Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2006 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ You may remember reading a recent three-part article in HFN on kayak fishing by Jim Rizzuto. Well, the fishing didn’t stop when the articles did. My wife, Cindy, and I along with our good friend Reggie Pare paddled all year, and we had some good catches. The ono run was good for us kayak fishermen here on the Big Island (better for some than others.) I did well in overall numbers of ono. I caught several fish in the 20- and 30-lb range. However, Reggie beat me in the heavyweight division. You may recall seeing Reggie’s 58-lb ono on the cover of April’s HFN. After landing that fat boy, Reggie followed up with 45- and 42-lb ono. I believe one of the reasons we did well with the ono…

S. TOKUNAGA STORE ULUA CHALLENGE May 18, 19, 20 & 21, 2006 S. Tokunaga Store (808) 935-6965 26 Hoku St., Hilo, HI 96720 PUNANA LEO 0 KAUAI HO’OKUKU LAWAI’A May 26, 27 & 28, 2006 Momi Yaris (808) 245-1755 P.O. Box 662093, Puhi, HI 96766 ATLAPAC WEIGHMASTER’S CLASSIC 2006 June 23, 24 & 25, 2006 Roland Galacgac (808) 423-8554 1442 Haloa Drive, Honolulu, HI 96819 8TH ANNUAL POLE BENDA INVITATIONAL June 9, 10 and 11, 2006 Eddie Carvalho (808) 885-0445 31ST HILO CASTING CLUB TOURNAMENT July 11 to 15, 2006 Dominic (808) 981-5127 or Troy 960-5704 Add Your Tournament! E-Mail <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com>…

Aloha Chuck. It’s been several years since I last wrote of my friend Cliff Betonio. Featured in your “Tail Tales” section of HFN’s July 2002 issue was Cliff’s 73.6-lb ulua. This is a shore fisherman’s Christmas “Tail Tale.” It was Christmas Eve 2005. Cliff Betonio and friends Buck Bucaneg and Vernon Uyehara met to try their luck casting. On reaching the fishing area, Cliff took his bucket and throw net to search for live bait. After seeing the stream of air bubbles aerate four big manini and a single nenue, he set his EZ-Up shelter to seek shade from the afternoon sun. Cliff looked with anticipation to casting his newly rewrapped J.A. rods by pal Joe K. He had a “good feeling” as he seated his extended Black Marlin Penn…

Ho‘omaluhia Scoreboard: Smallmouth Bass-36; Anglers-0 ■ If you have ever been with a professional guide, you have heard this phrase more than once: “You should have been here yesterday!” And so it was. The day before the smallmouth bass event, the rain poured into the Ko‘olaus and Ho‘omaluhia became absolutely impossible to fish. Even those who tried to connect to a bait fish were thwarted. The day before the event I counted 12 bass either on nests or cruising. We tried to keep the venue quiet without anyone flogging the waters just to improve the chances. But, get this: the day before the rain Dave Mikami and Jennifer Oki were fishing the lake. Actually their fishing trip and long walk was an add-on to an expected happy event: Jennifer was…

■ While you may never expect to file an insurance claim on your boat, knowing why and how damages occur can help you reduce your chances. The January 2006 issue of Seaworthy, the damage avoidance newsletter from BoatU.S. Marine Insurance, reviewed five years of its own claim files to find the most common causes for insurance claims. Both the individual number of claims, as well as insurance claim dollar amounts, were factored in to compile the list. # 9. Theft of Equipment. Make timeconsuming “work” for a thief, and he will likely go elsewhere. The theft of outdrives can be prevented by adding hefty locking nuts; the same goes for outboards and trailers. If they can be removed, expensive electronics should be stored under lock and key–and at home in…

■ When I first went to Kona, I had been there for a couple of weeks but I had not yet gone to the ocean. In those days, my aunt, uncle, cousins and I stayed at my Tutu’s (Grandpa’s) house in the middle of coffee country, which was about a half-mile up a rocky road from the main highway. From the highway it was still another 10 or more miles down a winding road to the beaches. I was pretty anxious to see if the types of fish on the Big Island were similar to the fish found off the beaches in Honolulu. The big problem was that there was no way to get to the beach. This was way-out uncivilized rural country. Unlike in the city of Honolulu, here…

