Anetik products restocked after 25% off sale

August 8, 2023 By Scott Leave a Comment

Been running a 25% off Anetik Performance clothing sale so more people could try their amazing products, and a lot of styles/colors sold out. So the new replacements are now 20% off, and the originals still around are at the amazing 25% off price.

The guys and gals who used ’em for land based sports (golf, tennis, pickleball) will be reviewing them very soon, and so will an active fisherman in hot and humid Florida. Stay tuned to hear how the clothing out perfomed and strugged a bit under adverse conditions.

Check out the Anetik products in the Store here.

We tested those old Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) lures and caught a stud of a fish!

July 31, 2023 By Scott 5 Comments

I recruited Holoholo writer Matthew Ikeda, who has been red hot catching oio (bonefish) on the flats with a jighead and grub, to help test the old, used JDM lures I had banished to Second String status. Those lures were described in this post.

Matt suggested we fish at a not-so-secret urban canal in Honolulu in case landmarks were exposed. He was using spinning gear (8″3″ Major Craft rod, Shimano Twin Power 3000 reel) designed to cast 1/2 ounce lures and I dusted off my 7’3″ 13 Fishing travel rod and 13 Fishing Concept Z bait casting reel. I hadn’t whipped since 2019 so I needed a few practice casts to get going.

The wooden Lucky Craft Sammy and wooden Tiemco Red Pepper were duds. They just didn’t float as crisply as their plastic versions we’ve fished before. They’re X’d out in the photo above. The plastic Tiemco Red Pepper and Daiwa TD Salt Pencil seemed to bob up and down ok but the fish weren’t interested in top water lures so we’ll have to try them again later. They are marked with a “?”.

Matt was able to walk-the-dog with the Tackle House M Quiet in a wide, sweeping way, but the fish didn’t want that presentation either. The Maria Chase SW (Salt Water) wobbled erratically and looked good with my steady retrieve and I missed a couple short kaku bites I think. You can see the action of those two lures in the video below.

The lure presentation that stood out was the Duo Tide Minnow Slim SSR (Super Shallow Runner) under Matt’s control. That lure, circa 2015, has a fixed center weight unlike it’s rolling weight successor but still casted well and swam with a really tight roll.

This wasn’t photoshopped at all, it really is levitating. Zoom in – no cut and paste seams!

Sure enough it got slammed by a white papio (juvenile GT) you would think was too big to be in the canal. Maybe what they say about those fish being mutants is true – this fish seemed to float in the air when Matt lowered it to be unhooked.

Matt will be writing up his perspective of the day and that guest post will include the capture and release video. Stay tuned for that, and another round of whipping lure testing in easily accessible spots.

Holoholo: DOUBLE – Double Digit Oio!

July 20, 2023 By Scott 6 Comments

Matthew Ikeda, our young, on-the-water intrepid reporter, shares the details of his back-to-back fishes of a lifetime catch.

Matthew: I was in bed when Sean from Nervous Waters Fly Shop asked me if I wanted to tag along with him and Frank to their spot, which I was only vaguely familiar with. I had just got my wisdom teeth removed hours before, so I was in a lot of pain and bleeding quite a bit. While I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able in a day’s time, being able to watch fly fishing masters at work was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I accepted the offer and arranged to meet them at the spot.

That morning, I was still bleeding a little bit but most of the pain had subsided, so I figured I was okay, plus I figured the adrenaline of sight fishing would help numb the rest. I met them at the spot and we walked out into the water. I had brought both my fly rod and a spinner rod, but I decided to start off with the spinner as I got used to the spot. We split up pretty far from each other at first. I decided to take a long loop around, wasting 15 minutes just to get in position to cast with the wind into a spot that looked good. I saw a few fish initially, but they didn’t want anything to do with the neon orange grub I was using. I switched to a darker grub that looked more natural, and immediately the fish started to show more interest. I started to feel pretty good about my chances.

Twenty minutes later, I was on my phone changing the music when I saw the outline of a big fish passing just 15 feet in front of me. I quickly put my phone in my bag and flipped an underhand cast in front of it. To my surprise, the O’io rushed the lure, ate, and immediately took off at breakneck speed. Within seconds, half of my line was gone and the fish had almost made it to the ledge, which would make my loss certain if the fish reached it. I started backpedaling and tightened the drag a little, trying to slow the fish in any way. Eventually, it did slow down and I was able to regain some line. But I had a long fight ahead of me.

Because I chose to carry two rods on me, I had to bring the smallest spinning rod I owned (so it fit in my backpack). I’ve used the same rod to catch Halalu before. The rod, a 7’10” light action, is perfect for sight casting accuracy, but that combined with the 12 pound test I chose to run made for a challenging fight. Over the next 40 minutes, the O’io ran in circles, taking line before I would eventually regain it, like a never ending game of tug of war. But the fish eventually got tired and I was able to grab it by the tail, and that’s when I realized how big it was. “Double digits” immediately came to mind as we took some pictures. Sean had a boga grip so we hooked it up, and I was stoked when the scale read right at 10 pounds. We took a couple more pictures before I released it. I took some time to relax and take it all in while Sean and Frank went back to fishing, completely satisfied with the day.

Sean and Frank had started to walk into the wind, and were pretty far away so I decided to follow them. I decided to look in the shallows for some tailing O’io, because I had never hooked a “tailer” before. I saw one pretty quickly and casted at it… but was disappointed when the lure landed right on top of the fish and spooked it, causing a big explosion. I continued on, trying to catch up to the guys. The water started to get very skinny and even though I knew O’io could get up that shallow, I questioned whether it was reasonable.

I was watching Sean, who appeared to be taking a shot at a fish when I spotted a big tail around 30 yards out. It was at a bad angle, directly into the wind, but I decided to stalk the fish. Luckily, some clouds had come in, so I hoped that they would help mask my presence. As I creeped up closer and closer I realized that this was another big fish. Its back was nearly out of the water and it seemed really occupied with digging at a specific patch of seaweed. I made my first cast at it, which was terrible and landed nowhere near, but luckily it didn’t spook the fish. I reeled in the lure quickly, made the adjustment, and casted. This time it was a beautiful line-drive cast, flying just two feet above the water before landing at the perfect distance in front of the fish. I dragged the lure along the bottom, making puffs of sand in an attempt to divert the fish’s attention. The fish jerked and moved suddenly, and then, wagging its tail, it swam over to my lure. I kept dragging the lure, so sure that the fish would spook, just like all the other skinny water tailers I had casted at in the past. But this time there was a small tug, and then a tap-tap-tap. I set the hook hard, and there was a big explosion as the fish took off even faster than the last. Luckily I was all the way on the inside, so the fish would have to spool me if it wanted to get over the ledge. For a little while, I thought it might just do that. But it stopped and started to come back in, much faster than the previous O’io. Within 10 minutes, I had it doing circles right around me. I walked into even shallower water as I tried to beach the fish. The tactic worked and the O’io tired fast, allowing me to grab it. I was shocked. It was another very big O’io and the stoke was high once again.

