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2023 Wrap-up – Shoreline to Boat (Oahu)

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2023 was better overall than 2022 but fell a bit short of expectations. A weak El Nino did warm up the water in the late Spring but faded, and it was a windier than normal year. Overall water temps didn’t get that high and there were less fishable offshore days than the previous years. Thanks to the Holoholo writers for summarizing their season.

Shoreline:

Oama:

Some spots were very good and consistent, holding oama through September. Other spots that normally hold large schools were dry. The oama came in late July and left by October, which is the typical timeframe. Overall, an 8 out of 10. Papio weren’t hitting the piles much though.

Halalu:

It was a very good halalu season on Oahu. The regular spots held fish for a long time despite getting pounded. Papio were seen and some caught near the halalu piles.

Oio Flats Jigging:

Matthew:

The O’io fishing this year has been great in general. Unlike previous years, I chose to completely forego the summer Papio run and instead focus on only flats fishing for O’io. It got a little tough this year with the presence of many new anglers on the flats, but spot rotation is something that I’ve found extremely valuable. Rotating between four or five spots has kept each one fresh for the next time I fish it. I never fish the same spot twice in a row. With the increase in pressure, I’ve hardly seen any fish in the shallows, instead being forced to go to deeper water in search of those smart fish. 

This summer showed a really impressive number of O’io, but most of them were smaller fish (under 4 pounds). This winter has been very cold and while the numbers of O’io have decreased exponentially, the quality of fish has also increased exponentially. Recently I’ve been fishing for most of the trip without a nibble but depending on that one 5lb+ fish to come around. I haven’t had much numbers, but nearly all of my fish in the past month have been over 5 pounds. For example, I went through the entirety of August, September, and October without catching a single Oio over 5 pounds, although I was catching more numbers in smaller fish. I’ve also shifted my strategy from “stay in one area you’re really confident in” to “cover as much ground as you possibly can” recently. They’re still out there, you just gotta hope for the best sometimes. Good luck🤙

Fly Fishing:

Jason: The year overall was a fairly productive one, with all of our usual flats producing bonefish, along with the occasional 10-12” omilu (a trophy on our flats).  By October, the action started to taper off, but this is perfectly normal for those of us hunting roundjaw o’io on the flats (versus the deeper water sharp jaw variety). Looking back at my catch logs for myself and friends (aka our group text string) I’d say our numbers were pretty much right around our averages, however we did focus a bit more on the windward side of the island this year than years past.  This is partly due to the Navy’s closure of a popular flat, which remains closed as of this writing, and partly because exploring new waters is part of the fun in fishing!  

Plugging/Whipping:

Thad: I dedicated more time during the summer of 2023 to throwing plugs instead of bubble/fly, so my papio catches were down.  Did that mean I caught more of the bigger predators like the elusive ulua than in the past?  Nope.  But my fishing partner Dino had a year to remember with his back-to-back big ulua on consecutive days.  I did have in increase in big strikes so the opportunities were there but I suffered from the rubbah hook/bent hook curse so I caught less fish overall.  The plugging action picks up around the summer months but the timing is a little different every year.  The 2023 action seemed to start a little earlier than the year before.  Whipping the flats for oio was more productive for me this year as we’ve been able to dial in some new spots.  People say the winter months are better for oio but to me they seem to bite equally year-round.  Hopefully the oio action will continue through 2024 and I’ll be able to make the summer plugging strikes stick.

Dino:

2023 has been a really weird year as far as fishing goes. It was really up and down for me. I accomplished what I feel I will never be able to accomplish again. I hit uluas on back to back days in July.  A white ulua in the 35 ish pound range and an omilu in the 22 pound range. Lost another one at landing some time after. The oio action on the flats has been hit or miss. Some days it’s good. Some days it’s dead as can be.

The Summer was good and the plugging really slowed in the Winter so I’ve been doing flats fishing for oio which has been a little bit of hit and miss for me. Picking one up here and there.

Hoping that 2024 can bring some good action for the bigger shoreline game. Gathering and prepping the plugging gear as we speak.

