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Holoholo: First fish on the fly gear!

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Accomplished whipper Jeremy recently picked up the fly fishing game. He landed his first fish on fly gear this Saturday, and followed that up with a solid catch on the spinning gear Sunday. He’s making it look easy during the “off season”.

Jeremy: Had a good weekend of fishing. 

Saturday morning:  Winds were projected to be light, so I decided to bring out the fly gear.  I’m still a beginner and I need the lighter winds so I can practice casting.  Fly fishing, especially the casting, is the hardest type of fishing I’ve ever done.  I still suck at it, but can’t get better unless you practice, so my buddy and I headed out just as the sun was coming up.  We split up and started looking for tails.  My primary goal was to get in casting time, so I blind casted as I made my way onto the flats.  I still haven’t caught anything on the fly gear, so catching any fish would be an added bonus. 

I slowly walked and looked for tails and every so often made some casts into “fishy” areas.  At around 7:15am, I made a blind cast, slowly stripped in my fly, and about halfway into my retrieve, I felt a small tap.  I set the hook and there wasn’t much movement, so I figured it was a really small papio.  But after about 5 seconds, I think the o’io finally figured out he was hooked and took off on a blistering run.  I stop the initial surge, got him turned, and then he decides to swam almost directly back to me!  I tried to crank my reel as fast as I could to keep tension on the line, but it felt like he spit the hook.  Just as I’m about to give up hope, I feel tension again on the line.  Yes, fish still on!  He made a couple more small runs before I finally landed him.  Chee!!!  My first fish on the fly setup!   Took a few pictures and released him back.  

No other action for the rest of the session, but I was stoked.  Landed my first fish and got to get in some much needed casting practice time.

Sunday morning:  Winds were slightly stronger, so brought out the spinning gear.  No action in the first hour, but around 8am, I felt a small tap on the line.  I set the hook and it felt like I was stuck.  I maintained tension and then it took off.  Scrapped the fish for around 5 minutes and landed another nice o’io.  

No action again for the next hour, then I get another slight tap.  Set the hook…Hanapa’a!  Small one, but it’s a beautiful 13” omilu.

Awesome weekend for me.  Landed some nice fish in this “slow” period.  But, one thing I’ve noticed recently is the strikes are really different.  I’m not getting any of those hard hitting ones.  Almost all my bites in the past couple months were really small taps or felt like dead weight, like I was dragging in seaweed.  It’s like the fish don’t really know they’re hooked for the first few seconds.  So my tip for the week:  set the hook if you think you felt a bite and keep constant pressure for a few seconds, even if it feels like seaweed.  It might actually be a good sized fish ?

Fred Hall 2020 – Wrap Up

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The Long Beach show ran from March 3rd to March 8th. Nothing was explicitly stated but Shimano had pulled out following the directive from Shimano Corporate in Japan to not put their employees at risk of exposure to the Coronavirus, and other smaller brands pulled out also.

The following week March Madness was canceled and the NBA season was suspended. The Fred Hall San Diego show has been pushed out a month ’til the end of April.

There was a slightly subdued feeling to the Long Beach show but the show did go on. I’m excited to try out a few products I saw but was more stoked to be able to spend time with the sales guys and get a better understanding of how the retail fishing industry works because they were less busy with customers! That and the good Mexican and Italian food I had with friends made it worth the trip.

Fred Hall Show 2020 – Day 2

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Since I quickly breezed past most of the exhibitor booths the day before, I wanted to spend some time with folks I had met at previous shows.

I started with the crew at Promar – Ahi USA who always take care of me at the Show. Owner Ben Hong and do-everything guys Steve and Joaquin filled me in on their new products including the Live Deception Flash Jigs which uses the proven Live Deception body but now incorporates the highly reflective 3D print used on the Assault Diamond jigs. I forgot to take photos of the crew and the jigs but you can see the jigs here. You might want to use these when fishing low visibility conditions.

Owner Jose, guide Carlos and Promar-Ahi USA Do-It-All Joaquin

When Joaquin heard that I was interested in fishing Cedros Island on a kayak, he took me over to his friends at Cedros Island Outdoor Adventures whom he and his dad fished with in the past. Owner Jose is a Marine Biologist who has been taking folks on land and sea tours for years. He and his wife have an 8-room lodge built in 2012 that overlooks the water. They specialize in panga fishing but can take you and a kayak to any spot on the island that’s holding fish. Kayaks are Ocean Kayak Tridents and Jackson Kayaks that you paddle not pedal. My comfort zone. 🙂

What really sets them apart is their Premium Guide Service that flies you from San Diego on their private American plane directly to Cedros Island. With this service you can fish every day of your stay there (see package pricing photo). Pricing includes transportation, lodging, food/drink, fishing, fish cleaning/processing. They even provide free use of Seeker rods to target the trophy calico bass and yellowtail, so you can leave your oversized rods at home. Mexican destination fishing is very affordable when you consider the quality of fishing you’ll get for your US dollar. I much rather sleep in a lodge on land than in a bunk on a multi-day boat!

I appreciated the time Jose and his guide Carlos spent explaining the offerings to me, and if Joaquin endorses them I’m a believer!

I then made it over to my buddy Rick Carr who was working the Johnson Outdoors (Humminbird, Minn Kota, Cannon). As much of an icon he is in the fishing industry, Rick always has time to try to help everyone who stops by. I forgot to snap a pic of him in his booth but he did recommend I check out the new Bioenno Power Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) which can take 10 times more charges than a standard sealed lead acid (SLA) battery and and last for 10 years.