Frank took pictures of me holding the fish up as he called Sean to get the weight. This time, the fish tipped the boga at 10.5 pounds, making it another double digit O’io to make the day even more special. We took a pretty cool release video and the fish was on its way. Again, I stayed back to rest because I couldn’t really believe what had happened. Sean caught a good sized O’io on the fly, and Frank sightfished two puffers and an eagle ray, so we all ended up catching. We talked story on the way back and then parted ways.

The high didn’t last forever, and when I got home my calves and forearms were cramped and my pain from my wisdom removal reappeared. But the memories of that day will definitely last forever, and it was well worth it to get out there. Catching two double digit O’io on the same day is something I’ll probably never do again. I’d be happy if I caught one a year. It was a crazy day for sure and I suppose the lesson is that you just have to get out there and take some chances. Sometimes, you might just get lucky. My thanks to Sean and Frank for inviting me to tag along. I learned a lot from watching the true masters of the art, and I am very lucky to have that chance. Stay safe, have fun, and good luck out there!

Dug up some of the shallow running lures acquired back when whipping was on fire

July 2, 2023 By Scott 6 Comments

From 2017 to 2019 I was fishing shallow water with friends and was looking for lures that floated, dove a few feet at most, and casted well with a 7.5ft bait casting rod. I bought a bunch online from Japan, was given a few, and eventually settled on 3 confidence lures not shown here. The Waxwing was one of the 3; the other two were so deadly I blurred their appearance in blog photos!

When I looked for my old lures, I found a box full of lures that didn’t make the First Team. A couple of these were fished and caught fish, while the others stayed in that box because they were too much like other lures I was fishing, or were experimental lures given to me that I never fished. Here’s a breakdown of what they are.

The Lucky Craft Sammy (top left) is one of the easiest walk-the-dog lures but this one is made out of wood and the original owner preferred the hard plastic Sammys. I’ve never fished it. The Tackle House M Quiet (upper right) is a top water lure meant to fish calm, quiet water and I did catch a kaku on it but it was light for me to cast with a bait caster.

The IMA Popkey (2nd from top, on left) with its slanted face can be walked, waked or splashed but I never got around to fishing it because the fish I was targeting in very shallow water liked very slim lures.

The Tiemco Red Pepper (left side, 2nd down) is an original wooden bodied lures, and the Tiemco Red Pepper (right side, 3rd down) is plastic bodied and customized with reflective material by the original owner. I hadn’t fished either but have fished plastic bodied Red Peppers and have gotten the most violent strikes on them if I let them bob up and down and sit in the water.

The Daiwa TD Salt Pencil F (lower right) is the reknown Daiwa Salt Pencil in a very small, light size, so it really was hard to cast far but was very deadly when pulled so the water gurgled through the cut out gills, then paused.

The Duo Tide Minnow Slim, and Maria Chase SW in the bottom right aren’t back weighted so I assumed I’d have a hard time casting such light lures with a bait caster, thus I didn’t bother to put hooks on them but I had purchased them used from eBay Japan because they were the OGs of JDM lipped lures. They are fished by straight retrieving them and pausing. Their tight wobble and small size is what gets them bit.

These are 5 inch or bigger floating lures, geared to attract larger fish so I ended up not fishing them from shore. The Daiwa SP Minnow (top) has ball bearings that roll back on the cast, so it casts well. The well known Yozuri SP Minnow (2nd from top) is a lousy caster but has a very aggressive swimming action. It’s probably better used as a trolling lure for papio. Both the Jackall Bowstick and River2Sea WideGlide have wide walk-the-dog actions and big fish potential.

Have you guys fished any of these, and how were they? Any comments on their potential? Since I still have the First Team lures somewhere, I wonder if I’ll ever fish these?

The profile of the average shoreline whipper

June 29, 2023 By Scott 8 Comments

The windy Summer conditions have kept me from kayaking, so my attention has turned to the coming papio season. I took a small, informal survey with some shoreline whippers I recently met.

The guys hadn’t heard that oama had come in, so they weren’t really fishing much.

All 3 wished they could fish more often but because of work and family obligations, they mainly fished for an hour or two when they could get away for a quick session. They didn’t have much of a budget for fishing gear, so they throw the bubble and grub, an inexpensive lead head feather jig, or kastmaster and often don’t catch as much as they’d like to. None had tried Japanese Domestic Model (JDM) lures and hadn’t even considered using them. At most, they tried Rapala or Yozuri plugs with moderate success.

In 2017 I was fully caught up in the JDM lure craze and was buying used lures from eBay Japan just to try as many as I could, at 50% of the new price. The lures I received looked almost brand new and swam pretty well but some didn’t have the internal weight transfer system that allowed them to cast extremely well for light lures, and then swim enticingly. I later discovered a couple exceptional JDM lures so I sold a few of the used lures, and the rest have been sitting in a dark bin.

eBay Japan lures purchased used for 50% off.

One of the guys I surveyed works in a grocery store I frequent, and said his arthritic right hand eventually hurts when he twiches his lead head jig, so I gave him the two circled swimming plugs. Cranking and pausing the smaller of the two lipped plugs was much easier and he caught 2 kaku the first time out. He hasn’t used the larger bone colored plug yet because his target fish have been small. He was sold on JDM lures after that but paying $20 or more for a JDM swimming plug was cost prohibitive for him.

(After writing this post I found a box of JDM lures tucked away that weren’t being fished. You can read why they were acquired and how they’re supposed to be fished, here.)

So that got me thinking, the lipped swimming plugs don’t require specialized gear, and can be quickly fished, cleaned up and put away. What if I could sell the US domestic version of Japanese swimming plugs that cast and swim well, at an affordable price, comparable with the Rapalas and Yozuris in our local shops? Would the whippers on a budget and with a short window to fish be interested?