For letters, with photos, received during April we’ll send you HFN’s Ulua Hook® Embroidered cap logo design…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Aloha Chuck, I like show off my catch in mid October of 2005. Dis pichas dedicated to my boyz on da South Side, you know who you eh! I got dis beasts a day apart at “da spot!” Da biggah 1 was 9 lbs & da adda 2 with my fadda was 6 lbs and 6 ¾ lbs. Not bad eh! Mahalo Chuck 4 all da hard work in putting da HFN 2gada every month! “I da tako masta!” Much Mahalos!EJKoloa, Kaua‘i Aloha Chuck, Daughter Heather’s first ono caught on New Year’s eve just out…

■ “Well, what would you do if a marlin swam up to you? Would you shoot it?” I asked my partner Jeff Alberts as we suited up for our dive from shore down south off the Kona Coast. Marlin had been on my mind lately because I was painting one on a wall in Kailua. Jeff just chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, not really taking the question too seriously. We bagged up the rest of our 25 lbs of anchovies, clipped them to our floats, and carefully climbed down the cliffs with our gear in hand. In silence and eager anticipation of the adventure awaiting us, we slipped into the ocean, timing our entries between the swells. The ocean was alive with the energy of hundreds of colorful reef fish…

■ Palu (also palupalu) is a Hawaiian word that is used to describe a relish made of the head or stomach of fish. The word is also used to refer to fish bait made out of fish heads or stomachs, also used for chumming while fishing. With many shorefishing tournaments just around the corner, it is a perfect time to talk about what I refer to as the “lost art of paluing.” On a trip to South Point with a friend a few years ago, I decided to make a bucket of palu. We had some white bread that was supposed to be for our sandwiches but a mongoose tore open the bag, so we used it in our mixture. We added a can of mackerel to the mixture. Desperate…

Lucky Canadians ■ I have to say Canadians are very lucky fishermen. My girlfriend is Canadian, and her biggest ono weighed 60 lbs and she had a 45-lb double strike. I took her mom, Terri Glass, whale watching. Of course, I had to bring at least two rods. We were to meet my girlfriend and her dad at “69s,” a beach 2 miles away from Kawaihae Harbor, and we had a strike on the way. On the way back, we got into ono lane and the reel started screaming. There was a 42-lb bull mahimahi on the electric reel. Three minutes after landing the mahimahi, the other reel started screaming and it was a 20-lb ‘ahi. We got back to the harbor, cleaned and strapped the boat and headed home.…

■ What is the ultimate fishing experience? Man-eating catfish? Piranha for lunch? Bizarrely brilliant peacock bass with blood-red eyes? Blind dolphins the color of bubble gum? My brother, Ulysses, bit the lure of adventure that drew him to the Amazon River in Brazil. Ulysses had been dreaming about visiting the mysterious river for many years when an article on peacock bass adventures was featured on the cover of his flyfishing magazine. He contacted Amazon Fly Fishing Expeditions and waited in anticipation for the dry season. Then, he and his girlfriend, Choeleen, set out on their escapade to uncharted lands. Their destination was Manaus. After many late departures and broken planes, they landed an hour after their baggage had arrived and many hours later than scheduled. Ulysses had already resigned himself…

USFWS Opens Angler Access ■ Hawai‘i refuges and national parks are seen as off-limits to anglers and hunters. The latest refuge closure gesture is the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands championed by Rep. Ed Case, Gov. Linda Lingle and DLNR Chair Peter Young. This is not so in the rest of the United States. In the United States 300 refuges are open to hunting and 270 allow fishing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is opening six new refuges to hunting and angling. In opening them, Interior Secretary Gale Norton said that the wildlife refuge system was created and is sustained in a large part by hunters and fishermen. Last year, the American refuge system logged 9.3 million visits from outdoor sports-men and women looking to hunt and fish. While returning from…

Mamalahoe (Law of the Splintered Paddle) ■ Aloha mail E ‘olu’olu e heluhelu i keia mo‘olelo e pili ana i ka nui hana a Kamehameha. Nanai ke kanawai i ka po’e Hawai‘i. Eia ho‘i, e lawai’a, ‘ike i ke kanawai Mamalahoe, ina e mamake e hele ma kai me ka pilikia ‘ole i ka pae one. Greetings! Please read this story about one of Kamehameha’s greatest works. Of great importance is this law to the people of Hawai‘i. Especially fishermen, learn the “law of the splintered paddle” if you wish to head to the ocean with no problems regarding shoreline access. In the early days of King Kamehameha’s preparation to conquer and unite the Hawaiian islands, the king made many coastal raids to neighboring island districts. One day in 1783,…

