Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2000 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ Downriggers work great with bait, but how about with lures? Capt. Alan Borowski of the Kona charterboat HAP A LAKA said that he has bleached out his orange catch flag from all of the ono he has caught while trolling jets, feathers and spoons on his downrigger. The HAPA LAKA catch that first caught our attention, however, was a fish of an entirely different sort. Alan used a jet lure on a downrigger to boat the largest ulua, 120 lbs, caught off Kona in many years. “But that was really a fluke,” Alan said. “We were fishing off OTEC Point with two lines down on the downrigger. One had fouled up, and I was trying to untangle it. The other lure must have sunk down to the bottom. I…

■ A white fairy tern hovered above Bert Oshiro’s head as he pedaled his three-wheeled bicycle along the road. We both pedaled cautiously and zigzagged around curious gooney birds that sat along the roadways and open fields. This was Midway, a 29 million-year-old atoll that was home to more than 350,000 birds that came from 16 different seabird species. Bert and I were both astounded by the amount of bird life that gathered on the a toll, but there was only one thing on our minds—fishing! Our destination was Midway Beach, a long sandy stretch of beach that had been “discovered” by Paul Okouchi and Brad Deffenbaugh earlier in the day. Paul had landed two big kahala (estimated at 30 lbs each) during the morning while using his own homemade…

■ We hear of fishermen getting stranded or lost at sea all the time, often with tragic circumstances. I recommend that every boat owner have the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary check out and examine their boat. Get the safety approval sticker. This will help when the U.S. Coast Guard wants to board you. Did you notice that they always approach from the left side of the boat? Once you get the safety sticker, then you can consider upgrading your boat’s safety inventory to go offshore. I’ll cover some items that I have as inventory on my boat to make the boat safer when offshore. If you think that your boat is really, really safe, try passing the commercial vessel safety check. If you can pass that examination, you have the…

■ Fishing nations from throughout the Pacific on September 4 approved the text of a multilateral treaty to establish an international fisheries commission to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of tuna and other highly migratory fish stocks in the Central and Western Pacific. “The adoption of the convention was a culmination of five years of long negotiations on some very difficult issues,” said Ambassador Satya Nandan of Fiji, chairman of the Multilateral High-Level Conference (MHLC) on Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific. “It reflects a fair balance of interests, in particular between developing Pacific countries in whose national areas large stocks of tuna fish are found, and distant-water fishing states which fish in the Central and Western Pacific.” Twenty-four Pacific nations, as well as…

■ Rick Gaffney has spent an inordinate amount of energy recently criticizing longline fishing in this publication and other media. Make no mistake, his motivation is fueled by his own competitive self-interests as a businessman in the sportfishing industry. Unfortunately, Rick does not base his opinion On factual evidence and scientific conclusions, but on hyperbole and unfounded speculation that begs the reader to accept his viewpoint. If one were to accept his ‘shrill rantings about the “environmental carnage” caused by longline fishing, one would have to wonder how society possibly allows this practice to continue. Somehow, Rick believes that he is on the right side of this issue and that everyone else is wrong. This would include Sen. Inouye and our congressional delegation, the supermarkets and seafood stores that serve…

■ Starting near the end of the last North Shore diving season and extending to and through the beginning of this North Shore diving season, a variety of issuesand concerns were raised by a number of people representing most of the groups that use Pupukea Beach Park. Unbeknownst to many of us who dive, were the aggravations and frustrations of many of the folks with whom we interact when we dive in the vicinity of Shark’s Cove, the Firehouse and Three Tables. What many of us did not know is that we are dangerously close to losing our rights as citizens to dive at Shark’s Cove or, at a minimum, have our diving activities subject to restrictions and onerous regulation. The issue came to our attention when Sen. Robert Bunda…

