a matter of hours. I was not prepared for what was to take place on this day, and had I known, I would have stayed at home with my wife. it was the third Saturday in October, and the weather was perfect for fishing. I launched my 13-foot Boston Whaler from the Wai‘anae Boat Harbor and headed for S-buoy. After a few passes with no strikes, I headed toward R-buoy. Again, after no luck, I decided to try V-buoy. The ocean was like a lake. There was no wind at all, so I decided to go out where the big boys were. About 7 miles outside of Ka’ena…

■ Leadhead jigs, favorites with countless anglers, have brought about battles with most every finned species around. Making your own jigs is actually quite easy. In fact, it’s easier than tying flies because you’re working with larger, more manageable materials. And, the advantages of doing it yourself are many. Jig making can save money (for example, an 89cent jig might be made for less than a dime), and you can create lures in colors, shapes and styles not available in stores. You can come up with artificials the fish have never seen before, resulting in extra strikes. In addition, you get the pleasure of catching fish on something you’ve created with your own hands. Jig making can also be an enjoyable wintertime hobby and, if desired, a profitable spare-time business.…

Dear Chuck, As you will read from the enclosed story, I had an exciting experience fishing in Fiji with new high-tech braided line and was able to land a 93-lb albo ulua while spinning with a surface plug, which I think is one of the largest, if not the largest, trevally I’ve ever heard of taken while working a surface lure. I thought the story may be of some interest to your readers, and I pass it along for your consideration. Keep up the great work with the paper. I certainly do get a lot out of it. Aloha, Richard W. Gushman II Honolulu, O’ahu ■ This is a story about old dreams, new technologies and a very big fish. As most of these trips do, it started with a…

■ Pick a characteristic that marks a great game fish, and you’ll find a Pacific jack that has it in spades. Size and power? The giant trevally (ulua) and greater amberjack (kahala) pull like sea-going bulls and are bigger even than many species of marlin, tuna and shark. Form and color? Rainbow runner (kamanu) and bluefin trevally (‘omilu) dress in colors that would confuse a peacock and take on shapes of streamlined perfection. Exotic looks? African pompano (ulua kihikihi) reflect like mirrors and radiate fin rays so unique you may catch a dozen African pompano without seeing two with the same pattern. Food value? Saute a fillet of rainbow runner, African pompano or bluefin trevally, and you will understand why many Pacific islanders prefer these to all others. Availability? These…

Sweet Sounds of Success ■ Ever since the first canoe paddler dragged a bait in his wake, fishermen have debated the effect of the boat on fishing success. Are fish lured, scared-or simply bored-by the big, noisy shadow relentless churning through the sea overhead? Some say the boat is your first and best attracter, drawing nosy fish toward your lures to satisfy their curiosity. Others claim most fish will run and hide from the throbbing threat of what looks like an oncoming assailant and only the boldest fish dare to rush into the wake for food. Still others say the boat is no more or less interesting to fish than any of the thousands of other things they come across in daily wanderings. Bruce Pfund, technical editor of Professional Boatbuilder…