Holoholo: Tips to help you catch more halalu

August 3, 2019 By Scott Leave a Comment

Duane is a very accomplished shore caster, ultralight whipper and fly fisher. If it swims, chances are he’s caught it. He’s also married to the Oama Psychologist, Tina. Duane shares some technique and etiquette tips to put more halalu in your cooler.

Duane: Summer is here and most people get excited for the oama bite, but for me, I’m looking forward to the halalu run. When I get the phone call that the halalu school came in, some of my first questions are: how far out is the school, what color are they biting and how long does my leader have to be and what pound test?

The reason I ask how far out the school is, it will dictate what length of rod do I need. For halalu fishing, I will have 3 rods. A 5-6’, a 7-8’ rod and a 8.5-9.5’ rod. Typically, if the fish are closer to the shoreline, I will use a shorter rod. The shorter rod will provide more accuracy which is especially important when fishing amongst other fishermen standing a few feet from you. However, if the fish are further out, you’ll need to go with a longer rod to be able to cast past the school and drag your lure thru the school in hopes for a bite.

Regarding the leader question, it allows me to know how finicky the bite is. The more finicky, the longer and lighter the leader needs to be. That tells me how many casts will it take to get a strike.

And finally the question regarding the color of the lure that the fish is biting, I carry over 15 different color and shape combination of proven halalu colors and to be able to narrow down one of the variables from the start saves time and money.

The main thing to be successful at halalu fishing, as well as all types of fishing, is being able to adapt to what the situation calls for. One day the fish might be biting a fast retrieve and the following day, they might like a slower presentation. If I am not catching much, I will watch the guys hooking the most fish and emulate what they are doing. I will jig my rod at the same tempo, crank my reel at the same cadence, and see if I can get a peek at their lure. If they have figured out the magic recipe to hook fish consistently, then I should be doing my best to copy what has been successful.

Here are a couple old timer rules for fishing for halalu:

Never cast into the school – this will only scare the fish and make the bite more difficult for everyone
Cast straight – with people fishing shoulder to shoulder, it is very important to cast straight to avoid tangling others. If the school is not in front of you, wait til the school moves or pick up your gear and change spot.
Cast from one direction – if the majority of the people are casting from one side of the break wall, don’t go on the other side that is 90* from the first wall and start casting. You will only tangle everyone.
Don’t try to snag fish – while it’s tempting to bust out the treble hook and try to snag the fish when they aren’t biting, you’re going to just scare the fish more and turn off the bite. You’ll only snag sardines that is sometimes mixed in with the halalu but you’ll never snag halalu…they’re too fast anyways.

Holoholo: DIY snag free oama net

July 21, 2019 By Scott 6 Comments

Green nets are covered with shade cloth material, red net is covered with household fiberglass screen.

I met David last year on a day that the oama didn’t want to bite the usual cut shrimp bait, and my experimental bait was doing the trick. Here’s how that day went down (I refer to him as “the grandpa” since he was fishing with his grandson). We ran into each other again, and David turned me on to his secret baits and methods. Since then we’ve tried to help each other get better as oama catchers and papio fishermen. Another great friendship, like that with Tina the Oama Psychologist, forged on the oama grounds.

David generously shares a key improvement to a critical piece of oama equipment:

Most real fishermen have forgotten more than I could ever hope to know. But I do have one tip that could help Oama fishermen. The net…. Getting your hook stuck in a fabric net is the pitttttts and of course it always happens when the bite is “on”, especially if you don’t pinch down the barb. So some people line the net with a plastic bag, but when the net is in the water, the bag floats up and out of the net plus it makes an irritating noise when the captured Oama are thrashing around in the plastic.

My solution, is to line the net with shade screen. They sell it at City Mill. It’s that dark green stuff that covers flower hothouses. You can either pull off the red or blue netting from the ready-made nets and discard it, or just stick the shade screen into the net and use a needle and thread (or thin cord or wire will do), to secure the shade screen into the wire hoop of the net; or use plastic ties. I happen to have large needles for sewing leather or carpet, and use leftover braided line to secure the cloth; you can easily make a large needle by using some stainless steel wire and crimping the thread at one end, the same way you would make a needle to bridal live bait. The fish hook doesn’t penetrate or stick on the shade screen because it is a plastic woven fabric and it severely reduces frustration levels. I’ve made shade screen nets out of old squash and racquetball rackets also. I hang them around my neck with bungee cord. Shade screen nets are stiffer and hold their shape and you can fabricate them so that they are shallower than mosquito fish nets that are too deep.

After all, the purpose of the net is just to secure the fish before it throws the hook and wiggles out of your hand, so a deep net is not necessary. Most of my shade cloth nets are only a few inches deep, kind of the shape of a small wok, just enough to keep the critters from wiggling away. The fabric is very cheap.

Aloha.

David

Holoholo: Oama Catch Report by Wahine Oama Psychologist!

July 19, 2019 By Scott 6 Comments

I met Tina a few years ago when I was a struggling oama fisher. I was doing so badly, Tina started putting her oama in my bait bucket! Since that embarrassing outing, I had seen her over the years at the spots, usually out fishing the guys. Her *secret* isn’t a bait, instead she studies the behavior of the oama to determine how to get them to eat that particular day. Here’s a brief set of tips, with more to come in the next installment of the Oama Psychologist.

