Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2001 i Hawaii Fishing News

The Pflueger Templar: A Reel Classic Although displaced by lighter, more efficiently made reels beginning in the late 1950s, the Pflueger Templar remains today the icon of “the good old days” of ulua fishing in Hawai‘i. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, it was the standard piece of equipment of the Hawai'i shorecaster. The first bit of advice old-timers shared, with any novice was, “Boy, if you’re serious and want to catch ulua, save up and get yourself a Templar.” This reel offered all the features and fish-proof qualities needed to go after big ulua, including a nonbinding free-spool feature and heavy-duty construction. The Templar also came with a deadly effective internal star drag system, which earned a reputation over the years for its ability to lock down and turn…

The Grilling Season! In my opinion, summer is not officially here until you get your outdoor grill clean and ready. The month of July seems to be the real season opener for all the grilling experts to “trot their stuff.” Whether charcoal or gas works the best, or whether to grill whole fish in a hinged wire basket or cut it up and place it directly on the grid is a matter of personal choice. We are very fortunate to live in the islands where our grilling season can be year-round if we so choose. Throughout the year, I continue to test and give you recipes that call for grilling methods. I will not go into the different methods and techniques of grilling because there are many cookbooks and articles…

Hunters Change Humane Society Policy Hunters have won a great victory for hunters’ rights. After a year and half of hard work, Big Island hunters have changed the discriminatory animal adoption policy of the Hawai'i Island Humane Society. This policy came to the attention of HAWAII FISHING NEWS readers when members of the Pig Hunters of Hawaii were told by the Humane Society they would be denied dog adoptions because they intend'-to use the dogs for hunting. A coalition of hunting organizations complained to Hawai‘i County Councilman Dominic Yagong, who assembled a meeting with then HIHS Executive Director Lisa Fowler and representatives of the hunting community. Hunters were shocked to hear that the HIHS would prefer to “euthanize” (kill) the animals rather than have hunters adopt them. It was stated…

Penn gives you the power to reach superior casting distances with its new-for-2001 performance-matched Long Casting Systems, developed in cooperation with world casting champion Neil Mackellow. Penn combines the 525 MAG casting reel with its three new American-made casting rods to form systems that will let you cast farther than you ever imagined possible. While extremely lightweight, Penn's Long Casting Systems are strong and durable enough to withstand grueling tournament trials or tough saltwater game fish. Featuring special actions and components, Penn’s new PPT 1 Tournament Pendulum (14'), PPT 2 Tournament Groundcaster (14' 3") and PPT 3 Sidewinder Surf (13’ 6") rods perfectly complement the 525 MAG reel. These ideally matched and balanced systems allow anglers to cast beyond their competitors or past distant breakers and sandbars. Each of the…

“Ke kukui ka pili ia o ka uhu.” In traditional times, fishers spread kukui oil on the surface of the water to calm the ripples so one could see clearly to the bottom. Missed Targets at PTA: A Broken Promise The Earth Day media event at the 'Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) reminded me that the Army has yet to live up to the terms of its settlement agreement over a lawsuit filed by the late Ruth Leilani Stemmermann. In 1989, Dr. Stemmer-mann, a Big Island botanist who studied the native ecosystems at PTA, sued the Army for failing to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Multi-Purpose Range Complex (MPRC), a live-fire training range in the southwestern portion of the PTA. Represented by Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Dr.…

Whenever you talk to an angler about a big catch, inevitably you’ll hear things like, “All the credit goes to our captain and his first-class crew” and, “The captain and his crew knew just what to do to get the fish to the boat.” It’s true: fishing is a team sport and that team definitely includes your boat captain and his crew. From making sure the boat has the right tackle to comply with the rules, to handling the boat expertly during the fight and just making sure the anglers are comfortable and have an enjoyable day of fishing, the boat captain and his crew are ultimately responsible for many areas leading to the success of the team. “We are blessed to have some of the world’s finest charterboat skippers…

Chuck, Enclosed is a picture of my daughter Simone, a former Hawai'i resident. Although an accomplished freshwater angler, she caught her first-ever ocean fish-this nice mahimahi-off my boat out of Ko Olina during a recent visit. Thanks,Paul GrandmainHau'ula, O'ahu Howzit Chuck, My good fren’ Randy “Norman” Hamilton grew up in Hawai'i-kai, O'ahu, but was left homeless when his parents retired and moved to the mainland. Da poor guy joined Maui Police Department and was stationed in Siberia, uh I mean Lana'i. We nevah thought the bruddah would last, but we was in for a surprise! Dis is a picture of my bruddah Randy wif da first ono he ever did catch on his new boat. Ho! Nice one, eh? He and his crew cut the fish and shared in true…