Nearshore:

Kayak Fishers (West and Northsides of Oahu): Largest shibi (yellowfin tuna under 100lb) of the season were caught in the Spring, along with mahi. Summer to early Fall were consistent for shibi and mahi. Aku popped up in the early Fall. Ono were caught in early late Fall. Bite has slowed in Winter but there are still pelagics to be caught if you’re in the right place with a lively opelu. Uku seems to be available year round.

Scott: (Windward side kayak) Slow ’til March when aku schools moved in shallow. Then the wind blew ’til October. When the weather finally allowed offshore kayaking, the small shibi and small mahi were in shallow but that only lasted a few weeks, water temp was 79 degrees. In December the temp dropped to 74 degrees and the pelagics were scarce. Currently, nehu bait balls are getting pounded by small kawakawa and opelu from below, and birds from above. North swell often shutting down exposed spots.

Dive:

Kayak diving

Pono: Didn’t get a ton of diving in this year due to having a busier than normal schedule and a windier than normal summer (my usual dive season). However, the few outings that I were able to go on were very productive! I had a lot of fun down-sizing my speargun, kayak diving, and trying new recipes. Diving deeper has shown me that Oahu still get fish if you know where to look! I think there were more nearshore pelagics in the Fall compared to other times of the year, we were seeing shibi and kawakawa on reef dives.

Boat:

Erik: 2023 brought two new boats into our fishing experiences, a 21’ Force and a 17’ Boston Whaler.  The year started steady and progressively got better with October being our best month.  We are blessed to have landed Ahis in both boats this year and have caught enough fish to share with friends and family.

Offshore fishing is still good but the wind and high surf have been limiting factors.

We look forward to more fishing adventures in 2024 and hope to see more of our fishing family out in the ocean.

Didn’t fish for almost 8 weeks, here’s some of the things I missed about fishing. What do you miss?

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The last 3 weeks in February were unfishable from a kayak and then I had cataract surgery and had to stay off the water for 4 weeks. Being unable to fish was harder than I anticipated.

I tried to find other things to occupy my time, but even my day dreams revolved around fishing. Digging out weeds became looking down on virgin fishing grounds and pulling up fish after fish. Kind of silly, I know. But it got me thinking of how much fishing enhances my life.

  • I’ve always liked looking at fish, in books and in the water, from as far back as I can remember. In Elementary School, when I was sick, home from school, I used to read the Encyclopedia from A to Z about every fish in there. And this was in hard back, before home computers existed. I truly think fishing is in my DNA, being of Japanese ancestry.
  • Driving to fishing spots took me to remote areas I would have otherwise not frequented, and I’ve met some awesome people who share the love of fishing and fish.
  • Whether it’s wading the flats and tossing lures, or paddling the kayak out to the grounds, being on the water is so soothing and restorative. I believe humans were designed to be outdoors, around nature. That’s why wood and natural stone products are more appealing to us than cement, metal and plastic.
  • The tug truly is the drug. While being on the water after being away for a while, feels so amazing, the nibble and pull is what keeps us coming back. Feeling something alive at the end of the line never gets old.
  • Bringing in and seeing the fish, whether an oama, papio or monster from the deep, is always exciting. Losing the fish without seeing what it was, leads to the-fish-that-got-away stories and plans on how to get ’em next time.
  • Well preserved (bled and iced) fish are greatly appreciated by friends and family who aren’t able to catch fish themselves. With fish not as fresh in the market, and so expensive lately, there’s no better gift than that.

What do you miss when you can’t fish for an extended amount of time?

Product Review: The best Casio tide watch ever, G-Shock G-Lide GBX100

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Disclaimer: This isn’t gonna be a techy or wordy watch review. It’ll be brief and hopefully convey why the Casio GBX100 has all the features you want in a tide watch without much bloat, at a reasonable cost.

I’ve had a couple of Casio G-Shock tide watches in the past. They were super durable, never broke, and had batteries that lasted for years. But the tide graph was limited, basically just telling you if the tide was rising or falling, and the watch band was a little stiff.

My most recent watch, the G-Lide GLX150 had the standard LED display, which made it hard to view the screen if tilted at an angle.