Tina: One of the things I enjoy most on the weekends or after work is to go oama fishing. I know it is a bit early for the oama to start running, but I was getting excited. So a few weeks ago, I went to check to see if the oama had came in. Walked around and around and around and found nothing at multiple spots.

Went to check it out again this past week. The first spot I checked out, I searched all around and there was not one oama to be seen. Went to the second spot and found a small school of maybe 50 oama swimming around with the tiniest oama- maybe about 4-5 inches long and really skinny. The fish were not really eating a lot and were a little skittish. There were some other people fishing with me that caught one or two fish, and then gave up and went home a little bit after I got there. Some other people came to fish after that, and I noticed they were using large pieces of bait, and were not catching anything. I started making my baits really tiny since the fish were super tiny, and started to catch a few. Caught just enough to eat for pupus, and then went home.

So here’s some general oama tips for all you oama enthusiasts, that I have gathered over the years:

If you want to find oama, don’t always rely on other people to find the schools. Check around at different places, because the early bird gets the worm, and you might find some secret spots that no one knows about!
Catching oama is not the same for every place. You have to be able to adjust to changing situations. Some oama like small bait, some like large bait. Sometimes you have to drop your bait to the bottom, and sometimes halfway or leave it at the top. I even found one place that if the bait gets any type of dirt, sand or rocks on the bait, the oama won’t go for the bait.
Show aloha to others – I have made many friends out there oama fishing and had lot of good laughs and conversation. It’s amazing how well you can get to know someone fishing together for an hour or two. If you show aloha to those around you, they often will teach you the best techniques, or give you advice for gear, line and hooks that work best.

What gear to use to fish light lures from shore

May 13, 2019 By Scott 21 Comments

Thad, our resident JDM tackle expert and land based whipper:

So you’re checking out Hawaii Nearshore Fishing, which is loaded with useful information on light lures, and wonder to yourself, what kind of gear should I be using to fish lures like those? Here’s a short guide on some of the gear I use to whip these small lures in the 10 to 30 gram range, which equates to approximately 3/8 to 1 oz. The gear I like to use is based on my own personal experiences and preferences – it’s what I’m comfortable using. Others may have their own techniques which are just as effective for them.

Rod

I prefer to use rods in the 9 to 10 foot range with 9’6″ rods being my favorite. I fish mostly shoreline fish areas and often walk the shallow flats and will walk out to the break on low tides if conditions permit. Longer rods will tend to give you better casting distances. I find 9’6″ rods to be the perfect length for me because, in the event the line should tangle on the tip of the rod while I’m out walking the reef flats, I can still reach it without having to dunk my reel in the water – a big no no if your reel has no water seal. Rod action, or taper that I prefer is regular to regular fast. I find this action allows me to load up on the cast so the rod does a lot of the work in getting the light lures out. I try to find rods rated for lures anywhere in the 5 to 35 gram range and avoid using lures at or above the rod rating.

Reel

I tend to use mostly Shimano reels in the 3000 to 4000 sizes with the 4000 being my go-to. If you decide to use other brands such as Daiwa, be aware that the number sizing is not the same between brands. A Daiwa 4000 reel will be bigger and heavier than a Shimano 4000. I also prefer high speed reels with a gear ratio of 6.0:1 or faster.

Line

I use braided mainline for its high strength relative to its small diameter. It will allow you to get maximum casting distance without sacrificing strength. It also won’t deteriorate as quickly as monofilament, which usually needs to be changed regularly depending on how often you fish. Monofilament will deteriorate and lose strength from sunlight and even from fumes if stored in a closet with chemicals. The drawback to braid is its higher cost and low abrasion resistance. I use 20lb braid on my Shimano 4000 reel and 10lb braid on my 3000.

Leader

My preference is to use 25lb fluorocarbon leader but I will use 40lb on occasion if I’m seeing a lot of big kaku in the water. Monofilament leader will also work and is much cheaper. I use a little less than two arm lengths of leader and connect it to the mainline with an FG knot. This will allow the knot to be just below the bottom guide when casting. Some people have no issues with longer leaders which wrap the spool a few times but I find it decreases my casting distance considerably. The JDM rods I use tend to have much smaller guides so having the FG knot between the bottom guide and reel will give the knot a smooth, straight-line path through the guides. If you’re not yet comfortable tying an FG knot, you can also use a swivel to connect the leader and mainline, but you will need to shorten the leader since the knot will not and should not be cast through the guides.

I tie a Tactical Angler (TA) clip to the end of the leader using an improved clinch knot or an Orvis knot. Orvis knots are very strong and the tag end points towards the lure so there’s less chance of catching limu on it but the knot can be difficult to tie on thicker lines. The TA clip is strong and makes it easy to switch out lures in seconds. I like to switch lures constantly when I whip so I can’t fish without a TA clip. I experimented using a small swivel between the leader and clip but found that the extra weight often affected the action of the light lures. None of the lures I use spin in the water so I don’t need the swivel.

So there you have it. My preferred set up for whipping small lures, small jigs, and bubble with fly or grub. It works for me and fits the style of fishing I enjoy the most.

Editors Note: No wonder Thad outfishes me, his rod is 1.5ft longer than mine, and his leader is twice as long as what I use!

