Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2007 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ After my latest adventure, I have a new respect for my lures. Recently Mike Ichiyama and I took Mike’s friend Brandon on a ‘yak fishing tour to Ka‘ena Point. It was a smooth journey to the point with a few exciting strikes, but none of us were able to hook anything. After going through all of their dead akule, Mike and Brandon headed back to Yokohama Beach. I did see Brandon take a big strike, but, for the record, only a seagull and moray eel made it on his hooks. Both animals were safely released. Heading back from the point, I took a big hit in 200 feet of water. After a good 10 minutes I lost a monster. Disgusted and out of bait, I frantically searched my bag…

■ The Third Annual Lana‘i Keiki Catch Fishing Tournament was presented by the Maui Police Department, County of Maui Parks and Recreation, and Lanai High and Elementary School. Sponsors included the following: Mr. John Mumford; Lanai Community Benefit Fund; Four Seasons Resorts; Maui Sporting Goods; New Maui Fishing Supply; West Maui Sports & Fishing Supply; Valley Hardware Store; HAWAII FISHING NEWS; DaKine; Gary Onuma (Palawai Outfitters); Lanai Senior Center; and S. Tokunaga Store. This tournament was held at Manele Bay on Lana‘i on April 27 and 28. Sixty-one anglers from grades K to 12 participated. The tournament was a great success, and the children had lots of fun. We hope the adults did, too! We encouraged families to camp overnight for the night fishing. We would like to thank the…

■ Summertime is on its way, and for me that means casting time. When it comes to casting, there is no place I want to be other than in Pohnpei. Years ago I used to think I knew something about casting, but when I started going out frequently to cast I found out I had a lot to learn. I spent hours tossing all kinds of lures with no results. I heard stories from my local friends about how many fish they had caught and how big their fish were, and I realized I had a lot to learn. The only way to learn was by fishing. Some locals like Tony and Simon Mix, Alex Trenoff and Costan Amor guided me in the right direction. After thousands of casts, I…

■ The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program will be conducting an anonymous dockside and phone survey starting in June and continuing through July to determine the impacts of marine mammals on near-shore, boatbased fisheries in the main Hawaiian islands. The survey will collect voluntary information from willing participants on how marine mammals affect fisher income through a variety of means, including bait stealing, taking catch and gear loss, as examples. The survey is designed to provide Hawai‘i fishers an opportunity to express views on the burdens or benefits of marine mammals in relation to fishing and will ask survey participants to put forth ideas on how interactions between fishers and marine mammals might be reduced. Currently, it is unknown what, if any, impacts to near-shore fishing marine mammals…

■ An elementary school science project sent us to sea in search of interesting samples to study. For the sake of time and importance, we wanted to collect a critter that was both a sure thing to catch and sure to spark controversy. Kahala proved perfect. Amberjack (AJs) gather in large numbers at points off the Kona Coast, so we knew we could catch what we needed for samples. They also provide a rich source of unanswered questions, as my mailbox demonstrates regularly. I get lots of inquiries about all aspects of AJs from identifying the different kinds in local waters to dealing with the troubling matter of ciguatera (common in kahala) and “worms” (the flesh is often riddled with parasites). What could be more interesting to a youngster, a…

Kona experienced its quietest month of the year so far. April is usually a slow month but not usually this slow. Fifty-five marlin were caught, 22 of which were tagged and released. Of the 23 caught and consumed, only three weighed more than 500 lbs. The month started out really slowly, but by the end of the month things were looking better. The three marlin over 500 lbs weren’t caught until the end of the month. On April 27, Capt. Tim Hicks of the ILLUSIONS caught the first 500-plus-lb marlin. Tim’s friend and long-time client Jack Gabrielese has a home here and in Madison, Wisconsin. It was Jack’s goal to catch a marlin over 500 lbs. Last time Jack was here, he had given that chance to his son but…

Dr. Randall’s Finest Publication: The Result of 47 Years of Study on Hawaiian Coral-Reef Fishes ■ Producing a comprehensive book on the fish of a geographic region is a labor of love. It requires a detailed treatment of each and every species found in that region, including information for each species on key identifying characters, size range and longevity, geographic distribution, dietary habits, breeding season and other biological information. The collection of this information is no easy task, as it involves reading thousands of research papers, fisheries documents and government reports (to name but a few sources). The resulting mass of information then has to be collated, synthesized and greatly reduced in order to produce an informed and up-to-date biological summary for each species. The end result is a state-of-the-knowledge…

