I’ve fished the Westside 4 times and never done well, but with the Windward side too windy, and traffic light because school is out, I had fished twice recently and the only thing I brought home was a lonely nabeta. Meanwhile friends who launch in the dark and target the pelagic species had been getting shibi (yellowfin tuna under 100lb), ono and uku. School is starting up next week so this was possibly my last Westside trip this year.

The major solunar bite was happening in the mid-morning and it was slightly overcast so that gave me hope that the normally wary bottom fish would be more active. But the bite never materialized until after the major bite time was over. I had gone deeper to find less cautious fish and something finally bit the damashi rig and felt a little heavy coming up. I was stoked to see a thick nabeta and hoped to catch a few more but that didn’t happen.

Instead, I got bitten off and re-rigged with a 25lb store-bought damashi set, adding a Completely Hooked Lures Minnow to the damashi fly. This combination has been effective with the tackle busters at this spot. The fish skin wings and tassled thread must make the CHL Minnow look like a larger creature.

I hooked something near the bottom that bent the soft jig rod and took drag! It pulled in spurts, and circled but didn’t feel like the jacks that had broken me off the 2 previous trips. I was ecstatic to see my biggest weke ula / weke nono on the kayak but the fight wasn’t over as it slipped out of my hands and jumped in the kayak with the second damashi hook dangerously flying in tandem. See the hilarious video below.

Another cut off followed, then the deep bite slowed so I went in a bit to check a depth a friend recommended. Sure enough I hooked a smaller, keeper weke nono. It started to drizzle and the offshore winds gusted to 20mph so I cranked up the Bixpy motor and made my way in, dropping the damashi on enticing marks.

Something bit at the 100ft mark that surprised me. A daytime menpachi that must’ve thought night time was coming!

I was grateful that the distance to deep water on the Westside is very close compared to the Windside because I was battling strong offshores and choppy seas to get in.

The large weke nono was just under 2.5lb and the smaller one was just under 1.5lb The nabeta was 0.75lb. Weke nono is a little dry when cooked so it’s best eaten as sashimi or poke and very underated in my opinion. Because the weke nono primarily eat shrimp and crab, their flesh is clean and sweet tasting, on the soft side but not mushy.

This is the fillets of the 1.5lb weke nono. The bones and head were cooked Japanese style in shoyu, sugar, ginger and water.

It helps to chill the weke nono in ice for day or so before cutting to firm up the meat, and then wrapping the fillet in paper towels in the fridge for another day or so to remove moisture . The Rapala Fish Pro 6 inch Fillet Knife made slicing the soft-ish flesh a breeze.

My neighbor Brian artfully sliced and presented the 2.5lb weke nono.

And here’s the short video of the weke nono jumping above the kayak.