Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2006 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ On August 19, 64 free-dive spear fishermen checked in to participate in the 21st North Shore Spearfishing Classic (NSSC), held at Waiale‘e Beach Park. Divers, friends and volunteers gathered, formed a circle, held hands and took part in a ritual that was spoken in Hawaiian. This happening mystified many divers who attended. They wondered what it was all about. But if you were there, you were blessed to be called “the chosen ones.” Al Lagunte, coordinator of the meet, explained it well. He said that the ceremony was performed by Louie Cabebe, the late Tiger Espere’s brother from Kaua‘i. In short, the ceremony, or blessing, actually came as a message from Tiger, through Louie, said Al, because Tiger believed that we (the diving community) are tasked with the responsibility…

■ Although the seasons are not as pronounced by temperature in Hawai‘i as they are in other parts of the world, the cycles are still quite noticeable. Here in California, it’s harvest time and my brother is about to leave for his annual Alaska fishing trip. Most of the recreational fishing is ending, along with the summer, and the diehard fishermen are emerging with the coming winter. I thought about the different effects that the changing seasons have on different people. This reminded me of some people that I met over the summer in Moloka‘i. I was sitting on the porch of our beach house with my family and watching the animated gatherings on either side of us. There were barbecues and parties going on with lots of fish at…

■ Extensive literature has appeared since 1990 on the study of “no take” marine reserves and their potential to make significant contributions to the conservation and management of fisheries, especially in tropical environments (see Polunin 1990; Roberts & Polunin 1991; DeMartini 1993; Roberts 1997; Allison et al. 1998; Guenette et al. 1998). The literature describes many potential benefits of marine reserves to fisheries, including increases in spawner biomass per recruit and increases in larval supply from protecting “source” populations (Jennings 2000). The important word here is “potential.” Some claims made by advocates of marine reserves might be regarded as optimistic, whereas critics of reserves might sometimes have been unduly harsh. Conservation goals for marine reserves are often poorly defined, and differences of opinion regarding the efficacy of reserves for fulfilling…

■ On a sunny Saturday in November 2005, more than 70 keiki participated in the First Annual Kai Clothing/Hanapa‘a “Monsta Tilapia” Keiki Fishing Open. The event was hosted at Ward Warehouse, and it was certainly a day inspired by family fun and the joy of fishing. Children up to the age of 13 proudly sported their finest tilapia catches from around the island, “secret spot” or not. Given the liberty to fish anywhere on the island (legally, of course) during the day, each participant and their respective adult partner(s) checked in before the designated tournament end-time at the staging area at Ward Warehouse. Each child carried a bucket, splish-splashing with swimming tilapia, and eagerly weighed in their catch. All the while, their faces beamed with pride, smiles and intrigue as…

International Shimano Invitational Game Fishing Tournament ■ Sixteen boats from Suva, Western Fiji and Pacific Harbor competed in this year’s International Shimano Invitational Game Fishing Tournament hosted at the Pearl South Pacific Resort on the Suva side of Vitu Levu. The tournament officially opened at 6:30 a.m. when Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes on the brand-new Police Launch VEIGARAVI signaled the start with the firing of flares from the vessel. It was a spectacular sight. The sun was just rising, and spectators lined the breakwater to support this annual event. Aside from the local Fijian teams, there were three teams from New Zealand and four teams from Australia. Some of our old friends from Kona were there. Pat Nelson was skippering for the team from Denarau. Albert Threadingham (who many may…

■ The summer fishing season ended with a whimper. Unfortunately, a great ‘ahi season was not to be. However, mahimahi action remained steady and the fish commanded a very good price at market. Off the Windward side, we did see the reappearance of otaru, or large aku, which was really nice. It seems like years since otaru were last caught in decent amounts. Joe Kirby on the MENEHUNE enjoyed catching his first ‘ahi of the season. Joe was joined by father and son Darryl and Eric Alameida. The Alameidas were celebrating their upcoming birthdays, so the 125-lb ‘ahi was very much appreciated. Joe had them out about 20 miles in the midst of lots of birds, but they didn’t get a hit until they left the big pile and went…

■ For Hawaii waters, summer is over and winter is approaching. October may preview the upcoming winter’s weather. There will be a greater variety of weather, but the severity of bad weather has not reached its potential. The following are potentially bad weather events, listed in order of decreasing expected occurrence: (1) northwest swell and surf (2) gusty trade winds (3) weak cold front (4) Kona low (5) north swell and surf (6) hurricane. Other than the northwest swell and surf, the expected frequencies of the other events are low. The frequency of trade winds is going down, but trades will still be the most common winds. The number of gusty trade wind days should be low-about four days. Northwest surf picks up while southerly surf is down at Sunset…

