Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2006 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ A series of separate incidents with ono got me thinking about how these fast-moving game fish feed and how we fish for them. The incidents were unrelated, so this may be a bit random. Ramble along with me for a bit. Incident one involved an odd finding in the stomach contents of an early August ono. First some background. Ono fishing had been “off the marks” all summer. Normally we get our best bites by trolling the ledge from ‘opelu-ko‘a to ‘opelu-ko‘a. The ‘opelu generally hang out in 25 to 40 fathoms, depending on the current. They favor places where the bottom bumps up just enough to cause an upwelling. The disturbed current helps them hold position with less swimming effort while the current brings them food. The marks…

Drippy Legislation! ■ Hawai‘i boaters are now faced with using 10percent ethanol as a replacement oxygenation additive for the discontinued MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) in gasoline. With this change comes a multitude of questions and misinformation within the boating community. The fact is that there will be many more problems with boats’ fuel tanks than there will be with automobiles and the reason for this is the requirement for marine fuel tanks to be “vented.” This allows the ethanol to absorb moisture from humidity entering through the vent thereby adding additional condensation to the fuel. Another major reason is that many boats sit at the dock with large partially filled fuel tanks while autos with their smaller tanks are emptied much more frequently and are refilled with fresh gasoline. Following…

■ Four experimental fish farms that federal officials say validate their proposal to codify offshore aquaculture are beset with economic, environmental and technological problems, according to a new report by Food & Water Watch. The report was delivered to members of the Senate Commerce Committee. Its Subcommittee on National Ocean Study Policy is conducting a hearing on S. 1195, the National Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2005. S. 1195 would provide a legal framework to allow fish farming in federal waters from 3 to 200 miles off the U.S. coast. Backed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this bill is being touted as a solution to the United States’ $7 billion seafood trade deficit. Food & Water Watch and other consumer, fishing and environmental groups strongly oppose the bill,…

Catfish Season Is Open! ■ Catfish season at Nu‘uanu has been in full swing since August 26. Welcome back. We are looking forward to your patronage. If you aim to attend, perhaps the following tips will help a little. The Best Baits? Salmon belly with skin, aku belly, livers, other oil-containing saltwater fish, shrimp, ika, worms and commercial paste baits work well. (So do hot dogs, gummy bears, bacon, plastic lures and sponges with liquid attractants.) Paste Bait Applicator For some reason, some anglers will not use anything except commercially prepared paste bait. Myriad choices are out there, and all claim to be the best. They all have two things in common, though: they are sticky and they stink! Furthermore, they are difficult to apply to a hook without shaping…

■ My dad was on his usual Moloka‘i getaway with a couple of buddies. Getting home late from school one night, I decided to call and check in, just to see how everything was going. It turned out to not be so usual after all! One of my dad’s friends, Kalani Bullard, had had a heart attack while diving. There was still a lot of commotion and loud voices in the background, so I decided to wait and get the whole story directly from Kalani when he was feeling better. Kalani, John Iwaniec and Fredrick Doucedame had stayed with my dad on Moloka‘i before to get away from their busy lives and go on a diving adventure. They had had such a great time that they decided to go back…

■ Welcome to the island of Pohnpei. My name is Allois Malfitani, and I will be your guide to this beautiful island. Pohnpei has very good fishing, but the fun does not end there. Pohnpei is a world-class travel destination for people who enjoy the blue and warm waters of the equatorial North Pacific, good seafood, lush forests, tall mountains, lots of waterfalls, the early ruins of Nan Madol, a very unique culture and some of the friendliest people of the Pacific. Pohnpei is also a very family friendly place if you are thinking about taking the family for a vacation. As this is my first time writing for HFN, I will give you folks an introduction to the island. With a population of around 40,000, Pohnpei is the capital…

■ Aloha from the Friendly Isle of Moloka‘i. I hope everyone has been experiencing their share of good fishing. The weather has been “iffy” lately. For instance, the wind was very strong and then died down for a day and then blew like crazy for another week. You just have to “chance ‘em” sometimes and hope for the best. The halalu showed up for a short visit at the Kaunakakai Wharf. They moved from one side to the other and ended up near the icehouse until they disappeared completely. Hopefully they’ll return. They sure bring a lot of excitement to the fishermen who love to sit and wait patiently for their arrival. Often there’s only a handful landed, but everyone is very thankful for what they catch and can’t wait…

