Innholdsfortegnelse for September 1994 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ September, a transitional month between summer and winter, is usually the month with the least bad weather. It would be the month of lowest bad weather activity if tropical cyclones did not appear in Hawai‘i waters. The potential of a tropical cyclone invading our waters is about the only major threat during the month. Trade winds will still prevail, but the gusty trades will be at their minimum for the year; only about four days in the month. Northwesterly swell and surf heights are slowly picking up, but the very high surf is still a month or more away. Southerly surf action is decreasing, but there’s still a chance of higher than normal swell from that direction.…

■ Capt. Jim Lindersmith, who skippers Don Monroe’s charterboat, the KONO, from Kewalo Basin, called me one day and said, “Do you want to see a big, big smile on a young boy’s face?” “Sure,” I said, “What’s up?” Jim told me about a recent charter. Jose Cervantes of Kane’ohe called and booked the KONO for a charter. It was his son’s 11th birthday gift. Jose mentioned that his son Mike had just been awarded the Kaneohe Bay Yacht Club’s Junior Yachtsman of the Year Award, a very prestigious award, and Mike was only 10 years old. Jose and his wife, Alma, along with their other two sons, Nicolas and Christopher, were joined by friends Russel and Ruth McRae. Capt. Lindersmith and deckhands Mahina Young and Ben Gable were about…

The HIBT’s Pro-Am August 1-First Day of Fishing ■ Day one of the Pro-Am Tournament began with an eerie sense of dejà vu. The first fish to be weighed in had been caught by none other than Ray Hawkes, fishing for the Balboa (California) Angling Club Team. His team had won last year’s tournament when Ray captured the world’s record for 50-lb class tackle by bringing in a 1,166-lb Pacific blue marlin. This year Ray’s fish tipped the scales at a mere 491½ lbs, but it served as the team’s opening bid for a repeat performance in the HIBT Pro-Am. As the day progressed, four marlin were tagged and released after being assessed as weighing under the 200-lb qualifying weight. Two others, a 470-pounder caught by the Kona Game Fishing…

■ The front of a T-shirt available in a Colonia, Yap, variety store read: “Where in the heck is Yap?” That is certainly a good question for anyone who isn’t familiar with Pacific geography, or hasn’t learned of the fabled island from one of Hari Kojima’s fishing shows featuring the explosive ulua fishing off the Micronesian island of Yap. Yap State is part of the Federated States of Micronesia and is a group of islands located near the southwestern corner of Micronesia, roughly 1,000 miles north of the Philippines. It takes about nine hours of comfortable flight time on Continental Air Micronesia to fly from Honolulu, through Guam, to Yap. Yap is perhaps most widely known as the island of “stone money.” Huge stone wheels, some nearly 8 feet in…

■ The resident fisherman and I returned from a mainland trip to find four huge post office bins of our mail, which included endless numbers of catalogues and the magazines to which we subscribe. Seeing all of those magazines together at one time and in one place was an eye-opener. Between us, we subscribe to an even baker’s dozen! Most are cooking or fishing magazines (no surprise, I know!) that we consider essential. So, this month’s column will focus on the cooking magazines that grace my coffee table and kitchen counters! All give recipe analyses, some more complete than others; but all include caloric intake, fat, carbohydrates, fiber and cholesterol. Eating Well is the cooking magazine I’ve subscribed to the longest. It’s well-balanced, with easy-to-follow, healthy recipes, informative features and…

■ Where did our ‘ahi season go? Summer is almost over, and time is running out for the big yellowfin tuna to appear in our waters. Wai’anae had their big run, and now they are getting strays just like we are, but we did not have the season they did-yet. Mahimahi and big marlin have been the bright spots for us so far this summer, which is nothing to complain about; but it sure is electrifying when the ‘ahi bust loose on the Windward side. Lionel Haili Sr. and Jr. aboard the KUMUKAHI got a really big thrill from their last marlin. Their refurbished boat is really fast now, and they used all the rpms to chase a very lively marlin outside the T-buoy one Monday afternoon. They were cruising…

■ The tourism industry in Hawai‘i has softened in recent years due to the weak economy, but that hasn’t stopped more than 50 charterboat captains from banding together to help promote sportfishing. Capt. Bob Bean, president of The Kona Sportfishing Promotional Group, a nonprofit organization, said, “We need to remind people of the many attractive and unique fishing advantages Kona has to offer.” As part of that effort, the group has designated a central contact location for charter information. A company called Charter Services Hawaii has been appointed to represent the group of more than 50 boats and to help anglers take the guesswork out of booking a charter. Charter Services Hawaii can also help anglers with air, room and car packages at very competitive rates. Kona has been popular…

■ This is your official “in writing” invitation to join the party every week on KHNL Fox 13 TV as we head for deep water with Hawai‘i’s newest fishing show premiering Saturday, September 3, at 4:30 p.m., just before “This Is the NFL.” Saturday, September 3 Light Tackle, Big Game “Inside Big Game Fishing, Hawaii” has been seen in over 235 markets throughout the mainland since January 1994. We’re kicking off our Hawai‘i series aboard the HUNTRESS with Capt. Randy Parker. Thirty-lb test line and a 200-lb marlin make for an interesting challenge. You’ll see some aggressive boat handling, leadering and marlin reviving techniques plus several fish with real attitudes. Saturday, September 10 Live Bait and Porpoises Kelly and Jocelyn Everette, both world-record holding anglers, take us along on their…

