Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2008 i Hawaii Fishing News

Hawai‘i’s ‘o‘io have it all. Hawai‘i’s waters are home to two different species of bonefish, including some of the biggest anywhere in the world. Anglers catch them on the flats, in the surf and in deep water beyond the reef. ‘O‘io feed day and night and will take flies, jigs and baits of all kinds. In September, kayaker Steve Cho caught an ‘o‘io that demonstrates some spectacular extremes. Steve’s fish weighed 16.8 lbs on a certified digital market scale. That remarkable weight makes it the heaviest Big Island ‘o‘io for which I could find a verifiable record. It is within 2 lbs of the Hawai‘i state record, an 18-lb 2-oz ‘o‘io that also became the world record when Bill Badua caught it back in 1954. Steve’s 16.8-lb ‘o‘io weighs more…

Off to a Rocky-and Expensive–Start It started off like any other fishing tournament for me: hot; miserable; and quiet. Nothing was biting. I’ve entered several Hilo Casting Club tournaments before, and although I’ve placed a couple of times, I’ve always come up short of earning first place or catching a 100-pounder. I started planning for the 32nd Annual Hilo Casting Club Tournament a few weeks beforehand, camping and holding down my campsite in preparation for the beginning of the tournament. Before the tournament even started, my hopes were dashed because I had experienced no bites for the entire two weeks prior to the event. To make matters worse, my friend Bill, who was helping me hold down the campsite, left our camping spot in the mid-afternoon to go back to…

The 2008 tournament season has come to an end for many of us here in Hawai‘i. The Valley Isle Marine Center’s Seventh Annual Halloween Shootout and the Lahaina Jackpot are the final two events for us on the JR’S HOOKER. Having just returned from a three-week fishing trip in Cabo on the afternoon of the 28th, we didn’t have much time to relax. Our plan was to leave at 6:30 a.m. on the 30th. Capt. Kevin Hibbard and I readied the tackle, changed the oil, fueled the boat, iced the coolers, and made a quick stop at KTA for some groceries. We were ready to go. Second crewman David Crawford barely made the trip. His flight came in only 30 minutes before we were scheduled to leave. We were relying…

Same Old, Same Old Now that the election is over and my crystal ball (along with even more of my money) has been confiscated by the government, 1 am distressed to report that nothing will change. Thanks to the people that didn’t vote or voted Liberal, we are all still facing the same problems. President-elect Obama was among those that didn’t heed the warnings about Freddie Mac and Fannie May, the two mismanaged giants, even way back in 2000. Now we are all paying for it. I have watched my retirement portfolio drop by 45 percent. It’s worth less now than the money I have put into it during the past 15 years. Whoopie! Nancy Pelosi is complaining that it is all President Bush’s fault even though the Democrats control…

Dear Chuck, I am a fisherman and a long-time reader and subscriber to HAWAII FISHING NEWS. My crew and I fish off of the vessel KE ALOHILANI, a 22’ rebuilt Glas-Ply hull. We troll during the spring and summer months and bottom fish for the “deep seven” and any other species that will bite during the fall and winter months. I have watched as branches of the Federal and state government suggest then promulgate rules in an attempt to protect various species of marine life that is deemed pressured by fishermen. Their efforts seem to lack coordination and logic. As stated earlier, I am a fisherman, and as such I do not care if the rules are Federal or state. I do expect and demand that the “civil servants” of…

Next Catfish Session 2009 From reliable sources, it seems that the next catfish session at Nu‘uanu Reservoir will start on January 10, 2009. The window for submitting applications is from December 1 to December 15, 2008–right in the middle of the holiday season when everybody is more tuned to other worldly pleasures besides plunking for catfish. You can always look up the latest news on the website for the DNLR. (A very Merry Christmas to them, too!) Nu‘uanu Water Level Rises As of this writing, the water drain seems to have stopped and is being reversed by the effect of some torrential rainstorms. One Saturday remains engraved in my memory. That day it actually poured solidly for five straight hours. Waterproof coats? Ha! I was soaked to the skin. Because…

100 Plus Club ‘Ohana! When he was 13 years old, Layne started ulua fishing with his father, Malcom Fernandez, and older brother, Cale Fernandez, dedicated ulua fishermen. It’s not surprising that Layne was able to land his first ulua, a 76-pounder, at 14 years old. Layne honestly shared that his father threw out his pole. Nonetheless, landing a 76-lb ulua was no simple task. In 1988, Layne’s father landed an impressive 123-lb ulua while fishing the shores of Kaua‘i. In 1997, Layne’s older brother joined the 100 Plus Club when he landed a 108-Ib ulua, also on Kaua‘i. Fast-forward 11 years. Layne, a Kaua‘i native, moved to Hilo to attend Hilo Community College for his second year. On a Friday afternoon, Layne and his fishing partner, Bradley Bermudez of Kea‘au,…

Aloha from Maui! The Kalama Fishing Club of Samuel Enoka Kalama Intermediate School in Makawao, Maui, sends greetings to all the readers of HFN! In its 11th year, the Kalama Fishing Club is going stronger than ever. We currently have 140 members who are all students at the school. The club discusses fishing techniques and safety, shows fishing movies, has guest speakers, does beach cleanups, holds tournaments and goes on field trips. The club provides an excellent way for students and parents to become connected to the school. Experts in education say creating a connection to the school for parents and students increases academic involvement. This past September, the club had its first two activities. The first activity was a beach cleanup. Beach cleanups are done prior to tournaments, field…