The stainless ulua bell on Hal Higuchi’s pole barely rang. In fact, the slight clanging was reminiscent of a typical puhi strike. I could easily imagine a big puhi squirming and twisting Hal’s 80-lb test monofilament leader into a dozen overhand knots. “What fun that should be to untangle,” I thought to myself as I kicked back on my beach chair and smiled because it wasn’t my rod taking a puhi strike. It was already pitch dark. We strapped on our headlamps and were preparing to trek down to the poles when suddenly the wild, loud sound of a ripping ratchet filled the air. “Zzzzz! Zzzzzzz!” screamed the Penn Jigmaster as our lazy walking became stumbled running. “Whose pole?” I blasted my light on the poles and quickly saw Hal’s…

Bonefish, or ‘o‘io, are often called the gray ghosts of the flats. They are fun to hook and great eating, although time-consuming to clean. I’d not hooked and landed an ‘o‘io in years, so I was delighted when Erman Tancayo of Moloka’i invited me on a trip to the west side of Moloka’i to give ‘o‘io fishing a try. Erman and fellow fishermen had had good luck on one of the big sand beaches on the island. At this spot, they had hooked ‘o‘io, moi and ever-present papio. To me, any one of the three species would be super to hook and land, so I hopped on a flight to the Friendly Island, got a rental car and joined Erman at the designated parking lot. We hoofed in all of…

Family Fishing Ho‘omaluhia fishing sessions were well-attended during the month of May by 776 anglers, family members and bait dippers. The Elodea weed problem still continues to be of concern. It is pretty hard to be a volunteer and to answer to all questions posed with the statement that the problem is still being studied. A lot of families read our column, and we have received some nice comments. One comment is, why is it even necessary to have a volunteer present during the fishing session's?. There is no such service at Lake Wilson or elsewhere. The reason is simple. When you have a civic, church, scout, military or even corporate group, everybody in the group usually knows everybody else and there is no real reason for concern (except often…

What’s the best season for ono fishing in Hawai‘i? Why right now, summer, of course. Isn’t it? Not so fast. Let’s look at a bit of history, beginning with some of the biggest ono ever caught here. You just might be surprised. First we’ll examine quality versus quantity. The largest ono ever caught on rod and reel in Hawai’i waters was the 133-pounder now listed in HFN as the state record. It was caught off the windward coast of the Big Island in January 2000. That’s one big vote for winter as the “best” ono season. The second vote is the former state record. That was a 124¾-pounder caught off O‘ahu in January 1935 by J. B. Stickney. (For years we have erroneously listed the fish as caught in 1940,…

Ask the U.S. Coast Guard Q: If I sell a couple of fish every once in a while, am I a commercial fisherman? A: Chief Warrant Officer Mark Nierode from Marine Safety Office Honolulu answers: The U.S. Coast Guard defines a Commercial Fishing Vessel as any vessel that is used in the catching, harvesting, processing or transporting of fish or other marine life which is sold. The laws do not specify a minimum quantity of fish being sold; the U.S. Coast Guard considers any fish sold to constitute commercial activity. This means that even part-time or weekend fishermen are expected to meet the commercial fishing vessel safety regulations if it is determined that they sell fish. The commercial fishing vessel safety regulations are intended to promote safety in a potentially…

For anyone who frequents the shores of Hawai'i, surf height reports and weather forecasts play vital roles in decisions on how to approach the day. As a shoreline angler, I often make decisions on where to dive for tako and where to fish by reports of surf heights and water conditions reported by the television news anchors and by the recorded reports by the National Weather Service, available by calling the surf report phone number. As I watched KHON Fox 2 News, I was surprised by an announcement made by Weather Anchor Trini Kaopuiki that surf heights are now being reported by the full face value of the waves. The face value of a wave is measured in the front of the wave from the trough to the top of…

When volunteers with the Northwest Hawaiian Islands Multi-Agency Cleanup Task Force removed derelict fishing nets from near-shore waters and coral reefs, they had to dispose of the recovered nets in an O‘ahu landfill. Manufactured using synthetic material, the nets do not disintegrate easily in the ocean and probably have a similar life span when buried in the earth. Clearly, an effort was needed to spare the already overburdened O‘ahu landfill space and to find a more suitable recycling method for fishing nets recovered in the future. As a result of a comprehensive article written by Sea Grant Communications Director Priscilla Billig on the issue of marine debris, which appeared as a Honolulu Weekly (12/00) cover story, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Institutional Energy Analyst Howard Wiig asked…

Persistent trade winds will be the dominant weather feature. July is fair weather month-on land. Over the waters expect gusty trades on six to 14 days of this month. Surf-wise, northwest wave activity is at a minimum with low surf heights of 0 to 5 feet at northern shores. Surf action along southern shores will peak in July and extend into September. Mariners are advised of the possible occurrence of two kinds of potentially hazardous weather: thunderstorms with heavy rain from an upper trough, and tropical cyclone invasions into Hawai'i waters.…

Lots of people fish from sailboats; some even catch fish on a regular basis! I have two friends who sailboat fish all the time. They catch mahi-mahi, ono, aku and even an occasional marlin. Sailboat fishing is harder than fishing from a powerboat because you can’t really stop quickly or immediately go where you want to go, and the average speed is 4 to 7 knots. The advantages are stealth (the silent boat going through the water does not scare any fish away) and free power from the wind, minimizing fuel costs. Also, range is a positive factor. You can go as far as your provisions allow. I went to Lana‘i once on a 75-foot yacht. Everyone was expecting me to catch a mahimahi or ono, so I brought a…

