Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1996 i Hawaii Fishing News

“It takes nerves of steel” ■ Here on Maui, there’s a group of divers focused on spearing large fish in blue water. Every weekend, we are out looking for the elusive game fish that most guys target by trolling-mahimahi, ono, ‘ahi and the elusive marlin. Over the past several years, our equipment has evolved to the point where we feel we can land the largest fish we might encounter, and, as such, it was only a matter of time before one of us landed a Pacific blue marlin. A typical day for us would be to head out to the buoys around our county–the state FADs, NASA and NOAA weather buoys–or to look for floating nets. Not wanting to be uncool with the fishermen, we usually fish alongside them, so…

On Saturday, July 6, those of us who windfish on Maui’s North Shore had our sights set on big ‘ahi. We knew the fish were in the area because of a few big strikes and one large ‘ahi that was lost at gaff by my partner, Paul Beagle. Having lost the big ‘ahi, this time Paul had made up and brought along all the right stuff to bag an ‘ahi over 100 lbs. With plans to double-team a big fish, we set out at 1 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, my Newell 646 reel was being field tested big time. I sailed 20 yards farther and then dropped my sail, pulled my pole from its holder and watched my spool of nearly 400 yards of 80-lb test Jinkai line start to…

Everything Goes Wrong for Traveling Angler ■ For want of a certified scale, IGFA member Jack Thomas of Arlington, Washington, missed an opportunity to earn the 16-lb tippet class world record for great barracuda. Jack’s catch of a lifetime bottomed out an uncertified scale at 52 lbs, nearly 15 lbs heavier than the record. This tale of woe began on March 13 with Jack fishing for trevally off Christmas Island in the South Pacific. An accomplished fly fisherman, Jack was casting along the flats using a 60-lb test monofilament shock, 16-lb class tippet, and an 11-weight rod when he spotted an enormous fish. As soon as the fly hit the water, a barracuda attacked and was lip-hooked, fighting for over an hour before succumbing to the excited angler. Jack realized…

■ The University of Hawaii is conducting a tuna tagging project as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-funded Pelagic Fisheries Research Program. The project is based on tagging and releasing bigeye and yellowfin tuna at a highly productive seamount located approximately 140 nautical miles southwest of Kona and 160 miles south of Honolulu. This area is marked by the Cross Seamount, which is a huge undersea mountain that rises to less than 200 fathoms of the surface, creating a small area of high productivity. Nutrient-rich water is up-welled by the force of ocean currents colliding with the mountain, and the rich waters fuel a biological chain reaction that concentrates bait fish, tuna, marlin and fishermen. The Cross Seamount has been the object of a specific tuna fishery in…

■ The Texas Longcasting Team along with two East Coast casters traveled all the way to the shores of jolly old England this past July. The six representatives from America joined forces to compete in the World Long-casting Championships. The Texas representatives, who are also members of the famed Texas Longcasters, who made the long journey were Big Lou McEachern, Rip Ripley, Hector Hernandez and me, HFN’s Jerry Valentine. Also joining the American team were Bill Kennedy of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Chuck Wilson of Newark, New Jersey. This six-man team of America’s best longcasters was the first team from the United States ever to make a showing at the World Championships. A dozen or so teams from around the world came together in Ipswich, England, to show off their…

Oama season is special and happens each summer. It can either be fun, or be a real bummer! First you must find them, at the beach or tidal pools, Feeding or cruising in large, nervous schools. If they’re not hungry, you may chase them ‘for days.’ You palu, try to trick them, but they won’t change their ways. Fresh ‘opae, aku belly, shrimp and hahalalu-No matter what you try, nothing will do. You’re ready to quit; you mumble, ‘Oh. well…When something, someone, rings their dinner bell. The ‘oama go crazy as they chase after the lead. Hooking one after the other, you shake your head. Just a minute ago, you couldn’t pay them to bite, Now they’re in a frenzy (irhat a beautiful sight!). Just as fast as It started,…

MTBC In-House Tournament ■ On Saturday, August 31, the conditions were clear and calm when at 6:04 a.m. the voice of Vice Commodore Wyatt Nakamura rang out on CB channel 23 with the countdown: “Five, four, three, two, one: start fishing! “ So commenced the Maui Trailer Boat Club (MTBC) Annual In-House Trolling Tournament leaving from the Kahului Harbor. There were 12 member boats with about 30 fishing enthusiasts aboard ready to catch the fish that would take the money prizes offered. They were allowed to fish any of Maui County’s waters; however, they all chose to ply the area from the Kahului Harbor down to and past Hana and outward. The water on Maui’s North Shore was not typical. Instead of the usual 20- to 30-knot winds, we had…

