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Fishing has been slow so we went torching!

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Friends from SoCal were in town a few weeks ago and I wanted to take them fishing but the nearshore prospects had been so dismal.  I opted to take them torching (reef exploring at night) instead.  The conditions were perfect for that: minus tide shortly after dark with very light winds.  Ben and his wife Zooey had snorkeled in HI but had never explored the night time reef before, so they were super excited.  They happen to own the Promar / Ahi USA company that sells nets, head lamps, gloves and air pumps, as well as the Live Deception jigs and floating landing net mentioned on this site, so torching would be a fun way to test their own gear. I hadn’t torched in a few years and had never gone when the moon was as large as it was.  I was hoping we’d at least see critters moving around in the well lit sky but feared they’d be harder to net than when they’re sleeping under a dark moon.

We didn’t take any spears and didn’t plan on keeping anything besides off season oama but they were hoping to at least see the night tako and white eel they had heard so much about.

When we got to the water Ben immediately spotted a 9 inch weke in an area I had just quickly walked past on earlier trips.  If the fish was sleeping, we would have tried to place the net on top of the fish, but I had a feeling this one was ready to make its escape.  Zooey expertly used a net in each hand and chased the weke into the net with the squared edge.  Impressive for her first attempt ever!

 

Ben spotted a slightly smaller weke shortly after, and netted it before I could video the capture.

I was amazed at their dexterity to net fish under the big moon but this school sized oama was wise enough to slip away.

We were just 30 mins into our expedition and they had already seen more fish than I had ever spotted in the “dead zone”.

Ben is using the Promar 180 lumen headlamp, collapsible net with tangle free mesh, and latex grip gloves.

The moray looked whitish when illuminated, hence the mistaken identity.

I really wanted them to experience the area that normally has the most sea creatures so I explored ahead but turned to see them huddling over something in their net.  They thought Ben had cornered a harmless white eel but were a little shaken when I explained that they had netted a sharp fanged moray eel!

We made it to the section that normally holds a greater variety of fish and Zooey gently netted a moorish idol.

She followed that up by coaxing the odd looking saron or marble shrimp into the net.

Ben gently placed it back near its home.

The Toby puffer is the dark oval thing in the bottom right.

Best of all, Zooey found a cute little Toby puffer to replace the one that had been the mascot of this site.  We saw a small night tako but no white eels and much less critters after the first 2 hours. Ben and Zooey really appreciated the night life they encountered in the shallows, something most Hawaii visitors don’t get a chance to experience.

Except for the largest weke that got spooked and jumped out of the tub on its second night of captivity, the other fish are alive and doing well as pets in my tub at home.  Catching oama by hook during the day is much more efficient than scooping them at night, but it was fun to hunt them that way.

Like his/her predecessor, the new Toby quickly got used to being in captivity and swims to the surface to be fed, spitting water at us.

Best Tackle Shops on Oahu

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The guys who have been sharing their perspective through guest posts have provided this tackle shop review of the shops from Waipahu to Kaneohe.  A team of 5 contributed to this, maximizing coverage and minimizing bias.

Brian’s Fishing Supply – On King near Piikoi. Old school tackle shop space with a lot of tackle crammed in.  Will leave you alone until you ask a question and often Brian and his staff have great advice you never would have thought of.  They specialize in rod building, slide baiting, bait casting and whipping and have the latest products not carried anywhere else.  They also do rod & reel repair and stock the parts most commonly needed.  Prices are comparable to other shops on the island. Make sure you check the No Parking times if you park on King Street.  Small parking lot behind the store but you have to access through a narrow driveway.

Charley’s Fishing Supply – Kakaako.  Charley’s has been around, at other locations, for more than 50 years.  They have a lot of hard to find items like resin float balls, compact water proof tackle boxes, jig replacement hooks, etc. at really good prices.  If you haven’t been to Charley’s lately, you need to check out their updated inventory of local, mainland and Japanese lures.  There’s always a sale on the most popular rods and reels that are priced lower than anyone else on the island and have friendly, knowledgeable sales people. Try to pay in cash when possible.  Designated parking is limited to 3 stalls in the shared strip mall’s outdoor parking lot but there are metered stalls available on the exterior.

