oama gear
Fishermen are discreetly checking their favorite spots to see if the halalu and oama have made their early arrival. When these early summer fish are found, don’t expect to hear about it unless you have a really connected friend.
In the meantime, you can gear up with proper footwear, straight poles, dunking gear, tackle and live bait buckets.
I’ve never fished for halalu but have targeted the oama over the years. Oama show up in same sandy areas year after year. Early in the season the school is small and flighty so the early season fisherman will try to target them without tipping off his oama fishing competition.
It’s importantly to wear a hat and polarized sunglasses to scan the sandy bottom, and to tread very lightly. Ask the tackle shops to recommend the proper hook, line and split shot, as well as pointing you to the fiberglass straight poles. If you can find the wrap around the waist net, that would make it very easy to drop your oama into that net to unhook it. Otherwise a small red landing net would suffice.
The yellow Frabill Flow Troll live bait bucket with spring loaded door will make it much easier to add an oama. I have the non-spring loaded types also and I’ve lost a lot of oama opening or shutting the door’s latch. I’ve seen the Frabill Flow Troll at Roy’s Fishing Supply, McCully Bike and even Target at times. Keep your precious oama alive on the way home with a Promar live bait aerator or similar bait pump. McCully Bike sells the Promar pump for about $10.
Hooking the nibbling oama is an art. I sucked at it because I was trying to feel the bite and then set the hook, but the oama really are feeling the bait with their whiskers before deciding to nibble on it. The recommended method is to use a short pole and short length of 1 – 2lb test line. Attach a hook to the end of the line, with a split shot about 4 inches up. Lower your bait to the bottom. When you feel your split shot hit bottom, raise it up so your bait is slightly off the bottom. If you see oama approach your bait, wait a few seconds and lift your rod tip in a motion up and away from your body, almost as if you were skimming the water with your rod tip. If you don’t hook the oama while it’s eating your bait, you may at least hook it while its whiskers are over the bait. Watch an experienced fisherperson hook oama and emulate. Hook sets are free so swing away.
Here’s some info on keeping your oama alive as long as possible.
Oaama season pau already,1 week ago on Maui. Caught papio at the small boat ramp,and Kahului harbor. 5 papio and one lai. And numerous oaama,not bad considering this was my first year fishing. Think next year goin come in early,fishermen I talked to said came in late this year. See you guy’s next year.
Thanks for the Maui report Craig.
Your welcome. In fact I was by the small boat ramp in pavilion just this past Thursday,believe it or not me and two Filipino fisherman saw oaama. My pole sta sleeping till next year,but get akule.
Yeah, I heard there’s some spots on Oahu with oama still, but most spots dried up. Halalu was on the north shore before the big waves scared them away. Still get papio around but it’s not as red hot as earlier in the season.
Slow Osama had report VW hall,across acros Suda store had last week morning time. Camp 1 slow caught 8 Oaama in 2.5 hours. Rivermouth Kanaha slow school haven’t arrive yet. Camp 1 only initial school came in last seek,skittish. Moving back and forth. Today little bit better,starting to settle down a bit more. t small boat ramp Kahului,people catching halalu and akule.
Halalu running at small boat dock in kahului,oaama school big today, people I talked to say mid August, oaama late this year camp 1.
Oaama at camp 1 was good yesterday morning. Went on the pm around 12:00,better catching. Getting better. Halalu still noting small boat army kahului.
Running
You lucky get oama on Maui. Still slow on Oahu.
Wow sorry to here this.update Rivermouth in Kahului this morning was good oaama had bigger school. Maalaea school was huge,but no bite. Camp 1 get oaama but very windy making it hard to see and catch. Meanwhile halal I still going at small boat ramp Kahului harbor.
Papios whacking the oama schools? You guys lucky you get so much oama. Hopefully ours come in soon.
Oaama in rivermouth biting early this morning 730am at Naska. Camp 1 biting early am. Halalu going strong at boat ramp kahului harbor. Someone caught 27lb ulua kahului harbor.
Was the ulua caught plugging? I think I heard about that if so. Oama are all around oama now, finally. Late but good run now. Thanks Craig!
Hi Scott it was plugging. Also my friends was telling me also omilu was caught at NASA also. Have a. good weekend. Good new for Oahu as well. It seems we might gets 3rd wave of oaama on Maui.
When does season start on oahu
Hey Chayse,
Every season is different. Oama came in late last summer, in late July. There’s rumors a few might be in already. Best to check the spots regularly and get a jump on the early season, easy to catch, better to eat ones!
-scott
Been catching Oamas the past month and always has big schools of them! At *** on east side of Oahu. Where can I catch halalu on east side of Oahu?
Hi Ryosuke,
Thanks for your oama report. Especially on Oahu, we try not to give out the exact location of the fishing spots since the locals wouldn’t appreciate it getting really crowded all of a sudden.
-scott
Kahului boat ramp halalu running and little further down akule. Still no oaama in sight.
Yeah, it’s been a slow oama season for Oahu too. I’ve been told some came in but I haven’t seen ’em at the normal spots.
South side Kihei half dozen poles out on beach maybe papios.
One day I have to go to Maui and try the spots you report on. Thanks!
Yes Scott let me know when your coming over ill give you my number ill show you where they are.
Shoots!!
Lol you got it!