Dear Editor and Kauai’s freshwater anglers, Within three weeks, two disturbing incidents occurred at two of Kaua’i’s most popular and accessible freshwater fishing reservoirs. Recently at Tanaka Pond, two local youths were seen using three-prong spears and spear guns, spearing dozens of tucunare, bass and tilipia that were left on the banks to die. At Sloggett Pond, a huge net was laid by some Filipino men who harvested hundreds of pounds of trophy-sized game fish as well as the sought after tilipia. It can be safely said that these fish were sold as well as consumed by these plunderers. Before we go any further, this is not a racial thing, just descriptions. We, the writers of this letter, are local-born and Filipino. The second incident was reported to the state’s…

The ‘Ahi Return! ■ As promised, here are the results of the Port Allen Fishing Derby. This was a one-day tournament held on Saturday, July 15, 2000. This was the second annual tournament sponsored by the Port Allen Fishing Club. As with last year’s tournament, this one was very successful with more than 30 boats participating. Willie Abara and his committee did another fantastic job making sure that everything went smoothly. The tournament started at 6 a.m., and the stop fishing time was at 4 p.m. The awards lu’au was held on Saturday, right after the “tournament. The results were as follow: Dr. Overlock and his wife on their boat, the BABE, had quite a day. It seems that there was a problem with their crew, and they ended up…

■ Lobster season opened on September 1. If most lobster lovers are like me and can’t dive for them, then the next best way is to hook them. This method is Raymond Terada’s. He is from ‘Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui. First, you need a stiff, 15- to 18-foot pole that can lift at least 3 lbs. Attach 50-lb test monofilament to it-almost the length of the pole. You can also use a stiff spinning pole and reel. Raymond uses jumping jacks for bait, cut ½ inch in length. I use California shrimp, cut-up akule and ‘opelu because I can hook menpachi, to‘au, ‘ala’ihi and mamo (called kanepu by Kona fishermen) while waiting for the lobsters. I have never caught slipper lobsters with this method. The basic idea is to let…

■ As the saying goes, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” This really applies to fishing and fishing techniques. On my last trip aboard the HANAMANA, skippered by Capt. Chip Fischer of Kona, we had Gary Kaneshiro and his lovely wife, Lani, on board. They’d brought their own tackle as well as their own leaders and curly tail baits. Normally, I provide all tackle and leader systems as well as a varied assortment of baits, but Gary wanted to use his own “stuff,” and I was more than happy to let him do his thing. Before arriving at the weke-‘ula area, we worked over a school of kawakawa and had a good time with our light tackle. Once we had enough kawakawa on the boat to provide…

Dear Chuck, Thank you for helping make WalMart Mililani’s “Take a Kid Fishing” event a huge success with your generous donation of HFN caps (which every dad wanted more than his kid), vest and books. They were wonderful gifts to give. We had 117 kids participate, and along with Stan “Mr. Personality” Wright, Brett Fee (Atlapac), Glen Sakai (Leilehua High School teacher), Mark Miyasato (Alco Plumbing), Everett Yu (Heide and Cook Plumbing), Ulu Manini (Pacific Mechanical) and WalMart associates, it was a fun day for the kids. Hopefully, this will encourage future generations of kids to enjoy the sport of fishing. Again, thank you for your generosity and encouragement for a truly successful event. Sincerely, Marilyn Yu WalMart Associate…

■ With a $99,000 grant from NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, UH Sea Grant scientists will join the State Aquaculture Development Program and the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Office of State Planning to define offshore sites within the main Hawaiian islands that could be developed as marine aquaculture parks where offshore sea cages might be suitably placed. Researchers will also review current state and federal policies and regulations in their efforts to identify areas deemed practical for sustainable development in offshore aquaculture. Set to begin in September, the study is part of the National Marine Aquaculture Initiative in which Sea Grant programs in Texas, Maine and New Hampshire also have launched sea cage aquaculture demonstration projects. Scientists believe the Hawaii study will boost the regional…

