Innholdsfortegnelse for January 1998 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ On December 31, 1997, “Fishing Tales®” with Mike Sakamoto moves to Oceanic Cable. The program will air on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday every week at 7 p.m. on Channel 16. On the outer islands, the shows will air on local cable stations at the same time on channels: 42 (Hilo), 68 (Kona) and 51 (Lahaina). December 31 to January 4-Whipping for Lana’i’s Papio on the ROBALO I Star Market employee Lloyd Higa goes fishing with Mike and Capt. Kenny Takashima of Lahaina on the ROBALO I. They cross the Lana’i channel and whip the shoreline for papio and anything else that’ll take their lures. This is a solid papio fishing show with good action. (January 7 to 11-Papio Spinning From the TINA II Tina and Mike Caballero…

■ Descriptions for January 1998 ESPN 1 “Big Game Bites” features, airing every Saturday at 8:25 a.m. EST, or 3:25 a.m. in Hawai‘i. Saturday, January 3, 8:25 a.m. EST-BOAT SETUP There are a lot of choices when it comes to setting up a boat for offshore big-game fishing. We are going to take a look at a few of them. Saturday, January 10, 8:25 a.m. ESTONE-MAN OPERATION See how a boat can be set up for big-game fishing with a one-man crew instead of the conventional two-or three-man crews. Saturday, January 17, 8:25 a.m. LURE: FROM THE FISH’S VIEWPOINT Get an underwater glimpse at how various lures look to the fish as the lures are being trolled. Saturday, January 24. 8:25 a.m. EST-TEASERS Teasers are used specifically to cause a…

■ With the arrival of our Texas friends, Jerry Valentine and his son Jamie, Lou McEachern, “Rip” Ripley and Ronny New, local casters had the opportunity to see an awesome demonstration of longcasting ability at Ke’ehi Lagoon. These five casters arrived October 31 for a week of relaxation and a little workout demonstrating the pendulum cast, reel maintenance and the fundamental procedures of casting. Their first night in Hawai’i was spent at a dinner engagement at the Pagoda Restaurant. Harry Hayashi had his manager, Mr. Santos, prepare some bait to feed the big ulua that roam the waters under the Pagoda. For the Texans, it was unusual to see the ulua so close and in captivity. They couldn’t understand how ulua could survive in the same water with the koi,…

Aloha Chuck and HAWAII FISHING NEWS Readers, Our report on the economics of Hawaii’s small-boat fishery is finally completed and available. The full report is about 200 pages and can be obtained by writing to me, Marcia Hamilton, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, 1000 Pope Road, MSB #312, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822. Don’t forget to include your name and mailing address. Due to the report’s length and detail, I have also prepared a condensed version for distribution through harbor agents and HAWAII FISHING NEWS. I will try “to keep copies of this condensed report at He’eia Kea, Wai’anae, Ke‘ehi, Hale’iwa, Lahaina, Moloka’i, Honoko-hau and Lana’i. There are also copies at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatics Resources offices on Maui, Kaua’i and in Hilo. I…

■ They were the shots heard around the islands. On the afternoon of May 27, 1995, two sheep were illegally shot at Pu’uwa’awa’a Sanctuary on the Big Island. The poacher was an off-duty Division of Forestry and Wildlife field worker. The field worker was caught in the act, was tried and then fired by Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) on May 31, 1996. On August 19, 1997, the worker, Robert Covington, represented by the United Public Workers, was reinstated by an arbitrator with full back pay. The arbitrator found that Robert had in the past illegally hunted with his boss, Jon Giffin. The most disturbing news to Hawai’i sportsmen groups about this sheep shoot cover up was that Robert was fired and Jon promoted. For years, sportsmen on…

■ A U.S. Coast Guard H-65 helicopter from cutter POLAR STAR and a 41-foot utility boat from STATION HONOLULU responded to a burning vessel 6 miles south of Waikiki on November 20. The 35-foot sportfishing vessel BLUE NUN was reported on fire by passing vessel MAGGIE JOE at 4:20 p.m., which pulled alongside to recover six of the eight people on board. Another passing vessel, the ELO, recovered the BLUE NUN’s master and one crew member. The U.S. Coast Guard utility boat and a small boat arrived within 20 minutes to extinguish the fire. “We passed the two ‘Good Samaritan’ vessels by 1,000 yards on our way to the burning boat,” said FN Jessica Vowell of STATION HONOLULU. “We knew then that the crew from the BLUE NUN were taken…