The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) battery only needs to be rated at half the amp hours of your SLA battery to provide equivalent duration of power. I use a small 9 amp hour SLA for my kayak fish finder. It costs about $22 and weighs more than 5lb. I could get by with a LiFePO4 4.5 amp hour battery weighing one pound! That would cost $65 but last for 10 yrs. Something to consider when I need to replace that little SLA brick. These Bioenno Power batteries are sold at Battery Bills.

I then looked up my Rapala/VMC/Sufix rep, Duke Smith, who has been helping me get the products I’ve been selling in the Store.

Duke was working the Savage Arms gun booth at the show. I wasn’t familiar with the brand and soon realized Savage is a very long standing, well respected American rifle maker. Duke wasn’t repping fishing tackle at the show but took the time to introduce me to the other members of his marketing team who also rep Rapala, and walked me over to meet Ben Frazier, who’s been repping Avet Reels for decades.

I was honored that an industry icon like Ben spent so much time explaining the history, components and functionality of the Avet Reels. My takeaway was that one piece reel frames were machined out of aluminum and anodized for corrosion resistance. The gears and other components were made out of stainless steel. The goal was to make very strong, corrosion resistant reels with strong drags in very small form factors. The reels come in 1-speed, 2-speed, and 3-speed, with various max drags, optional cast controls and many colors and finishes.

I explained to Ben that I kayak fish with a small star drag reel (original Trindad 14) and have been getting rocked by big fish because I fish with very light drag to let the fish eat and run, and by the time I tighten the star drag on a big fish it has built up a head of steam and found something to rub against.

He recommended a 2-speed lever drag SX (the “S” signifies Small) reel in the Raptor line. With a lever drag I’d be able to fish in free spool, and when the fish is hooked and running I can slide the lever drag up to set the hook and visually see exactly how much drag is being applied. There’s a stopper that will prevent me from going past the amount of drag I set it to, but if later in the fight I want to increase the drag, I can push in a button to allow the lever drag to go past that stopper.

The Raptor line has all their bells and whistles. It has double the drag output of the base line and adds a magnetic cast control to remove backlashes. In the lever drag strike setting, there’s a max 17lb, and the full setting max is an astounding 26lb. That will definitely stop the big fish from running to the rocks, or will catapult me out of the kayak seat.

The high gear at 6.3:1 is retrieving 36″ per crank and the low gear at 3.8:1 is retrieving 21″ per crank. I like a high retrieve to reel in my line from the depths but the low gear will definitely help winching heavy sharks. Ben who I believe said he’s past 75 yrs old, has landed big bluefin on this tiny reel that only weighs 17 ounces!

Compared to other brands of similar quality and features, Avet is very reasonably priced. I’m gonna get the SX 2-speed Raptor, which lists for $395, to test on the kayak and if it does what it’s supposed to do, I hope to sell them and other Avets. Stay tuned for that product review.

Fred Hall Show wrap-up coming soon!

Fred Hall Show 2020 – Day 1

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Got to the show on the first day, about an hr after the doors opened. The crowd grew as people got off work but thinned well before the 9pm closing. I suspect the early birds wanted to grab the deals before they sold out, yet it was less crowded than last year because of the growing Coronavirus concern.

Starting at one end of the 2 large exhibition halls, I made my way systematically. First place of note was Jeff Mariani’s Cedros Kayak Fishing booth. Cedros Island, 310 miles south of San Diego and just off coast of Baja California, has been a very popular long range sport boat destination from San Diego but the Mexican government no longer allows the US boats to fish it. The prized yellowtail and calico bass fishery can only be sampled though Mexican services like what Cedros Kayak Fishing offers.

Jeff explained that he provides outfitted Hobie Outback pedal kayaks, rental rods and reels if needed, and will take you and the kayaks by truck or panga to the best option to fish that day. Lodging is at his modern 7 bedroom, 5 1/2 bath home. Tours include transport to and from Cedros Island, meals, beverages, fishing trips, fish cleaning and processing. To get there, his guy will pick you up in CA, drive you over the border to Ensenada where you’ll board a small plane to Cedros Island. When I lived in LA and kayak fished, my unfulfilled dream was to land a yellowtail on a kayak. This might be my best shot!

The tours are very affordable compared to other destination fishing trips. We Hawaii folks have to fly into San Diego of course.

4 days/3 nights - 2 days of fishing - $2000
5 days/4 nights - 3 days of fishing - $2400

Bixby motor designer Houman on the left

Next up was Bixpy jet motors. I visited them last year and was really intrigued with the idea of putting their compact electric motor on my kayak’s rudder but thought I could find a cheaper, yet effective solution.

Bixpy’s design is almost plug-and-play. I would just have to replace my rudder with theirs that the motor attaches to, and I can still use my foot controls. No extra harnesses to get in the way of my fishing line. Their lithium battery is so light it floats and the wireless remote would allow me to control the Bixpy’s speed from my wrist. There’s even a kill switch I’d wear that would shut off the motor if I fell out.

I hadn’t been able to find a more elegant solution within the Bixpy’s price range and I really needed the additional help. In the past year I’ve struggled to fight the wind and current in my Ocean Kayak Trident Ultra 4.3, and while I always safely made it in, I paid the price with tight muscles the next few days. Houman, the designer/creator of the Bixpy system explained how I’d install it on my Trident, projected I could expect to run at 4 mph for more than 5 hrs, and that I should expect the battery to last 3 to 5 yrs before it needs to be replaced. The Bixpy jet motor itself should last 3 yrs or more before it needs to be serviced by the factory.

The Bixpy system isn’t cheap by any means but if it gets me to my spot and back, and helps me fight the current, it’s worth it. I can still paddle the kayak and get my exercise in, and use the motor when I need to. I’m hoping to have it powering me around within a month or so.

