Innholdsfortegnelse for February 1999 i Hawaii Fishing News

What’s the best blue marlin “moon”? We get that question often from local folks who are marking vacation days on their fishing calendars, from tournament committees trying to schedule fishing events, and from tourists around the world who want to plan their Hawai‘i vacations to coincide with the days when they are most likely to catch the giant billfish of their dreams. The question may not really have an answer. Fishing is not an exact science and does not necessarily follow any grand plan of nature. That answer, however, satisfies no one. The idea of a best lunar day or lunar period for billfish pervades the lore of every gamefishing port in the world. The concept might be superstition as much as super truth, but you will hear knowledgeable fishermen…

Hawai‘i’s fly fishermen have a wealth of fishing opportunities right here in the islands (many of which we covered in a previous installment of this series), but sometimes wanderlust, business, family matters or the old “fishing is always better on the other side of the pond” syndrome compel us to travel farther afield than our island state. One of the top out-of-state fishing destinations for island residents is the 49th state of Alaska. Just as visits to Alaska produce salmon and trout and grayling and Arctic char for conventional tackle fishermen, the same waters can also be counted on to deliver trophy catches of those species and other species on a fly rod. The attributes of the many fishing locations in Alaska are too numerous to cover here, but suffice…

Eight papio. Eight papio and one lai, actually, were what I caught. That was the best I had ever done in one paddle. It started with a drive from Po‘ipu to Nawiliwili Harbor in Lihu‘e, Kaua‘i, where we launched. We were planning on an 11-mile and approximately seven-hour paddle, with lots of stops for fishing. While driving over, we were talking about what to fish with that day. Bruce Nagel brought up an old Yozuri Crystal Minnow that he used to have a few years ago. He swore it caught more than 30 fish before he lost it. It had a special orange-on-orange color. Unfortunately, they don’t make it anymore and he has never been able to find it again. I had heard this story before and didn’t think much…

We had the 38-foot RENEGADE at F-buoy, and the sea looked bare. Nothing worth mentioning was moving, jumping or flying around the buoy. Even the sooty tern that was sitting on the buoy looked like it felt a bit foolish being in the area. But I thought we’d give it a try anyway. We’d been there a couple of weeks before, and it had looked exactly the same. I tied a small, homemade popper to my line, which was connected to my new Penn 965 International conventional reel. Once rigged, I flipped the popper in the water and allowed it to drift behind the slow-moving boat about 100 feet back. After I got it in the right spot, I began flicking my wrist, which caused the small, white popper to…

Since writing an article concerning the Joint Rescue Coordination Center. I’ve had many questions forwarded about the Automated Mutuai-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) System. Here is a brief history of the AMVER System. The genesis of the AMVER system found its roots in the RMS TITANTIC disaster in 1912. Ships passing within sight of the ill-fated passenger liner were unaware that it had hit an iceberg and was sinking. Upon later investigation, those who had seen the distress flares from the stricken ship admitted they thought they were merely part of the maiden voyage celebrations! The resultant idea of a ship reporting system that could identify other ships in the area of a ship in distress, which could then be sent to its assistance, would not become a reality until the…

Getting a loan for a boat has become as easy and available as getting a loan for a car in most regions across the country, according to the National Marine Bankers Association (NMBA). The benefit for boat buyers is that they can afford a larger, more comfortable or more powerful model through financing. Terms on boat loans are longer than most auto loans at lending institutions that specialize in the market and at marine dealerships that represent these lenders. That’s because boats that are properly cared for last longer and tend to hold their value better than cars. As a result, monthly payments for a boat purchase are usually lower than many shoppers expect. Other boat loan terms are competitive, relative to auto loans. Boat buyers tend to have excellent…

Day Three We were all fired up for the new day’s adventure and ready to get into some fish. The halibut Chuck had in the smoker came out great and made tasty snacks with breakfast. After topping off the fuel and water tanks (gas was $1.25, diesel 95 cents at the fuel dock), Capt. John headed us out to do some coho trolling past Shelter Island to Thunder Bay and a place locally known as “Hand Trailers.” Traveling by boat in Southeast Alaska is an adventure in itself. We were about 300 feet from the shore of Thunder Bay, and there were humpback whales swimming between us and shore while bald eagles flew overhead. The rugged, Sitka spruce-forested, snowcapped mountains and rocky driftwood-littered shores, together with all the wildlife, made…