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had an exciting and safe holiday and that your stockings were stuffed with all kinds of neat new fishing gear. I’d like to share with you one fishing story that occurred off of Wai’anae and then concentrate on the biggest threat to anyone who shares a life style using the shoreline and offshore resources. That threat is the governor’s obsession with privatizing the state’s small-boat harbors. First, the story. Recently, Steve Hagai went out fishing aboard hrs boat, the LADY J. He had no crew that day; he was fishing alone. At 54 degrees and 8 miles back to Wai’anae Boat Harbor, he hooked up to an ‘ahi. Fighting and landing an ‘ahi solo was something that he had done many times before,…

Dear Chuck, Hanapa’a! It’s me, Keith Kanuha from Moloka’i. From left to right is a photo of a nice size ulua that I landed with help from my partner Eddison Reyes. We went to a spot on the south shore of the island for an overnighter. It was pretty rough. The waves were about 5 feet, but that didn’t stop us! We set up camp and went straight for our poles. When it got dark, we slid fresh tako. Around 2 a.m., my pole started to scream. I jumped up and started to fight the fish. I could tell that it was a good size fish. The wanes were slamming and I got al! wet as I fought the fish, but it was worth it! About 20 minutes later, that’s…

■ Eddie Tacub is a shoreline fisherman from Hanapepe Heights who has had a lot of success in local shoreline tournaments over the years. Now I am happy to report that he is also Kaua‘i’s newest member of HFN’s 100-Plus Club! Yep, he nailed a 120½-lb white ulua near Salt Pond Point one Saturday morning in late October while fishing by himself. The day started ominously. Early that morning, Eddie arose and saw that it was windy and rainy. He decided to head down to Salt Pond anyway to try a new spot he had always wondered about near the lighthouse. As he headed down to the shoreline, he noticed that a beautiful rainbow had appeared across the sky, signaling an end to the rain and bringing the promise of…

■ On Monday November 10, Alex Alexander and Rick Nail got together and decided to do a little fishing. At 8:45 a.m. they hit their favorite fishing spot on MCBH where they had started ulua fishing some two years ago. After setting up camp, they proceeded to head out for a dive. The dive was a success: they grabbed six he‘e. After the dive, Alex and Rick rigged up their small spinner poles and tried their skill at catching some live bait. They caught a mixed bag of hinalea, mamo, kupipi and nenue. At 4:30 p.m. Rick and Alex began to put it to the lead. Rick threw his first pole, “the rainbow warrior” (a Sabre 540, 18 tip, 13 feet 4 inches long). The pole was armed with a…

■ We would like to extend a big mahalo to all you fishermen/women out there who have so kindly participated in our fishing survey. We really appreciate all your efforts in taking the time to fill out and return our survey forms. To those of you who were interviewed by our staff at the shoreline, mahalo for all your kokua. For your interest, we will be publishing the summary results of this survey in future issues of the “Current Line.” We may be covering the results in sections over several issues because the summary will be too long to publish in just one issue. Licenses, Rules and Regulations It has been brought to our attention that the minimum size for home consumption of Kona crab was misprinted in the last…

■ In January 1995, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Office of Law Enforcement, began a three-year pilot project to study the effectiveness of an automated, satellite-based vessel monitoring system (VMS) in the Hawai‘i pelagic longline fishery for tuna and swordfish. The project was intended to provide information on which NMFS could base future decisions concerning the application of VMS in the Hawai’i longline fishery, and possibly in other fisheries and geographical areas. This three-year trial is nearing completion and has been a success. NMFS now intends to make the VMS a permanent enforcement program in Hawai’i. Two large closed areas were created by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) and implemented by NMFS in 1990-91. The “Protected Species Zone” in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands was implemented to…

