July is right around the corner but there aren’t a lot of bait fish in. The early oama that came in last month have grown to mid-size but the second wave of oama hasn’t arrived.
There were some halalu piles, like the one Matt found to have his personal best catch, but a lot disappeared and there’s speculation that they were illegally netted.
The iao (Hawaiian sardine) weren’t in at my whipping spots and the predators that follow them into the shallows were missing. I checked two spots with some new lures and bolo’d both times!
The guys (and gals) have been starting at dawn with flies on long leaders behind floaters and have been experiencing improved omilu action.
We’re hoping a waves of oama and halalu come in soon but it is looking like an off year compared the recent banner years. How do you guys think this season will pan out?
Looks like Dawn Patrol or dusk is the only option for me… I prefer dusk because I don’t like to get up at 430 but seems like dawn is better than dusk…
4:30?!!! How long does the dawn bite usually last? I much prefer the evening 5pm to dark bite. 🙂
-scott
Bite usually lasts 520-630am but sometimes land after that.
Hmm, wake up that early for a little more than an hr of action? But you think the dawn bite is better than the dusk bite?
Dunno, only been doing dawn for a little bit, you’d have to ask the pros… Thad, Dino… I think Dawn is better for quantity, dusk better for quality.
Thanks for the input Matt. The few times I’ve tried to make it by Dawn I missed the bite! When I miss the bolo at Dusk I don’t feel as bad. 🙂
You’d have to ask the pros to find when the best tides and times are… I only supply them with the lures, they know how to use them lol. Still new to the bubble fly game.
Hopefully one of more of the pros provides some helpful tips. 🙂
I only go early because my wife would get mad if I left her with the kids for too long. ?
I usually go around 600 myself, but that’s more to get parking, lol. The fish i target bite all day long and it’s easier when i can see them. Papio definitely seem more crepuscular feeders.
I had to look up “crepuscular”. Basically an animal more active in low light like dawn, dusk or overcast conditions.
You’re lucky your target species, oio, is relatively user friendly, feeding in the shallows during the day, fairly all year long! They’re food source is consistently shallow unlike papio, whose bait is mostly near shore in the summer months.
Yep, it’s one of the few inshore gamefish we got left in Hawaii that can be (somewhat) consistently caught all year round.
Hi Scott on Maui still get small ones yet. Northshore very slow so far,lots of oaamas but not biting off and on. They bite for 10 minutes then that’s it they don’t bite anymore. I had some success catching oaamas Southside,big school. Westside I heard no oaamas. The harbor central big school they don’t feed. Gonna be a long wait if anything lol. Anyway happy fourth of July. Be safe take care ?
I can’t speak to halalu or oama fishing specifically, but I have noticed a general uptick in ocean activity lately. It’s just speculation, but I suspect it’s related to the pandemic, and lack of recreational alternatives, or even the need to subsistence fish to supplement one‘s income (or lack thereof). If true, this would in theory be placing increased pressure on our fishery. You know I love my theories, haha..
Sounds valid Jason. More people fishing means more people spooking fish and catching fish. Interesting that there was no one else whipping the two areas I bolo’d but there were dunkers and throw netters. Maybe that should have told me something?
-scott
My believe is that throw netters or anyone wading the reef, be it fly fisherman, whipper, tako guys etc will affect the fishing. In addition, I believe when an area has been pounded heavily for few days, for instance over a 3 day weekend, the fishing may remain “off” for a week or two. I also believe there is a cycle of the word getting out that a particular spot is hot, people pounding it hard, then it slowing down, people eventually stop going, until the fish feel comfortable slowly returning.
Your theories make a lot of sense. Fish seem to learn quickly where they’ll be unharmed, in preserve areas, etc. Areas where there’s a lot of activity that don’t harm the fish, like surf spots, seem to have unwary fish.
Great info, thanks ? ?
Glad you found it helpful. Hopefully the experts can chime in an refine these theories!
Hi Scott on Maui still get small ones yet. Northshore very slow so far,lots of oaamas but not biting off and on. They bite for 10 minutes then that’s it they don’t bite anymore. I had some success catching oaamas Southside,big school. Westside I heard no oaamas. The harbor central big school they don’t feed. Gonna be a long wait if anything lol. Anyway happy fourth of July. Be safe take care ?
Thanks for the report Craig, Happy 4th of July to you too!
The early season is a good time to use lures since the papio aren’t getting the oama that easy. Hope you get a papio whipping soon.
-scott