■ Catching akule from a boat can be a really enjoyable experience or one that brings some frustration, gas wasting and tiresome cleanup times. In this article I would like to share with you some tips on “loading ‘em up” from a boat. Some gear preparation needs to be accomplished prior to getting into the area: 1) Safety equipment should all be checked out and in working order. 2) Boat and trailer mechanics must be in good working order (that includes all the running lights). 3) Spare batteries for lights must be charged and ready to go. 4) You’ll need a large 12-volt lamp with extra working bulbs. 5) You’ll need three different colored lights with dimmer switches in working order. 6) You’ll need a depth recorder (one that enables…

A Whale of a Tale! ■ For years I’ve listened to stories about encounters that divers and fishermen have had with the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. My only glimpses of this mysterious creature have been through nature documentaries that show divers being towed by these gentle giants after grabbing a dorsal or tail fin. These images have fueled my own fantasy of someday being lucky enough to encounter this incredible animal. When that day finally arrived, it was nothing like I had imagined. In July, some friends and I were kayak fishing outside Keauhou Bay on the Big Island. We were all trolling dead ‘opelu and having a really slow day-three hours of trolling and hardly a scratch. Cory called it a day and headed back to shore.…

■ The ultimate goal in competition free-dive spearfishing competition is the World Championship of Underwater Fishing. The 2006 event, the competition’s 25th, was held September 14 to 17 in Sines, Portugal. The World Meet is held every two years. It takes two years of scoring at the U.S. National Freedive Championships to qualify U.S. representatives (a captain, three divers and one alternate) selected from top competitors throughout the nation. The American divers who went to Portugal this year were Terrence Takahata (captain) from O‘ahu, and divers Gerald Lim (California), Wayde Hayashi (O‘ahu) and Lance Otsubo (Maui), and alternate diver Andrew Tamasese (Kona). The three divers, Gerald, Wayde and Lance, have teamed up to win four U.S. National Spearfishing Championships from 1997 to 2004 and had to qualify in the Pan…

■ By now, just about every recreational boater and professional fisherman knows that E-10 gasoline (10-percent ethanol) is bad news for them. But just how bad is it, really? First, let’s examine the facts. Ethanol is here to stay. It’s a homegrown alternative and renewable fuel, and as manufacturing plants modernize and become a “closed-loop system,” meaning the refinery is run on the ethanol they produce, it will eventually require no imported oil to produce. It is important to our national energy security, and that’s a fact. So if you own an older boat (pre-1985) and it has a fiberglass fuel tank, consider it your donation to the fight against oil imports, because you probably have to replace it. Ethanol can dissolve many old fiberglass resins that will harden into…

■ The next day, Sunday, I arranged to go bone fishing in the lagoon to take it easy after the previous day’s workout. It was the usual routine of leaving at 7 a.m. and walking over to the boat. This was the first morning I noticed the customers from the Captain Cook Hotel getting on their boats to go fishing. They have about a 20-minute truck ride to get from their hotel to the launch site. It certainly seemed more convenient to be a few minutes walk away. They went out as a group and were let off in pairs on various flats. One day we were hurrying to get to one flat but they beat us there. While they were offloading one of the pairs of fishermen, we headed…

WEST HA WAI‘I FISHERY COUNCIL POBOX 489 KAILUA KONA HI 96745 Mission Statement of the West Hawai‘i Fisheries Council “To effectively manage fishery activities to ensure sustainability; enhance nearshore resources; develop and implement management plans for minimizing resource depletion and conflicts of use; per legislative mandate to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide for substantive involvement of the community in resource management decisions; and encourage scientific research and monitoring of the nearshore resources and environment from Upolu Point to Ka Lac.” From: Marni Herkes To: C. Perritt; Bob; Janna Shackeroff; Pheobe Shackeroff; Angel Pilago; Anne Stewart; Bob Jacobson; Bob Nishimoto; Byron Moku; Cameron Lopes; Cindy Evans; Clifton Tsuji; Cynthia Hankins; Dave Sommers; Dennis Norman; Donald Ikeda; Dwight Takamine; Eileen Weckerle; Fred Holschuh; Gary Safarik; Gordon Leslie; Harry…