■ The night was filled with anticipation as 1 sat at the kitchen table, preparing my fishing stuff. It included fishing lines, BB shot-sized weights, hooks neatly boxed, all bought from the neighborhood fishing supply store, and, of course, my small bamboo pole. Up early in the morning and after a hurried light breakfast, I put together a devilled-ham sandwich for my lunch and removed a package of frozen California shrimp from the icebox. Why it was called California shrimp, I’m not sure. Maybe it was just the fact that it came from the mainland. These shrimp were our universal bait that we all depended upon. We could buy them individually from the market for a few cents and have them wrapped in thick butcher paper. Except for the pole,…

■ Alaska: it’s big. Mount Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley, commands the state. It’s seen often and from afar, like sitting in Waikiki and viewing Mauna Kea. Usually it’s cold. Well, this summer things were different. The coldest we got was in the air-conditioned train. Bears? They were everywhere: on post cards, calendars and tourist shirts. Fish? Locals called it a bad salmon year. Canadians just about went to war over the Alaskans poaching theirs. Dave Taylor of Mountain View runs an Alaskan guide service called Reel Wilderness Adventures. When he came to our house last spring and gave us the sales pitch slide show, he said we’d catch fish, lots of fish. He said we’d have fun. This summer my sons and I camped and fished wilderness Alaska. We had…

■ Pausing at the foot of the hill, we strained to hear the sounds of the chase. Nothing. We heard only the wind in the tall Ponderosa pines and the whistling wings of the big band-tail pigeons as they zipped by at high speed. Then, faintly, we heard a bark. Then another. Back to the truck we ran, and up the hill we drove. Fifteen minutes later, high above our first listening point, we clearly heard the dogs. The problem was, they were in two places! Down the hill, in thick oak brush, periodic barks were heard. About a half-mile ahead and just below the rim, a single hound bayed. My outfitter, Mike Archuleta, listened with a practiced ear and quickly said, “That’s Jewel, and she’s treed. Let’s go; there’s…

■ A common catch this month was “one biue marlin with a side of mahimahi.” Some boats landed fish weighing hundreds of pounds, and some boats came in with bait 1 could weigh on the postal scale. Nevertheless, “it’s fishing, not catching,” as they say, and everyone had fun! The official count stands at 178 blue marlin, two striped marlin and four shortbill spearfish weighed in at the scales in Honokohau Marina this month. An additional 16 blues and one striper were tagged and released. Five of the blue marlin were over 500 lbs, including the new largest blue marlin of the year, by 15 lbs. November 1 was a very exciting day for Mary Marten; she reeled in the largest blue marlin we’ve seen all year. After bringing in…

Dear Chuck, My son, Vincent, and I would like to share our dream come true with you and our fellow HFN readers. After a year-long project rebuilding the transom on a used 22-foot Sea Ray, we now have upgraded from a P 14. We call her the AINOKEA (Mahalo, Freddie Morris), loosely translated to mean, “mo’ beta fishing than homework.” On-July 12, 1997, we launched at He’eia Kea and spentthe day at the sandbar with my wife, twin daughters, grandpa and nephew, Kevin Frank. At about 6 p.m., we off-loaded, leaving my son, nephew and me on board. We headed out to set anchor in the bay, spend the night and do a little trolling the next day. That night while my son and nephew did a little casting, 1…

■ It had been way too long since I had returned to the “big island’ ot Australia, and this trip was shaping up to be the best ever in terms of fishing opportunities. My good friends George and Sharon Handgis had committed to 10 days of light-tackle marlin fishing, we had booked one of the top Australian skippers in Capt. Laurie Wright, my wife, Jeanette, was going to be able to join us for a few days of exploratory fishing, and the Australian biack marlin tournament season was about to get underway. After a series of very disappointing experiences with several different. Qantas employees, which 1 took as an indication that the once-proud air carrier’s personnel were not much interested in supporting the company’s otherwise fine image and reputation, I…