I’m in the process of inquiring if I could become a dealer of those lures. I had been able to get some IMA Sasuke 120Fs a few years back, and sell them at a fair price but the distributor no longer sells them.

Revisting the soft plastic segmented lure “Vudu Mullet”

June 13, 2023 By Scott 2 Comments

In 2019 I was still whipping the shoreline and started playing around with various jointed swimbaits. The hardbodied ones from Japan swam so realistically but were expensive. I ordered a few of the Egret Baits “Vudu Mullets” and decided to do a very quick field test. Our JDM lure expert Thad, our shoreline whipper and equipment reviewer Dino, and I each gave Vudu Mullets a quick going over. Thad’s immediately got hit by the kaku in the top photo. Dino’s got snipped off with just a slight tick in the line. Mine caught this small white papio. The Vudu Mullet casted well for a segmented lure due to its internal weight and swam incredibly enticingly. 2019 was a slow inshore year so we only did the one field test and I began to focus on offshore kayak fishing.

If this year turns out to be a great baitfish year, the Vudu mullet, in the 3.5″ and 4.5″ sizes should slay when cast near the piles. A few are in the Store for the first time and on sale for $7. You won’t find a better swimming lure than the Vudu Mullet for this price.

This is what I wrote about jointed swimbaits back in 2019. Click to read.

Do jointed swimbaits work in Hawaii?

Holoholo: Inshore report and Summer prediction

June 8, 2023 By Scott 6 Comments

Our young, on-the-water intrepid reporter, Matthew Ikeda, offers his prediction for the coming Summer.

Matthew: With a potential “El Nino” year coming, there is a real chance for a great summer of fishing. NOAA analytics suggest that the chance for an El Nino year in 2023 is over 90%. The last time such a great fishing year occurred, it was 2015 and I had just begun fishing, so I was not able to appreciate the conditions. Stories from many fishermen tell the tale, however, of an overabundance of predators in shallow waters and an explosion of baitfish. We can only hope that these conditions recur and bless us with the action for which we have waited so long.

For those of you who do not know who I am, I fish from the shore with lures, mainly for Papio and Oio. I am a catch and release fisherman 99% of the time. I try to go out a lot, so I see things that I can write up in an occasional report on this blog. With that being said, let’s get into the early summer report.

Action has been a little sluggish initially, but there have been many good signs that point towards good fishing in July and August. I have whipped for Papio a few times within the last two weeks, and while I’ve only caught a few in the 10 inch range, it is encouraging that those are willing to bite after a very bad winter of Papio fishing. There have been Oama at certain isolated spots for a little while now, although these Oama have already grown kind of big for bait usage. I assume more small Oama will come in with a second wave in the coming weeks.

One spot I know of currently has a massive mixed school of Halalu and Sardines, which might be the largest pile of baitfish I’ve ever seen. Strangely, I haven’t seen very many predators busting the pile. I also know of one other spot with a sardine pile, although not as big. There has been an early arrival of Iao in some shallow water spots, which is a good sign for the flats. It was the big schools of Iao that brought the great action onto the flats in 2015-2016. Although there haven’t been many predators inshore to feast on this abundance of baitfish, it is probably okay because June is not usually peak season. I believe that the predators will discover the baitfish soon and that we have a great Papio season upon us starting in July.

As for the O’io whipping, it has cooled off dramatically. After an amazing January-March, these past few weeks have been rather challenging, and there have been many trips where I barely escaped whitewash with a small O’io at the end. The O’io have generally been skittish and uncooperative, and the ones that I have seen seem to be aware of my presence before they are within casting range. Maybe there has just been too much activity on the flats recently? With all the dunkers, fly fishermen, and people like I, perhaps we have been pressuring the fish way too much.

El Nino brings hurricanes along with the good fishing, and don’t get too caught up in preparing for fishing that you forget to prepare a storm kit. While not guaranteed, it is likely that there will be storms formed, but hopefully they will simply miss the islands. I hope this summer is great for everyone and that there will be more than enough fish to go around. Please “fish pono” and be considerate of others, the ocean, and our finite resources. Stay safe, have fun, and good luck out there!

Here’s how good the shoreline whipping was in 2015. 14 inch white papio in 15 inches of water on a Waxwing. (video)

May 30, 2023 By Scott 5 Comments

I had discovered Shimano Waxwings (unique zigzagging swimming lure) in the Spring of 2015 and everything seemed to wanna crush them. I even hooked an oio from my surfboard in the white wash on one!

In July 2015, I was casting literally from the sand while my friend Kris’ Yozuri Crystal Minnow was snagging limu in the very shallow water. The upturned double hook of the Waxwing proved snag proof and the bite really turned on for both of us as the sun went down.

You can read about the action here.

I haven’t whipped from shore in years since I’ve been doing the kayak thing but during Tiger Shark season, maybe my feet should be on the sand.

How many of you guys still throw the Waxwing?

Holoholo: Intro to Plugging from shore and boat

March 15, 2023 By Scott 1 Comment

Merik Chun is now a Sophomore at Kaiser High School. His Boat Jigging tips were so well received that I asked him if he’d explain the sport of “Plugging” to us. Thanks Merik!

Merik: I am a young, avid fisherman and waterman. One of my favorite types of fishing styles, which I will explain to you now, is plugging. I enjoy this type of fishing because it’s fun working the lures in different ways and when you do get a strike it’s one of the most thrilling, exciting experiences in fishing. Especially when you’re targeting larger species, you may not get hit often but when you do, it’s a ton of fun! Here I will introduce you to plugging concepts I have learned over the years and what has worked for me. This is the way I like to do it, others may have a different approach. Take what you want from this if anything, and hopefully it helps you get your first fish plugging!

What is Plugging?

Plugging is the act of throwing a hard body lure out, and reeling it back in, impersonating a wounded baitfish. The main target is usually a predatory fish looking for an easy, struggling meal. The lures people use for plugging may vary in shape, looks, and action. The two main lures people use for plugging are poppers and stickbaits.

Plugging Gear:

Usually, depending on how heavy the plugging setup is, you would want a setup that matches the lures you’re casting.