The Bixpy motor, battery, remote and rudder will cost about $1250.

I stumbled on the Temple Reef rod booth and wondered why that brand sounded so familiar. Then I remembered reading great things about their jigging rods in some online forum. Pro Staffer and rod designer Benny Ortiz gave me the run down on the rods he has selling at the show, and how the 2-piece rods joined near the rod butt, far below where the flex stress point of the rod was. The slow pitch rods flexed properly in the tip yet had backbone for larger fish. Their replacement policy was to pay 50% MSRP one time, after that you’re on your own. I thought that was fair and if I didn’t have an unused slow pitch 2-piece rod already, I would have purchased one at their show prices.

Time was running short so I shot over to the Anetik booth to see Pete, whom I met last year. After wearing the Anetik Shade Mask and Shade Socks last year, we liked them so much we’ve been selling them in the Store. Pete said their new, best selling product is their wind and rain repellent jacket made from a light neoprene type material. In the short time I was with Pete, numerous guys tried the jacket on and some bought it. I picked up two size Large Shade Socks at wholesale to sell in the store and really should have bought more Shade Masks since the last two sold out today! I love the very breathable fishing shirt I got last year and wear when it’s warm (kind of cold now) but I understand it would be hard for others to buy it without seeing and touching it. Let me know if you’re interested in buying any of their UV protectant clothing. I’ll be placing another order with them soon.

There was just a bit more time so I speed walked over to the Boating section in the adjoining exhibition hall, took this photo and realized I knew nothing about boats.

In the outdoor arena, there was no one manning the live trout pond and no dogs jumping into the pool like there were last year. Victims of the Coronavirus scare I’m guessing. Just some food trucks and a few people eating in the cold air. I ordered a pulled pork-style chicken sandwich and called it a night. Stay tuned for Day 2.

Air travel during the Coronavirus uptick

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When I left last Tuesday on an early flight out of HNL to LAX for the Fred Hall Show, there were no confirmed cases in Hawaii. The Hawaiian Airlines terminal was emptier than normal and there was no mention of taking precautions to not be exposed. It seemed like the airport personnel wanted to downplay the concern since they were already seeing a drop in passengers coming through.

The passengers on my flight didn’t seem too occupied with avoiding germs so I felt a little germaphobic when I wiped down my seating area with a Purell Hand Sanitizing Wipe.

The lobby of my Torrance hotel was always filled with Chinese speaking flight attendants wearing face masks so I did the antibacterial wash coming and going.

The Fred Hall Show seemed a touch less crowded than last year and those there still shook hands for the most part. A few booths had antibacterial soap dispensers that were being used occasionally.

By the time I was heading back to HI on Friday afternoon, there were 14 confirmed cases in Los Angeles and one on Oahu. The LAX Hawaiian Airlines Check-In was much emptier than normal but my flight was full and again, no one seemed concerned about catching germs from the plane.

I have been doing a self-quarantine around at-risk people (elderly, heath compromised, very young) just in case, and am hoping the spread of the virus is diminished as we all adopt better hygiene habits as a whole. Maybe this time I won’t catch a cold after traveling like I do 50% of the time.

I’ll write up the Fred Hall experience next!

Going to the 2020 Fred Hall show!

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Stoked to be checking out the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach for the 3rd year in a row. Nowhere else in the country can you see so many fishing products, talk to the domain experts, and buy gear at “show prices”.

Looking forward to seeing old friends and discovering innovative products to share with you guys!

Check out the show video.

Quick water test of new JDM lures

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Picked a windy evening to test the Little Jack Gorgon 125 and IMA Sasuke 120F. The minimal whipping gear needed (rod/reel, gear bag, wading boots) was a nice break from the stuff we have to take to kayak fish.

I had just started using a pair of entry level Simms Tributary Felt Sole wading boots from Cabelas ($100) because my neoprene $30 tabis didn’t fit well and kept giving me weird callouses. The high end tabis from Japan were more than $150 and I couldn’t justify that cost for the little I wade fished. The Simms Tributarys go on and off easier than my zippered tabis because of the speed lacing but because the felt bottom is flat and rigid, it feels like I’m an astronaut walking on the moon. Not sure if all felt bottomed wading boots are that way. Still something I’m getting used to, but at the end of each trip I barely notice that stiffness. It is comforting to know that I can kick jagged rocks and my toes are safe from eel bites.

I just had a short stretch of reefy water to cast in because dunkers were fishing both ends. Started with the jointed Little Jack Gorgon 125. It casted ok when the wind was light but didn’t do well into a strong crosswind because of the shifting center of mass. It swam incredibly realistically at slow speeds, and when I paused it, the head of the lure turned back towards its tail. At high speeds it leaned over to the side so it’s definitely a slow to medium retrieve lure. Since it floats, and submerges a few inches when retrieved, there was no risk of snagging and it wasn’t affected by the slight chop. I bet it’s gonna slay the picky fish that follow lures before deciding to eat.

It got windier so I put on the IMA Sasuke 120F. It floated, but barely, and swam in the 27″ to 36″ depth range, so I had to be careful in shallow, rocky water, but man did it punch through the wind. I was never at risk of backlashing my bait casting reel, and because it swam 2 to 3 feet under the surface, the predators would easily see its aggressive side to side head movement. Unfortunately, with no bait fish around, there was no reason for a predator to brave the cold, shallow water, so the two lures didn’t even get a sniff.

I am pumped to fish the Gorgon in areas that require finesse lures, and throw the Sasuke even when the weather conditions get a little nasty. Both lures are currently available in the Store.

New JDM Sub-Surface lures in the Store!