Well, there were some fish in our waters at the close of the year, but a guy really had to work hard in order to find them! As is usual at that time of year, most strikes came on the blind. All of the birds were still on their winter vacation. The types of fish around were really varied from day to day, so the versatile fishermen seemed to come up with the strikes. Small lures, big lures and baits needed to be juggled to fit the fishing area, and news on recent action could be garnered by tapping into the “coconut wireless. ” One of the disappointing things about the last few months has been the lack of marlin in our waters. Blues, stripers and blacks were almost nonexistent,…

Hi Chuck, Here are two pictures that were taken on a recent fishing trip in Cairns, Australia with Les Marsh of Fishing the Tropics. HFN’s Rick Gaffney wrote about fishing with Leś in Australia in the January 1998 issue, and I fished with Les last year in September. I recently had the opportunity to head out to Australia on business and u>as able to get in a day of fishing with Les on the Russell and Mulgrave rivers just south of Cairns. My girlfriend Ann Robbins is holding up her first tarpon that, she caught on a diving plug and I am holding up a barramundi that I caught on fly tackle with a “Pink Thing” that I had tied myself. In addition, we caught a number of trevally (papio),…

‘Splash!’ Is Back After nearly two years, the HAWAII FISHING NEWS signature column “Splash!” is back-big and bad like a humpback whale splash. Written for years by the renown Hawai‘i outdoor writer Jim Rizzuto, author of the “FISHING Hawaii Style” books, “Splash!” was a HAWAII FISHING NEWS roundup column. Like a freight-train jumping marlin, that’s what the “Splash!” column is again, covering the waterfront with an aku-boil vengeance. HFN publisher Chuck Johnston and I talked, and it will be no other way. Fishermen, boaters, divers and water lovers have one islandwide voice, HFN. Jim left a lot to live up to. “Splash!” is now the spotlight on watermen’s issues educating and guiding like a 100,000-watt beam trying to stop a monster ulua from reaching the rocks. Splash It Up Stare…

I grew up fishing. 1 was fortunate enough to have a family that was outdoor-oriented. I was also fortunate to have many friends and family members that fish and enjoy the outdoors. Being exposed to so many different people gave me a really broad overview of how you should act in certain situations. Let me start with my father. My father taught me how to fish. So, I suppose it’s because of him that I get as excited as I do when we hook a fish. I used to think it was normal to hoot and holler when you see a pile of birds working. My dad’s enthusiasm when we see birds can be almost scary nowadays, especially on those slower days. All of a sudden, 1’11 hear him yelling,…

Minuscule critters can play significant roles in maintaining a healthy marine environment, and small, seemingly insignificant segments of any marine ecosystem can contribute substantially to its overall well-being. Some species play an important role as a group. Many sharks, for instance, are apex predators, serving to cull the less than fit and eliminate the weak, dumb or injured from the environment. Impact the shark population significantly, and you run the risk of impacting those populations that the sharks keep in check, which could have a “ripple effect,” degrading the viability of those species and other aspects of the ocean environment. Unfortunately, the roles of all the players in the marine environment are not fully understood, which makes it possible for us to have an unintended impact on the ocean by…

MTBC Annual Banquet Well, all I can say is that it was a bit different Saturday night with the banquet being held in the Waiehu Golf Course banquet room. The food was excellent and there was plenty of it, along with music provided by Kimo on the keyboard, but we kind of missed the ambiance we have enjoyed at former annual banquets. Yet, credit must be given to Gary Vinge and Sid Medeiros for locating the place and making the necessary arrangements. There were plenty of great door prizes with the most unusual called the “Bra Holder,” which was won by our secretary, Joe Carr. Hey, Joe, I’ll let you explain to our readers what it is and how it is supposed to be used. Listed below are the trophy…

