Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2000 i Hawaii Fishing News

The Biggest Blue Marlin Ever Caught on Rod and Reel June 10, 1970. The COREENE C, moored at Kewalo Basin, took aboard the day’s charter. Three Huntington Beach, California, car salesmen had won a Hawaiian vacation as part of a sales-incentive bonus. Capt. Cornelius Choy’s daughter Gail, also a 100-ton captain and first mate, greeted them aboard. Gail saw three things wrong with the picture. These salesmen obviously had been Waikiki partying. They’d brought their wives along, and trade winds were blowing hard. Even the leeward side was upside-down, and these malihini weren’t ready to fish or cut bait. Capt. Choy fired the single 631 diesel. A puff of smoke belched from the smokestack. The COREENE C cast off. Little did anyone aboard realize that they were about to enter…

Last month, “Splash!” looked at the blunt gaff remarks that David Ritchie, editor of Florida-based Marlin magazine, had for Hawai'i marlin fisherman. David’s issues are briefly that Hawai'i fishermen are flagrantly, maliciously and without conscience killing and eating marlin caught in Hawai'i waters. According to David, Hawai'i marlin are rare and therefore of irreplaceable valuable to the pelagic genetic pool. Are Hawai'i fishermen deranged Capt. Ahabs plying oceans, destroying their Moby Dick marlin? Do Hawai'i marlin fishermen have a crazed vendetta against the pelagic gene pool? Or, are Dave Ritchie, Marlin magazine and Hawai'i marlin fishermen bashers everywhere, eco-missionaries out-to-lunch when it comes to Hawai'i marlin fishing? Ever fished offshore Hawai'i, the windward sides or the channels? These waters, like marlin science, are rough waters. Are these criticizing marlin spokesmen…

“It’s all an illusion,” said the magician. “Smoke and mirrors,” said the skeptical onlookers. This made me think of fishing, as most things do, and how you can use these thoughts as a base for lure presentation. The idea of your lure being an illusion is true. It gives the illusion to the fish of something to eat. Attempting to match the baits you use with whatever happens to be your quarry’s favorite food is something fly fishermen refer to as “matching the hatch." This term came about because fly fishermen tie flies that imitate the insects present at the streams they fish at given times of the year and even different times of the day. The closer the fly resembles an insect that the trout are used to eating,…

Dear Chuck, First, let me say thank you for taking the time to listen to "Popo" expound about her grandson Titus Mei Zhi Grigg-Salter, a fishing enthusiast. He's a true sprouting dedicated fisherman. We look forward to your wonderfully written articles, photographs, graphs and maps. The diversity of participants of race, culture and age with their own experiences genuinely reflects the true aloha lifestyle and spirit! Now, about Titus Mei Zhi. He just turned 7 years of age in the end of December. When I would visit, talk or send him your newspaper in California/Massachusetts, he was aware of the year wait for the Kaimana Beach opening this year for fishing. He always swam at Kaimana when he came home and always said he was going to catch a papio…

A lawsuit, which seeks to close the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) lobster and bottomfish fisheries, was filed January 26 in federal district court in Honolulu. The plaintiffs, three environmental groups represented by the Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, purport that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), an agency of the Department of Commerce, failed to properly manage the fisheries to avoid harming Hawaiian monk seals, which inhabit the islands. “Monk seal pups at French Frigate Shoals [currently, the site of the largest breeding colonies] are not surviving primarily because they are starving, due to lack of available prey,” the suit alleges. It also says that the “defendants’ failure to conserve the Hawaiian monk seal and their other violations of law are adversely affecting Greenpeace Foundation’s ability to study the Hawaiian monk…

In his State of the Union Message, President Clinton called global warming, “the greatest environmental challenge of the new century,” and said that “if we fail to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, deadly heat waves and droughts will become more frequent, coastal areas will be flooded, economies disrupted.” Much of the scientific community seems to be in agreement that global warming is real and that the impacts of the phenomenon are now being felt around the world, particularly in island and coastal communities. Sea level rise, more virulent hurricanes, coral bleaching and die-off and other cataclysmic impacts are some of the apparent results of global warming and climate change. Canada’s largest salmon fishery, on the Fraser River, could become the first tangible casualty of climate change, according to a new…