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In case you haven’t been checking, a bunch of hard to find and very effective JDM sub-surface lures have been added to the Store.

  • IMA iBorn 118F with new Magnetic Rebound System that improves casting distance.
  • IMA Sasuke 120F, extremely popular in Asia and Europe with rolling magnetic tungsten ball system to improve casting distance.
  • Little Jack Gorgon 125, realistically detailed, natural moving jointed swimbait scaled down for inshore fish.

Don’t wait to long to decide if you wanna try these, they are selling out fast now that the Store is open to the whole country and the prices, with shipping are … unreal!

Holoholo: Whipping report, 2nd week in January

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Jeremy is a long time fisherman who loves whipping, but will be adding fly fishing to his game this year. He’s been posting catches on his private IG account @jeremy.poi while the rest of us have been getting skunked, so I asked him if he’d mind sharing his most recent catch report with us. There’s a lot we can take away from this!

Jeremy:

Everyone knows that during the winter the bite really slows down, but can’t catch fish if you don’t go fishing so I try to get out there as much as I can.  This past weekend I braved the weather and was glad I did.

On Saturday morning, my friend and I decided to do a dawn patrol session.  It was super windy and rainy, but we love fishing so we just threw on our jackets, grabbed our gear, and headed to the spot just as the sun was about to come up.  The tide was really high and the water was a little dirty, so wasn’t the best conditions for wading, but we slowly worked our way out into the water.  I continuously made casts as I walked the reef and about 15 minutes into our session, I got a nice hit.  It’s a decent sized fish and I can feel the head shakes, so I know it’s a papio.  I get it to hand and see a nice 14” white papio on the end of my line.  I take a few quick pictures and release him safely.  First white of the year for me, so I’m happy and the pressures off. 

I continue to work the reef and cast into “fishy” areas.  About 30 minutes later, I feel a strong tap on my lure…miss…then another miss.  And then finally, on the third hit, I get a solid hookup.  Hanapa’a!  Line starts ripping off my reel and I know it’s a good sized one.  It takes about 60 yards on the first run before I get it to turn.  I’m only running 8# braid with 10# leader, so I need to be patient and not horse it in.  I slowly gain line, but the fish is still strong and takes multiple smaller runs.  I could feel the line rub slightly on the reef a few times, but after a back and forth battle of about 10 minutes, I was finally able to see the fish, grab my leader, and land this 5# o’io.  Chee!  Took some pics and thanked the fish for the awesome scrap before releasing it.  And that’s when I notice my hook.  The fish wasn’t hooked in the mouth, but on the side of his face on the gill plate, and my hook was opened up.  Got lucky on landing this one. 

Tip of the day:  Set your drag only as strong as your weakest link.  I run my drag on the light side since I’m running light line, but the wire of my hook is thin as well, so my weakest link in my setup was my hook.  Thankfully my drag was just loose enough and I didn’t lose this fish.  

Another fun session in the books.  Always nice to be able to get out there and do what we love.  And catching fish once in a while is nice too.  So all the guys not fishing due to the junk weather, take a chance and make some casts.  Fish still have to eat, so hopefully it’ll be your lure.  Good luck and tight lines!

The Store now ships anywhere in the country!

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For its first 6 months, the Store only shipped to Hawaii addresses, giving the local angler first crack at the deals. It’s now open to the entire country.

Incredible pricing on JDM lures, VMC hooks and swivels, Sufix 832 braid, Anetik sun shade socks, Action Hat Go Pro hat mounts and more.

Aloha!

Check out how the Vudu Mullet 3.5″ and the Little Jack Gorgon 125mm swim

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Finally got a chance to test the latest two jointed swimbaits but unfortunately the wind and rain really chilled the water. No kaku were seen, only lizardfish and baby white papio followed and nipped at the lures.

The little 3.5″ Vudu Mullet, weighing in at 0.4oz with the VMC treble hook, is a little lighter than the lures I throw but casted plenny far enough to be bit if there were predators around. It’s a slow sinker and yet the single treble hook didn’t snag any limu because the water level was a couple feet deep.

The Little Jack Gorgon, at 5 inches and just over half an ounce, cast well for a hard bodied jointed lure and was easy to fish because it floated in a natural position, and dipped when initially yanked.

Both look way more like a live fish than any 1-piece swimming lure. You be the judge.

Can’t wait for the bait to bring the inshore fish back into the shallows so I can really give these a good shakedown. We do have a few for sale but have been waiting to see how they hold up to decent sized fish.

Holoholo: Persistence paid off

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Holoholo reporter Matthew describes how he overcame the slowdown at the end of “papio season” and found a way to consistently catch fish in the “off season”.

Matthew: Mid September to Mid October was one of my worst streaks ever. Lost a lot of big fish, couple whitewashes, and many lost lures. At the end of November, it all changed for me, but before that it was slow-complete shutoff bite. Some others have been getting good luck, but I haven’t been as lucky as them and the bite has significantly slowed down for me. 

Many fishermen have been getting good and consistent luck on flies, which might mean that the bait is getting bigger and that I need to upsize my two inch grubs for something a little bigger. Most of the master fishermen who use flies fish semi-turbulent deep water. I fished a few times with a group of fly fishermen and one time got totally smoked by them. One guy got two Papio, his girlfriend landed six Papio, and I landed none on the grubs. They were using bubble and fly rigs, and the flies seemed to be either oama or light brown colored. 

I have been getting limited luck on the sardine pile somewhere with a Lai and two Kaku, and then a nice sized Yellowspot Papio at a spot near my house. The next five trips passed painfully, with over 15 hours fished with not a single fish landed. In those trips, I lost a big Omilu, around four pounds. It fell off as it was being reeled up the wall. That was really painful. 

