Holoholo: Japan tackle shopping and fishing recap by Matthew

April 2, 2019 By Scott 15 Comments

Frequent guest poster Matthew was able to travel with his family to Japan during Spring Break and enjoy the food, tackle deals and fishing opportunities. Thanks for sharing your experience with us Matt, makes me want to go to Japan now!

Matthew: Warning: this is going to be a long one, so if you don’t have time, stop right here.

Over spring break I had a lot of fun. The day after I got out of school, I went fishing at my secret spot and got two Kaku and a Papio on some JDM’s (Japan Domestic Model products). I left for Japan, hoping to find more JDM’s and some fish.

We arrived in Osaka, stayed one night, then rode a local train to Kyoto, where we saw the monkey park and some other attractions. I found a Tackle Berry store, where I got some new used lures, even some JDM’s, some such as the Ima P-CE, and a lot others I will not name. However, the highlight of that store was a used Daiwa Sealine 250, which I got for only eight bucks. Must be a fake right? Nope, tried it when I got home and everything works fine, except for a few scratches and it being an old model.

In Tokyo, the food was so good, and one ramen place had the best ramen I’ve ever tasted. We visited Ichigaya Fishing Center, which has carp ponds. You have to pay to fish there, but it is worth it as you can catch up to twenty in an hour. I enjoyed fighting the carp on an ultra light handpole and a barbless hook. I was happy for my family, which all landed a fish. My mom and sister even landed one!

We visited the Joshuya in Shibuya, where I found the new Duel Hardcore shallow runner, which may be a limited edition, so get it while you still can. At a good price it should be 11-12 dollars in US conversion. For a general Yen price move the decimal two to the left. The shallow runner works very well, and is better than most lipped minnows, as it is not lipped, and has sort of like a built in lip, like all other Japanese lures. It is 90 millimeters and is floating, and has a knocker. Be careful not to get the mid diver, which looks exactly like it. It runs less than a foot below water when used correctly.

I also got a Pugachev’s Cobra, which is a lure that Uncle Thad likes so much. Now that I’ve tried it myself, I can see why. But for 90 millimeters it is highly priced at 19 dollars or up, some even going for 24 dollars on Amazon and Ebay. It walks very well, with a wide side to side motion. I also got a few more lures, but I have been warned to not mention their names. One works very well, with a slim nose and a nice surface action, moving around very erratically. We went to Shinjuku the next day, where we tried a fish foot spa. Some of you may have seen the video of me in the foot spa on my instagram – @shorefishing_oahu_style, but if you haven’t, then go check it out, it’s kind of funny. We went to the Tackle Berry there, where I found a used conventional for only ten dollars. Seems like Tackle Berry has good deals on used items. On research, I found out it was last made in the mid to late 1960s and was an Abu Garcia reel.

I picked up a lure that Uncle Thad had recommended, called the Daiwa Switch Hitter. It is 105 millimeters and has a neat S moving pattern 2 inches under the surface, which should drive the Kaku mad. I was lucky to find it marked off 30% of its original price, 17 dollars.

We went to a tonkatsu place next, where the chicken and pork tonkatsu was so soft, it melted in my mouth. I really liked that place.

The last fishing store we stopped at was Sansui, which is very confusing. They have two different “parts” that are broken up into four different stores, all within 1000 feet of each other. It was a huge challenge to find the saltwater part, and although it is a great place, I would advise you to not come here unless you know exactly which store you are going to, and which kind of fishing you are looking for. I purchased a Ima Komomo, which also was 90 millimeters and a diving bait with a knocker.

After five days in Tokyo, we left for Hakone, by Lake Ashi. We arrived there when it was already cold, but I couldn’t resist but to throw some lures. We ended up catching 11 smelt, but no bass or trout. After, we ate a traditional Kaiseki meal, with nine courses, which made me think my belly was going to burst. We stayed in a traditional Ryokan, with even a real Onsen. An Onsen is a lava-fed spring pool with minerals that are supposed to help with relaxation and skin issues. Only bad thing is that you have to get naked to go in there. With strangers. It was packed too, which was not good for privacy. Overall, I enjoyed the Ryokan though. The next morning, the lake was so glassy, that I couldn’t resist throwing topwater even though it was only 30 degrees fahrenheit. I somehow got a bite on my switch hitter, but it missed and was too lazy to come back for it in the cold weather.