■ Just wanted to drop a line to commend all of you on the exceptionally fine job with HFN! I enjoy the entire publication and find the articles entertaining, informative, and fuel for my fishing addiction-now if I can just get the trades to calm a little (smaller boats appreciate a chance to take a break from doing vertical push-ups for eight to 10 hours straight!). Attached is a picture of the first marlin ever on my boat (the SALTY KRACKER). We set out from MCBH K-Bay around 0530 on Friday the 21st of July, 2006 with the intent of trolling to “LL” and hoping for some shibi action around the buoy. Instead we wound up chasing a contingent of birds that acted like they were going somewhere important-and “fast.”…

■ The night before there is so much work to always do, Must get to bed early because the alarm is set to go off at 2. But first the boat has to be in order, everything just right, So best start early so you will not have to work all night. Check the life preservers and flares to make sure they are in good shape, Keep those electric lines dry by covering them with black tape, Inspect all lights on the boat, trailer and the car, Make sure they all work because one might be going far. Fill up all the gas cans making sure there is enough to go. The last thing anyone wants is to be in the ocean and the gas gets low. Do not forget…

■ Buying gasoline used to be a simple transaction. Then came the choice of different octane ratings, followed by leaded versus unleaded. Now gas is changing again. The gas you buy this season at the fuel dock or gas station may not be the same as the gas you bought last year. Gasoline refineries are phasing out the use of MTBE, a toxic additive that helps oxygenate gas and reduces emissions, and replacing it with ethanol. Your car or truck will never notice the change. Your boat, however, may well. If you boat in an area where MTBE is being removed and a reformulated gasoline blend called E10 (because it contains 10-percent ethanol) is substituted, it may be necessary to take steps to protect your engine from the effects of…

In Memory of Gene Higa ■ On Sunday, July 16, the Alii Holo Kai (AHK) dive club held their annual Chop Suey Meet dedicated to Gene Higa. The location of this spearfishing meet was Waiale‘e Beach Park on the North Shore of o‘ahu, Gene’s favorite diving grounds during the summer months. Before the start of the meet, a group picture was taken. All the divers entered the water in the same area and swam out to Gene’s memorial, a concrete monument weighing approximate 300 lbs, resembling the shape of a common red dive float, set half-embedded in sand with the inscribed words: “Dive Safe Gene Higa 1966-2004.” At a depth of 15 feet, a bronze statue was positioned and chained to a couple of hollow tiles that have stood sturdy…

■ After six months of business, Big Island Spearguns was literally pouring out of its seams. With new innovative product lines and the addition of a snorkeling center and the need for a classroom, the opportunity arose to include an additional 1,000 feet of retail space, but this would not be easy. Walls would have to come down, electricity would have to be installed, and painting, reconstruction and flooring would need to be addressed. Word spread, and wahine divers were on location within hours with hammers, supplies, refreshments and a lot of muscle. Within a few days the store took on a brand-new look. Plans were made to hold the first free wahine clinic in the new super store! With the help of cable advertising, the Nissan Extera Extreme Sports…

“Fortunately, we the people of Macuata realized what gill netting was doing to our fishing grounds and how that affected our daily living and source of income. So we decided to ban gill netting almost 20 years ago.” –Traditional FishermanFero Caba FijiJune 2006 In Fiji, a traditional chief described the nature of this fishing method: “The gill net takes all the generations of fish-grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, and the children fish, they all go into the net. It is not sustainable. Our fisheries’ scientists have done the research and we have talked to fishermen, and it is clear that fish populations have recovered faster because they are no longer being harvested with gill nets.” –Paramount ChiefRatu Aisea Katonivere, Fiji,June 2006 In Hawai‘i this spring, three separate incidents resulted in gill…

■ Here on the Big Island, the month brought changes in the fishing. The motley crew I normally fish with was still hauling in ono, but the mahimahi and ‘ahi weren’t around as they had been. Back in the spring and early summer, our catch ratio had been much better. Back then, if five of us launched, three or four of us might land a fish. Along with the overall numbers, the average weight of the ono and occasional mahimahi that we landed in early July dropped from the 20s down into the teens. We did run into a few big boys in mid-July. Reggie Paré landed the heaviest ono of the month at 38 lbs. I thought I had Reggie beat a week later. It was another one of…

Trolling for Broadbill and Black Marlin ■ Sometimes being late can be a good thing. On Sunday July 16, the BOOM BOOM II set out on a shared half-day charter. The scheduled departure time was 6 a.m., however the boat, run by me, Capt. Tony Brown, didn’t leave until closer to 8 o’clock that morning. About halfway into the trip, the group hooked into a 220-lb black marlin while trolling outside of S-buoy. The fish put on a tremendous display, charging the boat and somersaulting in the air. It was my first black marlin and a definite good time for the charter. A similar scenario occurred on the morning of May 12 when an eight-hour charter from Ko Olina Marina with members of the U.S. Coast Guard COMSTA-Honolulu (Jeff and…

