Innholdsfortegnelse for December 1999 i Hawaii Fishing News

Call it history, or nostalgia if you prefer. Whatever the term, it’s just plain fun to learn about how things were when the “old-timers” fished. I like to admire antique tackle, study pictures from days gone by and listen to old fishing stories. Many times young people get turned off when others start talkinq about “the old days” or when a story begins with, “When I was young…,” but not me. I look forward most to the monthly meetings of the Windward Surfcasting Club, where I always pester fellow members with a thousand and one questions. Lately, I’ve developed quite an interest in learning about the evolution of the sport of ulua fishing and, in particular, how the casting community organized itself by forming clubs, even in the sport’s very…

■ We are giving this month’s column the curious subtitle: bridle dos and dues, bridle don’ts and donuts. The odd intro is because we are taking a new look at an old subject, and we don’t want you to run off thinking you’ve already seen it all before. The classic Kona bridle rig was introduced to Hawai’i back in the late 1950s or early 1960s and has now become the standard for live-bait fishing around the world. You’ll see it in use from Bermuda to the Bay of Islands (New Zealand) and from Japan to Jamaica. Its origin is shrouded in mystery, but many give the credit to the late and lamented veteran Kona fisherman Olney Roy. You won’t see it in any published works prior to about 1964 and…

Actions Taken, Decisions Made at 101st Council Meeting ■ The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) at its meeting October 18 to 21 in Honolulu adopted regulations to protect albatrosses, precious corals and coral reef resources and decided on regulations for sharks. The council manages fisheries in the exclusive economic zones (EEZs; waters generally 3 to 200 miles offshore) of Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the unincorporated U.S. Pacific Islands. Longline-Albatross, Precious Coral Regulations Finalized Interactions between Hawai‘i longline vessels and albatrosses should soon be reduced. The council passed regulations that would require vessels fishing above 25° north latitude to use two or more of the following methods to reduce interactions with albatrosses: blue-dyed bait; strategic discard of unused bait and fish parts; towing a…

■ In making management decisions, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WESPAC) considers the diverse views of scientists, members of the fishing community and the general public. One of the issues brought up during the ongoing debate on the retention of sharks for their fins is that of cruelty. Another is sportsmanship. But what exactly do these terms mean? The Magnuson Act, which established the regional fishery management councils, does not address either issue, and yet these issues are being used to argue against not only the practice of shark finning but also fishing in general, including catch-and-release recreational fishing. According to Gailynn Williamson, a philosophy instructor at Leeward Community College who is an expert on ethics, cruelty is “an issue of proportion” and deals with “justness more than…

■ The Hawaii Freshwater Fishing Association (HFFA) will soon be one step closer to their goal of having a continuous restocking program for large-mouth bass. This project has been in development over the last two years and is a cooperative effort between the HFFA, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and Wahiawa Intermediate School. The plan is to construct a hatchery building on the grounds of Wahiawa Intermediate. It will serve as a hatchery for the bass as well as a learning center for the students at Wahiawa. This facility will be able to teach students about aquatic life and valuable skills pertaining to aquaculture. The building will house numerous aquariums, circular tanks and fiberglass troughs that will serve as raceways. The students, under the guidance of teacher…

Hilo Trollers Year-End Awards ■ The Hilo Trollers year-end awards banquet was held at Wailoa State Park on October 24, 1999. The master of ceremonies was President Capt. Craig Severance. About 150 people attended, and lots of door prizes were given out. Thanks to the local merchants and members for their generous donations. Every year the club has a raffle, and this year’s prizes included a fish bag and a 120-quart cooler. Brian Catriz won the grand prize. Something new was added to this year’s program: a silent auction, in which people could bid for compact discs, a fish knife, fishing lines, a diving light, a hot cooking pan, coolers and numerous other items. This year the club presented lifetime membership awards to Douglas Hironaga and Garvey Yamamoto for donating…

■ It was my first fishing trip to the Kahuku Ranch area. As I looked at the ulua poles on the point silhouetted against the beautiful cerulean blue sky, the turquoise sea and the surrounding shoreline, I was reminded of a painting done by my friend Mike Sakamoto. We all know Mike as a great fisherman who has fished every corner of this earth, whose exciting adventures on his television shows sparked interest in a new generation of fishermen and newcomers to this wholesome sport. Mike’s views and beliefs about fishing are very unique and caring of the environment. Mike sure knows fishing! Mike, the fisherman, yes! But many of you readers may not know that Mike Sakamoto is a professional artist, a painter, whose history and roots in the…

Dear Chuck, This is a response to Bob Endreson’s article “Setting the Record Straight,” which was published in the September’99 issue of HFN. For the “record,” there are a number of things I want to clarify. However, before I go into detailed response to Bob’s article, I want to make it very dear that contrary to Bob’s or Rick Gaffney’s (August issue) assumptions, I do not receive any monetary compensation for the articles I write nor am I on anyone’s payroll. Being a lifetime student of fishing and having been exposed to various local fishing practices, I have witnessed biological phenomena other fishery scientists have largely overlooked. I write in order to share the information I acquired through my experience to improve public awareness regarding various aspects of the fishery…

License Fees are Going, Going... ■ Hunting license fees are going up if the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) head, Mike Buck, has his way. At a recent Hunter’s Council meeting in Hilo, hunters passed the Buck “more-money” letter. Hunters were unanimously against the higher license fees. But higher fees are a sharp knife’s edge for hunters. If the fees don’t go up, the hunting budget will surely suffer. Regardless, newly implemented endangered species management may eradicate the DOFAW as we know it. The state Legislature has little respect for wildlife management and has reduced DOFAW’s outdoor recreation funds by 40 percent over the last eight years. More cuts are seen coming. DOFAW’s budget is approximately $1.4 million per year. Of this,…