The curve of the tide graph, shown here, never changes, what does change is the highlighted section telling you were you are in the tidal swing. I couldn’t tell if the tidal swing was steep or shallow.

The G-Lide GBX100 came out in 2020 and was the most advanced G-Shock tide watch to date. The resin and stainless steel case is very light yet durable and sports the retro look of the 80s. The buttons are on the side and recessed, which makes them less likely to accidentally depressed, and the strap is very supple and comfortable. The strap’s drainage slits allow your wrist to breathe and stay dry, and has two metal prongs to hold the strap to your wrist. It’s water resistant to 200 meters.

The display uses a high-definition LCD which makes it viewable in bright conditions, and at an angle. If you need to view in low light, there is an LED backlight available at a push of a button. Very easy to make out the time and date, even with old eyes.

There are 3 screens that will aid your fishing.

Sun rise and sun set times with moon age.

(Sun is rising at 7:01 am, setting at 5:52 pm, and the moon age is 10.6 which is 4 days before the Full Moon)

The day’s highest tide and lowest tide.

(High tide at 2:21 am @ 2.00 ft, low tide at 6:54 pm @ -0.01 ft)

View at a glance of date, time, sun rise, sun set, moon age, where you are in the tidal flow, and next high or low tide.

(In this example, the tide is falling to a low of -0.01 ft at 6:54 pm)

This is the most useful screen.

The watch is technically a smart watch but faulty. It’s klunky to pair and use the fitness features with a smart phone so I opted to configure the watch manually.

I’ve used it for a couple of months now and love how comfortable it is on the wrist, how visible the screens are, and how helpful the solar – lunar data is for fishing.

The GBX100 retails for $160 but you can find it on sale online (I got it for 20% during an rei.com sale), and at 15% off at POP during December.

Holoholo: Summer big papio action was red hot – will it continue?

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If you haven’t been working the grounds this summer, Matthew tells you what you missed and what you can expect to happen in the next few months.

Matthew: Summer is now pretty much just a memory, and the action is unfortunately starting to slow down. I expect that we might only have a few weeks left of decent fishing before the action reverts back to levels commonly experienced during the winter months. The saving grace for the remainder of the season could be the arrival of the Oama, which still have not fully arrived inshore yet. Many are struggling to find schools of Oama and I personally only know of a few. Those few are not big schools and are not really biting too well. 

For bait fishermen, the numerous Halalu piles over the course of the last month or so have served as Papio magnets, and those fishermen have been quite successful. However, some of those piles have been netted or just left without warning. The few piles that remain are guaranteed to be crowded and not so fun to fish. Without the Halalu piles to draw in the fish, and with the Oama still being nowhere to be found, there won’t be much incentive for Papio to come inshore. Sure, there will always be a few Papio hunting for smaller reef fish and Lizardfish, but unless the Oama come in, there definitely won’t be as much action as we saw in July and the first week of August. 

In general, the fish have been dead set on biting at true dawn and true dusk, with not much action between those times. I’ve been getting the vast majority of my action from 530-630 A.M. and 630-730 P.M. Pretty much all of my trips have produced no action for the “junker” time, but then had one or two bites from a bigger fish towards the “better” time period. Unfortunately I got to experience the sting of a bunch of total whitewash trips over the last two weeks, something that didn’t happen to me during June and July, except for maybe a few times. 

I think that it is still a good idea to squeeze a few more Papio out of this season before the action goes completely dead. After all, it will take a few weeks to make the full transition to “winter fishing” again. But after the action dies down, it may be a good idea to reconsider other types of fishing. Freshwater fishing is a year-round option, as well as Oio fishing, Moi fishing (when in season), and other small game alternatives (reds, reef fish, nenue, kala). Of course, you can still fish for the straggler Papio as well.

This summer was definitely the best season that I’ve ever experienced, with several big Papio caught and many smaller ones. A few of my friends also had great success fishing for big Papio as well. Overall the year so far has provided much more action than the previous one, so perhaps this winter will hold more fish than in the past. Stay safe out there, have fun, and good luck fishing! 