■ Manele Harbor on the island of Lana‘i was the site of the 36th Annual Lanai Rendezvous Fishing Tournament, held on Admission’s Day weekend, August 18 and 19, 2006. This event, sponsored by the Maalaea Boat and Fishing Club, has a long tradition of encouraging camaraderie and competition among local fisherman. This year, entry forms were mailed out a month early. Just as in years past, the entries slowly trickled in until two days before the tournament when the weather looked good and the fishermen got passes from their families to fish. Many captains had to get final clearance from their admirals (wives) before making a final commitment. It’s Rendezvous Weekend! This year saw a field of 52 boats. The weather cooperated, and the entries included four boats from O‘ahu.…

Kewalo Fights for Sampan History ■ The Hawaii Community Development Authority, over objections from the Kewalo Basin community group Save Our Kewalo Basin, will demolish the harbor’s last historic sampan building but save an ice chute once used for the aku fleet. The development authority has already destroyed three other Kewalo aku buildings including the old auction house. Michelle Matson, of Save Our Kewalo, presented DLNR head Peter Young a plan that offered to save the remaining sampan building, turning it into a fishing museum. Michelle said that removing the sampan fleet support facilities is destroying the historic integrity of Kewalo. The building has been used recently as a classroom for a keiki fishing program and for gear storage. The chute will be dismantled and reassembled onsite. Aku fishing came…

Hi, I’ve been reading the articles about Xmas Island published in your magazine the past few months, and I’ve been disappointed to hear that the author had such a poor time there. Three friends and I visited Xmas last month and had a fabulous trip. If you’d like an article that instead highlights how good the fishing and accomodations can be, I’d be happy to contribute. Xmas is a terrific place, and doesn’t deserve the bad press you’ve been reporting for over three months now. If you would like me to do a write-up on my trip, please let me know what you’d like the article to focus on and how many words it should be. We did all kinds of fishing, from fly fishing to GT plugging to trolling,…

Nu‘uanu Freshwater Fishing Program To Close? ■ Over the years the freshwater fishing program for catfish at Nu‘uanu Reservoir has been enjoyed by thousands of anglers who have little or no other access to controlled, regulated and environmentally safe freshwater fishing. As a matter of fact, the catfish program has turned into a regular family affair for many thousands of anglers. It is, therefore, with some consternation that I have learned that there are now forces afoot to close the fishery by inference. This time there seems to be some substance to the efforts by the Board of Water Supply to empty the reservoir. The usual entrenched bureaucracy is the driving force behind the initiative. There are new managers at both the Board of Water Supply and at the Department…

Aloha Chuck, I wanted to alert you to plans to block the beach access to part of the Wailupe fishing area in Aina Haina. A new subdivision is applying for a gate across the access. Some of the fishing community may be interested. The planned subdivision is scheduled for the Aina Haina Neighborhood Board meeting on October 5th at the Aina Haina Library. Here are some photos if you are interested. Here is an old photo of Mr. Nakayama (now deceased) fishing next to this area (5295 Kalanianaole Hwy) that they are proposing to gate off with a new subdivision. Because it is in a special shoreline management area it requires public input before they are allowed a permit. Input from fisherman would have a positive effect. Aloha,Chris Cramer…

Tag and Release Report Due to the limited space available and the large number of fish caught, catch reports are limited to tuna over 100 lbs and billfish of any size, any species: (S)=Striped Marlin, (B)=Black Marlin. Catch and Consume BARKING SANDS KAUA‘I Hazardous Military Operations are occasionally conducted in the areas shown on this chart. Notice concerning these operations is mailed to boaters on our mailing list. For further information, or to be placed on our mailing list, call 471-6301 from O‘ahu or 335-4301 from Kaua‘i. If you are planning on entering these areas, please call for the status of scheduled operations, or contact the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Coast Guard Channel 16, Channel 6 or CB22.…

For letters, with photos, received during October 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, This is a picture of a nenue I caught using my adaptive fishing gear. My left side of my body is still paralyzed from the stroke. I caught this nenue all by myself using just my right hand. The hard part is cranking the fish up the cliff. Take a disabled person fishing. They will truly enjoy the outdoor experience! Mahalo,Roland TamaruNorth Shore SurfcastersMililani, O‘ahu Dear Chuck, Caught these papios one day on the south side. These fish put up a great fight. Mahalo,Aaron TsukamotoKane‘ohe, O‘ahu Howzit…