■ It has been quite a while since any fishing news from the Garden Isle has appeared in HFN. We hope all you fishermen out there didn’t think that there was nothing happening here. Fishing is alive and well on Kaua’i. Whether your interest is in shoreline fishing, deep-sea fishing, netting or diving, you can do it right here, in your own back yard. That is one of the advantages of living on a small island like Kaua’i-you are never far from the ocean. Offshore Action Trolling in Kaua’i’s waters slowed a bit during September and October. There were still a few big ‘ahi turning up on the troll, and the ika-shibi fleet was very successful, with 1,500-lb loads being commonplace. Open Sea Charters, captained by owner Jimmy Horner on…

■ I guess Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz was right: there is no place like home. I just returned from my annual pilgrimage to the great Pacific Northwest. I just love it there. The people are friendly, like here at home and the summertime weather is just about like Hawaii’s everyday weather. The flowers are beautiful and bright, just like ours-not quite as fragrant, but just as nice. I spend most of my summers in the Spokane area in Washington state. I sometimes drive over to Idaho and Montana to fly fish for trout in the’beautiful streams. The drives are long, but the fly fishing and countryside are just phenomenal! I really love fishing the freestone streams and having deer, moose and elk wander by as I wade in…

‘Ahi Treaty or Tuna Time Bomb? ■ Delegates from 28 Pacific tuna countries met recently in Honolulu to set an international commission to create a tuna catch treaty. This is the fifth meeting since 1994 of the tuna nations.’Hawai‘i fish law experts are now saying that it is not if, but when ‘ahi fever will be licensed. Satya Nadan, the conference head from Fiji, was quoted as saying that all Pacific fishing would be regulated. In the past, Satya went on record that commercial boats would need observers, be monitored by satellite and be subject to boarding and inspection in international waters. The tuna conference is now trying to come to agreement on a permanent tuna commission. The commission would set a catch quota. Hawai‘i fishermen would be legally bound…

‘Dolphin Safe’ Tuna Issue Is Back ■ There was a predictable howl of protest from the many who focus on the protection of certain charismatic megafauna when standards were relaxed for the use of the “dolphin safe” label on tuna, as announced by the Department of Commerce earlier this year. However, the rest of the story (as we have detailed before) is that the earlier protection of the dolphins of the Eastern Pacific resulted in the slaughter of millions-upon-millions of pounds of unwanted marlin, wahoo, sharks and other species of pelagic fish, and the sustained harvest of immature, not-yet-spawned tuna. The result of this country’s early rush to “save the dolphin” may well have created far more devastating environmental impacts, which are still largely being ignored. It all began in…

Aloha Chuck, I’m a native Hawaiian who lives in Minnesota, and I still read HAWAII FISHING NEWS. HFN keeps so many of my childhood memories alive: like fishing off the wall in Waikiki with Mom and Dad. Back then, had “choke” menpachi. All we had were short bamboo poles with small hooks and split shot sinkers, but that was all we needed back then. I sat between my parents, and my dad would remove our fish and bait our hooks. My mom’s primary concern was not letting me fall in the water on those moonless nights. Recently, my dad passed on, and i would like to share our fondest and funniest memory with you. When Magic Island was built, my dad would take me fishing there. There was an abundance…

T’wasn’t a Jolly, but a ‘Brolly’ Weekend! ■ The weather was very reminiscent of autumn as leaves fell and sharp gusts of wind and rain drove the anglers at Ho’omaluhia into shelter. Nevertheless, 156 brave souls faced the elements, and fishing was brisk. The next Ho’omaluhia family fishing weekend is December 4 and 5. The first session of the new millennium will be January 8 and 9. Loch Ness Monster? It was reported that a curious eel-shaped creature was seen swimming around in Ho’omaluhia Reservoir. It was light in color, and previous sightings confirmed that. We are stumped as to the actual identification. Yours truly did not see it, but I have heard similar reports in the past and have had some experience in the matter. I did find half…

Netters Surround Tons of Halalu & Akule at Waimea Bay ■ As of November 1, netting akule and halalu was allowed, and a couple of boats were in Waimea Bay surrounding a huge school of akule and halalu. The commercial netters used the purse netting and the fence netting techniques. The purse netters will get nearly 100 percent of a school, while the fence netters will get about half of a school. While the boats were surrounding the schools of akule, the pole fishermen on shore could only watch in anger and frustration. For you pole fishermen who were on the beach, your best bet to catch halalu is to go to Hale’iwa Harbor. According to Barry and Shaun from Haleiwa Fishing Supply, the best way to catch them is…

For letters, with photos, received during the month of December we’ll send you an HFN Holoholo Style Koolzie, HFN Cap and two Official HFN RV or Boat Window Stickers…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch! … Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25040, Honolulu, HI 96825 Dear Chuck, My name is Bree and lam 15yearsold. I caught this 2¾-lb papio on August 3, 1999 with 6-lb test line while I was trying to catch weke. It bit as soon as I baited my hook and dropped my line in. When I hooked it, my family fishing buddies were guiding me. All of them and I were hoping it wouldn’t cut. While I was fighting it, we all knew that it was no weke because of the time…

■ Weather in Hawai‘i waters will play a more important role in any marine activity during winter. Mariners are advised that the change from good to bad weather can be fast. The severe weather events that can occur, in decreasing order of frequency, are: gusty trade winds, high northwest swell and surf, cold front with Kona winds, and Kona low. The strongest trade winds are the winter-type trades that can occur in December. The number of trade wind days will be low—only about half of the days of the month-but gusty trades can occur on about a fourth to a third of the days in December. High northwest swell and surf will be frequent along the exposed northern shores. Expect about 20 days with surf greater than 6 feet high,…