Go gettum! -Matt

Still a little early in the “season”. Here’s an early bait prediction.

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Photo by Matt

July is right around the corner but there aren’t a lot of bait fish in. The early oama that came in last month have grown to mid-size but the second wave of oama hasn’t arrived.

There were some halalu piles, like the one Matt found to have his personal best catch, but a lot disappeared and there’s speculation that they were illegally netted.

The iao (Hawaiian sardine) weren’t in at my whipping spots and the predators that follow them into the shallows were missing. I checked two spots with some new lures and bolo’d both times!

Thad’s omilu on Lawaiaflies

The guys (and gals) have been starting at dawn with flies on long leaders behind floaters and have been experiencing improved omilu action.

We’re hoping a waves of oama and halalu come in soon but it is looking like an off year compared the recent banner years. How do you guys think this season will pan out?

Early Mango Season = Early Fishing Season?

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It is believed that the same environmental factors that affect the timing and the duration of mango season also affect the inshore and nearshore fishing. Amount of rain the previous year, amount of sunlight, temperature, wind patterns etc.

Mango season started earlier than normal and our Hayden tree has way more baby mangoes than previous years. Oama have been sighted in a few spots at least a month earlier than normal, and akule have been abundant this year. Initial indicators seem to point to an earlier start to the inshore and nearshore season, and hopefully an abundant one.

Get out and fish in the sun and humidity where Covid-19 has a hard time surviving!

-scott

Early Black Friday Sale: Nov 22-24

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Everything on sale! Lowest prices ever!

10% off JDM Lures original listed price.

(we buy at retail from Japan so there’s very little profit margin)

All other merchandise 30% – 40% off MSRP.

Sale prices will be listed starting Friday, Nov 22nd.

Very limited stock.

Can fish see colors? If so, what lure color should I use?

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Can fish really see colors? Can they see the ultra life-like finish some high end lures sport? Should I change my surface lure color when the light is low? When dropping jigs deep, what are the best colors to use?

These are some of the questions lure chuckers ask. Over the years we’ve been given conflicting information. Sport Fishing Magazine ran an article in their June 2019 issue that is also on their website. “How and What Fish See” written by Doug Olander. The article answers these questions and I’ll summarize the info in a manner you and I can hopefully remember. All the photos in this post were taken from the Sport Fishing Magazine website

Do fish see colors?

Yes. Shallow water fish can see all the colors. Deep water fish living in low light aren’t able to see as many colors because colors are darkened and muted down there.

Do surface fish see the ultra life-like finish on my high end lure?

It’s believed that fish with large eyes in clear water can detect those subtle design patterns but whether their fish brains can process all that info has been heavily debated.

What’s the best color to use near the surface in clear conditions?

44 fishing experts were asked this question. The experts overwhelmingly said white or a white pattern.

What’s the best color to use in murky conditions or low light?

White, or white pattern, again was the color of choice, followed by chartreuse.

What do my surface lures look like when viewed from below?

Against a bright sky, all lures will look dark! No wonder top water experts say color isn’t as important and swimming action.

What do my lures look like in murky water?

Whites, yellows and greens are retained. Blues and darker colors turn to black the soonest.

The lures on the right are in 70ft of water. Reds are the first to darken.

What colors are retained in the deep?

Red tones are the first to go, in low light, deep water. Blue tones will be retained the deepest, green tones the next deepest, the others will fade to black sooner.

What do fish see in the deep when I retrieve my jig?

Deep water fish feeding in low light aren’t able to distinguish colors much but are geared to see slight movements against the background light. While they can see and feel jigs moving quickly, they can also see jigs slowly retrieved in a repetitive, predictable fashion. That could by why “slow pitching” off the bottom, then speed jigging higher in the water column is an effective strategy.

What’s the takeaway from all of this?

Lure action is more important that lure color pattern but whites and white patterns show up the best in clear and low visibility conditions. When deep jigging, choose whites, blues and greens and present an action that makes your lure the most noticeable since the fish may be straining to see it.