DIY bottle cap fish scaler

January 27, 2019 By Scott Leave a Comment

My kayak fishing partner Frank is a retired shipyard welder who has made all kinds of stuff for us. Here’s a short list of what he made for my fishing needs:

pvc kayak washing rack
aluminum fish finder transducer arm
aluminum adapter plate to attach a Tite-Lok rod holder to a Scotty rod holder base on my new kayak
kage that I’ve been holding off using until I fish the larger kayak
clips made out of zip ties to secure the rods to the kayak

I call him Frank the Fabricator! Frank saw a bottle cap scaler Kelly had fashioned, and added his twist to the design. I asked him to share the info since others may want to make an inexpensive scaler that works really well on fish with small scales.

Frank:

I started with an old scaler that was replaced by a better brass scaler which has more teeth. The old scaler has holes just at the right places to bolt down 4 caps on the opposite side of the teeth. I drilled a hole for the 5th cap. The aluminum flat bars were added to keep the caps on a flat surface. Stainless hardware was used.

Will try to add caps to the back of the brass scaler for an all purpose scaler. Mahalo Kelly for the idea!

I was blessed to catch 3 omilu so late in the season. The edges of the bottle caps scraped the little scales thoroughly. I then used the shears Thad ordered from Japan, to cut out the fins and used a knife to remove the scutes and tails. Cleaning and prepping fish is a far more simple task after a good fun fishing day in Hawaii Nei.

How to ruin perfectly good fish cleaning shears

January 6, 2019 By Scott Leave a Comment

I was in a blade sharpening mood after running my knives through the electric sharpener. Figured I’d touch up the Rapala Fish and Game shears. Mistake was I sharpened the “flat” side of each blade that doesn’t have a beveled edge. By doing that I loosened the tolerance between the two blades and now they separate slightly when I cut. The shears have been rendered useless.

Googled “how to sharpen shears” and you’re supposed to sharpen the cutting edge with a sharpening stone. No mention of the dull, flat side. Ugh. Didn’t want you guys to make the same mistake I made.

Ciguatera: Is my fish safe to eat?

November 28, 2018 By Scott 20 Comments

Ciguatera poisoning is caused by ciquatoxin, produced by reef plankton. Some fish that directly eat the plankton, kole and palani for example, build up dangerous levels of the toxin, and all reef predators that eat the fish that eat the plankton accumulate the toxin. Human consumers of tainted fish gradually accumulate enough of the toxin to the point it affects them. One fish with very high levels of ciquatera, or a slightly tainted fish that pushes the human consumer over the edge, can bring on a very bad experience.

It is believed that the ciguatoxin levels on the reef fluctuate seasonally, and thus, the species that have a reputation to be “hot” may or may not have dangerously high levels depending on whether a bloom is going on. Since most predator fish, like papio/ulua, kaku, etc, travel anyway, it’s not wise to think fish from one particular area is “safe”.

A few scientific studies have been conducted in the past decades. This one, by the Hawaii State Dept of Health, grouped species in fairly broad categories, indicating how many of the 736 implicated fish were of a broad species. “Jack Fish” caused the highest number of poisonings, and is comprised of papio, ulua and kahala. Surgeonfish (kole, palani, kala) is next, grouper (roi, hapuupuu), and snapper (wahanui, taape, uku, toau) follow. What’s not clear is the percentage of each species group consumed that didn’t cause a reaction.

In another publication, the Hawaii Seafood Council refers to a study conducted between 1999 and 2003, listing the top 10 fish species involved in ciquatera poisoning. Interestingly, uku (#7) is higher up in the list than wahanui (#9), yet you no longer hear of uku being “hot”. However, the web is full of references of how “hot” wahanui is.

In yet another survey, published by the Hawaii Dept of Aquatic Resources, divers speared roi in West Hawaii (Big Island) and Oahu, and autopsied them to determine ciguatera level. All the roi tested positive for ciguatera, with 25% of the West Hawaii ones and 8% of the Oahu ones at levels unsafe to consume.

Traditionally, big papio, ulua, kahala, kaku, wahanui and kole have been likely ciguatera suspects before roi were introduced to Hawaii. Even uku to some degree, but possibly less because uku feed at mid depths when they get bigger. So what does this all mean in regards to how safe your fish is to eat? To minimize risk, don’t consume large individuals of these species, and limit your reef predator consumption in general.

Akule and Halalu fishing etiquette

October 6, 2018 By Scott 1 Comment

If you know anything about whipping for akule and halalu from shore, you know it’s an activity potentially prone to tangles and conflicts. Unless you’re good enough to avoid tangles or you don’t mind conflict, you stay away from this type of close quarter fishing like I do.

But, we are very fortunate to have a 30 year akule and halalu fishing veteran on hand to share some etiquette tips on how to greatly reduce group aggravation and increase your enjoyment. He chases these fish all over Oahu and even travels to Kona when the Oahu bite is slow, and would like to keep anonymous for now.

Mr X:

The main thing is that everyone needs to respect the other fishers. If it’s crowded, look around and watch how people are fishing. Don’t squeeze in and create an uncomfortable or unsafe situation. I’ve waited 3 hours before, just to get a spot to open up. Practicing casting is key, if you can cast straight with an overhead motion then you’ll be able to fish closer to the next guy without creating an unsafe situation. Beginners should ask a lot of questions. Normally you can tell who’s been fishing halalu for a while…. ask questions and you’ll get better faster.