The next trip, I hooked a screamer on my ultralight and fought it for over 10 minutes at dusk. I could barely see it when it came close to shore, but I immediately recognized it as a big white Papio, upwards of 17 inches. It made another run, and I was able to see it one more time before it made a last huge run, and I felt the line go slack. The four pound line had cut. I knew it was coming but I was still mad. Probably the closest I’ve ever been to having a fit when losing a fish. I don’t usually get mad, but that was after two trips of nothing and last trip of losing a big Omilu. I was beaten. I thought for sure that next trip I would land a fish, but I was dead wrong. I hooked something big, and lost it again. This time I didn’t even get to see it but I think it might’ve been a decent Papio. 

Fed up with all of the losing fish and whitewash, my morale was at an all time low and seriously did not know what was going wrong. I decided to make a last ditch run to one of my most consistent spots with my partner. It paid off greatly. 

The first cast, I landed what felt like a small Papio, but upon closer examination it was a nunu. I didn’t care. I needed anything after that long whitewash period. It got even better though. The next cast, I hooked something that ran really hard, and resisted in the whitewash for quite a long while. It made another run and that’s when I knew it was a good sized Omilu. I had to find a safe way to land it, and my partner went down in the splash zone and netted it for me. I was screaming. I don’t know how the neighbors did not think something was wrong and called the police, but I’m glad they didn’t. After five trips, my gamble had finally paid off at the spot I knew I should have been fishing all along. The day was not over though. 

I proceeded to land another good sized Papio, and another, and another. I was pretty hyped, and so hyped that I didn’t even bother to change my leader where it was frayed. As it so happens, laziness  Within thirty minutes, I had landed four good size Omilu and a Lai. My partner had also landed a Lai as well. This was probably the best day I’ve had all season, and so late in the season too.

The following weekend, my sister had a tennis match, so I got to fish during her tennis match at a place right near the courts. The water was really murky and I had a hard time seeing inside the water at some points. The fish didn’t seem to care though. I was using my ultralight and felt something take it with a lot of power and make a very powerful run out toward the open sea. It took a whole two minutes for me to bring it into sight range, and I landed it another minute later after it made a few stubborn runs right at shore. To my surprise, it was the biggest Kaku I had seen in a long time inshore. I didn’t measure it, but it was pushing 24 inches or a little up.

On the ultralight four pound test and a 1/8th size kastmaster, it was amazing that either the very bendy hook did not bend out or that the line did not touch the Kaku’s teeth. I made another few casts, and hooked another Kaku, at around 14 inches, on the ultralight again. I landed it, but it didn’t fight half as hard as the other one. I switched to the bigger kastmaster with the VMC red trebles, and landed another Kaku, this one at 13 inches roughly. Already happy with my success, I let my dad use the ultralight with the kastmaster in hopes of him catching his first Kaku, and he handed me the light rod with the grub and egg lead. 

We moved more toward clear water and stayed there for five minutes when I felt a take, and all of a sudden, line started peeling out, and after a very spirited fight, I could see the electric blue outline of a decent size Omilu coming in. The fight lasted too long, because I was really letting it tire itself out so the hook wouldn’t pull. I got it in eventually and it was roughly 12-13 inches fork length. That was the last bite of the day for me, however, I was still very happy because all of this action happened between 1130 and 1245pm. I had a chance to fish later that day, and since I was already happy with the action, I decided to go after something that I never catch anyway-Moi. 

I went to a spot I heard had Moi, and after a while, I had a fight with something that pulled hard, but with hardly any drag pulled. I started yelling to my uncle as I realized it was a Moi. I took a picture, and then measured it. It was half an inch short to my dismay. I released it. 

The next cast I hooked something that felt really big, and pulled a lot of drag, when all of a sudden the hooked popped. I am 99% sure that it was a very legal moi. The very next cast, I hooked another Moi, and during all my excitement, I forgot to release it in the tidepool the other Moi was in, and I threw it back into the ocean. I realized what I did as soon as I let go of the Moi, and made a rushed cast toward the Moi hole, but the bite had already shut off, and the Moi weren’t biting anymore.

I’m sure I would have caught a legal Moi that day if I hadn’t released the little one. I kept casting, and on the way back, I was lucky enough to catch my second Kagami Papio ever, even though it was small, I was still stoked on landing such a rare fish again. 

Anyways, hopefully it sheds some light on the next few weeks of fishing. I haven’t been trying for Oama at all in the past few weeks, but I have been seeing quite a lot while whipping. Lots of Omilu are coming up onto the sand when the waves pound it just to eat the oama. Maybe it’s time to try a little bit of oama style lures? The nehu are still somewhat in as well as the mullet. Good luck guys.

Holoholo: Sufix 832 works in freshwater too!

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Shaydon has a huge following on IG @96degreesindashayd, posting pics of Kauai land based jig caught fish and mainland freshwater bass, with a consistent Aloha vibe. He’s been spooling his freshwater reels with Sufix 832 and we asked him if he’d mind sharing his results.

This freshwater review is in conjunction with the saltwater shore whipping reviews.

Shaydon: I’ve spent this year  in Pennsylvania for work and being an angler at home in the islands, it was necessary for me to invest in some gear dedicated to fishing the Delaware River for its wild Bronze Back (smallmouth bass) and walleye. If it’s anything I’m particular about for any of my setups, whether it’s my salt water or freshwater gear, it’s gonna be my line. It’s the link between the angler and the fish being fought. Of course the  hooks, swivels, split rings, etc. are key but if those are up to par then I believe your line should be too. The problem I run into here on the east coast, is that I prefer to use Japanese PE line which is not so much available off the shelf, whereas Sufix 832 is.