Online store has been open for 2.5 months

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We opened the Store with the intention of selling products we endorsed, that couldn’t be found in a local shop. Small quantities of products were offered to determine what would sell. Prices were set lower than anywhere else online, and these deals were only available to Hawaii addresses at very low shipping rates. Breakthrough JDM lures sold out quickly, as well as some unique items like Shade Socks to eliminate UV damage while kayaking, while other products didn’t move as expected.

No glitches in purchasing process (PayPal) and shipping of products were encountered, and all purchasers were happy with their purchases, as far as we could tell. We would really love to hear how the products worked out in the field.

We were surprised that the Sufix braid and VMC 4x treble, inline and live bait hooks didn’t sell better but maybe we weren’t offering the size/colors that more people wanted?

So for our next round of product offerings, we’d like you to tell us what you would be looking for. If we can bring that product in, we’ll try to sell it for less than anywhere else you can find it. We aren’t planning to compete with the local tackle shops so please limit your requests to things you can’t buy locally. Please use the Contact page to let us know.

Thank you for all your support!

Hawaiian Fish Name Translations

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These are the English names of the more commonly encountered nearshore fish we’ve mentioned on this website. We’ll continue to update this list as needed.

  • aha – houndfish or needlefish. Viewed as a pest because it scratches up baits and lures.
  • ahi – Yellowfin tuna or bluefin tuna over 100lb. Under 100lb it’s called “shibi”.
  • aholehole – Hawaiian flagtail. A flat, silver sided fish that grow up in brackish estuaries and lives in reef crevasses as an adult.
  • aku – Skipjack tuna.
  • akule – Bigeye scad. In the mackeral family. Grown version of halalu.
  • ‘ala’ihi – Various squirrelfish.
  • ‘ama’ama – Native Hawaiian striped mullet.
  • awa – Milkfish. Herbivore sometimes confused with the smaller awa aua.
  • awa aua / awa awa – Hawaiian ladyfish.
  • aweoweo – Bigeye. Has big eyes because it’s a nocturnal fish. One of the “red fish”, along with menpachi.
  • halalu – Juvenile bigeye scad.
  • hinalea – The lowly wrasse family, known for being slimy and easily caught. Most aren’t very tasty but the nabeta (Japanese name) is part of this family of fish.
  • kahala – Greater amberjack.
  • kagami papio/ulua – African pompano. Has a flat, shiny body that resembles a mirror. “Kagami” is Japanese for mirror. Considered a rare, delicious catch.
  • kala – Bluespine unicornfish.
  • kaku – Great barracuda. Stinky, toothy fish that is actually pretty tasty.
  • kawakawa – Mackeral tuna.
  • kawelea – Heller’s barracuda (deeper water version). Milder tasting than kaku.
  • kole – Gold ring surgeonfish. Prized for how it tastes fried/grilled, but has been implicated in ciquatera poisoning episodes.
  • kumu – Whitesaddle goatfish. Considered the best eating for all the goatfish, followed closely by moana kali.
  • laenihi – Peacock wrasse, razor fish, more commonly referred to the Japanese name “nabeta’. Arguably the best eating nearshore fish. Fried whole with scales on to a golden brown.
  • lai – Leatherback. Makes great sashimi and the dried skin can be used in lures.
  • mahi mahi – Dolphinfish, dorado.
  • manini – Convict tang.
  • mamo – Hawaiian sergeant.
  • menpachi –
  • moana – Manybar goatfish.
  • moana kali – Blue goatfish. Very beautiful and delicious to steam fish. Now it’s more common that the highly prized, easier to catch, kumu.
  • moi – Pacific threadfin. One of the best fish to steam. Was reserved for Hawaiian royalty.
  • mu – Bigeye emperor, a type of snapper with human-like molars.
  • munu – Island goatfish. A stouter goatfish, ranked in the top 4 of best eating.
  • nohu – Scorpionfish. Has deadly spines but is good eating.
  • nunu – Trumpetfish.
  • oama – Juvenile goatfish. Oama bring the nearshore predators into the shallows, within reach of anglers.
  • oio – Bonefish.
  • omilu – Bluefin trevally. Most common papio.
  • opelu – Mackeral scad. Everything in the deep eats this fish.
  • opelu kala – Sleek unicornfish that lacks the horn.
  • palani – Eyestripe surgeonfish.
  • pananu / ponuhunuhu – Star eyed parrotfish.
  • pao’o pa’o – Golden trevally.
  • papio – Juvenile (under 10 lbs) in the trevally family.
  • poo’paa – Stocky hawkfish. Nicknamed “rock fish” because it perches on rocks and waits for food to pass by.
  • puhi – Various moray eels.
  • roi – Peacock grouper. Invasive. Implicated in ciquatera poisoning episodes.
  • shibi – yellowfin tuna or bluefin tuna under 100lb.
  • taape – Blue-lined snapper. Invasive.
  • toau – Blacktail snapper. Invasive.
  • uhu – Parrotfish.
  • uku – Gray snapper, blue green jobfish. Tastes similar to opakapaka, maybe a touch fishier, because it lives in shallower water.
  • ulua – Jack fish over 10 lbs. Usually ulua are mature giant trevally since that’s the largest of the related species.
  • uouoa – Native mullet, smaller than ‘ama’ama and not striped.
  • u’u – Soldierfish. Also called menpachi.
  • weke – The common “white weke” or square spot goatfish. Most oama seen are of this type.
  • weke nono / weke moelua – Pflueger’s goatfish. The bigger, striped, deeper water red weke.
  • weke ula – Literally means red goatfish. This is the shallow water weke that looks like the “white” weke but is nocturnal and can turn reddish. It is a little thicker than the white weke but doesn’t seem to get as long.
  • white papio – Juvenile giant trevally under 10 lbs.