Ewa Beach Buy and Sell – Ewa Beach.  Small selection of fishing equipment but well stocked in Campania Lures, Flash Bombs and Hammer Bombs.  Comparable pricing and decent parking.

Hanapa’a Fishing Supply – Kalihi.  There’s also one in the Pearl Ridge Shopping Center.  They specialize in dive equipment (upstairs) and sell nets and netting that you can’t get anywhere else. They stock the basic dunking and whipping tackle. Comparable pricing, limited but usually sufficient parking if you go during off hours.

Hobietat – Kaimuki.  Combination radio control cars / model rockets / fishing tackle store.  Friendly staff, and the owner, Butch, is a very knowledgeable troller and diver.  Moderate selection with expert advice.  Street parking out front.

J & E Fishing Supply – Kalihi.  A throwback to the old mom & pop store where tackle was laid out in card board boxes and the front door was a roll up corrugated gate.   In this shop, the owners are a mother and daughter.  They have a large inventory of hooks and lead, whipping lures, trolling skirts and a surprising number of lower end rods in the back room.  J & E stocks more JDM lures than any where else on the island.  Very reasonable pricing.  Decent parking.

J Hara Store – Kaimuki.  This is the Oahu branch of their flagship Big Island store.  Located on the bottom floor, East side, of the complex on Waialae Avenue with Long’s and Times.  Store is larger than you would expect; half of it is hunting gear.  They stock the basic fishing and diving gear plus a lot of whipping lures and have great, unadvertised prices on Penn reels and carry the low to mid line of Daiwa reels.  Comparable pricing with regular advertised specials.  Check their freezer by the front door for fresh, frozen tako and other baits.  Parking is shared by a lot of businesses so can get busy during peak hours.

Kaya’s – Chinatown.  Talk about old school, Kaya’s looks like it did back in the day.  It’s a very small,  cramped shop but Raine is very friendly and helpful and the prices are very reasonable. They are known to have the best prices on lead but also sell hooks, swivels, hand nets, crabnets, poles, reels, floaters, tabis, slide gaffs, sand spikes, head lamps, rod building threads, knives, line, lures, etc.  You may have to pay for parking but if you buy enough lead you can offset that expense!

Maui Sporting Goods – Kapahulu.  This is really a dive shop but they have a limited selection of fishing equipment and are the only shop on the island that sells Major Craft Jigpara jigs.  Parking is challenging in this area.

McCully Bicycle and Sporting Goods – Moilili area. Despite their name, they have quite an inventory of standard and higher end fishing tackle and gear (whipping, plugging, slidebaiting, trolling, and diving) . Great prices on terminal tackle and basic goods like tabis and air pumps, but they rarely have sales.  Ample parking on Young St behind the store.

Nankos – Kaneohe. Tackle section on the small side but they also sell beer, ice, snacks, and cigarettes. They specialize in rod, reel and diving equipment repair.  Very knowledgeable friendly customer service but you have to ask for help otherwise they will leave you to wander. Easy parking in shared lot.

POP – Pier 38 near Nicos.  Large, clean air conditioned store, back half comprises of boating gear.  Good selection of basic fishing gear, whipping lures, deep drop jigs and trolling skirts. Comparable prices. Helpful staff and lots of parking in surrounding lots.

Roy’s Fishing Supply – Aiea/Hekaha.  Roy’s is the island’s Shimano Authorized Warranty Center.  They have a very impressive stock of off shore, shore casting, whipping, dive and rod building tackle/gear.  On the pricier side compared to the above shops, but they should have what you’re looking for.  When you’re in need of help, go up to the counter and ask.  Ample parking.

Waipahu Bicycle (Buster’s) – Waipahu.  Small selection of fishing tackle but a lot of shore casting expertise.  You have to ask for help to be assisted.

