Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2007 i Hawaii Fishing News

International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee Confirms World Record Pacific Blue Marlin ■ Finally the word came: my catch qualified as a world-record marlin. December 19, 2005, was the day I speared the marlin off Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i. Word got out very quickly that I’d speared a Pacific blue marlin at one of the buoys off of Kona. I couldn’t have been any luckier that day. This fish weighed in at 278½ lbs. A week after spearing this large fish, I called Sterling Kaya at Hanapa‘a and asked if this marlin had any chance of being a world record. Sterling said it was definitely a new state record. Sterling also said that Terry Maas, a world-renowned bluewater hunter and president of the International Bluewater Spearfishing Records Committee, IBSRC, called to say that…

WESTERN PACIFIC REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL ■ The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, convening by tele-conference in Hawai‘i, unanimously opposed the request by an 84-year-old indigenous Hawaiian fisherman for an exemption to the 25- to 75-nautical mile longline exclusion zone around the main Hawaiian islands (MHI). The fisherman had requested that an allowance be made that would allow him to use 7 miles of “basket-style” longline gear within the closed area. This type of gear, which predates monofilament line currently in use by the longline fishery, consists of cotton, nylon or other synthetic line covered in tar, which sinks the line quickly. Current regulations allow the use of basket gear in 1-mile lengths. The fisherman requesting the exemption predominantly fishes for akule (mackerel scad) and hoped to use the…

■ Research conducted by scientists at the Pelagic Fisheries Research Program (PFRP) of the UH Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, and reported in a paper published in the December 15, 2006, issue of Science, refutes the claims that ocean ecosystems are on the brink of collapse. Although the new research finds significant decreases in abundance of some fish stocks resulting from increased fishing, the picture is not nearly as gloomy as has been previously reported. The paper, “Biomass, Size and Trophic Status of Top Level Predators in the Pacific Ocean,” is authored by four well-known fisheries scientists: John Sibert, the PFRP’s manager; John Hampton from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Pierre Kleiber of NOAA Fisheries; and Mark Maunder of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission. Unlike…

■ It’s the number-one rule of bait selection: examine the stomach contents of the fish you catch. Know what they eat, and you’ll know what to feed them. Let’s put the rule to the test. My neighbor, Victor Shawe, and I were trolling for mahimahi and ono aboard the RIZZUTO MARU along the South Kohala coastline when the outrigger line snapped free. A mahimahi had grabbed the Bomboy bullet lure on the long outrigger and started dancing. The plastic bullet lure was trimmed in blue and silver malolo colors but I’m not sure this catch tells us anything. After all, how often do you examine stomach contents and find something plastic? Up the coastline we reached the ‘opelu-ko‘a we were looking for and hooked a half-dozen lively scad for the…

■ Here is a story of a legend in our Hawai‘i fishing family. On October 22, Buster Takayesu of Waipahu Bicycle passed away at the age of 93. Buster was the king of bicycle and fishing tackle deals at Waipahu Bicycle since the 1920s when Waipahu was a thriving plantation town. He and his late wife, Marion, raised a beautiful family and laid the foundation for a business that still goes strong today. Buster was once a long-distance road bike rider back in the days of few paved roads and heavy, steel-framed bikes with only one speed and no gears. That type of endurance is what made him a successful businessman. His picture is on the wall at the store with fellow bike riders that had participated in long-distance rides.…

A Sportsman’s Paradise ■ Would you like to visit a vacation spot with superb scenery, friendly people, modern accommodations and great hunting and fishing? This is a place in the tropics, with warm days and cool nights. It’s a melting pot for people of many different origins. On a clear night (and they are almost always clear), you can see countless stars. After the rains, long grass covers the hills under the trees. Sounds like Hawai‘i, doesn’t it? But, wait a moment. Those are not kiawe trees; they are camelthorn acacias, candelabra acacias and terminalia bushes. In fact, this is not Hawai‘i, but Namibia in southwestern Africa. If you look at a globe representing the Earth, you will find Namibia almost precisely on the opposite side of the planet from…

■ Aloha from the Friendly Isle of Moloka‘i. I’ve got some interesting things to share this month from some experiences that occurred at the end of last year. I’m sorry about not contributing a January article. My son had just returned from the war in Iraq. He was able to come back to Moloka‘i for some much-needed leave, so I tried to spend all the time that I could with him while he was home. I was out on a charter one morning, trolling down to a designated waypoint to do some bottom fishing. I got a call on the VHF radio from fellow fisherman Matt Yamashita, who was out fishing on his little 15’ runabout along with his sister Tammy and fellow angler Tocatta Spearman. Matt indicated that they…

