Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2002 i Hawaii Fishing News

Learning From the Masters ■ As the trolling season winds down, I like to go after different fish, but with a speargun and scuba tanks. I have learned many tricks from the “old master” Roger P. and my friends who I dive with on a regular basis. I have been diving most of my life, free-diving when I was a kid, and later learning to scuba dive. But scuba diving with a speargun is not as easy as it sounds. The fish aren’t as dumb as everyone thinks. I had to learn many different tricks to fool these smart fish. I had to learn the hard way and also ask the old master and my friends many questions. One of the first things I had to get was a speargun…

■ When I sat down at a double booth with eight people at Zippy’s restaurant to hear the story of two 100-plus-lb ulua being captured in one night, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I came away with was an understanding of good people that had shared an incredible, and almost unbelievable, fishing experience. As they all said, this wasn’t about trying to get on the record books or into the 100 Plus Club. It was a story of one night of fantastic shoreline fishing that would be etched in their minds, hearts and souls forever. The tale started with Eddie Martinez Jr. and Peter DeVera fishing the “Hole” (Moi Hole) one Friday. Eddie had gotten the go-ahead from his steady fishing partner and wife, Corinna, to go…

■ When I was a bachelor, I used to think the only time a smile was good bait was at a singles bar. But a recent fishing tournament at the Hawaii Yacht Club proved me wrong. The HYC held its 13th Annual Goodwill Tournament for the developmentally handicapped clients of Goodwill Industries of Honolulu, and I am sure it was all the grinning that charmed the fish onto the hooks. Those special anglers were using the usual bread crumbs and squid baits, but their beaming faces had to be the main attraction. Goodwill’s clients are people of all ages who are personally challenged by barriers to employment such as developmental, physical, emotional or mental disabilities. At Goodwill’s facilities they receive occupational training and are given an opportunity to learn skills…

■ Employees and friends of First Hawaiian Bank gathered in Kona for the 2002 First Hawaiian Bank Fishing Tournament. There were 12 teams entered, and fishing began at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 26. The bite began immediately with Capt. Chuck Vocke (“BVD Man”) leading Team Lucky Chuck to a fish at 7:10 a.m. only to lose the nice-sized ono at gaff. The other teams in the tournament called Team Lucky Chuck with the suggestion of changing their deckhand, Rusty Rasmussen, who in the previous year’s tournament had scored a clean sweep while acting as deckhand on the charterboat SEA STRIKE. A few minutes later, Team Little Amigos boated an estimated 20-lb ono. The morning action continued to be hot with many teams calling in strikes and landing numerous fish,…

■ Koko Marina Center will host the First Annual Koko Marina Center Fishing Tournament on Saturday, October 12. Rod and reels in hand, anglers from across O‘ahu will head to Koko Marina Center to compete for cash prizes totaling $15,000. “We are thrilled to bring the first annual fishing tournament to the Hawai‘i-kai community,” stated Jo Ann Mau. general manager of Koko Marina Center. “We are confident the tournament will attract fishermen from all over the island, making it a huge success and continuing the tradition in years to come, “ Approximately 50 fishing boats will start and finish from the first buoy of Maunalua Bay in Hawai‘i-kai. Fishing will begin at 6:30 a, m.. and end at 4:30 p.m. with the final weigh-in at 6:30 p.m. on the boat…

For letters, with photos, received during the month of April we’ll send you HFN’s New ‘Embroidered 25th Anniversary’ Fishing Cap, a Holoholo Style Kootzie and an Official HFN Sticker…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Howzit Chuck, We endured the multidirectional wind, thunder, lightning and continuous rain. Our fishing area became a swamp of mud pools and brown rivers throughout. Beyond the papa (reef shelf) the ocean remained clean and clear of rainwater due to the strong waves surging white water along the coast. We were blessed. Pictured above is Island Shorecasters Club member Guy Ikeda with a beautiful 5.7-lb kagami papio and below is Takako and Marine Sgt. Chris Cox with his 21.21-lb white ulua. Both fish…

