Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2008 i Hawaii Fishing News

The Long, the Short and the Twisted ▪ Dr. Khang Le takes his own specialized gear with him when he travels the Pacific in search of his next 100-lb ulua. His tackle is so carefully selected for the job, and, in the case of his rods, so weird, that he knows he’ll never find the like at any of his ports of call from The Coral Sea to Kona. His oddly wrapped rods caused quite a stir when he arrived in Kona last November. On his trip from Australia, baggage handlers along the way had mistreated his rods, Khang told his Kona host, Capt. Jeff Rogers. Jeff saw that the guides were all askew–one on top, one on the side, and the rest along the bottom–and he was amazed that…

More Than 500 G. T.s Released ▪ The G.T. action continued to pop in Taveuni, Fiji. In 37 charter days with various anglers, Capt. John Llanes surpassed the 500 G.T. release mark. The 500th G.T. was released by Kil Song, who in the fishing world is known as a heavy metal jigger with an impressive history spanning over 30 years. His passion has not been limited to jigging, though. He has caught more than 1,000 tuna from 50 to 250 lbs on jigs, and he has caught two swordfish on jigs in a single trip. He is also well-known as an avid flounder/cod fisherman. But he had yet to battle big G.T.s. Kil was popping with two other fishing buddies, Ben Oh and Young Jin from Korea. They meant to…

Preserving Special Moments, Fish and Animals Through Taxidermy ▪ Besides fishing for food, one of the top reasons we fishermen cast our lures is to catch a trophy worthy of displaying on the wall. Whether it is a specimen of great size, or a rarity, a well-mounted fish, bird or mammal will bring a sense of accomplishment and a remembrance of the special battle or shot that produced the trophy. Some sportsmen don’t need the preserved animal to be of record size, but just to represent what gets our competitive juices flowing: getting up at the crack of dawn and fishing or hunting all day to get a chance at harvesting a worthy opponent in its environment. The fact that it tastes good is an added bonus. Taxidermy is the…

NOAA Seeking Bottomfish Comment n According to Nicole Bartlett, recreational fisheries coordinator, NOAA wants public comment on a proposed rule that would create new federal requirements for boat-based bottomfish fishing in the main Hawaiian islands. The requirements include fishing permits and reporting for non-commercial bottomfish fishermen. Bottomfishing would be closed from May 1 through August 31, 2008. This includes fishing for “Deep 7” bottomfish: onaga; ehu; ‘opaka-paka; kalekale; lehi; gindai; and hapu‘upu‘u. Bottomfish Management of the ‘Deep 7’ in the Main Hamaiian Islands There would be an annual total allowable catch for the Deep 7 species. All fishing for the Deep 7 would be closed when the allowable catch is reached. There would be non-commercial bag limits of five Deep 7 fish per person per trip. Finally, there would be…

EPA’s Favoritism Halted ▪ In a complete victory for public and environmental health, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has invalidated a pair of EPA rules that would have allowed coal-fired power plants to overwhelm waterways, fish and communities with harmful levels of mercury for decades to come. The court found the EPA’s 2005 rules removing power plants from the Clean Air Act’s list of toxic sources and creating an anemic “cap and trade” regulatory scheme to be in violation of the act. Waterkeeper Alliance, as part of a coalition of a number of public health and environmental groups, 14 states and dozens of Native American tribes, launched its challenge of the EPA’s mercury rules more than two years ago. Now, the court, in striking down…

▪ I was standing in the checkout line in the Sam’s Club as my 14 bags of ice melted in my overloaded cart. There were probably 100 people in front of me, and I couldn’t help but notice that every line seemed to be moving except mine. As I lethargically waited my turn, my mind drifted off to some far-off place. Eventually, as a few drops of cold water hit my feet, I was jarred back to reality when the checkout girl blurted out the usual pleasantries and asked me for my membership card. I wasn’t paying much attention to what she was saying until she said the word “free.” I immediately perked up. You see, being the cheapskate that I am and despite the fact that my ears somehow…

Catfish Session ▪ Talk about going from riches to rags: although the first weekend of the year produced a bonanza, the last one saw a dismal showing. Some 46 anglers presided, but only four fish were weighed in. One fish was noteworthy, though, at 15 lbs. It was proudly presented by Xavier Agustin, who had quite a battle to land the fish on light gear. So the end was not that bad after all, except for the weather furies. Kudos to DLNR Personnel It is not always the biggest fish that brings the most joy to the people. All of the sessions last year saw an increase in whole families participating in the sport. Some of these families were really grateful to have a place to picnic and interact with…

▪Spring is approaching according to the calendar, but in Hawai‘i waters winter-type weather can still appear in March. But there will be more good weather days than bad weather days. There is always the possibility of the occurrence of any of the following severe weather events: cold front with strong Kona winds, upper trough with heavy rain, gusty trade winds and high northwest wave and surf. Trade winds should be present on more than half the days in March with the possibility of about eight to 14 days of gusty trades. Northwest swell activity should be noticeably less. There may be about five days of high surf greater than 10 feet along the north shores. There’s still a chance of surf greater than 25 feet high at Sunset Beach, O‘ahu.…

