25 MPH, North – North East winds on the flats made it difficult to cast at times and the tide was rising in the overcast evening.  Made for some chilly wading.  The 4 inch omilus were bothering the baits again so I just stuck with

• cut baitt
• Makata strip lure (clear ice)

Like the last time I fished the flats, the little omilus followed the strip lure but didn’t take the hook.  On the cut bait I caught about 8 omilus, and besides a lizard fish, no other reef fish.  Maybe the omilus were faster than the expected hinalea and humus?

As the sun was setting, in 8 inches of water, I hooked a fish that swam in straight lines, unlike an omilu.  Turned out to be a 9 inch obake weke, about the size that Pete caught two trips ago.  Funny that I’ve never caught them before and now two were landed on the last 3 trips.  Maybe they’re part of the big “recruitment” bloom of reef fish?

obake weke swimming against the water jet

I released all the omilus but kept the obake weke.  Here he is in quarantine waiting to meet his oama cousins and the bigger weke caught a month ago.

Summary: In tough conditions with pesky baby omilu, cut bait trounced lures once again.