West Marine – On Nimitz Hwy near the piers.  Focused on boating related equipment but also has SUPs, kayaks and fishing tackle for sale.  Prices are MSRP unless there is a seasonal sale.  Great place to buy marine electronics, epirb, etc.  Knowledgeable staff and convenient parking.

 

 

 

How come there’s no halalu how-to info online?

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I was trying to come up to speed on how to whip for halalu but couldn’t really find much info online.  Why do you think that is?  Too humbug to provide that, or do the halalu fishers want to keep the crowds thin?

To improve my woeful catch, I’ve asked halalu pros and the guys at the tackle shops for pointers.  We’ll see if that helps next time.

How many of you guys are interested in reading those tips?  Reply to this post or send me a comment and if there’s enough interest I’ll try to write up a rough Halalu Basics. Better yet, give me your halalu advice please!

 

thanks,

scott

What is this?!!

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Thanh had sent me this picture of a mystery fish he had caught on the Big Island.  Many of you may recognize it as the fish we call “broomfish” because of its wide broom-like tail but did you know its formal name is “scrawled filefish”?  I guess the iridescent blue markings look like scrawls or random drawings.

Filefish are related to triggerfish, and this scrawled filefish is said to be very delicious. They call it “poor man’s mahimahi” because of the flaky white meat you’d see after you removed its tough skin.  I actually blogged about this fish back in March, 2014, which may have been the last time I caught one of these strange looking fish.

Thanks for sending it in Thanh!

It’s not worth fishing during heavy storms

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I’m writing this as the downgraded Tropical Storm Iselle passes by Oahu.  There are a lot of valid reasons to avoid fishing during bad weather.  Strong winds, heavy rain, rogue waves, polluted runoff…

And in my recent experience the fish stop biting before the bad weather hits.  They feel the drop in atmospheric pressure and hunker down until the system passes.  Even the oamas in my tubs are doing that.  During this present storm they ate a little and then settled on the bottom of the tub.

So its best to sit out the bad weather, let the brown water clear, and then resume fishing.  The fish will have ended their hibernation and be eating to make up for lost time.

Kinda flat on the Flats

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edge of the flats

The plan was to have the visiting fishermen, Justin and Pete,  feel the raw power of an oio racing across the flats.  Unfortunately the oio had other plans.

There were a number of waders, dunkers and bait casters targeting the oio, and some of them got their intended quarry but we just got a few random reef fish.

flats omiluHighlights were an omilu on Justin’s first cast, and  a Hawaiian knifefish for me, which is some kind of small nabeta.  Justin had another story of the one that got away; this time I wasn’t around to witness because I was off fishing unproductive water.

We fished a new area of the flats and I wasn’t able to find the productive channels the oio frequent.

Lesson learned: Fish the flats on a rising tide before the inside section heats up from the morning sun.  Once that happens, fish the deeper channels closer to the break.

some sort of nabeta?

some sort of nabeta?

 

Small kine omilu action

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Pete's first omilu

Pete’s first omilu

Took Justin and Pete from Berkeley, CA out while the reef was low enough to wade to the breakers.  Pete, whose main sport is cycling, got the hang of avoiding snags and did a number on the fish.  He went from losing hinaleas in the pot holes yesterday to catching a mix bag of omilu, various types of hinalea and a humu.

Justin's first ever omilu

Justin’s first ever omilu

Justin tried his homemade Thai fish sauce flavored bait and brought in omilu and hinalea, and ended the day with a mystery fish that broke him off just as we were about to leave.

The omilus bit best as the tide started to come into the reef, even though it was after 9am.  I like these fish that allow us to sleep in a bit.

 

Pete and Justin w/the state fish

Pete and Justin w/the state fish

Sorry for the bad PhotoShopping. Didn’t want to upset the regulars by revealing the location.  All the fish were released.

Tomorrow we plan to hunt the oio on the flats.