Aloha Chuck, I want to share with you a recent adventure that I had. I am especially blessed. Not only did I get to grow up in Hawai‘i, but my family has a house right on the beach on the east side of 0’ahu. Most weekends I spend time shore fishing with my father, catching a lot of ‘o‘io and an occasional papio (along with all of the puhi, fugu, tO‘au, etc.), but one day was different. Dad injured his finger and was not able to fish for a while. I was supposed to color Easter eggs with my kids, but my wife saw that faraway look in my eye and told me to go get my pole. The tide was extremely low, so I knew that there would not…

During silent moments between reports of “akule stay in,” time is well-spent catching other types of fish. One type that carries a lot of prestige on my dinner table is menpachi, or ‘u ‘u. There are several ways to catch this redfish with big eyes. This month I will be focusing on capturing them with lures presented on spinning rigs from the shoreline at night. To select the best time to fish for menpachi, I simply review my HAWAII FISHING NEWS “Almanac,” the monthly tide and moon calendar found in each issue of HFN. It gives me accurate information on the times of tide changes and moonlight intensities. 1 like to fish for menpachi during the first-quarter moon phase, on a rising tide. When 1 do, I end up with…

■ I knew the HOKULE‘A was about to arrive in Pohnpei in the first days of April. It had been raining hard here, and I heard they had encountered really bad weather and no winds on the trip from Majuro to Pohnpei. The HOKULE‘A was on another journey from Hawaii all the way to Japan, but with a special emphasis on Micronesia. They were sailing in three boats: the HOKULE‘A; an escort sailboat; and the MAISU, a beautiful sailboat of the same size and design as the HOKULE‘A. The MAISU was a gift they were going to deliver at Satawac, an outer island of Yap, to Mau Pialug, the master navigator who taught the HOKULE‘A crew the almost lost art of navigation based on stars, winds and swells that the…

■ A year ago, Gov. Lingle implemented the law that required 85 percent of all gasoline distributed throughout the state to contain 10-per-cenfethanol (E-10). The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), under whose purview ethanol gasoline falls, allowed the gasoline industry “free-market” guidelines to determine that this requirement would be met by the following means: • Distributing all of the 85 percent E-10 only on the major islands (0’ahu, Hawai‘i, Maui and Kaua‘i); and • Distributing the remaining 15 percent of non-ethanol gasoline only on Lana‘i and Moloka‘i. The result of this was (and continues to be) that the only gasoline made available on the major islands is E-10, and all of Lana‘i’s and Moloka‘i’s gasoline is non-ethanol. This distribution scheme took away the non-ethanol gasoline from nearly…

■ For many years the Hawai‘i State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has been closing areas to fishing and designating them as Marine Protected Areas, or MPAs. The current DLNR administration is, quite correctly, a proponent of such practices. In addition, it recently introduced a community action group to detect and report natural resources violations and, in particular, marine-related violations. The DLNR has also authored and implemented a new rule to strengthen its enforcement and regulatory efforts regarding the use of gill nets. And, they supported legislation that will allow DLNR enforcement officers to search coolers and other containers, including vehicles and boats if they suspect illegal gear or catch is present. Unfortunately, this particular legislation is for “searches without probable cause,” which is why we disagree with…

So the tuna are knocking, and the mahimahi are still around. During the strong trade wind weather, Tom Dedona and Dennis Gheselli caught two big mahimahi and two nice-sized shibi while getting knocked around out near the MM FAD. Once back at He‘eia Kea, they cut up the fish and had a few beverages. ■ Summer is upon us, and the fish are coming in to show off how tough it is to catch one. We have had reports of ‘ahi off Wafanae and even some scouts off Kane’ohe. John Cazinha landed two ‘ahi on the way to escort a one-man canoe race with his boat, the KAOHU II. Derek Ganiko on the CLAIRE G also reported catching an ‘ahi the week before the race. Clinton Gorai on the KAHEALANI…

The North Shore Pole Benders Club ■ Shore casting has been pretty good. I got to meet a lot of the members of the North Shore Pole Benders Club. Talk about ‘ohana! They are very close, and they all help with and participate in club functions. All activities involve the whole family, and they have a lot of fun-family fun! Whether they catch fish or not, they enjoy the time that they spend together and they enjoy the beach. The club held their annual banquet at Hale’iwa Beach Park, and they fished at the same time! That was a first for me. They fished throughout the night until the next day. It was like a banquet and fishing tournament all in one. There are members that have not caught an…

