Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Hawaii Fishing News

■ It will come as no surprise to many to hear me say that I come from a different planet. In 1947, when I was born in Honolulu, these islands were still a U.S. territory. There were fewer than 2.5 billion people alive on the planet then, with Hawai‘i’s population just over one-half million residents. Visitor arrivals to Hawai‘i were barely 47,000 annually. Sugar cane and pineapple comprised the base for our economy. Global carbon dioxide levels were much, much lower, and coral reefs hadn’t been impacted by the triple threat of warming sea surface temperatures, mass bleaching and ocean acidification. Our near-shore and deep offshore waters were still teeming with my favorite fish including ulua, aholehole and ‘ahi. Over the course of 60-plus years, I find myself living on…

Tiare Lawrence, candidate for District 12 state representative, issued a statement encouraging upcountry people to read and comment on the environmental assessment issued by National Park Service (NPS) of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Haleakala National Park (HNP) entitled “Management and Removal of Feral Animals in the Upper Elevations of Nu‘u, Maui.” The NPS has been working to protect the endangered ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian Petrel). Fifty years ago the breeding population was estimated at 300-400. Today the population is estimated at 3-4,000. The NPS attributes this population increase to it’s previous success with feral animal control within fenced in areas. The present proposal is to remove feral, goats, pigs, dogs and deer from within a hoofed mammal control fenced area, currently under construction. The fence will enclose 2,115 acres, 1,885…

■ Since 2008 I have been fishing on the Hobie Mirage Drive kayaks. Each fishing year seems to get better. This style of fishing is effective and addictive. I have fished in a few kayak fishing competitions these past years, and by grace and good luck qualified to join the American Kayak Fishing Team for the Fifth Annual Hobie Fishing World Championship in Changshu, China. The trip to China is long. We flew into Shanghai where buses picked us up and took us to Changshu, about 90 minutes to the north. The hotel was beautiful with five-star accommodations. Our Chinese hosts took care of everything. English-speaking guides made sure we found our way around the hotel and dining areas. What an honor to fish with the top fishermen from the…

Suisan Ho‘olaule‘a Results ■ Suisan’s Ho‘olaule‘a Fourth of July Offshore Fishing Tournament was scheduled for Saturday July 2 but had to be postponed due to weather. There were small-craft advisories for Big Island windward waters and gale warnings in the channel and in the Big Island southeast waters. At the captains’ meeting on July 1, it was decided to postpone the tournament until the following Saturday, July 9. The weather cooperated with no warnings for Big Island windward waters. It was lumpy and bumpy, but everyone came home safely. This year some needed changes in weigh-in procedures smoothed and sped up the process. We kept and announced a running tally of the largest fish in each category–marlin, ‘ahi, ono, mahimahi and aku–so that boats with smaller fish could proceed up…

MISSING FADS HAWAII A - SOUTH PT. C - LOA PT. G - PEPEEKEO HK - HILO RN - PALIMA PT. SS-APUA PT. VV - KAHALUU XX - PUAKO ZZ - WAIMA PT. MAUI HS - HALONA JJ - KAMOHIO K - PALAOA LA - LAHAINA MC - PALAOA N - HALAWA SO - KEALAIKAHIKI OAHU CO - KAENA PT. HH - PEARL HARBOR II - HALEIWA J - WAIALEE P - PENGUIN BANK T - MAKAPUU U - KANEOHE V - MAKUA X - KAHUKU KAUAI AA - PORT ALLEN BB - MOLOAA DK - ANAHOLA EK - HANALEI KK - WAIMEA Z - KIPUKAI TO REPORT A MISSING FAD CALL: OAHU (808) 848-2939 KAHOʻOLAWE TROLLING - AUGUST 6-7; 27-28 RESTRICTIONS APPLY: (808) 243-5889 CIGUATERA Date NO. Fish island…

■ I wanted to share a story of a recent fishing trip of my good friend Brian Plouffe and his dad, Roger. Brian faces many physical challenges, but don’t let that fool you. He plays golf, hunts pigs, fishes from shore and boat, and makes his own lures. Nothing can slow this guy down when he puts his mind to it. He is my idol and an inspiration to us all. June 1 started early for Brian and his crew, his dad Roger and their neighbor Bobby. They successfully launched their 27' Seacraft named the RAJAH DAT a little after 4 a.m. The ride was smooth heading to their target area. They noticed a few birds around and made a few passes. That’s when they noticed the boat wasn’t running…

What about VOG Acid? ■ In the recent 10-year banning of fishing at the Kona Coast Kaupulehu marine reserve, DLNR, DAR and Kona’s Dr. William Walsh put the blame for alleged fish population decline on over-fishing. What about water quality and the effects of acidification and Vog? Ever have a salt water aquarium? Then you know that water quality is critical in keeping reef fish alive and avoiding ugly turf algae on coral. The fishing kapu chorus tout that Kaupulehu nearshore waters were once defined by healthy coral, seaweed and fish. Was it fishermen who picked all the limu? Was it fishermen that planted turf algae on the coral? “While some algal cover is natural on Hawaiian reefs, it is unexpected to find that turf algae dominate more than half…

■ We are now at the midpoint of Hawai‘i’s annual ‘ahi season. As you know, Hawai‘i’s yellowfin tuna run starts on January 1 and runs through December 31 each year. That’s right–tuna are here year-‘round. Anglers can catch them in every month of the year if they know how to choose their tactics according to the circumstances. In June, Keliinohopono Hill of Kailua-Kona caught one of the biggest tuna of the year by using a traditional method as old as Polynesian fishing, itself. Kelii, a lifelong waterman, works at Native Ocean Tours and Hawaii Lifeguard Instructors. He is as comfortable at sea as he is on land, and some days he is offshore around the clock. His “big bite” came at 5 a.m., just before dawn, as he was finishing…

■ It was that time of the year again–time for the Annual S. Tokunaga Store Ulua Challenge on the Big Island of Hawai‘i! This year, on the event’s 13th anniversary, a staggering 637 entrants took to the shoreline to participate in the biggest fishing tournament in Hawai‘i. Of these 637 participants, 52 were from neighbor islands and 32 were female. Each year, the entrant numbers have increased as many look forward to being a part of what I often refer to as the “Super Bowl of Ulua Fishing.” Unlike the Super Bowl, however, you don’t need to qualify to be in the final game. Anyone who enters has a shot at winning! Kickoff was on June 9 with the weigh-in on June 12. Participants pay an entry fee, which guarantees…