Sufix 832 has been such a great braided line. Like PE braid, it’s very supple which makes for great knot strength. I’ve got into some situations and it has also proved to me that it has great abrasive resistance against logs and decently sharp rock ledges. I’ve found that this line casts better and better as you use it. Below are some of the many catches on Sufix 832 15lb. and 30lb. On both spinning and baitcast setups.

Holoholo: Sufix 832 works well whipping from shore

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We asked some of the whipping hammahs to let us know what they thought of Sufix 832 braid. Not surprisingly, their experience was positive like ours was. You can still buy the 8lb, 15lb, 20lb and 30lb in the Store and if the Sufix 832 sells well we’ll bring more in at great pricing.

Keola (Oahu shoreline whipper and plugger): Went whipping in East Oahu Hawaii and got this Omilu (Bluefin Trevally) on my light setup. Tested out the Sufix 832 Advanced Superline braided fishing line (8 pound test). This line has excellent casting ability and lays nicely on the spool of my Shimano Stradic CI4+ 1000HG. In addition, the quality/color of the line does not appear to decrease/fade dramatically after multiple uses like is common with other line manufacturers. Overall a great product that I recommend you try. Here’s a short video showing the Sufx 832 at work.

Brandon (Owner and private seller of Vividprizmflies): I’ve been using Sufix 832 on my 3k Stradic fl. It’s an awesome alternative to YGK braid from Japan. Thin, smooth, casts through guides easily, and I haven’t gotten any wind knots yet. The 10lb Sufix I’m using says its equivalent to 6lb test monofilament in diameter but its actually more like 4lb mono diameter. Hands down if I can’t get my hands on JDM or other high end braid line, Sufix 832 will be my go to over PowerPro and J-Braid.”

Holoholo: Junk, no eat… (catch and cook)

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My oama fishing buddy, David, has a wealth of fishing experience and knowledge and I’m constantly learning new things from him. He surprised me with this comparison to my jointed lure fishing outing.

David: Scott recently fished the incoming tide at a well known stretch of beach, casting some newly acquired, jointed, shallow running lures that had tremendous side-to-side action; these lures look irresistible (to me, but who knows what a fish thinks). Having described his whipping episode, I thought that I would conduct a crude experiment to compare underwater lures to top water poppers.  I have this mild, unsupported theory that poppers have an edge over underwater lures in shallow water when it comes to Kaku and Papio because I think the splashing and chugging turmoil initiate predator instincts. Of course, logic doesn’t always apply to the habits of fish, but my reasoning is that if a fish is not overly hungry and sees bait swimming by (in this case, a swiveled-body lure), it’s sort of “ho-hum”, just another fish, but maybe not worth expending the energy to chase and grab the bait.  On the other hand, I’ve always felt that fish are opportunistic feeders, and since splashing is usually associated with distress, it would seem that a  splashing  popper might trigger a reflex attack action. So I thought that I would try a comparison test.

I knew what time he had started fishing, so I started 1/2 hour later the next day, to mimic the same tide conditions. Scott said he had about 5 or 6 Kaku follow the bait, but only one missed strike. I basically fished the same waters with approximately the same tidal conditions, but threw poppers instead of underwater lures. There are of course a zillion environmental conditions that were different and obviously any fish that lived in the area had moved around or left completely, but since Kaku are somewhat territorial, it seemed likely that unless someone else had caught all the Kaku in the area, that they were probably still in the general vicinity.  At this beach, there is a beginning and an end, so the grounds are finite.

In any case, I tried to duplicate his path and tossed poppers the entire stretch of the beach. The tide was rising quickly and it was a perfect day with little wind. Would the poppers make a difference ? I walked and threw my favorite popper, hardly pausing at all. The entire length of my trek, about 4 or 5 Kaku chased, but none hit. At the end of the beach is an area where bait fish sometimes congregate. I got to the end, and there were small schools of bait swimming around. I threw 5 or 6 times and bang ! A solid strike, my pole arched, followed by the sweet sound of the drag. I was using 6# test and a semi-noodle rod. The fish jumped twice, then it was over. Attached is a photo of the 18″ Kaku.

Scott had several chases but only one soft bite, but no hookups. I had a similar amount of chases and one hookup. Was there a pronounced difference ? No. Are poppers better than shallow runners ? Probably not. The only difference was luck. The fish just happened to be where I randomly threw. Pure luck. But hey, I had a good time and got a fish. I happen to love to eat Kaku; most don’t.

My mother was a fantastic cook, and my father was her greatest fan. Anytime I visited them and he was eating, I’d ask if the dish was good. He’s always reply with a grin, “nah, junk, no eat”. The stronger his insistence, the better the dish. So, to those who don’t favor Kaku, eh, “junk, no eat”.    🙂

I’ve tried barracuda a couple of different ways, steamed Chinese style, fried, etc. My favorite is tempura. Normally I’d cut the body into steaks then batter and deep fry them. But I filleted this one then my wife deep fried the tempura and made Tartar sauce. When it’s cut up into steaks, there are bone fragments left in the meat; but when filleted, it’s much easier eating. Goes good with Takuwan or Sanbai-zuke. I also like the center bone salted and dusted with flour, then fried like Aku or Ahi, or salmon bones in the local style. A good friend of mine makes his dip with julienned onions and mayonnaise. Both are good. I’m sure Ponzu would work well. Sometimes I use Chick Fillet sauce for the dip; of course, that makes anything taste great. Really junk, no eat……   🙂

Do jointed swimbaits work in Hawaii?