Fishing the Diamond Head – Waikiki Fisheries Management Area on a blustery day

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Potholing the FMA

Potholing the FMA

Justin from Berkeley CA was researching spots to fish for his upcoming South Shore visit and stumbled upon the posts about the Diamond Head – Waikiki FMA.  He contacted me and along with his friend Pete, we fished the area of the FMA that’s wadeable on the minus tide.

The 15 – 20 mph trade winds made it hard to cast against the wind so we “pot holed” the cracks and crevices in the reef and cast with the wind onto the shallow reef.

The reef fish bit furiously but quite a few immediately holed up in the rocks and avoided being yanked out.  Maybe we broke some jaws today.

Chop and slop

Chop and slop

Justin won “the fish that got away” honors for the black tip reef shark that bit a long Makata Lure strip but the shark rubbed the hook off on a rock. Sounds like a fish story but I saw the 5 foot shark swimming towards us. I guess the folks at Makata Lures have to update the packaging to say “Papio, moi, kaku and shark”.

Since Justin and Pete didn’t strike me as poachers from the mainland, or guys that would expose the hot spots on the internet, we’ll be going to another spot tomorrow for a little omilu action.

 

 

Different conditions, different bait, different results

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clear_day_5-9-14

Yesterday I went back to the flats to try a new cut bait, aku belly.  I was told that the smell of aku belly draws the predator fish like papio and kaku in, so I geared up with 20lb test fluorocarbon and a bigger bait casting rod/reel.  The wind was light and the skies were clearer which allowed me to see the hinalea and moana flitting around but also provided the predator fish a good view of me and my offerings.

I didn’t get any hits after about 15 mins so I dropped the aku belly bait in front of the hinalea and they sniffed and retreated.  I then put on a piece of my go to secret bait and they immediately swarmed that.  I guess aku belly isn’t high on the list of delicacies for reef fish.

I swapped between the few secret baits I had and aku belly.  Caught a 7 inch omilu on the secret bait before I ran out of it.

It was a slow bite on a beautifully calm, clear day.  There were 2 fly fisherpeople working the shallows. Then a small skiff came in and its fly fishing occupants got out and joined the sight fishing activity.  I was told that a few small oio were sighted but they didn’t want to eat feathers and fur.

Take away: Aku belly isn’t the best bait to drag the flats unless the larger predators are in.  Clear conditions cause the fish to be very wary.  Or maybe it was because I didn’t use the orange weight?

 

South Shore Inshore Sweep on the orange weight!

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calm, overcast conditions

calm, overcast conditions

The flats were calm with light Kona winds and overcast skies. Tide was too low for the surfboard so I walked it.

Great day to try the  weights painted orange to resemble the eggs of sand turtles.

After 45 mins of inactivity I gave the orange weight 5 more casts before changing back to the regular red color, and boom, an almost legal omilu hit.

 

 

 

 

 

moanaThen two legal moanas bit near the reef dropoff.

 

 

 

 

 

lizardfishThe bite slowed so I tried the gold kastmaster and all I got was a very confident lizardfish.

 

 

 

 

 

oioBack to the orange weight and cut bait and an oio was on!  Papio, oio and goatfish, is that close to an Oahu inshore sweep?

Not sure if the orange color helped but it didn’t seem to hurt.

 

Decided to catch, photograph and release (CPR) so the fish were alive and moving when I took their pics.

South Shore oio on the flats

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flats surfboard launchI’m new at fishing the flats for oio.  I’ve caught them, though rarely, off sandy beaches and in deep reef channels but am new to stalking them on the south shore flats.  The first time I did this, my friend hooked one in a sandy channel as we waded a minus tide but I got blanked.  The second time the tide was filling in nicely but I think the sun was too high and the oio had come and gone.  Third time’s the charm.