Ho'omaluhia was popular on the open weekend, in spite of the Pro Bowi. More than 225 anglers and families trooped to the grounds, and the weather was perfect. Generally speaking, there was great fun; however, an influx of smallmouth bass took position right off the banks. For that reason, the smaller fish were a bit intimidated. So would you be if you only had the choice of eat or be eaten! We ascribed the condition to the water level of the pond being a little lower than usual. Therefore, there was no ready escape for the fry at the shallow end into the weeds. This was good for the smallmouth, but bad for the fish that we target. We have asked that the water level be raised about 9 inches,…

Shibi were all over the place! Shibi is a term for ‘ahi, or yellowfin tuna, weighing less than 100 lbs, and they are welcome at the end of anyone’s line. Mike Flinchbaugh on the MAHALO KAI did not have a charter one day, but needed fish to sell at his market. Imagine his good fortune to catch three 70-to 80-lb shibi, one 40-lb ono and one mahimahi. That much fish was good for the whole weekend with enough left for dinner. While looking around the FADs for some of the shibi action, Jimmy and Jeff Schade on the EKOLU J found a great big net loaded with shibi and mahimahi. Jeff said the fish were jumping out of the water, trying to get the lures hanging from the outriggers. They…

The Atlapac Fishing Club held their family picnic at Sand Island Park on Saturday February 5. The weather was great, and the potluck, with so much food, was even better! Anna Pasion put together a lot of games for young and old. The kids enjoyed a fishing game and scavenger hunt, while the adults enjoyed a charades game with clay and a game where club member Chuck Johnston and his wife, Ellen, ended up wrapped in toilet paper. With the sun slowly setting, families reluctantly packed up and said good-bye, all looking forward to next year. Bryson Iwane picked up the club’s first fish of the year on the 7th of January. That day, he landed several ‘o’io, the biggest weighing 8 lbs, and a 3-lb papio. The first ulua…

OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS IGFA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS - KONA March 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11 & 12, 2000 Florida-(954) 927-2628 300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL 33004 SENORITA'S TOURNAMENT April 8 & 9, 2000 Hawaii Yacht Club-Oahu (808) 949-4622 1739-C Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96815 PURE JACKPOT MILLENNIUM 1 April 15, 2000 Keehi Boat Club-Oahu (808) 841-7271 4 Sand Island Access Road, Honolulu, HI 96819 4TH ANNUAL KONA CLASSIC TOURNAMENT May 12, 13 & 14, 2000 Tropidilla-Kona (808) 325-7300 P.O. Box 2158, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 PURE JACKPOT MILLENNIUM 2 May 27, 2000 Keehi Boat Club-Oahu (808) 841-7271 4 Sand Island Access Road, Honolulu, HI 96819 PEARL HARBOR FISHING TOURNAMENT May 27, 2000 Rainbow Bay Marina-Oahu (808) 473-0279 AHI FEVER IN WAIANAE June 10 & 11, 2000 Waianae…

For the past two decades, analyses have indicated that blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) in the Pacific were being overfished or, at least, would react unfavorably to any increase in fishing effort. Now, the results of a new analytical model are painting a brighter picture. “The blue marlin stock in the Pacific is in a healthy condition,” says M. G. Hinton of the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). “The current levels of biomass and fishing effort are near the levels required to maintain the average maximum sustainable yield (AMSY),” which is the most common objective for fishery management. Given the importance of the blue marlin catch in the Pacific, Hinton said, it is important to understand not only the stock’s present status but also how its perceived status has varied…

The Waikiki Aquarium's Team Mahi, consisting of research associate Alan Nelson, aquarium biologists Karen Brittain and Kirk Murakami, and student aquarist Chris Wachi, is looking for a few good fish. The aquarium's mahimahi program was started by researcher Syd Kraul in 1982 as a pilot aquaculture project to test the feasibility of raising mahimahi for the food fish industry. Most of this work was done behind the scenes at the Waikiki Aquarium. This was the heyday of mahimahi aquaculture research, and several other Hawai'i institutions were also growing mahimahi. The vision of creating a mahimahi aquaculture exhibit at the Waikiki Aquarium was hatched at this time, and with generous donations and hard work it became a reality. In 1991, the Mahimahi Hatchery Exhibit opened, giving Hawai'i residents, as well as…

