Innholdsfortegnelse for October 1997 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ This is a story for those who have pounded and pounded, yet haven’t landed an ulua. Persistence pays. It paid big time for O‘ahu angler Kevin Ishikawa. It was strange the way I heard about Kevin’s good fortune: I heard it announced on the radio by Larry Price on my way to work one morning. Larry said something like, “Congratulations to Kevin Ishikawa for landing a 116-lb ulua on 60-lb test. It must be the granddaddy of all uluas!” I knew it wasn’t Kevin who called Mike and Larry because Kevin is one of the most humble guys I know. I just had to call him to congratulate him on a well-deserved catch. On the last weekend of August, Kevin, a member of Island Shorecasters, made up his mind…

■ The 27th Annual Lanai Rendezvous saw 55 boats trolling the waters around Maui County during the Admissions Day weekend. This year’s winning marlin of 729½ lbs was landed by Kyle Mitchell aboard the 24-foot Sea Ray WENDY LOU, skippered by Bob Schnoor. Other team members were Eric Munster, Travis Pushane and Erin Whattam. With the size of Bob’s small boat, the weather is always a factor. On the first day, he decided to sneak as far behind Kaho‘olawe as he could without getting into the trade winds. He was about 3 miles east of the Kaho‘olawe Lighthouse when he found a big pile of birds and aku. He worked them for a while with several other boats and then decided to head farther out toward the JJ-buoy. As Bob…

■ As promised, the following is additional information on various sectors of the maritime industry represented by BOATS/Hawaii Inc. and its members. This month, our focus is the industrial, or commercial, maritime sector. This includes cargo transport, passenger carrying operations, ship building and repair industries as well as all of their supporting companies. Our sincere thanks go out to the supporting companies, particularly the marine surveyors and shipping agents who are helping to spread the word about our organization. The industrial sector of the maritime industry is a vital component of Hawaii’s maritime economy. Nearly all of the food, building materials, manufactured goods and energy supplies used on the islands are imported. Over 98 percent of these goods are transported to Hawai‘i by sea. The state’s maritime industry is comprised…

Dear Al and the North Shore Spearfishing Committee, Once again, we wish to thank you and all those responsible for the very generous donation of fish and tako. Your aloha for us has always been one of your many concerns, as some of our senior citizens are unable to shop for fish at today’s high market prices. The divers are to be congratulated for being such fine sportsmen and sharing their catch with us. May they always be blessed with good luck and free of danger as they pursue this unique sport. We will again have a fish cookout that all of the seniors enjoy and look forward to. All the “left-overs” will be given to them for their dinner meal and door prizes. In closing, we extend our fondest…

■ Whenever I hear talk about long-distance casting (and you can rest assured that I hear that kind of talk often), the subject of guide placement enters into the conversation. Guide placement? Is that important? If you are trying to cast for distance it is. What I would like to try to do in this article is to address the importance of rod guides and their placement. This is one of the most overlooked areas of a casting rod. The main reason is that most of us buy our rods from manufacturers with the guides already wrapped in place on the blank. We then take the rod and begin to fish with it, taking for granted that all is well. In some cases, all is well with store-bought rods; however,…

Interview With Capt. Harry Shigekane and Serafin Duterte ■ Recently, Harry Shigekane completed an exciting trade/purchase. Looking to upgrade his charter fishing operation, Action Plus Adventure Charters, he swapped boats with another longtime Kaua‘i fisherman, Stan Muranaka. The former STACY DEE III is now the new POMAIKAI. I was fortunate to be able to sit down with Harry and share some thoughts with him and his legendary fishing partner, Serafin Duterte, soon after they had landed a 1,008-lb blue marlin for angler Chuck Blesso of Buena Park, California. It’s always a special treat to talk with Harry. Like most successful people, he exudes an aura of modest selfconfidence and is always open and willing to share with others his techniques, equipment choices and fishing philosophies. I found Serafin to be…

■ Aku were everywhere this month. Big skipjack tuna (otaru, if you like) were caught by many fishermen hoping for ‘ahi. The water and conditions were very good, and the trollers were very pleased with the good catches. Even the aku boaters enjoyed outstanding loads of fish. With all the aku, you know that big predators are around to eat them as they swim in our waters. Big marlin love to feed on large aku, and that is exactly what the Yee Hoys figured as they trolled with their boat, the POKI BOY. Three generations of Yee Hoys fish on the boat: Hastings Sr.; Hastings Jr.; and Hastings John, They enjoy good times and good catches, like on the day that Dayton Ishimine was along and they hooked up to…

The summer blue marlin bite started out looking good, with a lot of small fish in the area. Each month saw a sailfish brought to the dock. During June there were 38 fish weighed and another 17 tagged and released. Of those 55 fish, four weighed between 200 and 250 lbs, eight were between 150 and 200 lbs, and 38 of them were under 150 lbs. The blue marlin bite dropped to 36 fish in July. Of those, 30 were weighed and six were tagged and released. There were two fish weighing between 200 and 250 lbs, 12 fish weighing between 150 and 200 lbs, and 18 under 150 lbs. August continued to show a decline in blue marlin with 30 fish. Twenty-one were weighed, with nine being tagged and…