Yesterday, it was overcast and just finished raining in the early afternoon, and the tide had already risen to half a foot.  That translated to about 2 feet on the flats.  I waded out, casting, while dragging my board.  Caught a small omilu on my 3rd cast but figured the slapping sound the board was making would scare the oio so I straddled and cast.  2 casts later I hooked a screamer.  I felt kind of foolish sitting on my board in 2 feet of water holding the rod as high as I could so I eventually got off and tried to keep the line off the reef.  I was expecting to feel the line rub against the reef followed by me yelling as I got cut off, but I guess the flats don’t have protruding coral heads.  The fish made runs of 50 yds or more against the smooth drag of the Calcutta 200 TE bait caster and eventually tired.

Since I had lost the previous 3 oio to coral heads and my friend wanted to make fish cake, I bagged it.   I did feel a little bad about killing the fly fisher’s catch and release quarry.

I rested my arms a bit and floated out to a sandy channel and 2 casts later I was on another oio.  Before I could decide whether to keep this one it unhooked.  Another small omilu and the bite was over even though my fish finder was metering fish on the flats and in the channels.  Maybe the tide got too high and the oio made it inside to the shoreline?

I have some theories regarding why the fish bit when and where they did, and even have a secret rig to try out, so I guess I have to go back and gather more data! Click here to see how the experimental rig worked out.

oio on the flats

 

 

Unscented Lures: Kastmaster, the flashy casting lure

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modified kastmasters

modified kastmasters

 

Kastmasters are an old school favorite in Hawaii.  As the name implies, the lure’s streamlined profile casts really well, even into the wind.  Its shiny, machined surface is beveled to cause it to flash as it swims enticingly. If you pause and let it fall, it flutters to the bottom like a dying fish.

The stock treble hook it comes with is notoriously weak and prone to snagging the reef so a suggested modification would be to replace that hook with a single “siwash” hook.  I use Gamakatsu “open eye” siwash hooks that have an eye that can be slipped over a split ring and then crimped tight.  I’ve heard that the kastmaster sinks with the printed side up so I position the siwash hook such that the point is facing up not down.  In theory this minimizes snags.

If you want to add further modifications, you can purchase the kastmaster with the trailer attachment, and add a stick on eye to the front of the lure.  I can’t tell you if those mods increase my catch rate but they don’t seem to hurt.

I get way more bites dragging cut bait than on the kastmaster but if something hits the kastmaster usually it’s a good one.  I try to start with the kastmaster and if I do get a hit on the kastmaster often that’ll be the only hit in that area until I switch to bait.

moana on 3/8oz gold kastmaster

moana on 3/8oz gold kastmaster

Use the kastmaster when you’re fishing near the water’s surface, to impart the right action.  If you’re fishing too shallow, say shallower than 4 feet of water, you may end up getting snagged a lot.  The blue/silver version attracts papio, kaku and awa awa, and the gold and rainbow trout version attracts moana and other reef fish.  Use the smallest size you can cast since the prey you’re imitating is often pretty small.  The 3/8 oz size will get more hits than the 1/2 oz size, and anything larger will lessen the number of hits but may attract a monster fish.

Click here to see how effective the gold kastmaster was on the He’eia Fishpond kaku.

For a summary of other bait and lures you could use, click here.

What’s the best bait or lure to use for nearshore fishing in Hawaii?

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modified kastmasters

modified kastmasters

I was a lure fishing purist. I even dabbled with tying flies and customizing Kastmaster lures.  It seemed more sporting to fool a fish to bite something man-made, and lures were a lot easier to acquire than bait.  But I got skunked way too many times and reluctantly tried dead bait, and then live bait.  Lure fishing in HI has its place but bait, particularly live bait, is KING.

Bait and lures can be broken down into the following categories:

  • Live bait – oama (juvenile goatfish), halalu (juvenile big eyed scad mackeral), nehu (Hawaiian anchovy), o’pae (shrimp), sand turtles (mole crabs), etc
  • Dead/cut bait – oama, tako (octopus), ika (squid), “California” shrimp, aku belly, etc
  • Scented lures – Berkley Gulp, Berkley Powerbait, etc
  • Unscented lures – plastic grubs/strips, flies, feather jigs, metal spoons, metal jigs, swimming plugs, etc

There’s too much detail to cover in one post so I’ll summarize the categories and cover them in future posts.