Amount of side to side space – If you can’t cast straight all the time, give yourself more space between the other fishers.
Don’t stand higher up or in back of someone and cast over them, you’ll snag their lines on your retrieve.
It’s safer to use a long leader and keep hook in water during entire cast. If you have a short leader, make sure you have plenty of space from the next fisherman.
Reserving spot – if you aren’t there don’t expect your spot to be held long.
Don’t cross lines on cast, fish in your “lane”. Try to practice before you fish. Casting straight allows more fishermen to fish and reduces tangles.
If you need to cast over another line, be conscious of others. Watch where they are casting. Try to rotate casting so you’re casting outside of others as they retrieve their lines in. Think of it as a rotation, as one person reels in, you can cast over that spot. If two people cast simultaneously at the same spot they will increase the chance of a tangle.
Use enough drag to bring your fish in relatively straight.
Just remember that everyone has the right to fish, be patient with beginners, but also if you start tangling other lines often, stop and think about why. If you need practice, go to a spot away from the crowd and practice casting.

What’s the difference between white papio and omilu?

June 11, 2018 By Scott 4 Comments

When I started fishing as a kid, the rare papio I caught were very small; less than today’s 10 inch fork length minimum. Most were omilu but some were small white papio incidentally caught oama fishing. I didn’t realize the two species were so different, and a lot of newbies may not either.

Look at the pictures above. The omilu (bluefin trevally) on the right have their eyes set further back than the white papio (giant trevally) on the left. That’s because they hunt looking ahead, targeting fast moving creatures on the reef in relatively clear water during the day. They have a narrower profile and dart into reef crevasses to ambush their prey, which consists mainly of small fish, but does include some crabs and shrimp.

The white papio’s eyes are larger than the omilu’s because they hunt in low light and off color water, especially at night. Their eyes are set forward because they often root around for shrimp and crabs on the bottom when they are juveniles, and tako and eels when they are larger and slower moving. The white’s mouth opens larger than an omilu in order to swallow such a big piece of food.

Many believe that white papio tastes milder than omilu because their diet includes crustaceans and other non-fish critters whereas the adult omilu mainly eats fish.

Whites are proportionally thicker than omilu, and grow much larger. The state record for white ulua (GT) is almost 200 lbs whereas the omilu record is 28 lbs.

The fish feel different on the line too. Omilu generally run faster than whites because they are slimmer and quicker, and dart into the reef holes if given a chance. Whites pull steadier and often last longer because they use their thickly muscled bodies to resist being pulled.

How should you target each species?

Omilu: They hunt early in the morning in low light and throughout the day as the tide fills in, but take a siesta when the sun is very bright. When the sun goes down, they settle back into their deep reef safe zones to sleep. They have a weakness for oama but also hit quick moving lures. Generally more discriminating than whites, they also appear to be smarter. Besides dunking around the bait fish piles, whipping near clear, turbulent water can be very productive. Omilu hit aggressively if they feel safe enough to do so.

White Papio: The bigger ones (ulua) prefer to feed in the cover of night so live and dead baits slid down or dunked work well. During the day, white papio hunt in slower moving, off color water like bays, stream mouths and harbor channels. Big ulua hunker down in deeper water caves during the day but can be agitated to bite by the gurgle of a large popper. If big whites are together they can be very competitive feeders, fighting off each other to get to the lure first.

Guest Post: Tie your own halalu flies!

January 23, 2018 By Scott 27 Comments

This post is from my fishing buddy Thad, who not only taught us how to catch halalu this past year, but also catches the bait we use to catch oama, and finds great deals on Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) lures so we can get the best stuff at reasonable prices. Here’s how we did on that inaugural halalu training trip. Frank caught on quickly and I’ve since decided to avoid further halalu frustration. Search for “halalu” in the search box on this site to see how we did on Trip 2 and Trip 3.

Aloha Hawai‘i Nearshore Fishers! A reader of Scott’s blog had asked for tips on how to make the flies that were mentioned in his first halalū article so I was asked if I’d be willing to write a simple “how-to.” Hopefully my first guest blog is coherent enough for readers to understand as I can tend to ramble on with my thoughts.

So this past season, Scott, Frank, Erik and I gave halalū fishing a try – my first time going after these juvenile akule in over 12 years. Me and a buddy of mine used to frequent the usual west side spots every weekend for akule many years ago, jigging simple homemade flies on ultralight gear. I had never used these flies for halalū so when I was preparing for our trip, I got my usual plastic strips and red beads ready but decided to take a few flies with me just in case.

When we arrived at the spot, there were already a few fishermen whipping the school but two individuals in particular were hooking up consistently on what looked like flies very similar to the ones I made for akule. Encouraged by this, I tied a fly to my 3lb test fluorocarbon leader and cast just past the edge of the pile. Immediately, a halalū swallowed my fly and got hooked deep in the throat. I was happy to know the flies I made over 12 years ago still worked!

Since that first trip, I’ve noticed many people using similar flies for halalū with a lot of success. It could be that people were using flies for halalū back then as well and I was just too dense to notice. I also see flies being sold online and in stores now. We had to make our own back then and couldn’t buy them even if we wanted to, but you can’t beat the feeling of catching fish on a lure you made yourself.

