Innholdsfortegnelse for July 1994 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ On most days, a cruise aboard the 60-foot schooner LAVENGRO involves a leisurely voyage to Molokini Island for a day of sailing and snorkeling. Not on one particular day. After finishing a snorkeling trip, Capt. Buzz Scott decided to leave a little early and troll around the backside of Molokini to do some fishing. It was a perfect day. There was no wind, so the water was flat. Buzz had three rods off the stern pole holders as they motored around the southwest side of the islet. The LAVENGRO was about 400 yards from Molokini when Buzz spotted a large shadow behind the long corner rod. Suddenly, a marlin popped up behind a lure. It followed the pattern for a few seconds and then disappeared. Buzz watched the marlin…

■ Way back when the world was younger, the North Shore was still rough every day and the water temperature was still down around 75.4 degrees, We all journeyed to Pu‘uiki Pavilion in Hale‘iwa for the Hawaii Council of Dive Clubs (HCDC) Annual Banquet honoring the Hawai‘i “Diver of the Year.” Hosts for this year’s event were the North Shore Spearfishers, one of the most active and involved clubs in Hawai‘i. Under the leadership of Al Lagunte, reigning Diver of the Year and the author of a popular HFN column, the North Shore Spearfishers provided all with great food, live entertainment and a perfect example of Hawaiian hospitality and friendship. Mahalo! There were two outstanding candidates for the prestigious Diver of the Year, both of whom have made their mark…

■ As usual, Hui ‘O Ulua made themselves visible actively fishing for big brawny ulua from the shores of O‘ahu during 1993. But the real head-to-head competition was in the “other game fish” category where two persistent competitors gave new dimension to the term “pounding.” Russell Edgar, also known as the “Master Blaster” because of his awesome casting capabilities, pitted his skills and luck against Randy Lopez, whom many of you might recognize as the coordinator of the Annual Distance Casting Tournament that was co-sponsored by Hui ‘O Ulua Shorecasters and ATLAPAC. The two anglers were so close in total weight that Randy was fishing on December 31, until midnight to try to bump Russell out of the lead. But as the weigh slips were read at the last meeting…

■ Capt. Gene Vander Hoek and Capt. Dennis Harris know the long and short of spearfishing. In a quest this past spring to set a new ultralight tackle mark, Capt. Vander Hoek lost a pair of grueling five-and six-hour battles. Then he broke the record with a 27-lb “chucker” after a two-minute bout. But the congratulations had hardly died down when Capt. Harris checked in with a 34½-lb spearfish caught with tackle in the same 4-lb line class. Both fish were submitted to the IGFA for record consideration. If both are approved, Capt. Vander Hoek might be awarded the record and, in the same envelope, receive notification that it has been superseded! Capt. Vander Hoek’s first chance came when he hooked an estimated 40-Ib spearfish. Already out-gunning the line by…

Dear Chuck, Just when you think you’ve seen it all, up pops something totally unexpected! While diving off Kalae’a Point at Kalaupapa Peninsula in 35 feet of water, Thomas Arce spotted a large fish emerging from a cave. The fish was shaped like the nenue he was after, except that it was darker and larger than the ones strung on his floater. As the fish turned to retreat, Tom dove down, pulled the trigger on his speargun and struck the fish in the head. After surfacing to catch a breath, Thomas again descended to retrieve his prize. Much to his astonishment, when reaching into the cave to grab his spear, Thomas heard strange noises. He described them as sounding “like rocks grinding against each other.” While slowly pulling the fish…

■ Picturesque Kiholo Bay in North Kona on the Big Island has been known for decades as a special place favored by Hawaiian sea turtles. Young turtles are attracted to this site to feed on limu and to sleep underwater along the sheltered shoreline. Kiholo is also recognized as an important nursery grounds for fish. Unfortunately, the abundance of fish appears to be much less now than it was 21 years ago when I first started visiting and snorkeling at Kiholo. It is my belief that the reason for this decline is the increased use of gill nets, which commonly block off portions of the bay when set from point to point. Too many fish, especially little fish, have been gilled and killed too often over the years. Gill nets…

Ducks Unlimited ■ For a state that doesn’t have duck hunting, it may sound daffy to form chapters of Ducks Unlimited (DU). In the Hawaiian islands, DU is more than Labrador dogs retrieving mallards in marshes; it’s the nation’s premier wetlands conservation group helping to make Hawai‘i game habitats better. Hawai‘i has four chapters of DU, and recently the Waimea Chapter had their first annual banquet and auction. Doug McArthur of Waimea told us that the event was well-attended and raised funds for DU conservation efforts in Hawai‘i. Since 1989, DU has been in the islands working to restore, protect and enhance wetlands for endangered water birds. To date, DU has undertaken seven projects on over 200 acres. The total cost of these projects has been $238,000. One of these…

Keehi Boat Club ■ It’s time to get ready for the big one! The Seventh Annual Keehi Jackpot Tournament is just around the corner on October 1, 1994. The Keehi Boat Club has gone all out this year with some new and exciting additions to the tournament. There’s a 125-boat limit, and a waiting list every year, so you’d better jump on the bandwagon now if you don’t want to be left out! This year, part of the sponsor donations and entry fees will go toward supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Honolulu. The organization’s imaginative summer program and dedicated staff put many “borderline” children and many “bored during the summer with both parents working” children on the right track so that they, too, can make their dreams of…

■ As the fish reports have been showing, the ulua fishing on Maui has been slow. As the summer months approach, seasonally sized ulua have been popping up at the usual spots. Ulua in the 10- and 20-lb range and a couple of larger fish were caught. The winds slowed the fishermen a little on the southeast side of the island, but as the winds subside, the fishing action should pick up. Until next time, good luck to all of you. Remember, safety first, fish second. … Danny…