Dear HFN, My name is John Iwaniec, and I have attached an article about spear fishing in Kane‘ohe Bay along with a few pictures from the past three weekends. I would never have believed there were so many nice-sized fish there. On another note, we had a follow-up experience last weekend with some hammerhead sharks In K-Bay that were truly bizarre. Two very large sharks ran two of my buddies out of the water in two separate incidents. One shark had to be shot point-blank when it chased a diver into 2 feet of water. The picture with a pile of pa‘opa‘o shows John Iwaniec, Ed Hutsell and Todd Seniff. ■ Recently we decided to hit the buoys outside of Kane‘ohe Bay for some blue-water spearfishing action. It was a…

Public Assets For Sale…Stop the Insanity! ■ Koke‘e is for sale. The state is poised to irreversibly transform our cherished mountain into a tourist park just like so many around the world: large parking lots and hotels are built to attract maximum numbers of tourists who are sold bus tours to the once-pristine site; and the locals stay away. While the stated purpose and goals of the state Parks Division and the Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon Master Plan include properly managing and protecting Hawaii’s natural and cultural heritage; preserving the unique historic character of Koke‘e and Waimea Canyon; protecting and preserving the unique natural environments of the parks; ensuring the continued existence of Hawaii’s unique flora and fauna for the benefit of Hawaii’s future generations; protecting, preserving and managing archaeological…

For letters, with photos, received during September we’ll send you HFN’s Holoholo embroidered cap, KAPU STICK-Fish Regulations Sticker & MAXIFLEX Sample pack…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hana pa‘a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 Dear Chuck, My dive buddy, Mike Martinez of Maui, and I were diving on a nice day at the end of June off the north shore of Maui at some pinnacles that come up from 120-plus feet. This is where Mike got a nice ulua while diving with tanks and some mahimahi, rainbow runners, and ono while free-diving on earlier trips. As we descended and rounded some rocks, we spotted a dozen ulua moving along the drop. I moved right and pulled myself along slowly and he moved slowly to…

Hawai‘i Manta Ray Protection ■ Divers in Kona saw that Koie was in trouble. Koie is a female manta that is a regular visitor to Kona. Tourists pay to see the nightly manta ray show where the mantas glide gracefully through underwater floodlights off the seaside hotels. Under the lights, divers saw Koie had fishing line wrapped around a wing. Keller Laros, founder of the Manta Pacific Research Foundation, joined three other divers and they clipped the line off. Koie seemingly knew that they were helping her and repeatedly swept to them until they removed all the line and a hook. Keller said that the manta would have probably lost a wing and died if they hadn’t removed the line. Currently, there are no laws protecting Hawai‘i’s mantas. Manta meat…

■ Hawaii’s marine resources, like coral reefs and fish, are important to local culture, recreation and our economy. Unfortunately, marine debris from local and foreign sources across the Pacific Ocean threatens these resources every day. Marine debris continues to present a hazard to marine life, habitat, safety and navigation across our state and worldwide. Over the years, numerous organizations, community groups and agencies have hosted cleanup efforts, conducted outreach and education and coordinated projects to help prevent marine debris in Hawai‘i. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program has created a nationwide funding opportunity specifically to help in these types of marine debris prevention and removal efforts. These grants will be administered by the NOAA Restoration Center. The NOAA Community-Based Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grants provide…

Kona Crab Samoan Crabs ■ The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is reminding the public that taking of females of spiny lobsters, Kona crabs and Samoan crabs is prohibited by a new law. An amendment to Chapter 188, of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, adds a new section that states: “Unless otherwise exempted by law, it shall be unlawful for any person to take or kill any female ula (spiny lobster or Panulirus), female Kona crab (Ranina ranina), or female Samoan crab (Scylla serrata).” “The new law, Act 77, was signed into effect by Gov. Linda Lingle on May 4, 2006. It is included in the new DLNR Hawaii Fishing Regulations July 2006 edition, along with illustrations on how to tell male from female crabs and lobsters,” said Peter…

Hawai‘i Fish Are in Trouble-Lay Gill Nets Should Be Banned ■ The state of Hawai i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is proposing to strengthen regulations on lay gill nets as a fishing method. The proposed rules affect gill nets that are set and often left unattended to ensnare fish. The rules do not affect freefloating, not weighted to the bottom, netting practices such as used by fishermen for targeted species like ‘opelu (mackerel scad). As marine scientists, we think this is a very positive step forward in protecting Hawaii’s dwindling near-shore resources. The total biomass of reef fish in the main Hawaiian islands is less than a quarter of what it was a century ago.1 While pollution, development and alien species are possibly all contributing to this…