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Top to bottom: Vudu Mullet 4.5″, Little Jack Gorgon 125, Zetz Jointed F-Lead 135S

I have always been enamored with jointed lures. The idea of the tail kicking independently of the head of the lure just sounded so much more realistic than one solid piece. The first jointed lure I saw was a 2-piece wooden freshwater Rapala lure in the 80’s that was reputed to be a kaku killer but for some reason I never fished a jointed lure until 2 yrs ago.

After seeing a slo-mo video of the Zetz Jointed F-Lead 135S (bottom lure in the photo above) I just had to have one, even if it wasn’t available in the US. It came with stout hooks and swam as good as it did in the marketing video, but I have yet to hook anything on it because I’ve never fished it in deep enough water where fish were big enough to lunge after a 5.25″ sinking lure.

A few months ago, a friend from Florida who wrote this epic Maui whipping report, suggested I try a Vudu Mullet when I asked him if he knew of an inexpensive lure that was very effective. Turns out the Vudu Mullet has been slaying fish in Florida and the Gulf States for years, and has remained very popular as a tough, rubberized, jointed swimbait. Once again, the slo-mo marketing video had me wanting me to buy a set of the 3.5″ and 4.5″ Mullets. At least these jointed lures were sold in the US and retailed for less than $8. The Zetz Jointed F-Lead 135S, a hard bodied, bigger game lure, cost more than $17.

I fished the 4.5″ Vudu Mullet on the flats last week on a rising mid-morning tide. Started with the white body/chartreuse tail color scheme because the water was murky and I was testing the theory that white lures show up better in murky conditions. I walked the 800 ft stretch of beach we test lures from, and got followed by 12″ – 14″ kaku that seemed to want to smell the wagging tail of the Vudu Mullet and stayed near a few feet away from me even after I pulled the lure out of the water to recast. Eventually a kaku pulled the lure down but didn’t get hooked in the solo treble hook.

Here’s how the 4.5″ white/chartreuse mullet looked in the murky water that day. Enlarge the video viewer, and play it back in slo-mo if you really wanna see the amazing swimming action.

(top to bottom) 4.5″ Vudu Mullet, Shimano Shallow Assassin, 3.5″ Vudu Mullet, Shimano Waxwing Baby

Thinking that a more realistic color might be better as I reached clearer water, I put on a 4.5″ Vudu Mullet in a “silver mullet” pattern. That got follows too but no strikes. So, for comparison, I put on the trusty Shimano Shallow Assassin (second from top) and retraced my steps. Got follows and no hits either. Hmm, was the white/chartreuse Vudu Mullet a better lure for this day or did it just get first crack at the kaku?

The knock against jointed lures in the salt has been that they don’t cast well because their center of mass isn’t stable (my Florida friend explained it to me that way), and the pieces could get ripped off or bent. Plus, they’re more complicated, and thus, cost more than 1-piece lures. Sport Fishing magazine, the best fishing magazine in the world imho, wrote an article last year on jointed hard plastic lures, basically saying that the new batch of lures made for salt water can handle the abuse of toothy fish and out perform solid lures in the right conditions.

The 4.5″ Vudu Mullet weighed 0.9 oz on my digital kitchen scale and cast pretty well because of that weight. The 3.5″ Mullet (2nd from the bottom in photo below) matches the hatch better on the flats but only weighs about 0.4 oz. I haven’t tried that yet but if I can cast it out, I bet the picky kaku will annihilate it.

If the jointed lures do well in my field tests I’ll bring ’em in to sell in the Store. Have you guys had any success with these type of lures?

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.

Holoholo: Late Season 2019 Whipping Report

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Thad, our JDM expert and shoreline whipping enthusiast, provides this report in early October.

Thad: Like many years before, I wasn’t able to fish this season’s peak summer months for oama, halalū, or papio due to other important things going on at home.  Seeing and hearing of all the action my friends were having made me envious but I knew fishing would always be there and the next summer season would be just around the corner. 

Recently, I’ve been able to venture out to do my regular early morning fishing sessions and was expecting the predator action to be slow so I went oio fishing instead.  My friends were able to catch and release some legal sized papio while we targeted the oio so I wondered if the season had truly slowed down.  It was already the middle of September and the bait schools weren’t as plentiful but it seemed like the papio were still hunting inshore. 

The following weekend, I decided to devote my time whipping some CHL grubs Scott had given me to try.  It was a decent morning with five omilu landed and several more that came off.  Nothing big, but all legal sized ranging from 10 to 12 inches.  Were these the last remaining papio of the season?  Only one way to find out.

Two weeks later I decided to try my luck whipping some papio flies my friend Brandon makes for me, which I’ve had much success with in the past.  The result of this morning session was several more hits and misses, with a 10.75 and 15 inch omilu landed. My fishing partners also landed a 13 and another 15 inch omilu on grubs.  Still some pretty good action for October.

This past weekend I went on a solo mission – which is usually when the big ones bite right?  I noticed a small school of tiny baitfish darting around the shoreline as well as a small pile of oama.  The first cast of the morning with Brandon’s “Sparrow” fly produced a 10.5 inch omilu.  Several casts later, something blew up on the fly only a few yards out and took off.  There was no slowing the fish down on the first run.  Then I felt the fish pop off much to my dismay. 

I continued casting but whatever it was, it wasn’t around anymore so I decided to change it up and try a Mark White oama lure.  One the second cast, another solid hook up and short run before the lure popped out of the fish’s mouth again.  I like to change up my lures often so I went with grubs to see if there were any takers but no luck.  It was nearing the end of my fishing time so I switched back to the trusty Sparrow fly to cast as I worked my way back.  Sure enough, I got a few more tugs here there before I landed an 11.5 inch omilu to end the day.