As we go to press, severe and dangerous ice storms are occurring on the eastern seaboard of the continental United States. Farther west and closer to the Pacific Rim, reports of 100 and more inches of packed powder at mountain ski resorts appear daily on island television. Not even our island paradise has escaped the zonal flow weather patterns attributed by meteorologists to being caused by a new weather phenomenon labeled “La Nina.” A snowcapped Moana Loa on the Big Island and cool temperatures dropping from upper altitudes during windless winter nights produce food for thought, a perfect time to prepare and serve a piping hot meal of a delicious seafood soup or chowder. Therefore, it’s only appropriate that we dedicate this month’s column to sharing with you two of…

OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS 1ST ANNUAL FIVE FLAGS TOURNAMENT March 20, 1999 Kay Kolt-Kona (808) 325-6432 P.O. Box 2958, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 APRIL FOOLS DAY TOURNAMENT April 3 & 4, 1999 Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club-Kona (808) 325-7362 P.O. Box 3106, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 MEMORIAL DAY TOURNAMENT May 29, 30&, 1999 Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club-Kona (808) 325-7362 P.O. Box 3106, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 AHI FEVER IN WAIANAE June 12 & 13,1999 Waianae Boat Fishing Club-Oahu (808) 696-3399 P.O. Box 821, Waianae, HI 96792 http://www.stkhi.com/AHI_FEVER BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL MARLIN TOURNAMENT June 16, 17, 18,19 & 20,1999 Tropidilla-Kona (808) 325-7300 P.O. Box 2158, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 FIRECRACKER OPEN July 2, 3 & 4,1999 Tropidilla-Kona (888) 325-7300 P.O. Box 2158, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 PEARL HARBOR FISHING TOURNAMENT July 3, 1999 PHNSY/IMF-Oahu (808) 471-1778, Code…

BARKING SANDS KAUA’I Hazardous Military Operations are occasionally conducted in the areas shown on this chart. Notice concerning these operations is mailed to boaters on our mailing list. For further information, or to be placed on our mailing list, call 471-6301 from O‘ahu or 335-4301 from Kaua‘i. If you are planning on entering these areas, please call for the status of scheduled operations, or contact the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Coast Guard Channel 16, Channel 6 or CB22.…

A significant number of freshwater fishermen come to test their skills on Hawai‘i’s abundant and world-famous billfish every year. Maybe it’s time Hawai‘i anglers went to the mainland to try for their billfish. At least 22 states in the heartland of the United States have populations of freshwater billfish, more commonly known as paddlefish, or spoonbill. Only a handful of these states allow fishing, so catching one is an extraordinary experience for freshwater anglers and especially for a saltwater angler. My brother, Mark Deffenbaugh, has the good fortune of living near the mighty Missouri River on the Nebraska/South Dakota border. In minutes, he can be on the water fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass, catfish and a number of other tasty freshwater fish. This past October, Mark, his 11-year-old son, Josh,…

Dear Chuck, They call me the “uhu man,” but my name is Albert Kamaka. On December 20, 1998, at 1:30 p.m., I was riding my bike with my daughter on the back. We sat down to feed the fish next to the boats in Kewalo Basin. All of a sudden, there was a big splash in the water. I looked to the right and saw a big fish feeding. As it came closer, it looked like an ’ahi, maybe 50 to 100-plus lbs. As it swam past me and my daughter, 1 could see it clearly. It was a kahala. It was the biggest kahala I had ever seen. I ran back to my van to get my speargun. I didn’t think the fish was coming back right away, so…

This month, I thought I would pass along some modifications that should improve the performance of some of the lures that have been discussed in previous “Around the Lake” columns. All of these can be done at home with no special tools. Best of all, they are simple and quick. If need be, these can also be done while you are fishing. However, it is best if you have your lures ready to go beforehand so you don’t waste valuable fishing time. Actually, the first piece of information I’d like to pass along is not really a tip or a modification, but instructions on how to tie two of the knots that I find most useful when bass fishing. The first one is the Palomar knot, and the second is…

Here’s a preview of what host Mike Sakamoto has in store for you. . February 2-NO PROBLEM in the Pro-Am It’s time for the Hawaiian International Billfish Association’s Pro-Am Tournament, which is held in Kailua-Kona as a prelude to the HIBT. Mike teams up with the Penn Fishing Tackle Team, and they hop on board the Merritt named the NO PROBLEM with Capt. Chris Rose and his co-captain, R.O. The water’s nice and calm, and the team heads out to find Pacific blue marlin and mahi-mahi in the biting mood. There’s good, solid deep-sea action and lots of fun for the billfisherman. February 9-Bottom Fishing on the CLASSIC Mike joins good friends Pat Batchelder and Mike Oshiro, and they head out from Honokohau Boat Harbor on board the CLASSIC. The…