▪ This year, my exotic fishing destination was New Caledonia, a fairly large island about 750 miles east of Australia. I first read about New Caledonia a couple of years ago while searching for information on bonefish and Christmas Island. What attracted my attention were the stories of very large bonefish caught on flies. I filed the information away for later use. This year my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with a 10-day cruise around the islands of French Polynesia. Because we had to travel a long way, it was only fitting that we add some other destination in that area to the itinerary to make the most of the trip. So we added another five days to make a stop in New Caledonia. I also took advantage…

▪ The Federal Aviation Administration FAA’s Honolulu Hazardous Materials Office is alarmed by a recent increase in signaling flares and smoke devices that have been found in air passengers’ luggage. Most of these devices belonged to boaters and fishermen who were traveling to enjoy their sports on other islands or on the main-land. Signaling flares and smoke devices pose a tremendous fire risk and cannot be stored in carry-on or checked baggage. Violators of federal hazardous-materials regulations face civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation with a minimum fine of $250. Criminal convictions can result in prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations. WARNING! FLARES & SMOKE FORBIDDEN IN YOUR CARRY-ON LUGGAGE, CHECKED LUGGAGE, CARGO AND MAIL…

▪ First of all, I want to extend to the readers of HFN belated wishes for a Happy New Year. May 2008 bring you all much happiness and prosperity. 2007 was a decent year for fishermen. A few of the small-boat harbors actually had some much-needed repair work completed. We also made some good progress in education and conservation awareness. The second annual Fishing and Seafood Festival hosted more than 18,000 guests. The bottom fishery seasonal closure was a step in the right direction, and more folks began to understand and practice the benefits of tagging and releasing fish. These are instruments by which good fishing can be sustained. Naturally, new challenges are on the horizon for 2008. The trick is to continue the momentum in meeting the existing challenges…

May 23, 2007 SPELLBOUND Spellbound Sportfishing Aloha Commercial Charter Vessel Operator, The Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DLNR-DAR) sent you a letter in December 2006 reminding you to comply with the Commercial Marine License (CML) requirements (13–7 4020, Hawaii Administrative Rules [HAR]) for charter vessel operations in the state. All commercial charter vessel captains and crew are required to obtain an individual CML and submit complete and accurate monthly fishing reports. As noted in the December letter, this has now become especially important since stocks of yellowfin and bigeye tuna have been determined to be in a state of overfishing in the Western and Central Pacific. It is likely that federal fisheries agencies (i.e., NMFS) will implement fishing regulations such as total allowable catches (TA…

Growing Up ‘Local’ in the Good Old Days ▪ On my second visit to Kona from Honolulu, during the summer of 1948, my Aunty Margaret and Uncle Larry had moved out of my tutu’s house into a place of their own in Kainaliu next to the main highway that runs through Kona. In addition to the coffee farm they lived on, they also leased a small coffee farm on a couple of acres mauka (to the mountain side) of my tutu’s house. In those days, you got up to that farm via a primitive road so rough and overgrown with weeds that even a Jeep had a heck of a time traversing it. And walking up that weed-choked road in the early morning left me soaking wet if it had…

▪ Here is the “Let’s Go Fishing” episode lineup for March 2008. “Let’s Go Fishing” is broadcast on KHON-TV, Sundays at 5:30 p.m., cablecast on digital channel CW 93 Saturdays at 5:30 p.m., and available for viewing on line at <http://www.benwongtv.com>. This Month on ‘Let’s Go Fishing Sunday, March 2, on KHON; and Saturday, March 8, on CW 93 First fishing destination: This week the “Let’s Go Fishing” crew is on the Friendly Isle of Moloka‘i with Capt. Clay Ching. We hook up to nabeta and red goatfish and have a good time with our friends Thanh Lac of Enjoy Foods fame and his buddy Stuart Chang. Second fishing destination: Then it’s time for some sunset shoreline dunking with Glen Gillia, Keith Nishioka and Dale Jorgenson. This remote location offers…

Aloha Chuck, I find this story very exciting, especially because it’s from a wahine diver. A friend of mine, originally from the island of Maui, recently had an awesome catch. Her name is Kimi Werner. Kimi is a member of the Alii Holo Kai (AHK) dive club, and her spearfishing skills are so impressive that I had to share them with HFN readers. Just before Thanksgiving, Kimi threepronged a 17-lb ‘omilu while diving off a boat off ‘Ewa Beach, O’ahu. Kurt Taguma of Maui Sporting Goods said that her catch is a feat that many spear fishermen dream of when checking the pukas in the reef. Listening to Kimi’s story, I was moved as she explained the agony and sudden glory of her catch. Kimi’s Story “Right when I was…