Reels:

Optimally, a sturdy and rigid reel with a smooth drag system and high gear ratio to pick up slack. This is because in some cases, you will be running heavy drag to prevent fish from running into the reef or over a ledge. A smoother drag helps to control the fish, while rigidity in the reel helps keep balance under load. A higher gear ratios (ex. 5.7:1/6.2:1) are the most common for throwing lures, especially stickbaits, where you need to sweep the lure. This can also help rip a lure over shallow reef structure, or keep tension on a fish running toward you.

Rods: Rods for plugging can vary depending on the setup. A medium heavy action is usually the softest I’d go for most scenarios. Rod length may vary depending on where someone is fishing from and their comfort level.

Usually, a long rod is better if you’re fishing from shore, off the rocks, on the flats, or in the surf (10’-12’) This can help keep the scope of the line higher up over the rocks, as since you’re usually level with the fish. A longer rod may also help get more distance on casts. When plugging from the boat, a shorter rod could be easier with maneuverability and casting as you usually don’t have to cast as far (7’6-9’). There are also plugging rods made specifically for certain lures, with stiffer tips being popper oriented, and softer tips being Stickbait oriented. In between, are all-around rods with stiffness for poppers, while still being soft enough for sweeping sticks.

Main line:

When plugging, braided line is usually the best option since can fit more line on your reel, at a heavier poundage. This helps with casting, and maintaining direct contact to the lure as well as sensitivity, strength and longevity. Typically, good quality Japanese braided line is rated by PE numbers signifying the diameter and breaking strain. For example, for casting 40-80g lures, PE2-3 (30-50#) would work well. While throwing 100-150g lures, PE5-8 could be used (70-90#), and anything up may be heavier. Japanese braided line usually has a smaller diameter with a heavier breaking strain. In some cases, some braids may be limper making them better for casting. I have not noticed a significant difference between the two.

Leader line:

When it comes to leader line, I like to run a shock leader, around 2-3 arm spans (10’-15’) long for throwing lures. In most cases this would leave my FG knot in between my reel and first guide, or first and second guide, which is where I have found there’s the least amount of wind knots. The leader should cater to the size of the setup. For my PE2.5 setup, I run 40#-60# while for my PE5 setup, I run 120#-180#. Just find what works for you, but usually a heavier leader is better if you’re targeting bigger fish in heavy structure. Whatever you can comfortably cast and get distance.

Terminal: When it comes to terminal, I typically like to invest a bit more initially on better quality products, as gear failure such as a bent hook or opened split ring is the last way I’d want to lose a fish. For plugging, I run a swivel, to a split ring, connected to the lure. The hooks are connected via split ring. A good split ring pliers makes life a lot easier if you’re working with split rings a lot.

Lures

Poppers:

Poppers are usually a plug shaped lure with a cupped face at the front. The action of these lures is created by short jerks or long hard jerks with the tip low allowing the lure to displace water and pop, through the cup face. Poppers are made to create a lot of noise and ruckus in the water in hopes of attracting a predatory fish. It impersonates an injured fish or the sound of fish attack a school of fish on the surface. With poppers, I get the most action on short quick jerks, with fish usually hitting on the pause! Faster jerks or Walk The Dog style jerks have also produced. I like to run trebles on both belly and back.

Stickbaits:

Stickbaits are a lot different from poppers. They are almost like a lipless jerkbait that can swim through the water like an escaping or wounded baitfish. Stickbaits come in both floating and sinking variations, with sinking being a lot easier to work. Generally, with any Stickbait, a sweeping motion or straight retrieve has produced the best action. Floating stickbaits can create a splash or bubble trail as they dive down into the water. Generally, you want to leave slack in the sweep so as the nose hits the surface you start on your next sweep. Stickbaits can also be worked on a straight retrieve, fast or slow, jerking motion, Walk The Dog, or ripped across the surface. I usually run belly treble and inline single on the back.

My setups:

The setups I have now are definitely on the pricier side. Many of the ones I have, I have gotten lucky and gotten good deals on them. But remember you don’t need fancy gear to start fishing. I started with an old Penn 550 with an Ugly stick, then switched to a small Daiwa Legalis, to a Penn Pursuit and Daiwa Emcast before making my way up to what I am using now. If you really love this type of fishing, nice gear is mainly for the user’s enjoyment, and you don’t need fancy things to catch fish!

Heavy:

Daiwa Certate 14000 SW
UAM Surf Rod 9’6
Varivas PE5 Avani Casting (78#), 180# Varivas Shock Leader

Medium/Light:

Shimano Twinpower 5000 SW
Zenaq Defi Muthos 100MH
YGK Jigman PE2.5 (45#), 40# Varivas Shock Leader

Disclaimer: This is just my personal take on what I have learned throughout the years plugging and what has worked for me. Others may have different opinions and methods that work for them, but this is what works for me and what I have learned. Hope you can take something away from this!

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them to the best of my ability, or even if you have any tips or suggestions, I am always happy to learn!

Oahu Winter Inshore and Nearshore Report with forecast

March 8, 2023 By Scott 2 Comments

Weather-wise, January 2023 had light wind and not much rain, making conditions fishable but the inshore and nearshore (out to 3 miles or so) bite was the typical winter slog. The inshore guys resorted to targeting oio and the nearshore kayaks and boats did some shallow bottom fishing for uku, nabeta and goatfish.

Yup that’s our JDM expert Thad with a nice C&R oio

The nice weather continued into the first week of February but that was followed by 4 weeks of strong wind and rain storms. When the wind and rain let up a bit, the fly fishers and jig head whippers connected with oio and saw big omilu hunting the flats. March is early for the big omilu who are normally seen by the early June time frame, before the oama begin to trickle in by late July.

Not satisfied with 2 delicious uku, Grant filled his fish bag with a 21lb shibi

The offshore kayak bite has just begun to pick up in some areas. Mahi, shibi and kawakawa are showing up for the live opelu, which has still been abundant in the early morning.

The consistent rain has been making the brackish water estauraries habitable for the little critters the inshore food chain fish feed on. We can look forward to a better aholehole, moi, and mullet season than we had last year, which didn’t have much rain in the Winter/Spring. Let’s see if this prediction holds.

Holoholo: Winter Bones

February 5, 2023 By Scott 2 Comments

Our shore-whipper Matthew is back with a quick update on the o’io whipping action this Winter.