Chuck and “Dem,” On the second week of December 2000,1 was fishing on the east side of O'ahu, wondering if I would get lucky and catch something before Christmas. They say the bites come when you least expect them, and it would be that way. At 2 o’clock in the morning, I was gazing at the sky and thought, “Hey, tonight is really nice-clear sky, lots of stars and not a cloud anywhere to be seen.” Just then, out toward Moloka’i, I saw a really bright falling star. “Quick, Dwight,” I told myself, “make a wish.” (We all know what fishermen wish for.) Well, with that wish said and done, I went back to daydreaming or, for that matter, nightdreaming. I had been at the spot for some time and…

This is the final article in a three-part series on fish aggregation devices (FADs). This month we’ll look at the 1981 to 2000 FAD landing summaries prepared by Division of Aquatics’ Statistical Unit. Capt. Harry Shigekane runs the HAPPY HUNTER on Kaua'i. He, like most Hawai'i offshore fishermen, has put many a king-king lure into an aku and buoy-baited a big-boy duo: a “gorilla” ‘ahi and a “donkey” marlin. Capt. Shigekane recently noted, “FADs work. Fish are there. But the FADs have slowly been going down.” Are FAD catches going down-sea? If this is the case, is it supported by marine science? What’s the top-producing buoy in the state? What’s the long-term trend? Back in February, we asked the Division of Aquatics for a detailed look at the FAD landing…

Kai Aloha no ho'i! Ua ‘olelo ‘ia i ka wa kahiko, “Na ‘ale kuehu o Mamala.” Kaulana i ka pae moku o Hawai'i net no ka inoa a me ke kino o ke kai. Nui ka hoihoi i ka po'e e pili ana i na kino o ke kai a me ka nalu i Hawai'i nei. Ninininau i'au i keia kumuhana. No laila, ‘o keia mo'olelo e pili ana i ke kumuhana o ke kai a me i ka mea Hawai'i. Greetings to all! It was said in the old days, “The billows of Mamala with windblown sprays.” (Mamala is the place name for the entrance to Honolulu Harbor). The islands are famous for the many names and forms of the sea. There is great interest in the forms of…

From the opening hula and blessing to the closing party along the promenade, thousands of ocean-lovers descended on the Ko Olina Resort and Marina on May 26 and 27, 2001, to experience a first for Hawai‘i. More than 5,000 people attended the two-day event, which included 53 exhibitors of ocean and marine products, hands-on activities and demonstrations, 31 in-water boats both new and privately owned for sale, eight classic wooden vessels and 22 trailer boat displays. The Eighth Annual State Longcasting Championships, hosted by the Atlapac Fishing Club, were held in conjunction with the boat show and fishing expo. Shorecasters from around the state are invited each year to compete in the distance ground casting event. This year, there were three divisions: Jigmaster Class Reel, 40-lb test line; Conventional 4/0…

Dear Chuck, What a thrill for our Laulima Team sixth-graders to see their narratives and pictures about our fishing trip to Nu'uanu Reservoir featured in the May issue of HAWAII FISHING NEWS! We appreciate your encouragement and the incentives you and HAWAII FISHING NEWS provided for our students. Thank you for the logo caps, pens, and issues of your magazine that you shared with our students. Knowing that their work could find a place in a real publication created excitement and pride. Mahalo for your support of our students and our “Challenging Encounters” program. Kalakaua Middle School Laulima Team-Grade 6…

Private FADs Environment Hawaii, an award-winning monthly environmental newsletter published in Hilo, recently ran an article on what has been wharf rat talk for years: private FADs. Environment Hawaii quoted Dr. Robert Nishimoto of the DLNR’s Division of Aquatic Resources as saying the private FADs first began showing up off Pa'auilo in 1999. They were set in the 30- to 60-mile offshore range. He said that the homemade buoys were old skiffs filled with foam. When the buoys became wharf rat knowledge, a fishing gold rush ensued and a ragtag flotilla of boats made the rough-water journey to riches on the yellowfin road. Reports soon surfaced that marauding fishermen had been threatened with violence by private FAD owners. Other fishermen reportedly paid owners a toll fee to fish the buoys.…

“Getting better” is how most fishermen would describe the action thus far this summer. Ono are everywhere-in the shallows, on the ledge and as far out as 40 miles. Mahimahi continue to be caught regularly. A few nice-sized blue marlin scream a reel now and then. The surprise of the summer has been the aku piles. Large, medium and small ‘ahi were mixed in with the aku. Capt. Bobby Alipio had fun on back-to-back Mondays on his boat, the KA WEN A A. The crew on both trips consisted of his brother, Nathan Alipio, and their good friend Benson Fong. The first Monday’s catch totaled four ono in the 20- to 25-lb range, 19 aku and six small ‘ahi weighing between 6 and 10 lbs each. The bonus to cap…