■ Thirteen teams participated in the Hilo Trollers August Tournament held on August 10. The weather report indicated there would be brief light showers, and the trade winds were blowing 10 to 20 mph. The sea was on the rough side with a high surf advisory posted for the east-facing shores. Rough seas didn’t stop the 13 die-hard entries. Leaving the harbor at 5:30 a.m., the participating teams headed in all directions. All catches were called in over the CB radio to the tournament control. One of the highlights of the tournament occurred when Capt. Conner Cowpland and angler Ron Johnson of the FINEST KIND hooked up to a 111-lb ‘ahi. On the CARLA H, Capt. James Hiraki and angler Myra Hiraki landed a 70½-lb ‘ahi, which eventually took second…

■ For Hawaii waters, summer is over and winter is approaching. October may preview the upcoming winter’s weather. There will be a greater variety of weather, but the severity of bad weather has not reached its potential. The following are potentially bad weather events, listed in order of decreasing expected occurrence: (1) northwest swell and surf (2) gusty trade winds (3) weak cold front (4) Kona low (5) north swell and surf (6) hurricane. Other than the northwest swell and surf, the expected frequencies of the other events are low. The frequency of trade winds is going down, but trades will still be the most common winds. The number of gusty trade wind days should be low-about four days. Northwest surf picks up while southerly surf is down at Sunset…

■ Where is a gaffman when you need one? O‘ahu shorecaster Leonard Hoppe must have been thinking just that while he battled with whatever it was that screamed line off of his 6/0 reel. The line began rubbing, and the fish got pinned. Leonard’s headlamp beam wasn’t strong enough to scare the fish and clear the line. Where is a guy with a strong headlamp when you need one? From the beginning of the fight, Leonard knew the fish was a big one. This was a “fo’ real” one-on-one battle. It all started like a typical weekend. Leonard made plans to fish for ulua with his partner, Kevin Ishikawa. Kevin had obligations-he was helping a friend plant grass-but he told Leonard that he’d give him a call when they finished…

Don’t the Users Have a Say? ■ Why are Gov. Cayetano and Mike Wilson going at flank speed to privatize the state’s small-boat harbors? Is this something the boaters want, or is this just a bureaucratic scheme to cut state expenses without asking for comments or giving consideration to the adverse impact it would have on the large segment of our population that uses these harbors and ramps? Privatization is clearly not driven by the boaters. In fact, boaters are extremely skeptical about privatization. They are convinced that it will increase their fees 300 percent or more. These increases would probably be attributed largely to the costs for the repairs and improvements to the harbors and ramps that the state should have done but didn’t, and secondly, to the many…

■ It was nearly 3 a.m., and Hal Higuchi was sound asleep. Suddenly, the ulua bell on Hal’s Fenwick 16810 began to clank uncontrollably. With all the racket going on, Hal still managed to keep his eyes closed until he heard me yelling, “Hal, your pole!” I kept my headlamp beam on his bouncing pole and watched Hal clamber off into the darkness with only a small flashlight in hand. In the distance, Hal’s pole was still bouncing away and small spurts of drag were being ripped off. From what I could see, it wasn’t a seriously big fish but it was putting up a good fight. Hal grabbed his pole, threw off the bell and unhooked his anchorline. He noticed that his line had crossed over all the lines…

■ The summer may be over, but the angling has remained top level here on the Garden Isle. As August drew to a close, there were still a lot of yellowfin coming up, albeit the majority were coming more consistently at night than during the day. Mahimahi started to make their appearance in progressively larger numbers, even starting to bite lures after more than a few months of shunning almost everybody’s offerings. Just to get everyone in the mahimahi mood, I’ve included a picture from last year. Geno Lewis boated this 70.9-lb bull by the CK-buoy while trolling a green and gold jet. In case anyone is curious, he was fishing on his boat, the PUEO, three days before the full moon in the afternoon. Nice mahimahi, Gago! That should…

■ Fish, fish and more fish. During the month, we had over 200 blue marlin, one striped marlin, six sailfish, 16 spearfish and 40 100-plus-lb ‘ahi at the scales. Four of the blues were over 700 lbs each, one was over 600 lbs, and four were over 500 lbs. Also, a good number of billfish were tagged and released due to the summer tournaments. Our records show over 50 blue marlin and four spearfish were tagged and released, but there were probably a bunch more. The ono were more plentiful than mahimahi, and lots of giant otaru came up. The largest marlin brought in during the month weighed 793 lbs. It was caught on the KONA LURE with Capt. Del Wheaton and Capt. Terry Wigzell. Bill Vanderbort from Chicago was…

