Hawai’i Fishing Fanatic

Posts Tagged ‘flyfishing’

Waikiki-Diamond Head Fisheries Management Area

Great news for O’ahu shoreline fishermen for the New Year! A little information to help you get a head start on what is allowed and prohibited. Remember to malama (care for) the kai (ocean), in return, the kai will malama you.

Fishing spots open between the Waikiki Natatorium and the Diamond Head Lighthouse

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The New Year means a new spot to fish is open on Oahu’s south shores.

Starting Jan 1st, fishermen are free to hit the shoreline between the Waikiki Natatorium and the Diamond Head Lighthouse.

The area is only open every other year to help the fish repopulate.

From Department of Land and Natural Resources:

WAIKIKI-DIAMOND HEAD SHORELINE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AREA TO OPEN ON JANUARY 1, 2010 http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/chair/pio/nr/2008/N08-321.pdf

Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline FMA open to fishing January 1, 2010.
The Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area is open to fishing during the calendar year 2010. This area is closed to fishing on alternate years to help restore fish populations.

Location
The Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline Fisheries Management Area extends from the ewa wall of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium to the Diamond Head Lighthouse, from the highwater mark out to a minimum seaward distance of 500 yards, or to the seaward edge of the fringing reef if one occurs beyond 500 yards.

Fishing periods
“Open to fishing” from January 1 to December 31 of even-numbered years (2010, 2012, etc. ).
“Closed to fishing” from January 1 to December 31 of odd-numbered years (2009, 2011, etc. ).

Permitted
To fish for, take or possess any legal size marine life in season during the “open to fishing” period, provided that only hook-and-line, thrownet, handnet to land hooked fish, and spear fishing and hand harvesting methods are employed.
With a permit to engage in activities otherwise prohibited by law for scientific, propagation or other purposes.

Prohibited
To fish for, take or injure any marine life (including eggs), or to possess in the water any fishing gear during the “closed to fishing” period.
To use any spear between the hours of 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, or have or possess in the water any trap or net except thrownet or handnet to land hooked fish during the “open to fishing” period.

Download a pdf copy of the administrative rule and illustrative map of the Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline FMA.

NOTE: The Waikiki-Diamond Head Shoreline FMA is adjacent to the Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District where fishing is prohibited. Please see the DAR Fishing Regulations page or the Marine Life Conservation District pages for more information.

President Obama Fly Fishing in Montana

The President and his ‘ohana arrived yesterday to spend their holidays in Hawai’i for rest and relaxation. I’m hoping he’ll find some time to visit the other islands, especially the Big Island.  If not, he can go flyfishing with me and Reef Rippas Hawai’i Flyfishing Service as he did in Montana.

I’m a great admirer of the President and his policies. So here’s an invitation to you, Mr. President, that if you have the time during your vacation, we’ll gladly take you out to flyfish for ‘o’io (bonefish) nearby in Kane’ohe bay or out in Hawai’i Kai. We are a “green” flyfishing service, so you might have to paddle a little bit on our tandem kayak depending on the spot and conditions (although not more than 20 minutes). It should be fun and maybe you’ll hook up to a screaming ‘o’io at the end of your line. That should make your day!!! It does for me!!

Aloha,

Don Aweau

Kayaks, kayaks, kayaks! When I was younger I loved these things that made it easier to fish. I started off fishing with them after attempting to fish with my surfboard. But I had a short board so that didn’t work out. (the longboarders ruled on this one). I did catch a few papio or ulua, but a monster fish always got away because I would go out too deep or run out of line. I always wanted one but ended up borrowing one from a friend of mine who had a two-seater kayak. I later bought an inflatable kayak, Tahiti Classic, by Sevylor (now owned by Coleman), because it was more portable and I could use it when traveling the outer islands. You’ll laugh but it worked out great for me but wasn’t as good as a regular kayak.

Back then, the kayaks didn’t have rod holders or gear stowage bins and a lot of saltwater kayaks were too long and narrow. Now, you have your choice of saltwater kayaks. It just depends on what you want. There are kayaks with foot controls, rod holders, stowage bins, motorized, accessories and just about everything else under the sun. I envy those that can afford these but a regular kayak for me will do. A friend of mine, Bob Lathan, from Pennsylvania recently sent me his dream kayak called, the Manta Ray 12, from Native Watercraft Co., and I have to agree with him that this might be the one for me here too in Hawai’i. I was going to get a similar one when I was in PA but my inflatable kayak sufficed since the lakes and rivers up there weren’t too bad and it handled all the conditions I put it through up to Class II. I did try the inflatable a couple of times on Class III rivers but that wasn’t too fun and I had to tie down my gear too much.