Matthew: Happy New Year! It’s been a while since I last wrote, but I’ve been strictly whipping for O’io recently. The action was surprisingly great for January, which had been my worst month last year. I hooked a couple of very large fish, including one that I could not stop even with very tight drag. The weather has been finicky, with the winds seemingly shifting every few days. One day you might be dealing with a dead wind, glassy conditions, while the next you might be facing nasty 30 mph gusts. There also have been a few days where the wind was blowing from the southwest, which is uncommon and very frustrating for O’io fishermen because it’s a headwind on the flats. There haven’t been many days where sight fishing was suitable, so I’ve been mainly blind casting into areas I know the fish frequent.

I’ve seen several large Oama schools and one Halalu pile, neither of which I have an explanation for. If you know where they are, go capitalize on this odd opportunity. I’m assuming it has some correlation with the abnormal weather but I’ve never seen large Oama schools this early.

On another note, there has been an exponential increase in the number of fishermen targeting O’io with lures. The O’io fishery on the flats seems fragile, so I’m not sure how this will affect the numbers of O’io. If you’re new to flats fishing, please be respectful of the reef, the fish, and other fishermen. O’io are very delicate fish and cannot spend much time outside of the water. Please wet your hands, avoid grabbing by the gills, and try not to remove any of their slimy coating and scales. Lastly, if you’re shooting videos, keep the angle low and try to refrain from exposing spots. The long term effects of “burning” a spot are considerable. Have fun, but not at the expense of others or the reef. Stay safe out there everyone?.

Holoholo: Dry Aging Nearshore Fish in Hawaii

December 8, 2022 By Scott 2 Comments

BJ Hosaka, who has previously shared about night whipping for Menpachi and Āholehole, recently started “dry aging” the fish he catches. Please read what an amazing difference it makes.

Maximizing fish quality is a goal many fishermen have when preparing their catch. As most know, this begins by properly bleeding and icing down a fish when caught. Yet, another important factor that is often overlooked for improving fish quality is aging. Fresh fish is touted as being superior but can be tough and lack the flavor profile of a properly aged fish. Dry aged fish enhances fish quality by drawing out moisture from the flesh, allowing flavors to intensify. Proper aging gives ample opportunity for muscles, sinew, and tough flesh to become soft and delicate; a reason why most premiere sushi chefs and food connoisseurs choose to age their fish before serving it to customers.

Dry aging fish can seem complex and overwhelming. However, it is not as complex as it seems. I would like to share a simple method that I have used successfully. The first step is to thoroughly clean the fish.

Scale and gut fish
Remove all blood from belly cavity (Tip: Use your thumb, toothbrush, and strong water
hose to spray out blood from belly cavity)
Pat completely dry with paper towel

Once the fish is thoroughly cleaned, there are two methods that I have used to dry age my fish.
The methods are listed below.

Materials needed: (Paper towel and Plastic food wrap). Stuff the belly cavity with a paper
towel and tightly wrap the paper towel around the fish. After doing this, tightly wrap both
the fish and paper towel with plastic food wrap and place in the refrigerator. Unwrap and
change paper towels every 1-2 days. .
Materials needed: (Cooling Rack and Baking Pan). Simply put the cleaned fish on the cooling rack with a pan underneath to catch the drippings into the refrigerator. Let the fish dry on the cooling rack for desired aging length.

I personally keep my fish whole with the head and tail on to ensure that outside moisture and bacteria cannot penetrate into the flesh of the fish. This helps to ensure that the fish will not spoil.

Nearshore fish that I have aged: Papio (All Types), Barracuda, Lai, Oio, Moi, Toau, Aholehole, Awa Awa, Mullet, Menpachi, and Aweoweo.

For most of the fish listed above, 5-9 days is best when starting out. Although, I have aged fish for up to 2-3 weeks with very good results. Typically, the bigger and more muscular a fish is, the longer it can benefit from dry aging as it gives ample time for the fish to break down its connective tissue. As a general rule, fish that are oily tend to benefit from shorter aging periods while leaner, tougher fish benefit from longer aging periods. I created a list below of what I believe the ideal amount of time for each fish is for nearshore fish in Hawaii.

White Papio, Oio, Awa Awa, Barracuda, Lai: 7-9 Days
Yellow Spot Papio, Omilu, Menpachi Papio, and Barred Papio: 5-7 Days
Menpachi, Toau, Aholehole, and Aweoweo: 5-7 Days
Moi, Mullet: 5-7 days

When preparing your dry aged fish, simply prepare the fish as you normally would for both raw and cooked dishes. Because dry aging fish reduces moisture and creates a drier exterior, cooking dry aged fish allows for better crusts when searing and a crispier skin when frying. One is able to generate more flavors through the Maillard reaction and decreases the likelihood of a fish steaming. It embodies the same cooking concept of patting something dry but takes it to an exponential degree. With raw dishes, the complexity of flavors and umami become
present, allowing one to taste the unique flavor of each fish.

As noted earlier, it’s important to experiment and find out what works best for you. Dry aging can be an option for those looking to increase the quality of the fish they eat. However, it is not mandatory nor is it essential for enjoying your catch!

A few micro 40g and 60g tungsten jigs are now in the Store, along with Little Jack gold blade flashers!

September 29, 2022 By Scott 2 Comments

After a year and a half of product testing, the micro 40g and 60g tungsten jigs are finally in the Store. To make them even more enticing, gold flutter blades from the Japanese maker Little Jack are also being sold.

Why did it takes so long? Well, 2020 and 2021 were actually lousy fishing years, not just because of Covid but probably because of the effects of La Nina. We’re still in a La Nina but fishing has picked up considerably. Oama are still flooding the islands and nearshore preds are being caught.

Because of the less than ideal fishing, jigging wasn’t on the top of mind of the lure testers but each had great catches before either losing their jig to a fish or the reef. There were no complaints about the jigs whatsoever.

The Little Jack gold blades are highly sought after jig attractants not sold in the US. When added to the rear hook of a jig, they make the jig look like it has a a small bait fish is following a larger bait fish. The blades are just shy of 1.5 inches.

Blades are often attached behind rear treble hooks so when the predator tries to eat the blade, thinking it’s eating a smaller fish, it ends up eating the treble hook also.

40g and 60g tungsten jigs in both the blue/silver and green/gold colors, and the 3-pack of Little Jack gold blades are being currently sold at introductory pricing. There are only 5 of each size and color combination (20 total jigs) and 5 3-packs of gold blades to start. Pricing will increase after this initial batch is sold out. Comparable tungsten jigs sell for much more.