I’ll just throw in my little disclaimer here. I don’t consider myself an expert fly maker in any way – not even close. I was never shown how to make these flies so I’m sure there are better, more efficient methods of making these but I think I can at least cover the basic concepts to help get you started.

I should begin with a list of the supplies I use.

A simple fly tying vise
Lumaflex thread cut to 2” to 2 1/4″ lengths
Flash thread (optional)
Beads
AH style gold hooks size 12 or 13
Monofilament line
Scissors

I recently bought a cheap vise online to replace a broken one. I later saw the same vise being sold at a local tackle shop at the same price so if you can, you should buy this locally. This vise easily clamps to the edge of any work table.

The lumaflex thread is basically a spandex thread that comes in a variety of colors so you should buy several to experiment with different color combinations. Lumaflex or similar spandex thread can also be found at many local tackle shops. The beads I use are made of glass but I have used plastic ones too. Same with the lumaflex, I would buy several different colors to try. The important thing with the beads is finding ones that will be able to slide past the barb and sharp curve at the bottom of the hook. The hooks I use are AH style gold in size 12 or 13. Gold seems to be the preferred color for most people so I go with that. The monofilament line I use is 8 or 10lb test. For this example, I’ll be making a fly using a size 12 gold hook, blue and red beads, white wings, aurora blue flash thread, and orange body.

The first step is to slide two beads onto the hook, past the barb and sharp curve. They should be able to slide all the way to the eye of the hook. The hook is then clamped to the vise.

Thread one end of the mono in through the bottom of the second bead, then back through the same bead, creating a loop. Place 4 or 5 pieces of the pre-cut lumaflex thread and optional flash thread in the mono loop and slowly pull both ends of the mono. Most flies I’ve seen use 4 lumaflex threads, creating 8 wings. As a personal preference, I use 5 threads to create 10 wings on my flies.

This is where it gets a little tricky, especially with glass beads because they crack easily. Carefully pull both ends of the mono until the centers of the lumaflex get pulled through the bead and begin showing on the other side. I then remove the mono and slide the second bead up against the first one. Adjust the wings so they fan out nice and even. The tension in the bottom bead should be enough to keep it from sliding back down.

In the past, I left the fly like this as you can see in the picture Scott posted in his first halalū article, but I have now been finishing the flies with additional lumaflex wrapped around the shank of the hook. This helps gives added support to keep the bottom bead from sliding down and gives it a nicer, finished look. When I’m done, I remove the fly from the vise and clip the wings to the desired length.

Hopefully this simple how-to will help get you started on making your own homemade halalū/akule flies. I would love to hear of better, more efficient methods if anyone is willing to share. Mahalo for reading!

Update: Thad details how to fish this fly.

For your halalu fly rig, I would suggest you run the lightest egg lead you can cast which will allow you to reach just beyond the school. The lighter lead will not scare the fish as much as a heavier one. I run 2 or 3lb test fluorocarbon leader. As for the length of the leader, look at how long the other fishermen are running them for that spot. I use a 5ft ultralight rod and normally run my leader about 6-7 feet. There are some spots where I would run leaders as long as 10-12 feet. It depends on the wind, the amount of room you have to cast, and how easily the fish are spooked. Obviously, you shouldn’t run a long leader when it’s windy or crowded. You don’t want to snag your neighbor on a cast.

I cast my lead just past the school if possible. Make sure you keep track of where your neighbor’s lines are before you cast and know the approximate location and distance of their lines. I let your lead sink all the way if the bottom is snag free. Otherwise, let it sink a little but begin your retrieve before it reaches the bottom. There are many retrieval techniques. I like to jig my fly up from the bottom, and through the school. I hold the rod with my right hand near the stripper guide and shake the rod up and down quickly as I slowly crank the reel. Others like a much slower, sweeping movement of the fly. Watch your neighbors and try different techniques to find what works best for you.

Don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t already. Lots more Guest Posts, How-Tos and Recipes are in the works. Thanks for reading.

When is the best time to fish in Hawaii? – 2018 Update

January 12, 2018 By Scott 2 Comments

When I started this blog in 2014, I was trying to figure out the most productive conditions to fish, and as I gathered info I wrote a post titled “When is the best time to fish?”. It’s been one of the most popular posts because folks are always searching for that topic on the web. The basic info still applies but I’ve experienced the following exceptions to the rules.

Presence of bait fish and easy access for predators to hunt bait trump other factors.

In general, I’m fishing for predator fish that eat bait fish. Bait fish aren’t always around but when I do find them, I always check for hungry predators stalking nearby. Certain inshore bait fish seem to attract predators better than others. Often, the oama school will be left alone but papio and kaku will be attacking the iao (Hawaiian silverside) and nehu (Hawaiian anchovy) schools. Some shallow spots are best to pursue predators when the tide rises high enough to allow them to reach the bait, other deeper flats have more predator action when the tide is lower, limiting the area bait can flee. Each spot is unique. Fish the individual spots enough to learn the patterns.

In deep water, presence of bait and moving water often trump other factors.

Shallow inshore areas need enough water for predators to feel safe hunting, which usually means the rising tide is a great time to fish. Deep offshore areas always have enough water, and the overhead sun has less negative effect than in the the shallows, so what seemed to be the key factors are presence of bait fish and a moving current. Current can be caused by tidal movement, wind and waves.

Consider the Hawaiian Moon Calendar prediction.