Japanese Whalers Hunt Sei Whales ■ Japanese whalers, for the first time in 25 years, will hunt for endangered sei whales in the Northwest Pacific. The whalers plan to kill a total of 260 whales, including 50 sei, 10 sperm, 50 Bryde’s and 150 minke whales. The hunt ends on September 23. Commercial whaling has been banned since 1986, but the International Whaling Commission allows Japan a limited scientific research whale catch. Japan’s Fishery Agency has expanded the hunting, saying the sei population has risen to 28,000. Environmentalists say sei whale numbers don’t justify killings. Japan’s research program, charting whale migration, diet and population, costs $37 million a year. Opponents in the United States, Australia and Great Britain say the program is commercial whaling in disguise. Most whale meat ends…

■ “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. August 5 to 11-Skin Diving With Calvin Lai The waters are calm, so Mike joins up with Calvin Lai and his friends to hit the waters outside of Kona for some skin diving and spearing. The guys spear with guns and get a mixed bag of greateating reef fish like palani, pualu and roi. This is a good show for divers. August 12 to 18-Bottom Fishing on the ROBALO I James Benton of “Bugga Bugga” fame hops on board the ROBALO I with Mike and Capt. Kenny Takashima. They head toward the…

We have enclosed a few pictures of papio that have been tagged and recovered. The tags that have been in the water for more than a couple of weeks tend to have short brown algae covering them. By scraping off the algae toward the end of the tag with your fingernail, you should be able to find the tag number. Our current tag number series usually start with the letter “P” or “U” followed by four digits. The tags are either yellow or orange in color and should be located near the base of the first dorsal fin on either side of the fish. Some tagged fish could also have another series of numbers associated with our early efforts or other ongoing projects. Tagging Tips We wanted to pass on…

■ Count on starting an argument any time you ask a room full of fishermen what fish “think” about something. Take a statement you have undoubtedly heard many times: fish think trolling lures are squid or bait fish. Well, which is it? Squid? Or bait fish? Fish know the difference and respond differently, said Capt. Peter Hoogs, skipper of the Kona charterboat PAMELA. And the difference between the way they eat a squid or eat a bait fish can mean the difference between whether or not you hook them. Game fish grab bait fish and turn them headfirst for easy swallowing. When an aku, ‘opelu or akule is pointed down a marlin’s gullet, its fins fold back against its body and it just about swims to the stomach on its…

Dear Chuck, This was to be my first fishing trip of 2002. While driving through Waialua, my stress had all but disappeared. This was one of those rare occasions that my stress had come with me on my fishing trip and I felt sorry for my poor, yet understanding, fishing partners. The trip was plagued with poor planning and last minute “dilly dally” and yes I was GROUCHY. Helluva way to start the season. What a thrill it was to see my good friend Darren from Mililani already at my favorite spot. Another good friend, Dennis from Waialua, (the man responsible for getting me into shorecasting) passed by and gave me a shaka. This was already a magical day in seeing my old friends. After watching everybody else catch everything…

■ Enjoy summer in Hawaii waters. August is the warmest month over land and in the water. No Kona storms or cold fronts are expected. Replacing these two wintertime storms could be storms born over the warm tropical waters-tropical storms and hurricanes. August is the favored month for these storms. Over the pastyears, these storms have appeared in Hawaii waters so it will be prudent to listen to the National Weather Service marine forecasts before venturing into the water. Weather satellite pictures spot these storms. Trade winds will be the common feature as they persist through the month. Expect about five to 10 days of gusty trade winds that can make the waters too rough. Northwest swell and surf activity is at the minimum, but southerly surf could be higher…

Fishing Licenses From Hawai‘i? ■ One of the mysteries of collectibles is that you never know what will actually become valuable in the future. They are a lot like stocks in that if you were able to predict such a thing, you could stand to become a very wealthy person. The other similarity, and often a long shot, is that if you keep something forever, one day it stands a chance of multiplying its value by many times. Unfortunately, most things that people keep often earn them the label of “packrat.” If I had a penny for everything I’ve saved that was going to be a guaranteed, hot collectible in 20 years…well, maybe people wouldn’t keep calling me a packrat! It seems someone else always gets lucky. But at least…

■ After intensive deliberations, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council concluded their week-long meeting by voting to approve a limited-entry program for the longline fishery in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around American Samoa. Discussions on this issue began in 1997, due to concerns about rapid expansion of fishing effort and fleet size in the longline fishery around American Samoa. Between 1997 and 2002, the fleet increased from approximately 21 mostly small vessels to 75 vessels of a variety of sizes. The large vessels target albacore tuna to sell to the canneries at Pago Pago Harbor, so most of the fish never reach the local community. The council focused on developing a limited-entry program that would keep the fishery healthy without overly hampering its development and limiting the benefits…