Holoholo: How to correctly release your fish

August 20, 2022 By Scott 4 Comments

With more fish being caught now, and a lot being released, our On-The-Water fly fishing reporter Jason has some essential tips.

Jason: With catch and release fishing increasing in popularity, it’s important for newer anglers to be aware of the importance of proper fish handling. I’ve put together a list of tips to ensure the fish you release survives to be caught again:

1) Try to avoid sticking your fingers under the fish’s gill plate. This can damage the delicate gills, causing the fish to bleed. A bleeding fish will often end up a dead fish.

2) Try not to hold the fish out of water for more than 15 seconds at a time. One study showed that a fish held out of water for more than 15 seconds is up to 600% more likely to not survive.

3) Keep ’em wet! Handle the fish with wet hands, if possible, and try not remove too much of its protective slime.

4) Revive the fish by facing it into the current or pushing it in a circle. Pushing the fish back and forth, contrary to what you may see on TV, is actually not good for the fish as its gills only work in one direction.

5) If possible, fish barbless! A barbless hook does less damage to the mouth of a fish, and is safer for you, too! I personally pinch or file down all my barbs before I even begin tying a fly. When people ask why I fish barbless, I joke that it’s as much for me as it is for the fish! I’ve been fishing barbless flies exclusively since 2017, and I can count on one hand how many bones have spit a barbless fly running at me.

6) Try to release the fish in an area free of predators. This is obviously not always possible, but we try our best. For instance, if I land a fish in an area where I earlier saw a shark, I will to wade to an area further down the flat to release it. Ensuring the fish is fully revived before the release will also help, as a tired, slow-moving fish is easy pickings for a shark or large barracuda.

7) This last one is going to be controversial since it’s pretty widely practiced by both fly fisherman and conventional fishers alike, and in many cases is done to obtain a weight of the fish. Try to avoid “lipping” the fish and suspending it vertically. If you do, try not to hold it in this position for too long as it can damage the fish’s jaws and put strain on its spine and organs. Anyway, if rule 2 above is followed you should be ok.

Some of the above may seem excessive, or even downright silly. As a beginning fly angler and catch and release practitioner, I committed many of these myself. But remember, if it’s worth releasing a fish, it’s worth doing so in a way which maximizes its chances of survival. Otherwise, you are better off harvesting it (if it’s legal, of course) and making some delicious lomi oio or fried papio! Thanks for reading, and happy fishing (and releasing)!

Holoholo: Mid Season Whipping Report

August 18, 2022 By Scott Leave a Comment

Our JDM equipment expert and whipping enthusiast, Thad, provides a snapshot of how Oahu shoreline whipping has been going this year.

Thad: The whipping and plugging off-season had been painfully slow for me since the start of the new year. Plugging was completely ineffective and whipping with the bubble/fly setup was only slightly better. My fishing partner Dino and I began targeting other species on lures such as oio with some success. But whipping light to medium plugs and bubble/fly is our true passion so we kept at it with the hopes of getting lucky one weekend. Around the beginning of June, we began catching a few small papio in the 1 to 3lb range which indicated to us that the papio season may be just around the corner.

At this writing, it’s now mid-August and safe to say we are in the middle of the summer papio/ulua season – at least for the spots we go to. A little over a month ago, I took my first good dawn patrol strike of the year on a 45g Shimano Rockpop Slim popper from Japan. It ran for a good 10 seconds before spitting the hook but it was so exciting to know the big fish were coming around. Around late July, we decided to try a new spot that we’ve always been talking about. I committed myself to plugs that morning and resisted the urge to switch out to the more consistent bubble/fly setup. We started our normal dawn patrol session by reaching the spot before any light peeked over the horizon. I started with the cheap, but surprisingly effective Rockpop Slim. Just to give a background on why I use this lure – when plugging in the dark in an area with a rocky shoreline, I often can’t see where my lure is until it’s very close and this often causes me to snag and lose my lure in the rough surf zones. Rather than losing expensive lures to rocks I can’t see, I use the Rockpop Slim which is only a fraction of what my other lures cost. I change the stock hooks out to heavier and stronger Shout curve point trebles which also helps to keep the lure from skipping out of the water on the rod sweep.

We were casting our lures in the dark for a good 15 minutes when I felt it snag something. Knowing it couldn’t be the rocks since the lure was still a good way out, I immediately yanked back hard to set the hook. As the fish started its run, I set it several more times to make sure I had a solid hookset. The fish took a good amount of line on the first run but didn’t run much after that, which led me to prematurely declare to Dino that it felt like a 6-7lb fish.

As I fought the fish and leaned back on the rod, I realized it wasn’t coming in as easily as I thought. The fish gave me a couple of scares when it found some rocks to rub the line against but was soon in front of me and at the surface. A shine of the headlamp confirmed what we were hoping for – ulua! What a great way to kick off the season. Dino secured the fish for me just before a wave got there and we hurried back to an area with a calm tidepool to keep the fish in.

We quickly took a few pics, got a fork length measurement, applied a Pacific Island Fisheries Group tag into its back, and carefully released it back in the ocean.

Normally we’re used to one and done trips but this wasn’t one of them. The morning progressed and there was now enough light to see our lures in the water. Dino decided to switch to the bubble fly and whip in a whitewater area as I continued plugging the same spot, but this time with a 1.5oz Mark White. About half way into a retrieve, I see an ulua’s head break the surface, trying to hit the lure. It kept trying, back and forth, water flying everywhere until it finally managed to grab it about 30 yards from the rocks. I felt its power immediately as it peeled line from my reel at a much faster rate than the ulua I had caught earlier. And then it popped off. Nothing was wrong with the hook so I just have to assume the hook wasn’t able to set properly in the ulua’s bony jaw. I finished out the exciting morning with two more big explosions on topwater lures. We’ve been trying the past few weekends and have been getting a few big strikes and bent hooks but nothing like that first morning. A similar tide and moon phase is coming up so we’re hoping to be able to land another one soon.

Wondering how the testing of the 40g and 60g tungsten micro jigs is going?

August 12, 2022 By Scott 3 Comments

Small metal jigs have gotten popular with the shore whippers, kayak and boat fishers due to their versatility. No other type of lure can be casted so far and fished the entire water column.

The jigs made of lead and steel, shaped to imitate a fleeing, dying fish, definitely produce and are usually reasonably priced.