How do King Tides affect fishing?

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This isn’t a video, it’s just a screen grab crediting Island News.

The July new moon was this past Tuesday, and that big moon coupled with large south shore surf caused shoreline water levels to surge much higher than normal. It’s well known how low lying areas are affected but how do these huge tides affect fishing?

In past years we noticed much more water rushing into bays and lagoons, causing silty, turbid waters. The fish didn’t seem to like fighting all that current in hard-to-see conditions, and fishing was very slow until the current slowed at the peak tide.

A friend and I whipped the shoreline a day before this month’s new moon, on the bottom third of the tide and the fishing was lousy! When the tide began to fill in a little, small waves washed onto the flats and churned the mud. Visibility became very poor very fast and we gave up our futile efforts.

We asked around and those who caught fish on these big King Tide days caught them on the minus (slack) period or at the peak (slack) period in areas normally not covered by water.

I personally don’t like fishing the King Tides because it’s so hard to time the short period of decent fishing, but if you gotta fish those days, try fish the slack and let us know how you do.

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Holoholo: Using inexpensive level wind bait caster for shore whipping

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Matthew explains in very relateable terms how level wind bait casters have become a joy to fish, once he got past the learning curve.

Matthew: Yes, I use a baitcaster for whipping, but not the kind you would use for Oio or Ulua. Uncle Scott had done a review on level-wind baitcasters in 2017, but I thought it would be good to revisit the topic, especially with the success I’ve had with them recently.

The kind of baitcaster that Scott, a few others, and I use in Hawaii are the bass reels that are made on the mainland. He uses the Tranx 400 along with a few other baitcasters like the Concept Z. I, however, am not willing to pay the large amount of money it takes to get one of those better reels, so here I am with my Abu Garcia Blackmax. It still is a very good reel, but it has more tangles than the rest of the reels also.

I use my Blackmax for whipping for Kaku, Papio, and whatever else will bite the lures I am throwing. I find it really shines in sub-surface lures, but I find it really lacks in popper and walk-the-dog lure fishing. It is hard to reel up the slack fast enough to continuously fish a popper the right way, and in walk-the-dog lures, I have a hard time walking any lure at all.

I originally started with spinners, until I saw a guy fishing the shoreline with those bass reels I had seen on mainland bass fishing videos. It kind of started curiosity about baitcasters. I researched more about baitcasters, until I finally realized that Uncle Scott used baitcasters also. I purchased the cheapest reel I could find, the Abu Garcia Blackmax, which I bought for 48 dollars. At the time, I thought that was really expensive, but it wasn’t until later I started getting into better spinning reels, like the Ultegra, and that isn’t even close to the top of the line.