Besides tracking tide, wind and size of moon, I started noting the 30 day moon phase of each outing. The ancient Hawaiians noted each day/night of the 30 phases from New Moon to Full Moon and came up with general observations for each of these phases. Some of the observations/predictions are counter intuitive, for example some of the phases leading up to the Full Moon are expected to be good fishing days, whereas I thought they’d be unproductive during the daylight hours because the predators were hunting at night. I’m still accumulating catch data to compare with the Hawaiian Moon Calendar predictions but there does seem to be a correlation between the Calendar’s prediction and my results. Log as much info as you can about each fishing trip in a way where you can determine patterns.

Reader’s Tip: Keep your oamas alive and healthy until you can use them

July 18, 2017 By Scott 2 Comments

Mark on Kauai sent this tip with photos to show how he keeps his oama alive and healthy until he has time to use them for live bait. He puts the oama in a bucket of sea water lined with a black trash bag that has sand on the bottom. He says the black liner keeps the water cool, and the sand calms the oama down. Mark uses a simple air pump to oxygenate the bucket and a water pump and bell siphon to recirculate water between another bucket of seawater, but you could just do intermittent water changes when the water gets too warm or soiled with fish waste. Ammo Lock or Prime, purchased from a pet store, will neutralize the toxic ammonia the fish produce.

Here’s a nice Hanalei white papio caught on one of his frisky live oama.

Thanks for the tip Mark, and I hope you get more papio before the season is over!

Oama fishing basics (2015)

May 22, 2015 By Scott 22 Comments

Oama season traditionally runs from the beginning of July to the end of September. Last year the oama came in early and schools kept coming all the way into November. It’s been theorized by marine biologists that the common weke and red weke broadcast spawned earlier than normal due to last Spring’s warmer than normal sub-surface water temperatures and favorable currents brought the oama into the island chain.

Here’s what you need to know before they arrive.

oama gear

What You Need

Short, straight pole. You could use a bamboo pole but I like the cheap, telescopic fiberglass poles with the eyelet at the tip. 4 to 5 feet is normally long enough. Tie 2 – 4lb test Mono or fluorocarbon line to the eyelet.
Small hooks with the barb pinched down for easy release of oama and net snags. Some fishers start with a number 20 J-shaped hook early in the season when the oama are small. I like to use the larger number 17 hook, or a slightly larger Owner Mosquito hook. Small hooks are harder to tie and harder to unhook.
The larger sized split shot. One larger shot works better than two smaller shot since two shot tend to tangle easier. Pinch the larger shot on about 4 inches above the hook.
Small landing net. Spend a little more on a net with nylon netting. It would snag less than the common red cotton-blend type.
Footwear to walk on pebbly sand and slippery rocks.
Floating live bait bucket. I like the yellow Frabill Flow Troll with the spring-loaded door.
Bait. Opae, frozen shrimp, aku belly and oama flesh. There are a few “secret” baits people use that I won’t reveal. When the oama are biting well, frozen shrimp legs dragged on the bottom work surprisingly well.

Optional:

Hat
Polarized sunglasses
5 gallon bucket and live bait aerator/pump if you’re planning to keep the oama alive

can you see the oama?

Where To Find Oama

There are some fairly well known spots on Oahu to catch Oama. Ala Moana Beach, Wailupe, Heeia Pier, Ka’awa, Punalu’u, Haleiwa, etc. You can drive by and check those spots from the car, looking for oama fishers.
The less visible, less fished spots will have to be checked by foot. Generally oama will congregate in areas sheltered from wave action and at the shore end of a shallow protective reef shelf. The areas will be open with good visibility so the oama can see their predators coming from far away.
Oama also seek protection in mangrove roots but aren’t usually in a feeding mood when they’re hunkered down.

How to Catch Oama

When oama are breezing from spot to spot, they aren’t interested in eating. To get these breezers to start eating, you can palu with a mixture of sand and sardines/bloody fish scraps.
When you see the oama sniffing around on the sandy bottom with their barbels, they’re looking for food. This is the best time to catch them. Drop your bait to the bottom. When the oama swim to it and start nibbling, lift the bait up in a smooth upward toward the approaching oama. If you don’t hook one, drop down and repeat the lifting movement every few seconds as the oama are headed for your bait. Lift early, before the oama has tasted and rejected your bait. This takes practice; watch how the oama pros do it.
When the oama aren’t actively eating but are mildly interested in your bait you can try dragging it sideways on the bottom. This makes the bait look more like the critters they feed on and sometimes gets them to bite.
Oama tend to bite better when the tide is moving. If the oama are really not feeding, wait until evening when they normally binge before looking for a place to sleep.

Handling of Oama

Pinch down the barb of your hook so the oama can be removed quickly. This will cause you to lose quite a few but it’ll be less damaging to the fish.
If possible, tuck your landing net on your body somewhere so you can guide the caught oama into the net rather than holding the net with one hand and the rod with the other. Unhook the oama in the net gently and place it in your floating bait bucket with as little trauma as possible. Once in the bait bucket, the oama will calm down. You can place quite a few in the bait bucket as long as there’s good water flow.
When pau fishing, transfer the oama in the floating bait bucket to your 5 gallon bucket that you filled with cool, clean sea water. A little sand on the bottom of the bucket helps calm the fish down. Turn on your portable aerator and make sure there’s good oxygenation. If that aerator stops, the oama will suffocate in a few minutes.
If you’re not planning to use the oama right away, take an extra bucket or two of water home so you can do a water change. The oama release ammonia which is toxic to them.
Keep the oama container shaded and covered so the oama are less traumatized.