Since I wasn’t able to fish the peak months of the season, I have no way of comparing the recent action to how it may of have been in June – August.  The recent action has been pretty good though, so I have no complaints.

Holoholo: Heeia Fishpond Fundraiser for Mauna Kea – Heeia trial nine

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This would be my ninth time fishing at the Heeia Fishpond, and I was hoping to take advantage of the rising tide for most of the time that I would be fishing there. When I got there, the conditions were pretty good for fishing, but it was also very humid due to the rain the night before, and no wind at all. Within an hour I was already soaked with sweat and it looked like I had actually fallen in the pond. I caught two Kaku on back to back casts on the Kastmaster, but then, after that I decided to go after some of the toau. Since both of my poles were occupied, I set up a handline. I had never handlined with a spool before, so unfortunately on the first toss I tossed both the bait and the $15 dollar spool of line in the water. 

Luckily, I had brought my nine foot net, and I just scooped it up. But if the water had been deeper, it wouldn’t have ended so well. I learned how to successfully throw it and landed three Toau in short order. But that was sadly the whole school of Toau. I put on an oama and started whipping with it, and I was just about to take it out of the water when a Kaku came out of nowhere and inhaled it. I was tempted to set the hook right there, but I let it swallow it and then set the hook. I landed it, and it was a decent sized 16 inch Kaku, and really fat for its size. I started to dunk some oama and then I heard the bell ring. Someone had tangled my line and I reeled it in to untangle it. The line was still halfway in while I was untangling it. After I untangled it, I put it back in the pole holder.

Immediately after, the bell started to ring again and the reel started to scream a little. This time it was a real fish. I reeled it in thinking the whole time it was a Papio, but it fought differently than I was used to. Then I saw why. A really fat moi had surfaced with my oama in its mouth. I yelled for the net and my mom came, and she started recording instead of handing me the net. I took matters into my own hands and grabbed the net, and netted the real fat moi. It was only 13 inches, but it must’ve weighed a pound and a half or a little over because it was so fat. Almost obese fat. I tagged it and released it, and watched what could’ve been a real good dinner swim away.

I started whipping shortly after with a bubble and strip rig. I was worried because the leader was only six pound, because I forgot the 20lb I usually use at Heeia because of the Kaku. I just hoped there would be no more Kaku that would bite that day. I was wrong. Far out, I saw a Kaku take the lure and jump out of the water with it in its mouth. It then took off on a short 15 yard run due to my relatively light tackle, with an eight pound mainline, but not ultralight. I worried about the six pound leader the whole time, but somehow it came in close enough for netting. It saw the net and didn’t like it at all. It took off on another run, but that was its last effort. It came in reluctantly into the net after. It was the biggest Kaku of the day, at a decent 17 inches, but good on six pound line. I bagged all of the Kaku that day, as well as the Toau, and donated them to the Heeia Fishpond staff, which were asking for donations. After that, I had a real nice strike on my dunking pole that would not stop. The hook eventually popped and I was super bummed about that. I think it was either a big Papio or Oio.

Overall, that day was sort of a success, but it could’ve been better. Interesting that almost none of the dunkers hooked up at all, but a lot of the whippers on the wall had caught fish. Once again, whipping takes the vast majority, but dunking hooks the quality fish, as it has with pretty much all my fishing trips. I think I prefer whipping. Kastmasters and strips were again KEY in catching the smart Kaku in the fishpond. Scott has some Kastmasters in his shop, the exact same kind I have, for cheaper prices than in the stores. Oama are fully in, go gettum guys.

Replacing stock treble hooks with VMC 4X hooks

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I’ve been whipping the Shimano Shallow Assassin for the last few months, and it’s never been bolo’d. Since I’ve been been fishing shallow water, most of the fish have been kaku, and Shallow Assassin’s plastic body is nicked up but still water tight. On the last outing, in rough water, the only thing that bit was a medium sized nunu (trumpetfish), and I released the slimy buggah by holding the treble hook shank with Rapala 8.5″ stainless steel pliers and shook off the fish.

That hook opened up so it was time to replace it. The lure’s stock hooks are Owner 2X Size 5 treble hooks. They are thin and very sharp but a strong fish could bend them with the right leverage. Owner makes an excellent 4X treble hook but it’s 3 times more expensive than VMC’s 4X treble.

For reference, the Shallow Assassin is 4 inches long

The VMC #4 – 4X hook was about the same gap size as the Owner #5 – 2X, but heavier because it was made thicker and stronger.

Fearing that heavier hooks would affect the nimble swimming action of the Shallow Assassin, I put on the smaller VMC #6 – 4X hooks instead and floated the lure in salt water to make sure it was still horizontally buoyant. I was able to reuse the stock split rings to ensure that no additional weight was added and that the hooks swung freely in lure’s eyelets. Since the split rings were small, I had to use a small-medium split ring pliers to change the hooks and made sure I didn’t stretch the ring out where it wouldn’t retain its original tight coil.

We’ve brought in the Perma Steel and the Red VMC 4X hooks because we couldn’t find the sizes we needed locally. Here’s a review the team did on the 4X treble hooks last year.

The old gear tether has corroded but the Rapala stainless steel pliers don’t have a speck of corrosion on them

We’re also selling the spring loaded 8.5′ stainless steel long nose pliers. I’ve gotten tired of my carbon steel pliers rusting and staining the gear it touches. Been using the stainless steel pliers for a season now with no corrosion whatsoever.

Please check out the new items in the Store. Use the coupon code “ADDON” to subtract $1 off the shipping cost of each terminal tackle item (hooks, swivels, etc).