Check out Bob’s dream kayak and mine too:

I like to go more “green” on everything but I like to look at all my options. Here’s another one I was thinking about and might be easier to get around but cost a little more too, including gas, is this little number called, the Mokai , a jet-propelled kayak manufactured by Mokai Manufacturing, Inc. I think this would be great for trolling or flyfishing and more affordable than getting a boat. Most of the times we go by ourselves anyway. I also remember the beginning of the “Let’s Go Fishing” show with Ben Wong in one of these but I’m not sure it’s the same one. The video below shows, the Mokai, in a river. It looks pretty cool! Check it out:

Maybe if these manufacturers see this, I can do a review for you folks someday. As always you should check out the individual company’s web site for more information as well as fishing-related uses. Let me know what you think by leaving comments on either the blog or Facebook Fan Page!

By the way, if you’re still wondering, I still have that Tahiti Classic!!!

A Prep for the Upcoming Weekend

Aloha Friday! to everyone!

I’m not sure what will work this weekend as the moon phase may brighten up the night skies. I’ve heard the good and bad of both. Fish tend to stay out on the shoreline later as it’s more lighted. Night fishing for ulua slows down as prey are able to see predator. Offshore fishermen may have more chances at ‘opelu and tombo ahi but the winter conditions may make it difficult to stay out.

In addition, watch for changing conditions. Safety should come first again as in last week. Windy days and large surf continue to pummel open ocean and shoreline areas. Wear your safety gear, take extra time to fasten down your fishing gear and look out for your fishing buddies.

Weather

Weekend forecast looks like scattered showers (50% chance for rain), high surf till Sunday morning and high winds. See right sidebar for Weatherbug’s latest forecast!

Tide Information

Again tide information has been provided by HawaiiTides.com Daily Tide Predictions and weather information by Weatherbug for updates before heading out to the “ka nahele or forest”. Click on links in the right sidebar for Hawai’i Island & O’ahu forecasts.

Fishing Forecast

Offshore:
Ahi (Big-Eye Tuna)
A’u (Marlin)
Kamanu (Rainbow Runner)
Mahimahi
Hapu’upu’u (Sea Bass)
Lehi (Snapper)
‘Opakapaka (Pink Snapper)

Inshore:
Ulua/’Omilu (Trevally)
‘O’io (Bonefish)
Hahalalu (Baby Scad or ‘Akule)
‘Opelu (Mackerel)

Info courtesy of Hawaii Fishing News

Tournaments

No scheduled tournaments this week.

Have a safe weekend and don’t forget to share your fishing photos!

I came across these finds over the past few days and hope Hawai’i Fishing Fanatic Fans will enjoy the following:

I found this article while researching environmental issues. Cigarette butts found toxic to saltwater and freshwater fish, that spotlights its effect on fish. If you smoke, this might be something you might want to think about when smoking at your local fishing spot. It may be killing the fish in the immediate area and your chance of getting that “hanapa’a” feeling.

Ever wonder where the fish might be biting somewhere in the world or curious as to how to fish somewhere you’ve never been before? Well, the Flyfish Map (beta) is a special online fishing tool that includes user-driven videos, maps and pertinent information of a fishery on a global map. This isn’t exactly an all-encompassing fishing map and more for flyfishers but this at least gives you an idea of what to expect when fishing unfamiliar waters. I haven’t quite finished checking it out but there are four markers on the Hawaiian islands. Check it out, it might just help you catch fish!

For flyfishermen or whippers looking for a cheap alternative for imitating our local ‘opae or shrimp, a recent article in Flyfishing in Saltwaters, “Steamed Straw Shrimp” , will keep you busy for the week (a how-to link is provided). I think this will work on the flats or as “damashi” as it gives a profile of the shrimp not easily imitated by other materials and it costs less to boot!

Stay Informed with Hawaii Fishing Fanatic!