Keeping the Oama Alive at Home

If you plan to use the oama the next day, they can remain in the 5 gallon bucket in a cool, shaded place. Make sure your pump will keep running over night, in fact, it’s worth investing in an electric pump which won’t cost much more than the battery powered ones. You can buy those at a fish supply store.
Change the water daily. Remove any dead or dying fish. To get the most out of your sea water, treat the water with Ammo Lock, which neutralizes the ammonia the fish are releasing. You can buy Ammo Lock in a fish supply store.
If you want to keep your oama longer than a day or two, get a large, black, circular plastic tub from a pet store or garden supply store. The darker background will calm the oama and the circular shape prevents them from running into a corner. Use an electric aerator that puts out a lot of bubbles, and if you really want to keep them happy, add a power head that circulates the water. The electric aerator and power head should be less than $40 together. The plastic tub could run you anywhere from $20 – $100 depending on the size and quality.
To keep the oama from fouling their water too quickly you can add Stress Zyme, which contains live, good bacteria that consumes the gunk produced by the fish. This can be purchased in fish supply stores.
If you want to keep your oama alive a long time you’ll need to add a filter. I use an external canister filter that extracts physical waste and adds water circulation.
It’s not easy raising wild, saltwater fish. After many die-offs I can now keep most oama alive for a few weeks with some living for more than 3 months.

Using the Oama for Bait

Ideally you can fish the live oama with as little terminal tackle as possible, allowing it to swim naturally. Some fishers walk out to reef dropoffs and “free line” their oama with just a hook. Dunkers use a lead line and shorter leader tied to a small papio hook Slow trollers, like me, hook the oama in the head with a second hook dangling near the last fin.
If you’re able to make a soft cast, you can lightly hook the oama behind the dorsal fin to cause the least amount of damage. If you want to hook the oama as securely as possible, you can hook it from under the lower jaw, out through the top of the head, but in front of the brain so you don’t kill it. Since I very slowly troll mine on my longboard or kayak, I hook mine through its nostrils so it can still gulp water.
Lively oama get bit better than sluggish oama, but even dead ones still work.
If your oamas die but are still in pretty good shape, you can freeze them for use later. First lay them out and salt them with Hawaiian Salt or rock salt. Let them sit that way for a few hours, in the fridge. The salt will draw out water from the fish, which minimizes freezer burn. If possible, vacuum seal the oama, then freeze. The oama will look a little dehydrated from the salt but will plump up when you use them in water.

Best conditions to score papio

August 12, 2014 By Scott Leave a Comment

best day so far

After trolling oamas aimlessly for a month and a half, I noticed a pattern as to when and where I get most of my strikes. These conditions apply to dunking and whipping also.

First third of the rising tide
Cool, moving water; not still, sun warmed water
In front of the surf break (I’m not going past the surf break)
Bouldery terrain with a mix of sand and dark rocks
Edge of channel and bouldery reef

And for those trolling oama:

4 to 6 foot fluorocarbon leader
front hook through nostrils, rear hook past the ventral (anal) fin
30 to 75 feet away from you
liveliest oama (but wounded or freshly dead still work if that’s all you have)

Please keep in mind I haven’t caught anything big this season but I am getting a lot of strikes when the above conditions come together.

Live bait: Sand turtles – not really a turtle

April 28, 2014 By Scott 11 Comments

sand turtles

Sand turtles are called sand crabs or sand fleas on the Mainland. Reptile lovers can rest easy, they are a crustacean that burrow in the sand near the water’s edge. They are often caught on sloping beaches with fine sand, but are even present on grainy, pebbly beaches as those in the picture were.

They seem to always be present until you try to catch them. My theory is that they don’t like the heat of day, so early in the morning or in the late afternoon, on a low tide, may be best.

The most comprehensive writeup regarding capture, preservation and use as bait refers to the Florida version but all that’s mentioned applies to our sand turtles too. Click here for that guide.

ika tied to a beach vine

Traditionally fisherpeople in HI would use string or cord they found on the beach and attach some kind of bait on one end, and tie the other end to a stick. If left to be pushed around with the incoming water, eventually a swarm of sand turtles could be dug up nearby. A more streamlined version is to simply zip tie the bait to a stick and stake the stick in the water, with the bait buried. A piece of ika, chosen for its strong scent and toughness, is a popular bait. Click here for an even easier way to catch sand turtles.

The sand turtles molt like other crabs and shrimp, and the fish can tell the soft shell versions from the regular versions. Fish also love the females that are carrying orange eggs. If you’re lucky enough to have either soft shell or egg laden sand turtles, use those first.

On the mainland, the fish that eat the sand turtles just gulp them down so the hook point can run through the top of the shell, but here on our reefs we have a lot of nibblers that will try to suck out the good stuff and leave you with an empty shell.

The best way to hook the sand turtle is to turn it over and place the point of the hook through the “digger” or slender triangular piece that starts from the turtle’s back and points forward. That will prevent the turtle from burying itself. Drive the point through the top of the shell and then bring it back through the top so the point of the hook ends up facing downward.