To Back or Not To Back, That is the Question ■ Backing down on a fish is a much discussed facet of biggame boat handling with about as many viewpoints as there are captains and anglers. Literally speaking, the term “backing down” is inaccurate, as would be the term “backing up,” Until a boat sprouts wings, it’s not likely to go very far up, backing or otherwise. The last thing anyone on board wants to see happen is for a boat to actually “back down “-good for submarines; not so hot for sportfishing boats. “Backing back” accurately describes the process of getting or keeping a fish closer to the boat by maneuvering the boat in reverse gear. However, like a number of other terms that have been accepted by the…

Portland, Oregon-January 2 to 4, 1998 The intense, three-day Portland International Sportsmen’s Exposition (ISE) features several hundred booths of outdoor-product and service suppliers, and thereby complements strong fishing, shooting and boating activity throughout the Northwest. The show also offers visitors an opportunity to book trips to Canada, Alaska and other top U.S. and international spots for world-class hunts and angling adventures. ISE’s Best-in-the-West fly casting contest and the Casting Cove capitalize on the growth of fly fishing and warmwater fishing. Between competition rounds, show-goers can try archery and fly casting, with all equipment and instruction provided. Other show features include seminar and fly tying theaters led by many local, regional and international masters. Hawaii anglers and sportfishing businesses might do well to avail themselves of one or more of the…

■ It was a dark and stormy night, so the storytellers begin; but at Nu’uanu it was exactly that on several weekends in November and December. Never have 1 seen such bravery, or dogged insistence, as the anglers took their places. There were actually whitecaps on the water, and at the point there were whiteouts and you could not see a foot ahead of you. The catfish? They cooperated, and the big payoffs came at the places where you were fishing into the wind. Those who preferred to have the wind, and the rain, on their backs, did not fare as well. Most of the catfish were in the 2-plus-lb class. I ran into my illustrious friend Les Hata, whom I did not recognize with his mufti covering everything but…

The Challenge of Our Declining Fisheries ■ It has been just over a year now since President Clinton signed into law the Sustainable Fisheries Act amendments to the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (FCMA), the law that mandated improved management of the fisheries within 200 miles of our shores. The FCMA became law in 1976. The Sustainable Fisheries Act, signed into law in October of 1996, mandated that all 39 federal fishery management plans must be amended to comply with the new law within two years, which means that by October of 1998, all the fishery management plans created by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) must be made to comply with the mandates of the Sustainable Fisheries Act. A report written by the U.S. Department of…

Were You There? ■ Where, you may say, should I have been? If you have any interest in your money, you should have been at the public hearing held on Maui on November 25. The discussion underway was whether the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR- should raise the fee for commercial fishing licenses from $25 per year to $100 per year. Of about 25 individuals in attendance at that meeting, the Maui Trailer Boat Club (MTBC) was well-represented with the following members, who not only attended but testified against the increase in fees: Pat and Ray Le May; Sid Medeiros; Claude Moreau; Dennis Nelson; Hideo and Lucille Ogata; Gary Vinge; and this reporter. Not one single person supported the DLNR’s plan to increase the fees except, of course,…

■ A couple of months ago, I lost a good-sized fish out by Rabbit Island on O’ahu. I was trolling downsea on my kayak when I hooked up, and the combination of the swell pushing my kayak and a powerful run from the fish was too much for the 10-lb test monofilament on my spinner. The line parted before I could loosen the drag. Since then, I’ve made a few changes in my kayak fishing setup. The first change was converting my single rod holder into a double rod holder that swivels. The new rod holder has been a joy to use. I made it out of a few short pieces of 1 Vi-inch PVC pipe and three PVC joints. The finished rod holder looks like a PVC version of…

Growing up, I was always reminded not to go anywhere alone. So as I grew, this knowledge was well-planted in my brain, so well-planted, in fact, that when I reached adulthood, the root of this rule shriveled and died along with the rest of the seemingly trite childhood rules most of us grew up with, like not jumping on the couch or running with a stick. As I got older, I began to look forward to time that I could be alone and just reflect on life in general. Much of that time alone I would spend fishing in some form or another. One of my favorite things to do was to go ultralight tackle trolling for papio, moana and the ever-popular trumpetfish. Manning my little skiff on my own…