But there are times when you want the densest/heaviest jig in the smallest size available, to cast as far as you can, from shore, or sink as fast as you can while drifting on a kayak or boat. That’s when you need a jig made out of tungsten, which is almost twice as dense as lead. That means a lead jig of the same weight as a tungsten jig would be almost twice the size.

We first tested tungsten jigs in the 80g and 100g size and offered a few in the Store to see how they’d sell. Click this link to see what they looked like.

Since they sold so well (there’s a few 100g jigs left), we ordered smaller 40g and 60g tungsten jigs for the shore jiggers and kayakers targeting fish that want a smaller bait. A few guys have been testing them for almost a year now but I hadn’t gotten much feedback so I was concerned that they were duds.

Top row: Blue/Silver, bottom row: Green/Yellow

**Some examples of how to dress the jigs**

Instead I found out the kayakers were getting wreaked by fish too big for their small hooks (the jigs are 2.5″ and 2.75″ long), and the shore jiggers were quietly catching fish on the micro jigs. I haven’t jigged much in the last year and only have a picture of a small uku, but luckily Grant shot this video of a beautiful yellowspot papio he landed on a 60g tungsten jig. Thanks Grant!

Non-tungsten jigs definitely catch fish but when the preds are focused on tiny baits like oama and nehu, it’s good to have the micro jigs handy. The jigs have proven to glow for a long time and be scratch resistant so we’ll put them on sale in the Store soon. Just wanted to ensure we were providing a great product at a fair price. Stay tuned!

Update 2/5/24. Dropped the 60g tungsten jig over some good marks. Check out what happened!

Spring 2022 Shore to Boat Fishing Report and Summer Forecast

June 7, 2022 By Scott 4 Comments

The guys quickly summarize how fishing has been in the Spring, and what they expect in the next few months. Spring is normally a slow time before the bite picks up in the late Summer/Fall so it’s interesting to see how the different fisheries have performed.

Matt, Oahu whipper: The Papio fishing has been pretty good as of late, and the O’io action has been great since March. It’s sometimes frustrating to see crowds of fishers in my usual spots, but I’ve been moving to other areas and exploring new grounds. I was rewarded for my trouble two weeks ago with a three-hour O’io blitz in which I caught nine fish ranging from one to eight pounds.

Since late March, I’ve caught more O’io than I caught in all of last year but there’s signs that the action will start to slow down. While I wasn’t able to get out this weekend, there were multiple reports that the usual spots were completely dry. Perhaps the action has to get worse before it gets better again.

However, the Papio action seems to have picked up recently, with a bunch of my friends being able to land some nice fish. There are one or two spots with Halalu in right now, and just a few more with Oama, so try to get in on the Papio action while you still can. We can hope that this first wave will be refreshed by the usual June-July run, but it is uncertain. Good luck out there and tight lines!

Jeremy, shore jigger:

(click to enlarge)

Every year, I like to set a fishing goal for myself. This year, I’m really trying to get an ulua on a jig on a lighter setup (PE2 mainline or less), so I’ve spent a lot of time this year primarily focusing on this tactic.

The year started strong with some massive strikes that couldn’t be stopped. But, from around March till May, the action was relatively slow. Some of our usual spots that used to be pretty consistent, have been fairly quiet and only a few fish caught here and there. So we did some exploring and have found a couple new spots that have been pretty hot. We’ve found some schools of papio up to the 3# range, so hopefully that’s a good sign for the upcoming summer months.

If you’ve never tried jigging from shore, it can be really fun, but get expensive in a hurry. Besides the obvious challenges of possibly getting stuck on the reef, knot getting caught on your guides and snapping your line on the cast, you also have the risk of getting cutoff a lot. In just the past few weeks, I’ve lost about a $100 worth of jigs from fish cutting me off on the reef.

But, I love jigging since it allows you to work the entire water column and you will take strikes at any and every depth. Sometimes the strike will be when the jig is falling or right when it hits bottom, or it could be at the very surface. You just never know and that’s the best part about it. Just be ready for that sudden tug and hopefully luck is on your side. Good luck to everyone. Hopefully it’ll be a HOT summer.

Shea, Big Island offshore kayaker: In April, ono and mahi were biting. Opelu was somewhat plentiful. In May the opelu was hit or miss. The pelagic bite really slowed. Hoping the bite picks up soon but realistically Fall is the peak season.

BJ, Oahu night whipper:

Whipping at night has been productive since the beginning of the year. The menpachi and aholehole have been good sized, biting well, and have been around in high numbers. Papio are also coming up occasionally. Night fishing should continue to be effective throughout the summer and into the early fall, especially as the presence of bait fish fill the shoreline.

Scott, Oahu offshore kayaker:

Wind limited the number of fishable days in the last 2 months and the bite was still slow when guys could get out. Opelu has been sighted recently but they aren’t biting well. Kawakawa and small mahi mahi have been the most common catch. Ono have recently been landed.

This is the NOAA water temperature graph of inshore Kaneohe Bay last year, from May through December. Because of the placement of the sensor, the recorded temps are higher than the deeper areas of the bay. Temps rose before the end of May, to 83.5 deg F which was actually the peak for the year. That may explain why the offshore kayak fishing picked up before June and remained somewhat consistent until the water temps really dropped off in November, falling to 74 degrees. By the end of November, the bite really slowed down. Since this year is a La Nina year like last year, the water temps may follow the same pattern so I’m expecting the bite to pick up soon as the water warms!

Erik, inshore and offshore Oahu boater: Bite seems to be picking up offshore. A lot of guys have been getting ahi recently. We’ve found smaller cane-size mahi (5-8lb) nearer and aku piles further out. The opelu bite was good in the mid-morning but the size of opelu was on smaller side. Overall the bite seems to be picking up and should hit its stride in the Summer.

Holoholo: Whipping at Night for Menpachi and Āholehole

May 25, 2022 By Scott 4 Comments

Aloha! My name is BJ Hosaka, and I have been an avid reader of the Hawaii Nearshore Fishing blog since I was a freshman in high school. The types of fishing I enjoy doing are: whipping at night for red fish, dunking for oio on the flats, dunking at night for small game, and live baiting oama for papio. I enjoy writing and wanted to share some of what I have learned during my fishing journey. Growing up when I was learning how to fish, I did not have anyone in my life to teach me. One of the ways that I learned how to fish was through this blog (Scott and the other fisherman who have shared their stories and tips). I hope is to do the same and bless others through the sport of fishing.