Sharpen Your Skills ■ With ulua season approaching, many anglers are getting ready to catch the big one. One of the most important things for hooking and catching a big one while slide-baiting is your hook. Circle hooks are by far the number-one choice of slide-bait anglers. There is no need to set the hook; however, there are a few things that can help ensure that you don’t get what is commonly called a “spit” by anglers. Unlike a “J” hook that you need to set, sometimes repeatedly to drive the hook into a fish’s mouth, circle hooks are self-setting. In order to have the circle hook do its job, I’ve found the following tips immensely helpful. First, sharpen your hook. I know that you’ve heard this many times, but…

1 can mackerel 1 large container oatmeal, or 3 loaves of white bread Ocean water Mustad’s Ultrabite Sand, cinders or small rocks PREPARATION Shake can of mackerel before opening. Open and pour can of mackerel into a small bucket. Next, add the large container of oatmeal or three loaves of white bread (you can use both). Add ocean water till the mixture looks like soup. You choose the consistency. When fishing from high cliffs, a thicker mixture is easier to throw. If you use bread, break the entire contents up with your hands until there are only small chucks of bread in the mixture. Squeeze in Ultrabite. I use about one-third bottle; most people use a lot less. (No be tight, give ‘um!) Careful, this stuff stinks big time. Have…

Googling for Smallmouths in Paradise ■ The first week of June is sacred trout fishing time in West Virginia, at least for me and an ole fishing buddy of 30 years. Occasionally, things come up that cause traditions to become sacrificed. A change in plans at work was about to take me away from my semi-annual Cranberry Backcountry fishing trip to conduct a training course in Hawai‘i. My fishing buddy was also facing another commitment. He had just become eligible for the Senior Games being held in Pittsburgh. It was lousy timing with regard to our annual pilgrimage to fish in West Virginia just after the last stocking in May. Not willing to give in so quickly, we massaged our calendars for other possible dates. Fortunately, we were able to…

■ On Sunday, February 26, 21 hard-core three-prong spear fishermen participated in the annual AHK fun tournament at “Cockaroach Bay,” opposite Sea Life Park. The day was overcast with moderate rain and mild easterly winds. but the conditions did not stop the determined divers competing for prizes and bragging rights for the day. The rules stated that you could spear no more than 10 small fish and 10 large fish and no more than two fish per specified species. All fish were within limits of the fish and game handbook. This was a four-hour, swim-out meet, and participants could travel as far as they could on foot before entering the water. Chit Chats Joey Martos and Chris Paglinawan had a good strategy. They dived at the “nenue house,” north of…

BLNR Briefed on NWHI Permit Process ■ The Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) was briefed on the new permit process for access to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) on Friday, February 24. The briefing was conducted by the Aquatic Resources Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Gov. Lingle recently signed regulations establishing all state waters in the NWHI as a limited-access, no-extraction marine refuge. The boundaries of the NWHI marine refuge area include, but are not limited to, the reefs and shoals, and their appurtenant reefs and all state waters extending 3 miles seaward of any coastline beginning and including Nihoa Island and Kure Atoll, but excluding Midway Atoll. The rules set aside 100 percent of state waters from extractive uses, including commercial and recreational…

Taveuni and the Northern Territory of Fiji ■ To appreciate Fiji’s vast archipelago of more than 300 islands, the best approach is one that focuses on the various areas or islands in respect to the ultimate in destination combined with great fishing grounds. Taveuni, otherwise known as the Garden Island, is the third largest island and is within the northern territory of Fiji. The island is complete with stunning natural beauty both under and above the sea, making it a haven for nature lovers, divers, ocean recreation seekers and fishermen. The island offers many activities, including snorkeling, waterfall and bush hikes, horseback riding, bird watching, phenomenal diving and fishing. Picturesque Matei on the northern tip of the island is where the majority of the accommodations are found, ranging from campgrounds…