Live Bait

The best live bait for the larger nearshore fish, by far, is live oama.  Oama school up in the shallow, sandy areas in the late summer because the predator fish are hunting them mercilessly.  Halalu season overlaps with oama season, so the summer and early fall is the best period to nearshore fish.  If you can catch nehu, `opae and sand turtles and fish them near where you caught them you’ll have much better odds than using dead bait or lures.

Click here to read about the basics of oama fishing.

Click here to read about keeping your oama alive as long as possible.

Click here to read about catching sand turtles.

Click here to read about catching regular `opae.

Click here to read about catching the larger `opae lolo.

Dead Bait

papio caught with frozen oama

papio caught with frozen oama

Animals release chemicals when they die and thus, smell differently than alive.  Freezing bait changes their chemical makeup further.  So a defrosted bait definitely smells different to a fish than a live bait.  If properly handled and frozen, oama and tako are effective defrosted bait but are much better used freshly dead.  Aku belly is much better used fresh.  Ika and shrimp should be cut up in their proper presentation size, salted and then frozen to prevent them from getting too mushy.

Scented Lures

There are a number of lures that are impregnated with scent to smell like the bait they are imitating.  Berkley’s Gulp lures are the best known and come in many shapes.  I’ve tried them with moderate results.  Fish in HI that are attracted by smell, like humus, hinaleas, rock fish seem to like these lures.  Others may have had better results but the best fish I’ve caught with them were moana.  Because they are actually made from a fish food substance, the lure action isn’t as pliable as the better soft plastics.

Unscented Lures

Bait fish and crustaceans in Hawaii are very quick moving because the warm water keeps their metabolism up.  Fast moving, jerky lures often do well imitating these creatures.  The very popular plastic bubble pulling a plastic strip/grub or fly is very effective when popped erratically because the popping makes the predators think they’re missing out on a feeding frenzy.  Metal spoons like Kastmasters and Krocadiles, cast well and can be jigged deep.  The new metal jigs with assist hooks can be cast out and retrieved in deeper water, or fished vertically from a boat or kayak.  Lipped and non-lipped swimming plugs imitate bait fish and are great whipping and trolling lures.

Click here to read about modifying Kastmasters.

Click here to read about my favorite unscented lures of 2016.

Click here to read how well the Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) sub-surface lure has worked, right out of the gate.

Click here if you were wondering if JDM whipping lures were worth the higher price.

Click here to check out the Store to purchase JDM whipping lures, jigs and flies (if they aren’t sold out).

When is the best time to fish?

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Please also see When is the best time to fish – 2018 Update for additional tips on how to optimize your next fishing trip.

Fisherpeople, especially those with limited recreation time, often want to know what conditions determine the optimum time to fish.  While conditions vary based on the location and particular day, there are some basic, accepted rules:

Low Light

  • Predator fish can sneak up on prey better when the water isn’t clear.  Overcast or choppy, murky conditions are ideal times to fish.

Time of Day

  • Diurnal (awake during the day) fish are hungry after fasting the night and look for breakfast in the morning.
  • Diurnal fish try to eat before retiring for the evening.

Moon Phase

  • For daytime fishing, in general, the smaller the previous night’s moon phase, the better the bite.
    • Predators can feed better on brighter moon phases at night and will be less hungry during the day.
    • Prey will be chased around on brighter moon phases at night and be resting during the day.
  • For nighttime fishing, in general, the larger the previous night’s moon phase, the more activity there will be.
    • Predators will be hunting.
    • Prey will be running away.
    • Torching visibility will be brighter but there will be fewer creatures sleeping.