■ My name is Cholena Bray, and I have been reading HFN since I was little. I have been fishing and diving my whole life. I was wondering if you could make me one of the happiest girls in the world. I’m sure many ask to be on the cover of the HFN, but I would absolutely be overwhelmed with joy if you could put me and the love of my life on the cover of the February HFN. It could be a Valentine’s fishing story. Here’s some info on us. Timothy Reis is the love of my life, my soul mate and my best friend. Even better, he is my fishing and diving partner. I have been so blessed to have him in my life. He is an awesome…

Modern Speargun Building ■ People were spearing fish in Hawai‘i a long time ago, but nobody knows exactly when or where this practice started. In the 19th century, Hawaiians were banned from many cultural traditions. Many practices were discouraged or forbidden in the Hawaiian Kingdom. Hawaiian spear fishing was limited to men only. Fishing, or even the act of touching a fisherman’s net, was kapu for wahine. Luckily, some Hawaiians continued to practice their sport and art of crafting spears from local woods. In modern times, wahines have also taken to the sport to put food on the table. Spear fishing is sometimes misunderstood or misinterpreted. Spear fishing today is practiced by and large in the name of feeding the ‘ohana, or family. Even in competitive spear fishing, fish are…

■ The Hawaii Freediving Spearfishing Wall of Fame was founded in 2003. That year five people were honored for their contributions to the sport of spear fishing. The following year, 2004, three more spear fishermen were honored. The plan was to annually honor distinguished contributors to the sport. Originally photographs and brief histories of each honoree were to be housed at the newly built Kona YMCA. The island of Hawai‘i YMCA no longer sponsors the tournament. Several changes have occurred over the past several years. For example, I resigned from the YMCA. It has been more than two years since I have actively been involved in the organization of the annual Sonny Tanabe Invitational Freediving Tournament and awards banquet. In an effort to continue the Hawaii Freediving Spearfishing Wall of…

■ The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has completed its project to replenish sand at Kuhio Beach, with the distribution and finish grading of the last of the sand it has pumped onto the beach from offshore sand deposits. DLNR’s contractor American Marine Corporation, a local dredging company, finished pumping the targeted amount of 10,000 cubic yards of sand on December 30, then completed the placement of the sand along Kuhio Beach. Despite short delays due to unseasonable high south swells, the project was completed within the expected 20- to 30-day timeframe. “This has been a great opportunity to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of new, state-of-the-art offshore sand pumping technologies to reclaim beach sand from near-shore deposits,” said Peter Young, DLNR chairperson. “With proper planning, this technology can be…

■ The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is looking for volunteers for the 2007 Ocean Count. Volunteers will count whales and record their behaviors from more than 65 shore sites. The project allows the public to learn more about humpback whale population, distribution and behavioral trends while being involved in a volunteer monitoring effort. The Sanctuary Ocean Count will be held on 0’ahu, Kaua‘i and the Big Island on January 27, February 24 and March 31 at selected sites from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. To register, volunteers can call 1-888-55-WHALE, ext. 253, for the Big Island; 3972651, ext. 253, for 0’ahu; and 246-2860 for Kaua‘i. Registration is not necessary to join the fun of participating in educational shore-based surveys of Hawaii’s humpback whales. No advance training is…

O‘ahu’s Aqua Hunters Head Offshore in Search Blue Water Action ■ This past summer we concentrated a lot on the North Shore of O‘ahu. Our staple was a 9- to 11-mile run from Kawela Bay to Hale‘iwa Boat Harbor. At times this was a smooth, downwind journey that took us five to six hours. At others, it was wild with 6-foot rolling swells and 25-mph gusts that turned the run into a three-hour blitz. I had two very consistent ‘yak partners: Ed Kawasaki and Mike Ichiyama. Between them, they pulled up 12 mahimahi on the run. I was greatly humbled by these two sea dogs. I had one mahimahi all summer (10 lbs). I lost at least five mahimahi, one after what seemed to be an hour. Ed pulled in…