We left Odawara Station for Osaka shortly after. When we got there, we checked into our hotel, which was very nice and in a good location. The food in Osaka was very good, unlike the fishing. I had the best crab ever at a street vendor selling king crab, Kani as they call it.

We left at five in the morning for a place in Misaki, for fishing. It was supposed to be good, but I ended up not getting a bite for four hours, and just watched my bobber move with the waves. My mom bought live Halalu, or Aji as they call it, to try lure in the Hiramasa (Japanese yellowtail). I had one do a heart-stopping circle around it before watching it leave. Again. Back to bobber fishing. Waited for another hour and a half, until, finally, I saw my bobber twitch. I broke out of my trance and watched it more carefully. Sure enough, it started moving fast across the surface. I set the hook hard, and a screamer was on. What could it be? Finally done with the junk fish, I thought to myself, and for sure a new species. No. No. No. No. No. It seems like bad luck follows me everywhere. After 30 well-fought seconds, I pulled up a fully inflated… Puffer. A puffer. Not those same pests you catch all the time in Hawaii, these can sell for hundreds of dollars per fish. But still, I was happy to finally catch a fish, but sad that it was a puffer. I was so discouraged by that, so that we left shortly after giving the Tora Fugu to a local fisherman, who was enormously grateful.

We left for Hawaii the next day, thinking about the crummy fishing, but also about how good the food was. I didn’t have a single meal that tasted bad or even mediocre in Japan. Now, time to test the JDMs. I tried my luck with the Kaku and got very lucky. I quickly got three kaku within only 45 minutes.

Next, I wanted to try bass fishing. I went to a stream and casted my topwater lure. Almost instantly, a nice size smallie demolished my bait and put up a very nice fight. I later caught a smaller one that I trapped in a pond before taking pictures.

Overall, it was a very good break and I hope to get more action on my JDM’s, and more good food like in Japan.

Matt (who is too tired to complete another long bait report)

I will do a brief bait report.

Sardines: Few, rare at this time of season

Halalu: Two piles I know of

Oama: Starting to come in, seven spots I know of

Iao: Plenty, almost everywhere

Nehu: Same as Iao

Best Tackle Shops on Oahu

February 5, 2018 By Scott 13 Comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gearing up for the summer’s halalu and oama runs

June 18, 2014 By Scott 25 Comments

oama gear

Fishermen are discreetly checking their favorite spots to see if the halalu and oama have made their early arrival. When these early summer fish are found, don’t expect to hear about it unless you have a really connected friend.

In the meantime, you can gear up with proper footwear, straight poles, dunking gear, tackle and live bait buckets.

I’ve never fished for halalu but have targeted the oama over the years. Oama show up in same sandy areas year after year. Early in the season the school is small and flighty so the early season fisherman will try to target them without tipping off his oama fishing competition.

It’s importantly to wear a hat and polarized sunglasses to scan the sandy bottom, and to tread very lightly. Ask the tackle shops to recommend the proper hook, line and split shot, as well as pointing you to the fiberglass straight poles. If you can find the wrap around the waist net, that would make it very easy to drop your oama into that net to unhook it. Otherwise a small red landing net would suffice.

The yellow Frabill Flow Troll live bait bucket with spring loaded door will make it much easier to add an oama. I have the non-spring loaded types also and I’ve lost a lot of oama opening or shutting the door’s latch. I’ve seen the Frabill Flow Troll at Roy’s Fishing Supply, McCully Bike and even Target at times. Keep your precious oama alive on the way home with a Promar live bait aerator or similar bait pump. McCully Bike sells the Promar pump for about $10.

Hooking the nibbling oama is an art. I sucked at it because I was trying to feel the bite and then set the hook, but the oama really are feeling the bait with their whiskers before deciding to nibble on it. The recommended method is to use a short pole and short length of 1 – 2lb test line. Attach a hook to the end of the line, with a split shot about 4 inches up. Lower your bait to the bottom. When you feel your split shot hit bottom, raise it up so your bait is slightly off the bottom. If you see oama approach your bait, wait a few seconds and lift your rod tip in a motion up and away from your body, almost as if you were skimming the water with your rod tip. If you don’t hook the oama while it’s eating your bait, you may at least hook it while its whiskers are over the bait. Watch an experienced fisherperson hook oama and emulate. Hook sets are free so swing away.

Here’s some info on keeping your oama alive as long as possible.