Holoholo: Whipping at Night for Menpachi and Āholehole

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