“Fishing Tales®” airs five nights a week (Wednesday through Sunday) at 7 p.m. on Channel 16 on O'ahu and on the neighbor-island cable systems. Here’s a preview of what host Mike Sakamoto has in store for you. March 1 to 5 - Big-Game Trolling on the FORCE PLAY It’s a nice, calm day in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, and the deep-sea fish are biting. So, Mike teams up with Jim Patterson of Force Marine boat builders for a day of big-game fishing on Jim’s boat, named the FORCE PLAY. Mike and the guys run into a school of big aku first, then a Pacific blue marlin. This trolling show has good action and information on how to clean tuna. March 8 to 12 - Offshore Fishing in the ’97…

Fish Early. Fish Late. That's Bob Gleich’s formula for offshore fishing action. He applies it in a uniquely effective way, and it produces some remarkable results. Bob fishes his Dyer 29, LUCKY ME, south along the Kana Coast on solo trips lasting two or three days. A roomy, stable craft modeled after the traditional New England bass boat, the Dyer 29 is as snug and comfortable at anchor or on a drift as it is underway and trolling. The safety and stability allow Bob snug overnights at Okoe Bay in the summers or, in winters, down around the point at Manuka or a similar anchorage protected from winds and waves. Either way, he is only minutes away from some of the most productive fishing grounds in the islands. Bob takes…

Sometimes the first measure in boat maintenance is to own a boat that is easy to maintain or will, not give you problems down the line. Even when looking at new boats, the properly trained eye can spot flaws that will lead to unnecessary and, in most cases, expensive maintenance. Many of the repairs I do could have been easily avoided if the owner had noticed the problem early on. In most cases, the flaw came from the manufacturer. There are many boat builders and producers of fiberglass parts here in the islands. In my opinion, some do not build good boats or practice good fiberglassing. I have seen problems with some of the locally manufactured vessels here in the islands. Boats built on the mainland also have their fair…

Dear Fishermen, We have designed and created a fantastic plug, which will help you fish better in rough or calm waters. On windy days, trolling birds to attract fish is really a problem due to crossed lines and tangles. The birds run all over the place, and on turns this becomes a problem. Our Tite Line Teaser will keep your lures running on your setting on these rough and windy days. On calm and flat days, the plug can be reversed to create splashes that will bring the fish up. It’s like trolling with two lures on your pole. If you have problems with tangles and crossed lines, try this problem-solving plug. We have tested this plug with sport fishermen, and have caught fish and eliminated the tangling problems. Call…

Looking back at 1999, I can truly say that it was an exciting year for fish mounting. I met many people and made many new friends. I had the pleasure of mounting their fish and listening to their action-packed stories. Who knows what’s in store for the new millennium in terms of fish mounts? I can only dream of some fisherman out there giving me a call about a record-sized 200-lb ulua or a 400-lb ‘ahi that was caught trolling, or even the rumored 20-lb moi from the Hamakua Coast. My imagination goes wild at the thought! My goals for the new millennium in terms of mounting fish will be to achieve extreme realism. I will continue to work on transparency of the fins, 360-degree mounts, relief painting techniques, water…

Hi Chuck, First of all, I’m a typical 16-year-old boy who loves fishing and anything to do with the ocean. I’m really, really into fishing and, like anybody else, want to catch the biggest fish in the ocean. But ever since 1 started fishing (about 12 years ago), I’ve had an extremely strong feeling about keeping only what we needed and never killing or torturing any creature for no reason. I still have that feeling, but it got much stronger. I’ve volunteered at He'eia State Park to help with the saltwater aquariums because that’s the only job I could do (other places only allowed kids 16 years old and up). I’m into that catch-and-release thing (unless it’s a big boy). I was just recently thinking into the future and what…

One of the highlights of our three- and four-day cooking sessions at The Cooking School at Akaka Falls Inn, Honomu, Hawai'i, is taking our class participants to the Hilo Farmer’s Market and the Suisan Fish Auction. During one of our recent visits to the fish auction, we were fortunate to see some beautiful shutome (broadbill swordfish) being unloaded from the fishermen’s trucks onto the auction blocks. Shutome, or swordfish, is excellent for grilling, broiling and smoking. Its mild, white to pinkish meat has a medium-firm steak texture. Calorie-wise, is not as low as mahimahi, but fairly low at about 122 calories per 3½-oz serving. Shutome contains quite a bit of natural sodium. Swordfish With Lime-Ginger Glaze This method of preparation is simple, but it is wonderful, and fresh ginger is…