■ Walking down a road on Moloka‘i, I saw a tree laden with nets and all sorts of buoys. Their multi-colored plastic was all scratched and broken. I thought about the many glass balls of all shapes and sizes that my family has found on the beach and realized how far the development of these well-used instruments has come. As a small child, I was introduced to the excitement of discovering glass balls. Although Norwegians have been using small glass balls in fishing as far back as 1840 or earlier, this economical method of providing buoyancy for fishing nets really took off and spread to other European countries around 1910. That was when the Japanese began experimenting with these glass balls to accommodate different fishing styles and nets. The Japanese…

■ It was raining. We thought, “How can we fly out to a remote lake in weather like this?” But float planes loaded with tourists from the cruise ships were taking off every minute. Those on a flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords would definitely see lots of mist. You haven’t experienced Alaska unless you include a float plane trip to some remote fishing spot. Our guide, Dan, was waiting at the lake with a boat to take us up the river in search of cutthroat trout. The Hook Up fly shop that had arranged our trip described this place as “nonstop cutthroat action.” That turned out to be an understatement. Due to all the rain, the water was a little high and a dark stained color. Without the sun it…

Aloha Chuck! I’ve got a fish story for you! It was a beautiful Friday. The sun was out, trades were light, and skies were blue. The day was too beautiful to waste by sitting in the office, so we decided to play hooky and take the boat out for a few hours. (It was OK; it was the boss’ idea!) We launched at about 1 p.m. and were wondering which spot to work. We had very little wind and the water was about as calm as a lake, so I suggested we head for Barber’s Point where it’s usually too choppy for most boats. There was an absence of birds this day-not a good sign. But we trudged along, dragging our lures behind us. We got to the spot where…

For letters, with photos, received during February we’ll send you HFN’s 30th Anniversary embroidered cap, KAPU STICK-Fish Regulations Sticker…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hanapa‘a, Chuck. Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or email: <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com> Aloha Chuck, This is mi; 15-lb ulua caught on September 22, 2006 at Punalu’u boat ramp in Ka‘u, Big Island. I had a dry spell for some time and this one made me really happy. I had my Penn 6/0 (20 years old), my 13-foot 4-inch fiberglass pole, 80-lb test Maxima line and a #22 hook. Pick-up time was noon that day. Live bait was sent down via slide bait rig with an all-wire leader. I want to thank Mr. Jeremy Lorenzo for his quick help. The fish hit the bait…

■ The calm swell reminded me of a keyhole that I usually fish but had never speared in before. Large waves and a major rip current often make this 20-meter wide by 15-meter deep crack in the shallow reef shelf inaccessible. But today it was clear, and we had a shot at spearing in it. “Bring in the trolling lines and hold on while I gun it through the channel,” I yelled to my friends Brendan and Dave. The dinghy responded as I quickly navigated through the small channel to the anchorage on the inside. “This will do,” I said to Dave, and we tied off the anchor rope. “I will watch the boat while you guys dive,” Dave said, as Brendan and I geared up. As I slipped into…

Dear Volunteer Angler, Thank you very much for all the time and effort you’ve put in as a volunteer angler for DAR’s Ulua Tagging Project. Along with 2000 anglers statewide, you have shown that Hawai‘i’s fishermen care very much about their fishery resources and are more than willing to help take better care of our ulua and papio fishery by gathering the information necessary for DAR to better manage these species for now and future generations. Because of all of our volunteer anglers’ combined efforts, in only six short years, you’ve managed to help us gather a lifetime worth of data and information, some of which was previously unknown about Hawai‘i’s ulua and papio resources. It is anglers like you that have made this one of the most successful volunteer…

Statement From the Director Subject: President Bush Signs Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 ■ It is my great pleasure to announce that President Bush has signed a bill into law that reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Act. The act, first adopted in 1976 and last reauthorized in 1996, guides America’s ocean fisheries policy and gives NOAA Fisheries Service authority to manage the nation’s $62 billion fishing industries. When President Ford first enacted the Magnuson Act in 1976, no one knew what lie ahead in the coming 30 years. In the initial years, after we eliminated foreign fleets from our waters, the goal was to build domestic fisheries with a focus on efficiency and economic growth. It wasn’t until the 1990s that we realized the need to balance this…