Tides

  • Fish bite best when the tidal currents are stirring up food sources.  The greater the difference between the low and high tide, the stronger the tidal current.
  • Days close to the full and new moon have the greatest difference between the high and low tide.
  • Fish bite best after the bottom of the low tide as the new water floods the reef.  Second best tidal period to fish is after the peak high tide, as water rushes out of the reef.  Fishing is generally slower as the low tide bottoms out and the high tide tops out.
  • Daylight fishing the strong tides near a new moon are better than fishing the strong tides of a full moon because the fish didn’t feed by moonlight the night before.
  • Fish have less places to feed on a low, rising tide than on a high tide, so it’s easier to guess where they are.
tides for April 1, 2014

tides for April 1, 2014

Tides4fishing.com does a really nice job explaining the best times of each day and best days of the month to fish.  In the above graph, the fish symbol denote the optimum periods based on tidal movement, to fish on April 1st, 2014.  Here’s the link to the actual web page this graph was snipped from.  Select the day and month on the right hand side of that page.

Stormy Weather

  • Fish can feel storms coming because the barometric pressure change can be felt underwater.  Since they plan to lay low in deeper water during storms, they may eat before the storm comes and eat after the storm passes.  Usually fishing around periods of stormy weather isn’t good, for the catching and for your comfort.

 

So what’s the takeaway from all of this?  If you’re able to pick your opportunities to fish, pick periods of large tidal movement during low light conditions, coinciding with early morning or late afternoon, and not during stormy periods.

 

Diamond Head to Waikiki Fisheries Management Area fish report #4

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surfboard fishing rig

surfboard fishing rig

I completed the last leg of the survey of the Diamond Head to Waikiki Fisheries Management Area (FMA) by fishing the area ending with San Souci Beach, also known as Kaimana Beach.  Instead of wading into chest deep water to walk around rock piles and jetties, I floated the area within casting distance of the beach, from my MacGyvered-up surfboard rig.  Yup, that’s a portable fish finder.  The rubber clasps attached to the board and the tackle bag are from Boardfisher.com.

Fishing the mid-morning rising tide, I was hoping to hook one of the monster Waikiki oios I’ve been hearing about, but instead got the usual suspects.

Christmas wrasse,  cigarfish wrasse, common hinalea (saddle wrasse), po’opa’a (stocky hawkfish) and one legal moana (manybar goatfish).   Perhaps the oio were further out in the deeper, sandy areas.

Can’t say I’m impressed with the fish stock of the FMA just a little less than 4 months into the open season.  We seem to catch more fish at other South Shore spots.

 

moana

fresh moana

steamed moana

steamed moana

 

 

 

 

The moana made a nice presentation, steamed up Asian-style by my friend’s mom.

Diamond Head to Waikiki Fisheries Management Area fish report #3

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not some remote atoll

not some remote atoll

Went back to the Diamond Head – Waikiki FMA area for round 3.  The tide was dropping below zero feet and the wind initially was manageable when this picture was taken.  The contrast of the reef and sand bottom was breathtaking.  But the fish didn’t want to bite and the wind made it hard to cast long leaders attached to floats without snagging something on the way out.

It was a “bolo-head” (white wash, nada, zilch, goose eggs) day but I got a chance to chat with Kawika whom I met last week at this spot, and later with Brandon (I think) back at the car.  Both generously shared fishing tips even though I warned them that I blog about my fishing experiences!  So while I didn’t return home with dinner, I gained something much more valuable.

I’ll give their information a try and report back with the results.  Here’s a preview:  Kawika tied his own flies to whip explosively behind a large cast-a-bubble.  Brandon liked using live bait (‘opae, “sand turtles” (mole crabs) and oama) and turned me on to some “guarantee oio spots” I could board fish in Waikiki.

The Aloha Spirit is still alive with the Oahu fishermen.  Just gotta respect their spots and practice Aloha in return.