■ In February 2004, HAWAII FISHING NEWS published the results of its survey on subscriber attitudes on fishing issues. Of the 848 responses, 729 were against monofilament lay gill nets. Following are excerpts from subscriber comments on lay gill nets. Opposed to Lay Gill Nets • It’s a death sentence for all reef life. • This is an absolutely selfish, no aloha way to fish. • They kill indiscriminately. Ban all use. • They are the real reason for decline in resources. • Most lethal way of fishing. • Not sportsman at all! Indiscriminate killers. No skill needed. • Gill/lay nets catch everything on the reef. The fish have no chance. • People don’t check them when they’re supposed to and they kill everything. • Nets don’t discriminate; many fish…

■ During ulua season, which runs throughout the summer months, most anglers think only of the big, brawny giant trevally. These fish are commonly called white ulua in the Hawaiian islands. No doubt, a white ulua is a great catch because it can attain greater size than any other ulua. However, the kagami ulua, also known as the African pompano, is also one of the shorecaster’s favorite catches because of its beauty and because it is one of the best-tasting ulua. Kagami is a Japanese word that means “mirror.” The highly reflective skin of the kagami feels like the skin of an aku-scaleless and smooth. The IGFA record African pompano weighs in at 40-plus lbs, but I’ve heard stories of anglers on Molokai catching kagami weighing near 60 lbs. Whether…

Let’s Troll! ■ Saturday morning I was up around 5 a.m. because I had a lot more gear to bring: trolling; jigging; spinning; etc. I didn’t notice anybody from the hotel staff out at that time so I figured something was wrong because they were always very punctual. I pretty much knew where everything was, so I got my cereal and coffee and I guess they heard me rummaging about. The proprietress asked me when I was leaving for fishing. Apparently Napono had not let her know as I had asked him to. She scurried off to prepare lunch and get the other things in place. Napono told me later that he had told somebody, I guess Pedro our boat driver, but Pedro had forgotten to tell anyone else. By…

■ Gov. Lingle vetoed S.B. 2150 (prohibiting the administration from transferring state small boat harbors (SBH) to counties without Legislative approval) because she feels that the bill is more restrictive than the existing statute (section 200-2.5 HRS). She and her staff must know that 200-2.5 HRS is restricted to the “fast” land of the SBHs and does not apply to the “submerged” lands therein. Because state SBHs inherently comprise both fast and submerged lands, the state must also have the authority to transfer the submerged lands in order to transfer a complete SBH. This is covered under section 171-53c HRS that requires a concurrent resolution to transfer the specific parcel of submerged land. This was not even attempted. S.B. 2150 was an act of legislative and public frustration resulting from…

■ The William Aila Jr. Fishing Tournament was held on July 22, 2006. Seventeen teams participated in the event, and a lot of good times were had by all. The big winner was Tony Brown on the BOOM BOOM. Tony captured a 138.2-lb ‘ahi worth $2,550. In second place was John Swift on the HIKI NO with a marlin that weighed 120.4 lbs. John won $1,350. In third place was Joe Sanchez with a 117.8-lb marlin. The crew of the TRINDA S II took home $1,020. Jeanette Ainoa, and the family and friends of William Aila provided the food after the event. The Korean chicken was very good. Shirts with a William Aila Jr. colored logo on the back went to volunteers and team members and will make this an…

OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS OKOE BAY RENDEZVOUS XVII September 22,23 & 24, 2006 Tropidilla-Kona (808) 960-0978 P.O. Box 2158, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 <jody@konatournaments.com> MAUI JIM SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP October 20, 21 & 22, 2006 Tropidilla-Kona (808) 960-0978 P.O. Box 2158, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 <jody@konatournaments.com> KEEHI BOAT CLUB JACKPOT TOURNAMENT October 21, 2006 Keehi Boat Club 2 Sand Island Access Road Box 44, Honolulu, HI 96819-2221 Brandon Kim (808) 383-7603 or <brandonkim@aol.com> KBC NA WAHINE 0 KEEHI FISHING TOURNAMENT October 22, 2006 Keehi Boat Club 2 Sand Island Access Road Box 44, Honolulu, HI 96819-2221 Brandon Kim (808) 383-7603 or <brandonkim@aol.com> LAHAINA WAHINE TOURNAMENT October 27, 2006 Brian Blundell (808) 870-9637 Lahaina Yacht Club (808) 661-0191 LAHAINA JACKPOT FISHING TOURNAMENT October 28 & 29, 2006 Brian Blundell (808) 870-9637 Lahaina Yacht Club (808) 661-0191…