■ It was another busy month off the Kona Coast for the Honokohau charter fleet, a typical late summer month. We again had nearly 400 marlin hooked up and leadered to the backs of fishing boats. Twenty-five percent of those game fish, after meeting eager summer sportsmen eye-to-eye, were tagged and released. That)s over 100 fish! Most of the tagging occurred during the two weeks of the Hawaiian International Billfish Association tournaments, in which more points were given for tagging than boating fish under 300 lbs. Still, about half of the tagged fish were a result of the rise in customers who request tag-and-release charters, and/or charterboat operators encouraging them to do so. The ‘ahi numbers have decreased and will decrease even more now that summer is over. Only about…

■ In last month’s article, I started to compile a list comprising a few of the things that most of us who operate offshore fishing boats (for a living or otherwise) have nightmares about. I’m not referring to unexpected weather or water pumps shooting craps at the worst possible time. Those are things that go along with the territory, and we have to learn to take them in stride or get off the water. What I’m talking about is “people stuff.” Not necessarily “the dumb things people do,” even though that might occasionally fit. These are things that folks do, generally as a result of simply not having spent much, if any, time aboard a sportfishing boat and really can’t be expected to know. The reason for the list is…

■ Last month’s column discussing the magnitude of the tuna overfishing in the Pacific brought a response from a regular reader who communicates with us from time to time about various ocean issues. He was concerned that the column trivialized local concern over the heavy fishing for ‘ahi at the FADs and on the seamounts near Hawai‘i. The “Conservation Line” column in September’s HAWAII FISHING NEWS regarding the harvest of juvenile ‘ahi did not say that harvesting juvenile ‘ahi locally is harmless. The issue of the harvest of immature ‘ahi locally is indeed worthy of careful observation and concern, and the column was not intended to suggest otherwise. The whole point of the last column was that there is a much bigger problem/threat, and that is the international purse seine…

■ Although the concept of the “hair rig” has been around for more than 20 years, it has not really caught on in the United States, which is a shame, because it has proven itself again and again on fish species that are hard to entice. One of the reasons for this disparity is that most anglers in the United States consider themselves to be sport fishermen only in quest of game fish. The Association of American Tackle Manufacturers wholeheartedly endorses this attitude, because it sells equipment to a lot of people who have not got a clue what they are doing but are eminently content to flog the waters for hours on end and lose tackle in the process, which makes for more sales. On the other hand, an…

■ Vern Nakamura got his first marlin while fishing with his friend Lance Uchima aboard Vern’s 23-foot Seacraft. They were near the MM-buoy when the 191-lb marlin hit a lure that was meant for large aku, but the marlin was just fine by them. A big fish was caught from aboard a small (15-foot) boat by Sam and Dana Nottage. Sam comes from a venerable Kane‘ohe fishing family, and the 512-lb marlin he caught while fishing on such a small boat with his wife ranked high on the list of family achievements. One morning at 9:55, Bert Werjefelt, aboard his boat, the NOHOLOA, calmly called in on the tournament channel that Team 86 had two ‘ahi weighing about 130 lbs each. Could multiple ‘ahi strikes off Kane‘ohe during the Kaneohe…

Dear Chuck, We were starting to call him “Hard Luck Mike.” He’d fished all over the backside of Maui from January until August 31 without catching a fish. However, on the night of August 31, at 7 p.m., Mike broke his streak of bad luck. It went like this. Mike Parris and Scott Ventura entered the Maui Casting Club’s 15th Annual Fishing Tournament. Ron Brittain and I went along for the fun of it. We had no place to fish up until the day before the tournament. That day, Mark, Mike’s brother, called Matthew Park, his friend from Hana. We met Matthew at about 5:30 on August 30, in Hana, and Matthew drove us to his friend’s land. It looked like a pretty good place. We thanked Matthew, and he…

■ It’s like the call of the wild around here! The mahimahi are jumping-right into the boats! The fish off Kawaihae aren’t big-around 10 lbs-but they are tender, sweet and plentiful. Having mahimahi fillets in the refrigerator is always a dilemma for me. I’d like nothing better than to season them lightly, usually dust them lightly with a mixture of flour, curry powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper, saute lightly, finish off with a few drops of shoyu, and enjoy. I never tire of that combination of flavors. I’ll bet that every HFN reader has a favorite (and simple) recipe that can be prepared quickly, even blindfolded. Fortunately, mahimahi is versatile, adapts itself to every cooking method and never disappoints! Here are three recipes to try. Maybe they’ll end up…