Frankenstein Fish Ready To Hatch The FDA is blowing an all-clear whistle, allowing scientists to create Frankenstein fish. Under the New Animal Drug portion of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, Frankenstein animals will be genetically crafted by taking one gene from one animal and adding it to others. The only genetically engineered animal approved for sale now is an aquarium fish that glows in the dark. It’s the Franken-zebra fish, and it was originally bred to find pollution. It’s a hobbyist hit. It’s not the hobby tank that is the prize. Aquaculture fish will be genetically altered to grow quicker and with feed. In 1985, scientists in China spliced a gene from cow growth hormone into carp. They grow 40 percent larger–and faster, as well. In China, aquaculture of…

Send to: P.O. Box 25488, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96825 or e-mail: <fishnews@hawaii.rr.com> Dear Chuck, I’ve been reading your magazine from cover to cover for the past year and I really enjoy it. I travel often and every time I do, my husband seems to catch a fish. Well, this particular Father’s Day was no exception. I was in Malaysia on business when I called home to wish him a Happy Father’s Day when he told me that he caught his prize fish, a kagami ulua. He caught his kagami at Mokulei‘a on his blue Nitro pole! Wow, did that fish make for good sashimi! I guess I should travel more often. I’ve attached photos of my husband Tad and his prized fish. I hope you will be able to print this…

Weather in Hawai‘i waters will play a more important role in any marine activity during winter. Mariners are advised that the change from good to bad weather can be fast. The severe weather events that can occur, in decreasing order of frequency, are: gusty trade winds, high northwest swell and surf, cold front with Kona winds, and Kona low. The strongest trade winds are the winter-type trades that can occur in December. The number of trade wind days will be low–only about half of the days of the month–but gusty trades can occur on about a fourth to a third of the days in December. High northwest swell and surf will be frequent along the exposed northern shores. Expect about 20 days with surf greater than 6 feet high, and…

As local waters cool, ‘o‘io come close to shore and within the reach of shore casters. During the warmer months, ‘o‘io spend most of their time in deeper waters just off shore, but cooler waters and the urge to mate bring the prized game fish closer. During this time, many female ‘o‘io can be found full of roe. It is a good practice to release any ‘o‘io not intended for table fare. ‘O‘io are abundant during this time of year, and schools can be seen cruising the flats and sandbars and are easily caught by using a variety of angling techniques. Probably the most common technique is baitcasting, or, as locals call it, “dunking.” ‘O‘io are voracious feeders and will feed on crab, shrimp, octopus, squid, sand turtle, aku belly,…

There seems to be a preconceived notion that bluewater divers are crazy. They’re not. They are a disciplined group of guys and gals who, for whatever reason, have kicked it up a notch to achieve something very few will understand. Many would agree that reef diving is harder than bluewater diving. Fish on the reefs are very smart, and knowledge of the different environments (according to what fish you target) takes years to develop. Bluewater diving is no different. There’s a learning curve you go through and another that is ongoing. I guess the biggest difference is that a bluewater diver usually puts himself in harm’s way. Take one of my first bluewater experiences. A friend of mine told me about a place where we could shoot ono from shore.…

Aloha Chuck, Hope this E-mail finds you and your family fine. I respectfully and humbly request the attached article I wrote be featured in an upcoming edition of HFN. Please contact me for any inquiries regarding this article. Keep up the great coverage. Look forward to hearing from you. Mahalo nui loa,Thomas T. Shirai Jr.Waialua, O‘ahu Akua House This Japanese fishing shrine, also know as Akua House, was located on the shore of Mokule‘ia Bay across from Kawaihapai Camp. In 1913 Japanese residents of Kawaihapai Camp built the shrine. Its purpose was the same as that of the Hawaiian fishing shrines (ko‘a) along this northwest coastline of Waialua Moku: to ensure good luck when fishing. Coin-cidently, that year my beloved Grandpa (David Peahi Keao Jr.) was born. He and with…

Light-Tackle Sailing Jeremy Millichamp and his wife, Heather, are both avid fisher people. For the last four years they have made their annual trip to Makaira on Taveuni. They are not altogether sure whether they come for the fishing or the madcap antics of Capt. John Llanes, but whatever draws them, they keep coming back. Jeremy’s dream has always been to catch a blue marlin and other species of fish that are not prevalent in his home country of New Zealand. He has even gone to Kona a few times, but his dream still eludes him. He figured that if his goal is going to be elusive, he may as well come to Fiji and fish with a crazy Hawaiian. It is a lot closer to New Zealand than Hawai‘i,…

Hilo Trollers Annual Awards The Hilo Trollers’ year-end awards banquet was held at Higashi Hongwanji Hall on October 25. The master of ceremonies was Capt. Craig Severance. Thanks to many local merchants and members for their donations. About 100 people attended and were treated to lots of door prizes. Every year the club has a raffle, and this year’s prizes included a 120-quart cooler donated by Capt. Craig Severance, a Shimano Tiagra 80 WA reel, a UK D8 light and seven rolls of 300-lb test line. Rory Tokeshi won the 120-quart cooler; Debbie Takayama won the Shimano Tiagra reel; Tracy Miyashiro won the UK D8 light; and the 300-lb test line winners were Ted Young, Aric Okuda, Steve Stein, Rory Tokeshi, Larry Yoshida, Neil Gyotoku and Les Isemoto. Every year,…

“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., featured on IPTV, and available for viewing on line at <www.benwongtv.com>. Sunday, December 7, on KHON; and Saturday, December 13, on CW 93 Our fishing fun begins after the sun goes down on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. Family and friends gather weekly at this time of year for the shoreline fun that the seasonal run of ballyhoo provides. The welcome and aloha extended to us by Dennis Umeno and Mac Haiku is truly island-style! Later we take a blue-water cruise aboard the charterboat ILLUSION with Capt. Tim Hicks. We spend most of the day trying to find a big fish, but the best part of this day happens…