 

 

 

Diamond Head to Waikiki Fisheries Management Area fish report #2

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fishing edge of reef on zero tide

fishing edge of reef on zero tide

Continuing my survey of the Fisheries Management Area (FMA), I fished from the east most beach park on Diamond Head Road to Tongg’s, which is near the east end of Kapiolani Park.  That general area has a very flat reef without too many deep holes, so it’s best to try to walk the reef on a zero foot tide and fish the dropoff or channels that cut through the reef.  If you expand the picture you’ll see Kawika doing just that.  He said he’s caught some nice fish at the dropoff at times and had caught a legal moana earlier this day.  I just got the usual suspects: humus, hinalea and po’opa’a.  I finally caught a 6 inch omilu by Tongg’s which was undersized and let go.

Please keep in mind, there are some spots on the shoreline only passable on a very low tide, and please be careful if you venture out to the edge of the reef.  Besides sharp rocks, wana (sea urchin) and eels to nip your feet, the waves can surprise you.

If you’re a visitor to Oahu staying in Waikiki, the reef fish can be very accommodating.  Use light tackle and a 2 inch grub or piece of bait and you’ll be able to sample the reef fish buffet.

It’s probably best to catch and release if you’re not sure of the legality and edibility of the fish.    Here are the minimum size limits, measuring from the nose to the fork of the tail.

 

Waikiki Aquarium and Marine Life Conservation District

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Waikiki Aquarium

Waikiki Aquarium

If you like looking at fish, the Waikiki Aquarium is a nice, small to medium sized Aquarium with a good sampling of Hawaiian and near Pacific sea life.  Adults pay $12 to enter, and there are various Military, Senior and Kama’aina discounts.

k moi (6-fingered threadfin)

broodstock moi (Pacific threadfin)

As a Kama’aina (local with proof of residence) I paid $8 and it was well worth it. I was able to study the fish I’m trying to catch, learn how coral reefs are built by nature and assisted by man, and see some huge broodstock moi (Pacific threadfin).

 

2-bar goatfish

malu (double bar goatfish)

My favorite type of Hawaiian fish are the chubby goatfish.  The aquarium had 3, but in separate tanks.

 

 

 

moana (manybar goatfish)

moana (manybar goatfish)

goatfish from NW HI islands

goatfish from NW HI islands

There’s a tide pool exhibit on the outside of the indoor Aquarium packed with the near shore fish like humus, aholehole, mullet, butterfly fish, kala, enenue, etc.   It was interesting to see that most of the carnivores frequented the shallow reef ledge where the wave action washed through.  So that supported a fishing adage I had heard before: fish like to feed in the shallows, very close to shore, so no need cast too far.

 

Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District

Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District

After viewing the captive fish I left the Aquarium and walked to the beach behind it.  That area is a permanent Marine Life Conservation District.  Here’s a shot of the area looking west, behind the Aquarium.  If you get a chance to walk out on the rock wall perpendicular to the coast line, look closely on the calm, west side and you may see aha (stickfish), papio (jack crevalle) and oio (bonefish).  Pretty cool to see wild, free fish cruising around after seeing the Aquarium inhabitants.  Don’t try to catch them though, they are permanently protected and the fine is pretty steep!

Diamond Head to Waikiki Fisheries Management Area fish report #1

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shoreline dunking

shoreline dunking

The State of HI closes the area from the Diamond Head lighthouse to the ewa (west) end of the Natatorium every odd-numbered year.  The area opened the first of this year to the usual craziness so I was curious if the mayhem had subsided.  When I checked the area just west of the lighthouse, there was 1 diver in the water and a few fishermen on shore but nothing like the beginning of the year madness.

All the naive fish have been removed from the gene pool after 2 full months of fishing, and the tidepools were missing the large schools of bait fish present during the “off” year, but there were still a few fish left on the reef.

bright red moana

bright red moana

The fish I caught were mainly under the legal size limit or not that desirable although they still were a lot of fun to catch and release.  The motley crew included small omilu, large lizardfish, jumbo humuhumuapua’as, Christmas wrasse and this beautiful moana (manybar goatfish).

I don’t believe the 1 year closed period is enough to increase fish population in this area since all it seems to do is give the fish a false sense of security only to be easy prey the following year.  An increase in the permanently closed area of Waikiki or a longer closed period would seem to be more effective.