The USCG Targets Hawai‘i’s Small Boat Commercial Fishermen This article is published by HAWAII FISHING NEWS and written by Bill Mossman as a public boating service for the Hawaii Ocean Safety Team (HOST). HOST is a nonprofit organization whose vision is to promote stewardship of Hawaii‘s ocean waters and enhance ocean safety. It is composed of representatives from business, government and the community who are committed to identifying maritime concerns and developing solutions before they become major issues. ■ This is not a safety sermon. It is a factual accounting of the basic U.S. Coast Guard survival craft (life rafts, for example) and EPIRB requirements and options that affect us.. It appears that the U.S. Coast Guard “listening session” held on July 13, 2000, at Sand Island and the U.S.…

■ Content that new federal lim its on catching Atlantic swordfish will replenish the fish’s population, two national environmental groups have announced an end to their two-year campaign to convince restaurants not to serve swordfish. This change came after the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMrS) announced plans to close more than 100,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean to pelagic longline fishing, and a similar ban was also said, to be in the works for the Grand Banks off New England and Canada. SeaWeb and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the organizations that effectively waged the campaign, have now released some 700 chefs from their pledge not to serve Atlantic swordfish. The effort to preserve Atlantic swordfish may have had the secondary effect of increasing the…

■ Sources recently informed EnviroWatch Inc. that on September 7 Judge David Ezra held an informal conference with lawyers on each side of the ongoing sea turtle lawsuit brought by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and the Center for Marine Conservation (CMC). The meeting was called in response to an August 28 filing by CMC protesting the manner in which the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) set in motion the ban on targeting swordfish as well as the NMFS’ definition of swordfish “profits.” The details of the NMFS’ actions are spelled out in the Interim Final Rule Implementing the August 4 Order of Injunction. Judge Ezra informed the attendees that he expected the NMFS to “prohibit the deployment of longline gear in Area C (28° north to equator, 173° east to…

To: Chuck Aloha! I have read a number of letters and comments in Hawaii Fishing News over the past year. I would like to provide you with some factual information on how our user group has taken positive action to work with all parties concerned overall the issues presented. Mahalo, Carl Vincenti Ocean Concepts Scuba, Inc. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU Dear Mr. Vincenti: Thank you for providing me with a copy of the concerns of the Pupukea Task Force regarding Shark’s Cove at Pupukea Beach Park (PBP). We appreciate your concerns and look forward to working with you to improve the park for everyone. Our efforts to maintain the restrooms and remove the trash will be doubled to meet park usage during the peak season.…

Ho‘omaluhia Open Weekend ■ What can we say? It was another beautiful weekend. A total of 196 anglers showed up on Saturday and 353 on Sunday, and that was in spite of football, etc. When we fed the fish the week before, they came readily to the feed for the first time in several months. It seemed like the fish were more settled than they have been in the past several months. Perhaps the culling program is having some effect. We hope so. Mea Culpal I misnamed a young lady in the last issue. Kristen Yamamoto was holding the catfish in-the bottom photo. Blame a rain-soaked note in my suit for us not having the proper name for the young lady holding the smallmouth bass. Restore Surface Repellence on Gore-Tex…

■ The Atlapac Fishing Club held its annual awards banquet at the Pagoda Restaurant on August 12, 2000. Lots of food and fun were had by all who attended. The ulua feeding in the Pagoda pond did not seem the same without the two largest ulua that recently passed away. A mount of the bigger of the two (weighing 115 lbs) was cast by Layne Luna and will be hung at the Pagoda Restaurant. The most exciting part of the banquet was the Banana Dance. Jean Sugihara had each member not lucky enough to catch an ulua line up and tie a banana around his waist. The bananas did not hang lower than the participants’ Knees. Each participant then had to swing his banana at ah egg and push the…

■ On Monday, July 10, 2000, the father-son diving team of Henry and Bruce Ayau prepared to free-dive off the North Kohala Coast on the Big Island. They swam approximately ¼ mile out to tfie farthest ledge between 70 and 100 feet deep. As the divers got closer to the ledge, they saw a number of positive clues indicating that ulua (giant trevally) were in the vicinity: a strong current; murky visibility; ocean particles; and schools of different fish. When Bruce and Henry reached the ledge and the first ulua hale (house), the current began to get stronger, increasing to 10 to 20 miles per hour. There were two holes in the ledge! Bruce descended gracefully to the deepest one. Henry followed and covered the upper hole. It took an…