■ Food & Water Watch has submitted comments urging NOAA to exercise extreme caution when developing any open-ocean aquaculture programs and criticizing their proposed 10-year plan. “Scientists have been telling us for years that oceans are in peril and leadership on marine conservation policy is desperately needed,” said Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter. “Unfortunately, what NOAA is offering instead is industrial-sized fish farms off our coasts.” The consumer group asserted that open-ocean fish farms as proposed would not prevent the realization of recent predictions that commercial fisheries will collapse by 2048. Most offshore aquaculture proposals involve raising fish like snapper or cod that eat wild fish. Every pound of farmed fish produced requires at least 3 lbs of wild fish to be caught and ground up as…

No Fish: Developers or Fishermen? ■ Some environmentalists and state officials are convinced that with bottom fish, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) and fishing stocks in general, fishermen are the cause of Hawaii’s fish decline. Isn’t land development with its wetland disturbance, landfills, run-off pollution, sewage discharge and herbicide seepage at least partially to blame? Waikiki, Hilo Bay and countless other Hawai‘i wetlands have been filled for development. The DLNR is tasked with natural resource management, but it is also one of the state’s largest land operators and land developers through its Land Division. Is there a conflict of interest because the DLNR wears two hats: land developer and conservation officer? As a developer, the DLNR wants the highest and best use for its property. However, as a conservation agent,…

The First Bali Sportfishing Tournament ■ In December of every year, tourism fades out of the equation and we start to concentrate on targeting pelagics around the scenic coastline of Bali. We do this for two main reasons: the first and most important is the need for income and food; second, as every fisherman knows, is that it’s the best way to forget about the state of affairs in this crazy world. There are no politics or religions to argue about when you’re out fishing. It’s pure fishing time. There are quite a lot of local Balinese who come from long lines of traditional fishing families that go way back before the influence of tourism appeared in Bali. They continue their practices to this day and hopefully will for many…

■ Oscar and John Emberson, aside from being passionate fishermen, have a talent for storytelling that can only come from people who have a positive attitude and have lived a full life in a multi-cultural society. So, in true old Polynesian style, they played music and regaled us with true stories until 3 a.m., which is about six hours past “Taveuni midnight.” They believed these stories could only happen in Fiji, but similar ones have been known to happen in Hawai‘i. It is nice to know there is a continuity across the Pacific. Apparently they had a Chinese friend named Tong who had come to Fiji with his parents when he was 8 years old. The system decided he was far to old to begin school, so he ended up…

Aloha Chuck, Here are some pictures that! would like to share with you and your readers. The first picture was taken with a 194-lb halibut that I caught. Our friends Shirley and Harris Ageno and my husband Dennis and skipper Mathew Taiho Sugai were with me. The second picture is with skipper Darryl Chow. We caught our limit of silver salmon. This was our fifth trip to Anchor Pointe Lodge in Juneau, Alaska. The staff and family at Anchor Pointe Lodge is so AWESOME. We all had a great time! Mahalo, Karen LeeHonolulu, O‘ahu FISH ALASKA! Fishing Guides Alaska sport-fishing lodge is now hiring Fishing Guides and Lodge Assistants for its 2007 summer season (May-Sept.) Training, airfare, room & board provided. For more information, go to <www.alaskastaff.com> or call (808)…

OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS MITCH S SUSHI SHOOT-OUT March 17 & 18, 2007 Hawaii Yacht Club Boolie (808) 382-2018 or (808) 892-2771 SENORITA S 28TH ANNUAL JACKPOT TOURNAMENT April 21 & 22, 2007 Hawaii Yacht Club Boolie (808) 382-2018 or (808) 892-2771 FIVE OCEANS 7 SEAS BIG GAME TROLLING TOURNAMENT May 19 & 20, 2007 Joe Kimura (808) 843-8111 FAX (808) 843-8119 AHI FEVER FISHING TOURNAMENT June 16 & 17, 2007 Waianae Boat Fishing Club (808) 696-3399 P.O. Box 821, Waianae, HI 96792 Norman Swift E-mail <nswift9005@msn.com> WORLD CUP BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT July 4, 2007 Jim Hardie Miami (805) 551-0320 P.O. Box 52-6806, Miami, FL 33152 E-mail <scribemia@aol.com> Website <http://www.bluemarlinworldcup.com> 4TH ANNUAL SHACK FISHING TOURNAMENT July 7, 2007 Brendan Burchfiel (808) 396-1919 The Shack Hawaii Kai, 377 Keahole St., Honolulu, HI 9684…