You can dunk the sand turtle or slow drag it along a sandy bottom. Moi, oio, goat fish and papio love them, as well as the other reef denizens you may not want to catch.

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

Live bait: Oama, long live the King!

April 14, 2014 By Scott 3 Comments

raising oama

If you google for “oama”, eventually you will come across hits for our current President (this is written in 2014). But if you fish in HI, you would know that oama are juvenile “weke” or goatfish that arrive in the shallow sandy areas between early July and late September to flee their many predators. You’ll also know that fishing with oama during this “season” is the best time of the year to fish for papio (jack crevalle). Some people only fish during this period and pack their gear away the rest of the year.

There is much information on what beaches to find them and how to catch them. Sometimes the catching is easy, sometimes it’s really hard. The best way to catch them is to have an experienced person show you how it’s done.

Every oama you catch can potentially be converted into a papio. While it’s an art to catching the oama, it’s a science to keep them alive long enough to use them for bait. Here’s what I learned the hard way, at the expense of the poor oama.

Oama are a schooling fish that are comforted by the company of their friends. It’s ok to keep quite a few of them together.
It’s not enough to keep them in a bucket of salt water with an aerator going. Heat and their own ammonia kills them. Keep them in an aerated, cool place, and change their water daily. A large cooler in the shade will do, and to increase their chances of survival you can use an ammonia detoxifying agent like Ammo Lock to neutralize the bad chemicals in their water. You can buy Ammo Lock in a pet fish store. Keep their holding pen dark and the oama will be much less stressed.
A dying oama seems to give off strong toxins that kill the others. Remove dying or dead fish immediately and dose with the Ammo Lock.
If you have the luxury of a tank with filtration, you can actually keep oama alive for a long time. Just don’t get too attached to the cuddly, whiskered cuties. I did and couldn’t put a hook through them so I had to wait for them to die before I used them!
If you plan to use the oama for bait within a week you don’t have to worry about feeding them but if you really want to you can get some frozen Mysis shrimp from the pet store. Start with very little because they won’t be feeding well initially. If they don’t eat the shrimp you’ll have to remove them because it will cloud the water. Some people use brine shrimp but I haven’t had good luck with that. Just feed what you can see them completely eat in a minute or so.
Oama are fairly fragile and most of the initial ones will die. After administering last rites, if you want to preserve them for future bait you can do the following. Lay them out, salt their bodies with rock salt, and vacuum seal them in a bag if that’s available. That’s the best way to freeze them.

I trolled my frozen, salted oamasickles from my surfboard last year and they worked almost as well as live oama. They did spin as I pulled them through the water so I needed to connect my fluorocarbon leader to my main line with a ball bearing swivel, replacing the standard ball swivel.

For other bait and lure options please click here.

When is the best time to fish?

March 31, 2014 By Scott 4 Comments

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

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.

Catching ‘opae for bait

February 23, 2014 By Scott 2 Comments

Small and large ‘opae

The small, translucent Hawaiian shrimp called ‘opae is one of the best baits for near shore fish. Years ago the larger shrimp referred to as ‘opae lolo could be readily caught but now it’s hard just to find an inch long regular ‘opae. ‘Opae are found where fresh water meets salt water, often in some slow moving brackish water. Two well known, kinda yucky spots are the Ala Moana Beach Park lagoon and the Ala Wai canal. Click here to read about catching the coveted `opae lolo.

There are other more closely guarded spots on Oahu that have some ‘opae. Look for them against rock walls with brackish water algae growing. They seem to spread out during the day and cluster on rock walls and piers at night. Shine a light and look for a pair of eerie red eyes shining back.

Scoop up a bunch of them and keep them alive in a bucket with some aeration. When you’re ready to use them, carefully thread one on a hook and fish with a floater. Be ready to set the hook when your floater goes under, just about every carnivorous creature on the reef will want a taste of that offering.

There are even some salt water pet stores that sell `opae as live food for marine fish. Those `opae are fairly small but may be great for the smaller reef fish you want to hook. I recently saw a store selling them at 6 for $1.

Fishing Weather Resources

February 16, 2014 By Scott 1 Comment

(This was written in 2014. I need to update this!)

Isn’t it a bummer to clear the day to finally get out and fish only to get skunked, blown out by wind and surf, or stormed on?

These are the online resources I use to look ahead to determine weather and tide conditions.

Tides4Fishing.com – I recently discovered this very comprehensive website with indicators covering tidal movement, barometric pressure, wind speed, temperature, humidity and more. You can look ahead and see what days have the best tidal movements to fish, and see a very detailed breakdown of exactly when the best tidal movement occurs each day. I haven’t come across another site or app that captures all this info in one place. It’s like the Hawaiian Lunar Calendar on steroids.

iWindsurf.com – The normal 15 – 20 mph trade winds make it a little hard to fish the south and east shores of Oahu so I check the forecast days ahead of time to plan my next outing. iWindsurf constantly updates their forecast to be extremely accurate, down to one hour changes. Amaze your friends by predicting a significant drop in wind speed. Phone app also exists.

Surfline.com – Large surf can ruin your day whether you’re on the water or on the beach. A premium subscription allows you to see forecasts 5 days in advance. Phone app also exists.

Wunderground.com – The simple interface allows me to see hourly and daily forecasts. I love the radar map showing me the rain that’s gonna hit in the next hour or so.