■ The black slimy jumping jack squirmed in my hand as I struggled to hook it through its bony jaws. After finally hooking it, I walked out to the tip of the lava finger and made a short cast into foaming white water. The water was deep blue in color, and it was home to big predatory fish such as ulua and papio. I could easily see the black jumping jack struggling on the surface; it dared not dive down into deeper water. The jumping jack knew that it was in very dangerous territory, a place that it would never dare swim through. I quickly gathered the 40-foot cast back into my Shimano spinning reel. Suddenly I heard Toku Nakano yell from behind me, “Over there, Darryl! Cast that way!”…

■ The Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club Wahine Open Invitational Fishing Tournament grows larger every year. This year 32 boats filled with fishing femmes fatales hailing from the Big Island as well as Honolulu, California and Washington participated in the one-day tournament held on Mother’s Day, May 8. The tournament categories were the four flag fish divisions (marlin, ‘ahi, ono and mahimahi) along with a tag-and-release division. Full IGFA regulations were followed in the hopes of securing a world record one day as well as presenting a serious side to the otherwise fun tournament. Each year, a woman is honored for her contribution to the world of women’s sport fishing. Our 1994 honoree was Louise Hawkins, both a past and a current holder of IGFA world records and a great…

■ The New York Times reports that former President Ronald Reagan is learning to play the harmonica. His old cronies are wondering what he’s up to, but having watched every TV fishing show there is, I will hazard a guess. He’s getting ready to play soundtrack backups for some yet-to-be-named “Good Old Boys Go Bassin’” adventure series. It’s not that far-fetched. Whether you watch “Hank Parker Outdoors” or Hari Kojima offshore, you are going to hear a harmonica carrying the theme to add some down-home, just-folks appeal. Reagan told TV newscaster Connie Chung he can already handle “Red River Valley.” How big a leap is it to “Let’s Go Fishing”? If it happens, remember you first caught wind of it here. Signs of Bad Times Another sign is down at…

Relating to Government-Owned Hawaiian Fish Ponds Introduced by Baker, R. ■ Allows the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease government-owned Hawaiian fish ponds without legislative authorization if the board conducts a public hearing on the proposed lease on the island where the fish pond is located; the board finds that the proposed lease does not cause a substantial adverse environmental or ecological impact on the fish pond or surrounding area; and the proposed lease is not in violation of applicable federal, state or county laws. Vote House: 50 Yes; 1 excused. Senate: 23 Yes; 2 excused. Received by the governor: April 29, 1994. Relating to Fishing Introduced by Hiraki, K. Allows all persons engaged in stationary monofilament gill net fishing to use monofilament gill netting with a stretched…

■ Arguments for and against billfish tagging continue to be heard from fishing experts and neophytes alike. “They eat a live bait, you pull their guts out, and the bugger is going to die anyway, so why tag and release it?” asks one guy. “It takes a lure on 130-lb test, jumps and runs against all that drag ‘til it is whipped, you tag and release it and expect it to live?” asks another. “If you put it in the boat, it is darn-sure dead; release it, and we might just learn something if it lives,” is the opposing viewpoint, as the argument rages on. In fact, not all seriously injured billfish die when they are tagged and released. One noted by the skipper of a releasing boat to be…

■ Wanting to enter females in the Ho‘ole‘a Big Fish Tournament,“the manly men’s tourney” in Bee Jensen’s words, Bee, Isabel Freund, Linda O’Day and Rita Bradbury proved that not only could women pull their own weight, they could haul in fish, as well. Joining the ladies on May 28 and 29 was Jarret Yoshida (the team’s token male?). The team placed seventh among 19 other participants. Their boat was the 55-foot KUU HAUPALA, captained by G.H. “Pax” Paxman. Bee was the luckiest (some might argue “most skilled”) angler. She caught three mahimahi weighing 19, 20 and 25 lbs. Bee is a two-time veteran of the Senorita’s Tournament. Isabel landed a 20-lb mahimahi, and Linda contributed another weighing 18 lbs. Jarret caught an 18-lb mahimahi and a 25-lb spearfish. Although the…

British Columbia bridges the gap between the states of Washington and Alaska. It is an impressive vastness of snow-capped mountains, glaciers, deep fjords and innumerable islands. The famous Inside Passage is located off the Pacific coast of B.C. Unbelievable numbers of king, coho, pink, chum and sockeye salmon Join halibut, lingcod, red snapper and rockfish as some of the region’s most sought-after fish. This bountiful resource supports one of the major industries of the region-fishing! ■ Something was missing. My feet remained glued to the dock as my mind struggled to pin down what was wrong. My hand slapped my pants pocket, and my heart sank. My keys! A burst of panic surged through me, and the world seemed to spin momentarily as the implications of being locked out of…

For letters received during the month of july, We have a special 4 oz can of Corrosion block from pacific Corrosion Control, Plus … HFN’S exclusive “Vizcious Fishez” & “Dueling Centapeds” P.O.G.S … our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch! … Hana pa‘a, Chuck send to:P.O. Box 25413, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Dear Chuck, In the first week of March, we took advantage of some glassy water to troll some Clark Spoons from Hale‘iwa Harbor to Ka‘ena Point hoping to find some papio for dinner. About a mile short of Ka‘ena Point, this kawakawa hit a #1 Clark Spoon trolled on a Penn 450SS loaded with 8-lb test line in about 40 feet of water. My stepson Kyle did a great job of wearing the fish down while his…