■ The Lahaina Harbor sportfishing fleet saw the best run of big yellowfin tuna in Maui County’s waters since anyone can remember. There were 38 ‘ahi weighing more than 100 lbs each brought to the scales during a one-week period in July. The hot spot was the south side of Maui between La Perouse Lighthouse and Kaupo where the GG- and NL-buoys were located in 300 to 500 fathoms of water. To catch the tuna, the boats paid the price, battling waters 6 to 12 feet high and winds of 25 knots. The HINATEA landed the most ‘ahi. Capt. Mark Shultz and crewman Kevin McLaughlin started the harbor run by scoring a double: a 190-lb and a 150-lb tuna. The 150-pounder’s entire tail from the fins on back had been…

■ Well, 1994 is more than half over. As you can see, ulua fishing was a little slow during the first half of the year. But some of the Big Island Casting Club members were pretty productive pounding the shoreline. Junior Palacat holds the lead so far in the largest fish category with an ulua that weighed in at 81½ lbs. Our vice president, Joe Cootey, is leading the pack in the most fish category with nine ulua so far this year. 1994 Catch Report Year-To-Date * Unofficial-only ulua weighing 10 lbs or more qualify for annual awards. **T/R-Tag and release, weight estimated. Largest Ulua of the Month Most Ulua (To Date) Largest Ulua (To Date) Until next time, remember that while you re at the shoreline consider safety first!…

A Dream Come True ■ Every now and then there comes a time in a person’s life when something so incredible happens he feels like sharing it with everyone. Well, that something happened to me and a friend on Tuesday, August 16, 1994. The morning started out pretty much as any other typical fishing day. Gear was packed; ice was loaded; rods and reels were secured; and the trailer was hitched. I was joined at 4 a.m. sharp by Walter Uza, a seasoned fisherman who can usually be found fishing for akule or tako, or trolling with son Clayton on the CYNTHIA ANN. We reached the harbor at about 5 a.m. After setting up my boat, a 19-foot Alii Kai named the VALERIE E, we were ready to launch. Once…

■ An estimated 175-lb blue marlin pulled the mate of the TROPHY BOX, a 52-foot sportfishing boat from Ocean City, Maryland, overboard during the 36th Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament in Moorehead City, North Carolina, on June 16. Chris Bowie, age 29, was lost and is presumed dead after a two-day search on calm seas. Chris took wraps of the wire leader with a gloved hand as he reached to tag and release the marlin. When the tag went in, the fish jumped, taking Chris with it as the line behind the leader parted, according to a Coast Guard account of the accident. (The account appearing in MARLIN magazine stated that Chris had both hands in the wire while leaning over the gunwale.) The catch was being videotaped, and…

■The 1994 Hawai‘i state gubernatorial candidates were given an opportunity to read and comment on “Ocean Issues for the 1994 Campaign.” Reply time was limited due to HFN’s publication deadline; the statements of the candidates able to respond to Rick Gaffney’s article follow. Michael C. Combs Candidate for Governor (Best Party) ■We are pleased to respond to the excellent article on “Ocean Issues for the 1994 Campaign,” written by Rick Gaffney. How appropriate that the Sunday, August 21, Honolulu Advertiser’s Focus entitled “Creatures in crisis” and the three featured articles support Rick’s last statement, “Only candidates who fully understand and will commit to working on ocean issues deserve your vote.” The development of our ocean resources is an integral part of our economic diversification strategy. • Part of our government…

■ Being surrounded by the blue Pacific Ocean, fishing in fresh water seldom comes to mind when the subject of fishing is raised. However, Hawai‘i does have its share of freshwater action. Something that was totally new to me up until several weeks ago was catching trout in stocked waterways. A few of my friends were planning a trip to Kaua’i for the annual trout season that’s open from August through September, so I asked if I could tag along. Public fishing areas include streams and ditches within the Koke’e Public Fishing Area, and according to my friend the best spot to fish would be the 15-acre Pu’u Lua reservoir, also located in Koke’e. The trip coordinator, Burt Nakagawa, told me that last season the trout were so abundant that…

■ Recently we pulled the CHUPU over to the scale at the harbor. We had landed a fair-sized Pacific blue marlin. That day we’d been just out fishing for fun, no charter. I was pulling on the rusty chain, hoisting the fish up and into my truck, when a young fellow, about my age, seemed to materialize from thin air. He just seemed to appeared from around the back of the hoist braces. He was wearing an old pair of Topsider deck shoes, light blue fishing shorts and a collared three-button white knit shirt with the words, “First Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament 1936” printed where a pocket should have been. He wore dark tinted fishing glasses and one of those old-time long-billed marlin hats with sun protecting ear flaps. He…

Kona Marlin Center 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.…

Go for Broke Fishing Tournament ■ The Second Annual Go for Broke Fishing Tournament was held on July 4, and 18 teams participated. The prizes were all cash, and 100 percent of the entry fees were returned to the winners. There also was a side jackpot for the largest ono and mahimahi. Starting time was 5 a.m., and all of the boats had to be in by 3 p.m. The weather report called for partly cloudy skies with a few showers. Winds were trades blowing 10 to 20 mph. With the yellowfin tuna (‘ahi) running outside of Hilo, the boats headed out in all directions. Hookups were radioed into tournament control on CB channel 23, and ultimately 16 ‘ahi, six ono and five mahimahi reached the scale. The winning fish…