Second Time Is the Charm ■ At 6:15 a.m. dawn was just beginning to strike the high peaks. The sun’s first rays highlighted veils of mist rising from the forested high country. Light winds, traveling west, gave us a boost as we paddled out of the harbor. My mission was to guide a friend of mine, Don lokepa, to his first kayak catch. This was my second trip with Don. I had some luck and was able to land an uku our first time out, but I just couldn’t get Don hooked up. This day would be different. Both the moon and the tide were in our favor. The water was crystal clear. We left the harbor and turned northwest. With our lines set, we began trolling the 300-foot line.…

Ala Wai Canal Fish Contamination Study Update ■ Mahalo to all the fishermen who actively participated in the sampling phase of the Ala Wai Canal Fish Contamination Study. Numerous fishermen responded, and special thanks go to Jerry Bash, Harrision Mau and Edwin Fukushi, the most successful anglers. Together, they caught more than 30 barracuda and five papio from the canal during the first two weeks in May! All the barracuda we need have been collected from the canal. However, we still need more papio. Through the month of June we can continue to offer $10 for each papio caught there. I would like to have 30 specimens. Please remember that the papio must be legal size (a fork length of at least 10 inches). If you are interested in participating,…

■ We are all booked up for this year-a record. Last year we were all booked up by the first week of May; this year we filled up as of April 25. Many boats are on the waiting list. I can’t believe it! People are asking us to help get them in. Of course, we can’t. This year we put everything on the website to view, and no one gets treated differently. Still, old-timers that have fished this tournament for years are out of the picture, and some were even too late for the waiting list. We are making history in Wai‘anae. I would like to thank the sponsors that helped contribute to this tournament including Roy’s Fishing Supplies, McKenna Ford in Kailua, Matrix and Paradise Isle Kama’aina & Visitor…

Ethanol Solution Still Cloudy ■ “We did not win the H.B. 791 battle, but we can (should) now make the best of what we were handed,” said Bill Mossman, Hawaii Boaters Political Action Association, about what the 2007 Legislature did for fishermen and boaters concerned about ethanol. H.B. 791 is the “Ethanol Bill.” The perception is what the Legislature did was put the responsibility for pumping non-damaging nonethanol fuel on the petroleum industry. The oil companies have until January 2008, when the Legislature reconvenes, “to prove good faith” and stop destroying engines, corroding fiberglass fuel tanks and threatening lives at seas with hazardous fuel. (See related article on page 26.) Chevron Talks Ethanol “Splash!” talked with Albert Chee, Chevron Hawaii’s public affairs spokesperson, who believes a free-market solution is the…

This vessel ran aground in Moanalua Bay, Hawai‘i-kai. It was towed to Keehi Small Boat Harbor and left in this position until the paper work is cleared. Who amongst us thinks that this is the right way to handle this boat? What happened to the oil, fluids, grease and grime and paint flakes? DLNR claims that the Coast Guard said it was okay! CarrolI Cox To: <envirowatch@envirowatch.org> I was forced to use the Phoenician Ramp opposite the old Ko Olina site yesterday evening (I launched the boat from the Ala Wai, and we decided to recover at Barber’s Point due to rough seas). I have used the Ko Olina launch ramp on numerous occasions in the past, and I was appalled at the unsafe conditions at the Phoenician Ramp. There…

■ The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) keeps the world angling records for game fishes. The all-tackle world record for Caranx melampygus, the bluefin trevally (Hawaiian name, ‘omilu) is 26 lbs 7 oz (12 kg), a fish caught at Clipperton Island. The alltackle record for C. ignobilis, the gianttrevally (Hawaiian name, ulua aukea) is 145 lbs 8 oz (66 kg) from Maui. The largest giant trevally landed, not by angling, weighed 191 lbs (86.6 kg), also from Maui. In December 1987Dr. HarveyK. Minatoya of Honolulu caught a carangid fish from a shallow landlocked lagoon at Christmas Island (Kiritimati), Line Islands, that weighed 96 lbs (43.54 kg), shown here as Figure 1. He believed his fish to be a bluefin trevaily and applied to the IGFA for the world record for…

For letters, with photos, received during June we’ll send you HFN’s 30th Anniversary embroidered cap, MAXIFLEX Sample pack (New Glow Tako Lure)…our way of saying thanks for sharing your catch!…Hana pa a, Chuck Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or e-mail: <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com> Howzit Chuck, Here’s a picture of me and my son with this marlin that we caught on February 10, 2007. This was our first fishing trip of the year. Hopefully it’s a good sign for the year to come. Aloha, Ross and Cy Kiyota Pacific Palisades, O‘ahu Dear Chuck, This is a picture of my boyfriend’s dad, Edward, with his first big catch (a striped marlin they nicknamed “Donkey”) caught while fishing off of Wai‘anae on the DORI T II. He hooked up with Donkey at…