Over the past couple of years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to fish at night for ʻāholehole and menpachi with a friend of mine, whom I met through my girlfriend’s family. He has been whipping at night since he was a young kid. He has refined and perfected his technique, learning over the years how to consistently catch fish. In this guest post, I’d like to share with you some of the information, tips, and techniques that I have learned from him.

Here are some key factors and tips to keep in mind when whipping for menpachi/ ʻāholehole at night:

Find Structure: Menpachi, ʻāholehole, and ‘āweoweo are cave fish. They hide in boulders, ledges, and under rocks during the day and come out at night to feed. Fish where there is a lot of structure: healthy reefs, boulders, break walls, rocks with sand pockets. Even if you don’t necessarily see them during the day, they might be there at night.

Track the tide and moon phase: The moon and tides play a significant role in how and when night fish feed. Generally, we will fish on a rising tide near the new and full moon. However, some spots may only be productive on a full moon, some are productive only on a dark moon, and others may be productive during both. The tide is similar; some spots may be good at low tide while others may be productive at high tide (or anything in between). It is important to track your catches and see when the fish bite best.

Finding the strike zone: ʻāholehole and menpachi tend to feed in the mid- to upper-water column when fishing from shore. To be in the most productive zone, figure out how to get your bait in their strike zone. If the water is shallow, you may want to use a bubble float or light hammer bomb to fish where they are actively feeding and to prevent getting your line stuck. If the water is deeper, you can use a heavier hammer bomb, golf ball, or lead in order to fish the mid-water column.

Choosing the right lure: With the plethora of lures and bait out there (e.g., flies, grubs, worms, and strips), it can be hard to choose the right lures to use. Although night fish will bite anything when hungry, if you want to consistently catch fish, it can be helpful to present a lure that matches what they are actively feeding on. Here’s a tip: ʻāholehole and menpachi feed on small shrimp, plankton, worms, and small crustaceans. Do your best to find a lure that looks similar to these. While red fish and ʻāholehole will bite non-glow lures, we have found our best luck with small lures that glow.

Using Bait: We often bring bait as back up when lures aren’t effective. We have caught menpachi on aku belly, shrimp, sand turtles, ika, cut ʻōpelu, and cut akule; but will rarely hook ʻāholehole with bait.

Hook size/ Leader line/ Leader length: We generally will use MZ hooks sizes 10-14. We tend to get more bites on smaller hooks, especially from ʻāholehole. For the leader line, we’ll use anything between a 4 and 10 lb test fluorocarbon. Similar to smaller hooks, lighter line will generally produce the most bites, especially in heavily fished areas. We run a long leader (9-11’), but you can use whatever you are most comfortable with to cast.

Surf (Tip for ʻāholehole): ʻāholehole like the surge. They are generally found in the areas where waves tend to break and areas with some surge/whitewater.

Slow Retrieval: For ʻāholehole and red fish, we use a very slow retrieval (reeling as slowly as we can). I’ve been taught that the lure or bait should slowly glide through the water, giving ample opportunity for the fish to strike as night fish will generally feed on slow moving prey.

Time of year: Because the presence of bait is steady year-round, menpachi and ʻāholehole can consistently be caught throughout the year.

Night Fishing Safely: Fish with a partner at night and be aware of your surroundings. Bring a headlight with extra batteries, tabis if fishing in reefy/rocky areas, and always check the weather before you head out.

-BJ

Spring bait fish report

April 15, 2022 By Scott 11 Comments

It’s the middle of April, and back a few years before the seasons got all “kapakahi” (uneven, unpredictable), sardines and iao would come into the shallows during the spring, and oama would begin to trickle in late July. The last couple of years didn’t have much of these very important shoreline bait fish, and thus, the shore fishing was slow.

Well, large schools of iao have been spotted on the west and east sides of Oahu and hopefully will draw in the shoreline predators. An unexpected large school of medium sized oama was spotted a month ago on the east side but hasn’t been seen since. The oama were running into my legs because unseen predators were harassing them.

Offshore, the opelu schools have been hit or miss, depending when and where you went, but if you caught some, they’ve been deadly for mahi, kawakawa, shibi and even the occasional ono.

These early indicators hint of a more “normal” summer season. What do you guys think?

Holoholo: February – March Shoreline Report

March 12, 2022 By Scott 8 Comments

Dedicated shore fisher Matthew shares his observations of the way Winter has transitioned into Spring, updating the general report posted last month.

Matthew:

It’s been getting slower and slower recently for the vast majority of people. Personally, this winter was among the best that I’ve ever enjoyed, and the bite was consistently great. However, spring has come and the fish appear to have left for “greener pastures”. A lot of people whom I know have switched to fishing on completely different sides of the island, which has rewarded them handsomely. However, being limited to fishing only Oahu’s south shore has really shown me how vulnerable my chances are. It’s been getting increasingly difficult to find any fish on the flats and on the reefs.

Often, when I do catch an Oio, it’s only a small one (three or four pounds), not the larger ones that many Oio fishermen pursue (five pounds or larger). The Papio bite wasn’t ever really good to begin with, but it was passable. Come spring, it has completely died. Even during the first hour of sunrise and the last hour of sunset, there appears to be no sign of the Papio that would regularly navigate our waters. Normally, this would be attributed to cooling water temperatures and the lack of bait fish near shore, but this year appears to be significantly worse than those of the past.

The people I know that have been shore jigging have been striking out equally as much. The bubble and fly method has also not been successful for the people that I know. However, people on boats have been having great luck recently (maybe that’s where the fish went?) with many fish such as Uku, Ulua, and Pelagics.

So, unless you can shell out the money for a boat, stay put on shore and grind out the next few weeks or months. I suspect that as the water temperatures rise, the baitfish come in, and summer arrives, the fish will also come around. Please also erase Kona winds forever (nobody likes them).

For now, people that have been dabbling in UL (ultralight) fishing have been relatively successful, as well as the freshwater game. If you want to grind out the flats game (I probably will), you’re more than welcome to, but don’t expect much. The same goes for whipping for Papio and other inshore predators. Until the water heats up and the baitfish arrive, I’d expect things to remain much the same. If you’re a ulua fisherman (sliding or baitcasting), now’s that time of the year where all the big ones come up. Quite a few large Ulua have been landed in the past month, and perhaps there’s a 100+ pounder waiting out there somewhere.

Good luck, stay safe, and just have fun!