I spooled some line on it and tried to figure out how to even release the line into free spool mode. It took me a while to figure that out. When I finally did that, I couldn’t figure out why the line was bunching up on one side of the reel until I realized there was a hole I had to place the line through first. Duh. I finally got comfortable with the small five meter casts, and then I tried to bomb it as far as I could. Big mistake. At the time I couldn’t figure out why it kept tangling each time I casted. So, I tossed the rod and reel in the storage closet until I finally met up with Uncle Scott. He showed me some quick tips and how to fish it better. From then on, I fished it a lot more, and eventually got proficient at it.

One thing I find good about the baitcaster is if there is no wind, then you can cast it a lot farther than a spinner would. If there is a tailwind, like in one spot I fish, then you can cast farther than I would have ever imagined a cast can go. However, if there is a frontal wind, baitcast fishing sucks. You will get wind knots if you have braid, and almost certainly get tangled a few times. Another plus about baitcasters is the conveniency of casting. I can cast with only one hand if I really want to, even if it casts a little less than a two handed cast, it still is good if you need to rest your other hand for a short while before reeling it in. Baitcasters in general are just lighter than spinners too.

If you were to purchase a baitcaster, I would suggest that you ask Scott or any other guy you know that fishes a baitcaster. Look for the gear ratio, which if you read it right, it can tell you how many inches per crank it retrieves. I am currently looking for a high speed baitcaster. Another thing you want to look for in baitcasters is the line capacity. Most of the reels on the mainland only have 100 or so yards, because bass don’t run at all. You want to have a baitcaster fit for Hawaii’s hard running gamefish, so 200+ yards in case you run into a big Papio. If you have any questions for me, shoot me a question through my email, matthewikeda808@gmail.com.

Going to the Fred Hall Show 2019!

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Since we had such a good time last year, I’m going back to the show in Long Beach during the second week of March. Hoping to meet up with old friends, make new friends, and see some innovative gear. Stay tuned for reports from the show.

If you wanna see what we experienced last year, use the Search box on this page and search for “fred hall”.

Here’s a marketing video of last year’s show.

And here’s an electronic flyer of this year’s show, from Bloody Decks.

https://www.fredhallshowguide.com/

How to ruin perfectly good fish cleaning shears

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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.

Bad solar/lunar day vs good solar/lunar day

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Lately I’ve been comparing my fishing results to the predictions on Tides4fishing.com and I seem to do better on the days with more solar (sun) and lunar (moon) activity.  In simple terms, the position of the sun and moon affect tides and, it’s believed, fish activity.

Opelu victim #1

Opelu victim #2

This past week I fished 4 days after the full moon and Tides4fishing had a dismal prediction. To compound matters I fished the mid-morning last half of the falling tide and the wind was blowing 10 – 14 mph.  The bite was really slow and I just had three 8 inch frozen opelu stripped at the gills.  This happened at 70ft and twice at 30 ft, and I suspected a big kaku.  Note that both fish just missed the second hook. I suspect the didn’t hit the baits hard, and just pulled the back half away.

The wind was much lighter 3 days later, 7 days after the full moon, and the solar/lunar activity was predicted to be much higher.  I was able to fish the first half of the falling tide, and the current was almost too slack. To get a better shot at landing the bait stealer, I lengthened the line between the two hooks and buried the second hook in the tail.

 

 

 

 

 

My left hand was getting ready to pull its teeth out of my shin!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sure enough, there was much more bait activity spotted on the fish finder, and 3 fish were solidly hooked. Unfortunately, the culprits were big aha or needlefish. All were hooked on the back hook and the first one eventually bit through the 40lb fluoro leader, which was fine with me.  The second unhooked itself, even better.  I couldn’t shake the 3rd and smallest of the 3 so I had to unhook it.  I kept my feet out of the water and still, the aha rammed into the side of the kayak and then hit my shin with the underneath of its jaw.  Glad it didn’t jump into the yak with its mouth open.