Aloha Chuck, It’s Boogie-D from <http://www.coastalkayaktours.com>. People are always asking me to write HAWAII FISHING NEWS with my kayak fishing exploits, so here I go. First of all, I would like to thank you, Chuck, for such a great magazine. We had such a blast meeting you at The Shack and sharing a few brews and some really funny stories. My fishing wouldn’t be where it is today without you guys. I want to thank Catherine, my beautiful, loving girlfriend. She makes a lot of my kayak fishing possible by dropping me off early in the morning and picking me up at different locations. Catherine is very supportive and understanding of my passion. I also want to say thanks to Steve Heusser from the Big Island. He has been so…

▪ Boat names can reveal much about the personality, lifestyle, passions, or experiences a boat owner. In 2007, the Boat U.S. list of p 10 most popular boat names was particularly revealing: 1. BLACK PEARL: The name of a fast, salthy and intimidating fictional ship from the sney “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, a creational boat with this moniker was probabily named by the kids. 2. LIBERTY: A patriotic name that first appeared on the top 10 list just after 9-11, the owner of this vessel is clearly passionate about the freedoms enjoyed in the United States. 3. SECOND WIND: Perhaps this boat owner is had a life-changing experience and feels that the boat now gives them a second lease on life. 4. AMAZING GRACE: It could be that this…

▪ I wrote a story a while ago about salmon fishing along the California Coast (August 2006). The problem then was the noticeable lack of salmon from the Klamath River. This was due to the damming and rerouting of the river water to agriculture. The lower water left in the river was too warm, making it healthy for algae but not for salmon. Fishing restrictions were put in place. Though they economically affected many people, most fishermen agreed they were necessary. Now the largest salmon run in California is in trouble. The Sacramento River is suffering a dramatic decline in salmon population. The 90,000 adult salmon counted this past fall returning from their feeding areas in the delta and bay to their spawning grounds in the Sacramento and San Joaquin…

To Ms. Laura Thielen Chairperson, BLNR Dear Madam Chairperson, It appears that 2008 is going to be a year of change for recreational fishing in Hawai‘i, and the first change issue we face is a Congressional mandate to establish a Recreational Fisher Registry by January 1, 2009. The recently signed Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSRA) gave special attention to the need to improve the collection of recreational fishery management data, especially by the MRFSS (Marine Recreational Fishing Statistical Survey). Unlike commercial fishermen, who are required to submit “catch reports” on all fish caught, the Hawai‘i recreational sector fisheries management data is completely dependent on statistical survey methods involving telephone and intercept sampling surveys conducted by Federal and State (DLNR-DAR) employees. During the development of the current MSRA,…

Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or e-mail: <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com> Aloha Chuck, Happy New Year! On 1/7/08 Grandpa and I went on a holoholo trip. We caught these three mahimahi and five little aku that we let go to get bigger. Mahalo,Shae AsuncionMililani, O‘ahu Hello Chuck, I’m a very proud Aaron Saiki now living in Hilo hooking ulua. Came back to Kaua‘i and hooked into some 5-lb ‘o‘io. I love fishcake, it tastes great. I and my friend Bunny Rabbit Orsatelli had a fun night. My family on Kaua‘i was very proud of me… what an accomplishment! They always think I hook manini. Well, that’s it for now. Hope to hook even bigger ones later. Love,Aaron SaikiEle‘ele, Kaua‘i Dear Hawaii Fishing News, This is a picture of our four…

Phone ................................. (808) 395-4499 Fax ..................................... (808) 396-3474 E-mail ................. <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com< OFFSHORE TOURNAMENTS MAUL-5TH ANNUAL QUEEN K TESOROB LACK & BLUE STRIPED SHOOTOUT STATE CHAMPIONSHIP May 24, 2008 Jeff Kahi (808) 283-2628 Website <www.bluemarlinshootout.com> WORLDWIDE-WORLD CUP BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT July 4, 2008 Mike Leech (954) 566-2813 Website <www.bluemarlinworldcup.com> E-mail <M7oceans@aol.com> OAHU-PEARL HARBOR FISHING TOURNAMENT July 12, 2008 Curtis Chong (808) 473-9046 Email <curtis.chong@navy.mil> HAWAII-HAWAIIAN INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT July 28, 29, 30, 31 & August 1, 2008 Peter Fithian (808) 836-3422 P.O.Box 29638, Honolulu, HI 96820 Website <www.hibtfishing.com> SHORELINE TOURNAMENTS HAWAII-10TH ANNUAL POLE BENDA May 22, 23, 24 & 25, 2008 Eddie Carvalho (808) 885-0445 HAWAII-2008 S. TOKUNAGA STORE ULUA CHALLENGE June 5, 6, 7, & 8, 2008 Tokunaga Store (808) 935-5161 E-Mail <tokunaga@hialoha.net> Website <www.tokunagastore.com> HAWAII-33RD ANNUAL HILO CASTING CLUB…