■ Suddenly Stew’s dream came true. His spinning rod, silently standing in the rod stand, heeled over, and the small copper bell rang like a madman was playing with it. He couldn’t believe it until he heard Dayne Matsumoto, who was also fishing on the lava point, yell at him to grab the rod. Everyone at the beach house, some 100 yards behind the point, heard the commotion and stopped everything to watch as Stewart Sato pulled the rod from the holder and began to fight the rampaging fish. His 13-foot spinning rod arched into a smooth bend then slowly rose as Stew made progress one crank and lift at a time. Everyone began running to the point, yelling encouraging words as they went. Stew carefully continued the battle, hoping…

Slack Line Method ■ The wind conditions that anglers encounter at Nu’uanu vary from almost still to gale force. Therefore, the wind often strums the line when it is tight to the reel because of the use of a heavy sinker. A rod in an upright position is particularly vulnerable to this effect. The wind creates a noisy environment and results in a shadow movement of the line that the fish avoid. It is common practice on freshwater venues to bury the line in windy weather, even to the degree that the tip of the rod is slightly submerged under the water’s surface. A lot of seasoned anglers use a slacked line in conjunction with a reel that clicks when line is played out as a result of a take.…

Hi Chuck, A couple of outdoor writers have expressed interest in reviewing Shirley Rizzuto’s cookbook “Fresh Catch of the Day.” Enclosed is a quick and easy fish chowder recipe by Jim Martenhoff that may be of interest to you and your readers. Jim Hardie, CommissionerWorld Cup Blue Marlin Tournament FISH CHOWDER IS AN IDEAL WAY TO MAKE USE OF LEFTOVERS OR CHUNKS OF LARGE, FIRM FILLETS. ITS QUICK AND EASY TO PREPARE, TOO. ■ Few seafood dishes possess the appeal of a hearty fish chowder, accompanied by crusty, fresh bread or crisp breadsticks. It’s a stick-to-the-ribs dish, soul-satisfying when sheets of rain flail against the windows. There are other blessings to a chowder. It is extremely fast and easy. And it stretches a small catch of any kind of fish.…

After arrival at Wai‘anae Boat Harbor, the RANDI-ANN was set up and launched, ready for a day of trolling. On board were Capt. Randy Silva, Brad Lum and I. As we came around the break wall, Capt. Randy throttled up and within 25 minutes we were within ¼ mile of the V-buoy. While there, we rigged up for trolling. We made two passes around the buoy while waiting for the sun to rise higher over the horizon, then headed for Ka‘ena Point. We did not get to Ka‘ena Point before the center outrigger snapped and we reeled in a 15-lb ono. We traveled around the point to Il-buoy and made a couple of passes with no luck. We then headed for the pinnacle near Kaua‘i. I assumed my “usual fishing…

North Shore Hanapa‘a Jackpot Tournament ■ As usual, the weather was very windy and nasty, typical for the North Shore Hanapa‘a Jackpot Tournament in Hale‘iwa. Sixty-two teams fished this three-day tournament. The first day a 359.5-lb marlin came up along with a 168-lb ‘ahi, but it was still considered a slow day. The catch for the second day was similar. The total weights for the first two days were about the same. The third day would be the charm. Anyone who caught a big fish would have a good chance of taking the jackpot. It could be anyone’s tournament. All they needed was one big fish to take the lead. Unfortunately, the third day of fishing was slow again. The boats and crews were the only ones taking a beating…

■ It was an early Honolulu morning. My wife and I were enjoying our coffee and conversation when the phone rang. Pat Victorino on Kaua‘i was calling from one of his favorite fishing spots. He told me of an epic battle with a huge ulua that had just taken place. Pat’s on-location reports always vividly describe his thrills of victory or his agonies of defeat. For Pat, this season had an agonizing start, but it had finally reached thrilling levels. So, with a good morning tide and moon phase on the horizon, I packed my bag and rod tube, bought a box of manapua and flew to Kaua‘i to get in on Pat’s fishing action. City Boy in Search of Country Fish The morning light barely allowed Pat and me…