Revised Longline Trip Report The Longline Trip Report form has been revised. Please use this revised report form immediately, and discard all previous Longline Trip Report forms. Revisions to the Longline Trip Report form include the following: • adding a section for reporting the sale of shark fins; and • removal of the bait section from the form. To fulfill the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) fish catch report requirement, all marine life caught and sold must be reported on the Longline Trip Report form. Tuna, billfish, mahimahi, ono and other fish sold to fish markets and shark fins sold to dealers must be reported. The information on the Longline Trip Reports will be verified, and if deemed to be incomplete, such as missing sales of shark fins,…

The black-backed PILI lure slowly chugged on the water's surface in a drunken zigzag pattern. It created quite a stir with its splashing, gurgling commotion, and I was convinced this lure was about to see its last cast. Suddenly, surface boils could be seen 20 yards away as streaking fish came to investigate this “wounded” bait fish. They charged the popping lure then veered off as fast as they came. “What the heck? They don’t like it!” I blurted out to Phillip, who was driving the boat. "Too small!” Phillip said. “They like big one!” He held up his hands, indicating a lure that was twice the size of my PILI. Phillip pointed to a green-backed MULI lure that could be clearly seen in my transparent lure case. The lure…

Tracy Kahananui is a delight to watch. A free-diver with great form, her success is primarily due to three attributes. One, she keeps her movements down to a minimum. Two, she knows how to read a fish’s actions. And three, she stalks her prey like a hunter in the forest. She uses every rock, coral head or ledge she can find as cover and shoots from there. And she’s deadly accurate with the three-prong spear-no gun, only the three-prong spear. A while back, I was able to dive with Tracy and film her and her cousin, Chris Debina of Kona, doing their thing off of South Kona in crystal clear water. The clarity allowed Tracy and Chris the ability to watch the fish while floating on the surface. This Tracy…

Tournament of Champions Thirty-nine teams from 12 countries have accepted the challenge to come to Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, March 5 through 11, 2000, to compete in the Rolex/IGFA championship. The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Tournament of Champions consists of the winning teams from each of 55 qualifying events worldwide. Mike Leech, president of the IGFA, stated, “We selected Kona to hold our championship tournament because of the beautiful locale, year-round calm waters, great charterboats and crews, and the ability to catch large marlin year-round.” The qualifying teams are as follows: • 70th Anniversary Game Fish Tournament............. Australia • Allied Marine Sailfish Hoedown.................................. USA • Billfish Tournament of late Clube do Rio de Janeiro....... Brazil • Bahamas Billfish Championship Series ............................ USA • Barta Blue Marlin Classic................................................... USA • Big Island…

The trailers had a very slow month with no big fish to report. Some boats caught aku, but not very large ones. We’re still hoping the fish will be coming around to Hale'iwa soon! It looks like the halalu are back in Hale’iwa Harbor. The best way to catch them is with a straight pole and bait, according to Barry at Haleiwa Fishing Supply. The whales are around in full force, and they are very friendly. When you bottom fish, whether day or night, the whales come very close to your boat as though they want to play with you. When the whales come too close, I turn off my depth recorder and make a lot of noise on the boat or even start my engine for a while to…

Howzit Chuck, How’s my first big kahala? It weighed I6½ lbs. I caught it on the north side of Kaua'i. I was using a slice of akule for bait. Good luck to all the Hiranakas. Aloha,Tairoy K. HorkaKapa'a, Kaua'i Dear Chuck, I’d like to share a little story about my friend with you and my fellow sportsmen and women. Here’s a shot of my friend John “Winchester” Visser, the fastest gun in the water. Braddah also has one big heart as his entire catch fed most, if not all, his neighbors. We local people love our fish and we can all give a big amen to that. So, when you live next to a braddah like John, you feel pretty lucky in a sometimes not so lucky world. So, to…

Spring is approaching according to the calendar, but in Hawai'i waters winter-type weather can still appear in March. But there will be more good weather days than bad weather days. There is always the possibility of the occurrence of any of the following severe weather events: cold front with strong Kona winds, upper trough with heavy rain, gusty trade winds and high northwest wave and surf. Trade winds should be present on more than half the days in March with the possibility of about eight to 14 days of gusty trades. Northwest swell activity should be noticeably less. There may be about five days of high surf greater than 10 feet along the north shores. There's still a chance of surf greater than 25 feet high at Sunset Beach, O'ahu.…