Dear Chuck, I would like to say auwe to the people who ran the Kaneohe Yacht Club Open Fishing Tournament held on August 9. To whomever you are, don’t you know that rules weren’t made to be broken? The rules and regulations for the tournament shouldn’t have been made, sent out, and explained at the captain’s briefing if you people were going to allow them to be broken! First of all, the rules clearly stated that the official scale for the tournament would be the one at the Kaneohe Yacht Club (KYC), not the one at the United Fishing Agency (UFA). How do we all know that the fish weighed in at the KYC scale (at 130 lbs), was the same fish taken to the UFA (where it was weighed…

■ The Sam Choy Poke Contest, held this year on September 21 at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, has come a long way since its debut in 1992. The first contest attracted 500 entries from all over the state. Fish lovers brought their specialties to the Waimea ball park on the Big Island and waited nervously and eagerly for the judges (which included me the first two years!) to choose the creations that would receive awards. Now, the contest is an international event that attracts amateur and professional seafood chefs and enthusiasts from all over the world. As Sam’s event has grown, so has the interest, expectations and recognition. Each year, the number of entries has increased, which in turn has attracted eager spectators who watch and wait patiently to…

■ All ulua fishermen share a common dream: to one day land the ultimate trophy, an elusive 100-pounder. Unfortunately, only a few lucky anglers ever get the chance, and for this small handful the chance comes only after many long years of patience, hard work and determination. This story is about one of these lucky anglers, Arthur Guigui. But there is one thing different about his story. The difference is that his dream came true after just three years. It all started on August 23, 1997. After many “whitewash” fishing trips, Art finally landed his first ulua, a 10½-1b kagami. “I’m finally on the score board,” said Art as the needle on the scale barely passed the 10-lb mark. He could finally join the ranks of his brother-in-law, Jonathan Kealoha…

■ “Fishing Tales®’’ airs every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. on KITV-4. Here’s a preview of what host Mike Sakamoto has in store for you. Saturday, October 4-Penn Fishes the HIBT Pro-Am Mike and the Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company Team participate in the Hawaii International Billfish Association’s Pro-Am. The team is lucky; they manage to hook up with several marlin and eventually land one in the 350-lb size. If you like deep-sea fishing and marlin, tune in to this one. Saturday, October 11-Offshore on the LADY Bill Hoey and Capt. Rob McGuckin head out to the deep waters outside of Kailua-Kona on the LADY to fish with their friend and chef Mathew Pike. They get lucky and hook into tuna, mahimahi and then a Pacific blue marlin. You’ll see…

PACIFIC BLUE Team Wins $21,240 at Okoe Bay ■ The final leg of the Budweiser Kona Marlin Tournament Series was held from a remote beach on the southwest corner of the Big Island starting on September 4, 1997. Eight sportfishing boats and a mothership rendezvoused at Okoe Bay after fishing down from Kailua-Kona. Okoe Bay is tucked in the last lee area of Mauna Loa between the fishing village of Miloli‘i and Kauna Point, where the “windline” usually hovers. If the trades have a north or northeasterly angle, then the boats can sneak around and fish all the way to South Point. If the trades are blowing anywhere south of northeast, then the Kona boats get to experience two days of fishing in waters that are usually too far away…

■ For the competitive diver, this has been one long year. Since January, we in the Hawaii Council of Diving Clubs (HCDC) have been “going at it” to see who would represent Hawai‘i in the U.S. National Championship in Malibu, California. And, as you know, Hawai‘i did very well. But, just when you thought it was time to pack the dive gear away, you had to think twice (literally). It didn’t end there. On the heels of the nationals were two remaining meets, the Fourth Annual Richard “Sonny” Tanabe Jr. Invitational Free-Diving Tournament and the North Shore Spearfishers Classic. Not everyone has the chance to compete on a national level, but there are tournaments right here in Hawai‘i that are unique, equally challenging and special in their own way. Granted,…

Dear Chuck, While vacationing in Kaua‘i, we stopped by the small boat harbor in Nawiliwili Bay. While walking on the dock and admiring the fishing boats, we came upon Harry Shigekane on his 35-foot Bertram. After talking to Harry for a while, my friend Richard Milroy and I decided to book Harry’s boat for a half-day trip. On August 8th at about 6:30 a.m., we left the dock, trolling with seven lines out. We had about 4-foot seas. Harry was hoping for 8-foot seas-he says the bite is better for him on higher seas. We were all set to nail the big ones. Richard and I decided ahead of time that he would take any hits on the port side poles and I would have the starboard ones. At about…

Tag and Release 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 Billfish & ‘Ahi Weigh-Ins…

Diamond Head Lighthouse ■ Have you ever gone to the Diamond Head Lookout or fished off Diamond Head and wondered to yourself what it would be like to live on the adjacent cliffs? If so, you also may have experienced some envy toward the U.S. Coast Guard 14th District commander’s residence on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. And there’s a lighthouse to boot! The district commander residing at Diamond Head Lighthouse is a matter of U.S. Coast Guard tradition, with the lighthouse representing the service’s responsibility to the mariner. Presently, Rear Admiral Thomas H. Collins and his family occupy the site better known as the Diamond Head Lighthouse. The 97-year-old lighthouse has been the 14th District Commander’s residence since 1945. In August of 1996, Admiral Collins became the 21st…