■ We concluded our Fourth Annual ‘Ohana Shoreline Fishing Tournament this past Admissions Day weekend with over 139 participants and families entered. This is truly an ‘ohana event. We try to get whole families and the community involved. The contestants were competing for a host of prizes and certificates, which were donated by various-businesses throughout the county. This is an annual event put on by the Department of Parks and Recreation and is held on the Admissions Day weekend in August. So if you and your family want to get in on the fun and great prizes, mark your calendar for next year’s event. Here are the winners of this year’s contest in the various divisions. ‘Ohana Division This year’s ‘Ohana Division required families to weigh their largest menpachi, ta‘ape…

Dial *USCG for MAYDAY You’re on the water, and you’re in a bad situation, heading for serious trouble. The good news is that you caught four ‘ahi. The bad news is that your boat, the MINNOW, is sinking. Don’t like the sound of that Gilligan rerun story? OK, we’ll try it again. The good news is that you’ve thrown overboard the four ‘ahi and you’re not sinking. The bad news is that your engine is dead. You are adrift, heading to the Philippines. To turn bad times to good, dial *USCG and place* a Mayday distress call. Chief Warrant Officer Mary C. Ward of Station Honolulu of the U.S. Coast Guard’Search and Rescue Office, E-mailed “Splash!” with excellent Mayday help. Dialing *USCG on any cell phone patches you directly through…

■ When the Argos satellite downloaded the first stream of data from the encapsulated minicomputer that had been riding on the flank of a black marlin from Kona for two weeks, a scientific first was achieved. For the first time, precise data on depth, ambient temperatures and positional information of a live billfish was being captured and recorded.… This summer, a research team from Stanford University joined with the sportfishirtg community in Kona to continue the groundbreaking research they have pursued here for many years. Working together in a newly organized campaign dubbed Tag-A-Billfish (T-A-B), the team succeeded in attaching the latest generation of “pop-off” satellite tags to seven blue and black marlin off Kona. A second team was working simultaneously an ocean away in Madeira, Portugal. The tiny computer,…

■ Weatherwise, October is a transitional month between summer and winter. The first northwest swells may start arriving, and that means everyone should be aware of waves breaking in the channel entrance. Winter also-means cold fronts will come sweeping throughith’e island chain. The south and southwest winds can be uncomfortable, but the north winds that follow the cold fronts can be very dangerous! We all need to be extra-careful out there. Remember, it’s not like you can just jump out of your boat and walk home. ‘Ahi continued to be the main source of motivation for fishermen leaving the harbor last month. Some were caught in the porpoise schools, some in the bird piles and some in the blind. The ones that come in the blind are the most fun…

WBC Individual Winners 2000 North Shore Hanapa‘a ■ The North Shore Hanapa‘a Jackpot Tournament was a great success again this year. Ed Baladoi and Ron Hill did a great job running the tournament along with their ground crew who ran the scales and other activities. Ron and Ed would like to thank the many sponsors and fishermen who participated in this year’s tournament! The tournament was held on June 21, 22 and 23 and the weather was nice but the fish were hard to find. The grand prize was awarded for the total weight at the end of the tournament, but there were daily winners for largest fish in each category and largest fish of the tournament. The first day of fishing saw 3,753 lbs of fish brought up. The…

For letters, with photos, received during the month of October we’ll send you HFN’s New Embroidered Logo’ Fishing Cap, a Holoholo Style Koolzie and an Official HFN Sticker…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hana paa, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25040, Honolulu, HI 96825 Howzit Chuck! How do you like this picture of an ‘omilu caught in shallow water on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands? It’was caught in less than 3 feet of water, 10 feet from the shore, using medium spinning tackle with 15 lb test line. No need cast far! We get the HAWAII FISHING NEWS here and I read it cover to cover. My ambition is to Hanapa‘a with a really big ulua over here. Aloha, Les Saulibio Kwajalein Dear Chuck, Here’s some nice pictures…