■ “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, October 5-Releasing and Catching Mullet The state of Hawai‘i is implementing a mullet releasing program starting in Hilo, and Mike joins up with his friend Bruce Kaya, who shows Mike what the program is all about. Then, they break out the rods and go fishing for mullet. This is an interesting show with good facts and underwater footage. Saturday, October 12–Light-Tackle Bottom Fishing on MY BOAT Mike and guest angler Hideo Kobata of AQA Kinugawa board the MY BOAT, skippered by Rueben Rubio and Don Suttle. They bottom fish using light tackle, and Hideo gets a nice-sized ‘omilu. You’ll see good, solid fishing action and…

Governor’s Decision Soon ■ The whale sanctuary is down to the wire, and it is still a race that’s too close to call. Sometime very soon, Gov. Ben Cayetano will have to make the final decision as to whether or not to allow the congressionally mandated Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to be permanently established in Hawai‘i’s waters. It is his call, and his call alone to make, and he has apparently not made the final decision yet. If the governor approves the sanctuary, we who spend part of our lives in and on Hawai‘i’s ocean will live with the many consequences of that decision for a long time to come. If he disapproves it, we will be able to go on about our lives without the additional…

Goats: The Inside Adobo ■ I was visiting a Hilo friend. He’s a video producer and wanted some input on a swimsuit calendar-rough job. I had to walk through his garage to his studio, and I noticed a wall of stuff. The place was covered with horns. They were goat horns, to be specific. They were not his horns. They belonged to his brother, a bow hunter. They were neatly mounted. Jimmy Lee of Jimmy’s Taxidermy in Hilo did the mounts. Going inside the home, I saw more trophies. There were some sheep racks, but mostly goats. It was unusual. Wanting to see into the mind of an obviously good goat bow hunter, I called him up one evening and talked story. If a hunter brags, boasts or acts too…

READY EVERYTIME TACKLE THAT CAN TAKE IT ■ 1. Anytime You’re Feeling Lucky. The older I get, the harder it is to enjoy the thought of sleeping out overnight on the rocks while waiting to hear the clang of the bell on an ulua pole. (It is no longer quite as easy to get excited at 2 or 3 in the morning.) So it’s very encouraging to hear a story like the tale of Big Islander Byron Kim and his 90-lb ulua. Kona rod builder Jeff Andrews told me the story because Byron caught the ulua on one of his custom-made poles. Jeff may be the only rod maker in the country who produces rod blanks from filament-wound graphite, and the strength of this sort of construction is important to…

■ This month’s issue of my column is dedicated to the passing of the “Father of Bluegrass Music,” the famous Bill Monroe. Bill invented the combination of instruments making up the soulful hillbilly sound of banjo, fiddle, guitar and mandolin. He was the leader of the “Bluegrass Boys” and penned the Kentucky state song, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Aloha, Bill. We’ve slammed the door on the summer of ‘96, a summer that is gone but not easily forgotten. I don’t mean to keep harping on the fact that this was a strange summer, but it was. The mahimahi catches were sparse, at best. Our ‘ahi season seemed to come and go in the same day; I just can’t remember which day it was. The aku are still here, but they’re…

For letters, with photos, received during the month of October we’l send you a HFN Koolzie. HFN Cap and two Official HFN RV or Boat window Stickers…our way of saying thanks sharing your catch! …Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25413, Honolulu, HI 96825 Dear Chuck, My name is Korwin and I just started fishing recently. It was on Sunday, May 5th that I caught my first fish. It was a kagami that weighed 4 lbs. I really love reading HFN and seeing the pictures in your holoholo section. It would be so exciting and inspiring to see my picture in yoursection. I wish all the fishermen out there the best of luck in 1996. Aloha and mahalos,Korwin WongKane‘ohe, O‘ahu Dear Uncle Chuck, This may not look like much,…

OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS HBGFC JUNIORS TOURNAMENT October 5,1996 Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club P.O. Box 3106, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 (808) 325-7362 KEEHI JACKPOT FISHING TOURNAMENT October 5 & 6,1996 Keehi Boat Club 4 Sand Island Access Road, Honolulu, HI 96819 (808) 841-7271 13th ANNUAL ALII KAI FISHING TOURNAMENT October 12 & 13,1996 Alii Kai Boat Builders-Hawaii P.O. Box 1911, Kamuela, HI 96743-1911 Contact Alfred or Vai Berdon (808) 885-4988 or (808) 885-2192 LAHAINA WAHINE TOURNAMENT October 19 & 20,1996 Lahaina Yacht Club-Maui 835 Front Street, Lahaina, HI 96761 (808) 661-0191 LAHAINA JACKPOT TOURNAMENT October 25, 26 & 27,1996 Lahaina Yacht Club-Maui 835 Front Street, Lahaina, HI 96761 (808) 661-0191 DIVING TOURNAMENTS ALII HOLO KAI 10TH ANNUAL KUMU HUNT November 11,1996—Oahu Ali‘i Holo Kai Dive Club Frank Farm (808) 732-1756 Dennis Okada…