I also missed a couple more drag pullers while trolling, and had my baits pulled off with hard jerks when I bottom fished but couldn’t hook what I hope were small uku. The two days varied in wind speed and tidal movement phase so it wasn’t an apples to apples comparison, but I believe that the fish bit much better on the second outing because the moon was smaller and I was able to fish right at the high tide drop.

How does the size of the moon affect your catches?

 

Ciguatera: Is my fish safe to eat?

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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.

Holoholo: Fish and Dive Expo 2018

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7th grader Matthew generously shares his Fish and Dive Expo experience with us. His mother was his in-the-field photographer.

Matthew:

 

 

 

 

 

The Hawaii Fish and Dive expo… Rumored to be the biggest fishing event in the Hawaiian Islands every two years. I heard some people even flew in from other islands to come to it. Starting off the bat, getting there and watching the fish in the man made pond is always frustrating, but is also fun to watch all of your dream fish swimming side by side. After you finally get in, there is usually a mad rush for the Campania Lures booth. Especially this year because they were selling a very realistic looking oama soft bait, and were only selling ten each day of the expo. The price on the oama lure was 15 dollars each, and you only got one bait per package. A little pricey, but I thought I would try and get it anyways. As soon as I went through the gate, I sprinted to the Campania booth… But instead ended up at the bathrooms. Oops, wrong isle. By the time I ran back to the right isle, there was a hefty line, and by the time I got to the front, it was sold out. I still bought some other goodies from the Campanis booth including some new colors. They had made a new color just for the expo called “El Richie”.

The J.Hara booth had some good deals too, including a closeout sale of Maria’s “Ma-Worms” which is an interesting looking grub. They were selling it for an absurd price of 10 packs for $1! They charged me $10 instead of $1, but that was still fine since even if they sold it for $1 each, the normal price per pack was $5. They were also selling Maria hard lures (Jig-like things, crankbaits, and jerkbaits similar to Yo-Zuri ones) for only $2 each! I bought two that looked a lot like an oama. They also had a good deal for a long net for $8.99.

 

 

I also checked out the Hanapa’a booth, and they had discounted rod holders, J-Line, and reels including the Daiwa Saltist I had heard about from my friend. I checked out some other booths that sold some Ulua Poppers, stickbaits, and jigs, including discounted micro-jigs in sardine color, so I bought one for $4.99.

 

 

I also checked some other booths out, but nothing really appealed too much to me, so I checked out the Tag-It booth. I met Uncle Clay, talked to him a little bit, and then left to wander a little bit more.

I then checked out Uncle Kevin at the Hobie and (I think?) Bloody Yaks booth. He had his giant kayak on display! It looked to be around 25 feet long, bigger than the average small boat. Overall, this year’s expo was better than 2016’s one. This was clearly an event that you can’t miss once it comes up especially when compared to the only other “fishing” expo, the Ocean Expo.

 

 

 

Fish Status:
Oama are definitely thinning out, with almost all of the traditional spots barren. There are a few spots which I will not name that I have seen new, “dumb” oama that just came in, so this may be the last “wave” before they all leave, so get your Oama now and stock up. Halalu are pretty much gone by now, with only the late season spots holding some, like Haleiwa, Waimea, and Kahe Power Plant. Campbell may have some, but I hear it’s mainly blind casting over there. Kewalo has been barren of Akule for a good 4 months now, and may come back soon. Sardines are all gone now, with maybe a pile scattered here and there, but not much any more. There may be some in deeper water that you can catch off damashi and kayak. Iao and Nehu are still in abundance, but are getting quite larger, which is attracting larger predators, but also means that they may leave the safety of the shallows soon. Another strange abundance I have been seeing is Mullet (not sure if they are Uoa’uoa or Ama’ama) all ranging from three inches to six or so inches. Sometimes there is even a large ball of mullet I see. It may be worth a shot to try snag one then toss it out past the school. Bait season is ending, so Papio and Omilu are starting to head back into deeper water, so try and get them soon.

Akule and Halalu fishing etiquette

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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.