It’s barracuda time in Hilo. The Heller’s barracuda, Sphyraena helleri, or kawele‘a, come into Hilo Bay during the winter break to follow the schools of hahalalu that are in abundance during this time of the year. Action can be fast and furious with multiple strikes happening more times than not. Many fishing aficionados use rubber scroungers for bait. Fluorescent red or green seem to be most popular, about l½ to 2 inches long, although any size or color should work. The sharp teeth of the barracuda cause some concern. Razor incisors frequently sever even the best tied knots and leaders. I use clear Mason hard-type leader material between 16-and 25-lb test. The Mason material is very abrasion-and cut-resistant. It can take the multiple attacks on the leader that the kawele‘a…

The 1999 Legislature started with a bang. Many bills that were defeated in the last biannual session will be reintroduced this session. Privatization of small-boat harbors leads the list, with charges for search and rescue, increased fines and penalties for almost everything and a bunch of new rules for boating and aquatic resources leading the pack. Of special interest are the results of a gill net task force, a thrill craft advisory committee and a harbors authority commission. BOATS/Hawaii members have also been busy with the Western Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Council, the whale sanctuary, the Hawaii Operational Safety Team and other meetings all summer and fall. The Tourism Authority is predicting up to four more years of minimal growth. It is going to be up to the Legislature to…

Dear Chuck, We just received our HFN today in the mail and saw the article, “To Alaska on a Mission; Fishin’.” My parents, Herb and Jane Takahashi, and Uncle Harry have come to Ketchikan, Alaska, to visit and fish. I wanted to enclose some photos of their trip. They also caught dungeness crab, shrimp, snapper, rock cod and lingcod. The photo of my dad and uncle is of them holding 15-to 25-lb halibut. Those are the best eating size. The other photo is of four king salmon and two silver salmon. They have also caught pink and sockeye (red) salmon. Please print these photos. We can’t wait till their next trip up here. We have a 23-foot boat named after me, SH1ZUKO. My husband, Ron, has his six-pack license and,…

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) reminds the public that the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area (FMA) is closed to all fishing activities throughout the entire year. Fishing is prohibited in the FMA during odd numbered years to allow the inshore marine resources to recover. “Fisheries management areas are designed to protect populations of marine life from overfishing and reduce user conflicts to better manage resources,” said DLNR Chairperson Michael Wilson (12/17/98). “The Waikiki-Diamond Head FMA is one of 20 such areas statewide, but it is the only FMA where the open/closed kapu system is applied.” The FMA encompasses the near-shore waters between the Diamond Head Lighthouse to the ‘Ewa (west) wall of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, and from the high-water mark on shore to a…

Novice cooks and gourmet seafood chefs will love the tempting simplicity of the more than three hundred recipes that are offered in “FRESH CATCH OF THE DAY … from the FISHWIFE.” An extensive array of Fishwife’s Tips will guide readers to success-from choosing fresh seafood, to safe handling and preparation, to innovative cooking in the kitchen and barbecuing and smoking seafood outdoors. This, the second work of author and “Fishwife” Shirley Rizzuto, spanned the last decade of the 20th century. As we enter the next millennium and increasing attention is given to healthy living for longer life, scientists and dietitians predict we will turn more and more to the oceans of the world for healthy eating. 17 CHAPTERS & 300 RECIPES • TUNA • BILLFISH • MAHIMAHI • ONO •…

It’s still winter but February’s weather is normally less severe than January’s. Good weather will prevail during the majority of the days in the month, but bad weather periods can cause problems: gusty trade winds, upper trough and Kona low with thunderstorms and heavy rain. The fast and sometimes unexpected appearance of these strong winds in local waters should be considered by those planning activities in the water. Wintertime high northwest swell and surf action is gradually winding down. At Sunset Beach, O‘ahu, expect about four days of surf higher than 10 feet but less than 20 feet and surf heights between 6 and 10 feet on about 12 days. Trade winds are expected on over half of the days in the month with gusty trades on about four to…