Lawai'a issue 6

Roi Round Up Interview With Brian Yoshikawa

plus THE ulua Popper Project + FISH for SCIENCE + Kela a me Kei‘a issue six 2011

1

2

Lawai‘a Magazine

issue six 2011

3

contents Issue number six 2011

SECTIONS 7 Inside 10 e hoike mai 14 Kimi’s Corner

FEATURES

18 shoreline tech

32 The Ulua Popping Project

20 fish stories 21 What’s This 22 TOURNAMENTS 54 tips from MEC 62 NEW GEAR 56 KELA A ME KEIA

By Nathan Tsao

38 twenty five Years of Diving: North Shore Spearfishing Classic

by Al Lagunte

44 Fish for Science

by Paul Bienfang and Sue DeFelice

46 Roi Reckoning

by Kris Tyler

48 The Roi Round-Up Interview of Brian Yoshikawa

By Kuhea Paracuelles

4

Lawai‘a Magazine

Line Capacity: 6 Football Fields.

(In case your fish tries a Hail Mary.)

Everything about the Fin-Nor Offshore Series is made to tackle bluewater brutes. From the industry-leading line capacity of our 95-size spinning reel to our oversized stainless steel gears and multi-stack drags. www.finnorfishing.com

Fin-Nor’s Offshore multi-stack drag system features up to 10 carbon fiber, aluminum and stainless steel drag washers that are specifically designed to handle the oceans’s biggest fish.

Lawai‘a Magazine Sterling Kaya > Publisher hanapaafishing@hawaii.rr.com Design Darin H. Isobe > Art Director darini@hawaiiantel.net Director of Marketing + Sales Marc Inouye > Sales & Marketing lawaiamag@gmail.com VOICE Graphic + Environmental Design Clifford Cheng > Visual Consultant voicedesign@hawaii.rr.com Contributing Writers Dell Agricula, Michael Billena, John Clark, Brian Funai, Brian Hauk, Robert Hu, Carl Paoo Jellings Sr., Brian Kimata, Mark Kimura, Jason Luke, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, Samson Kaala Reiny, Clay Tam, Ed Watamura, Kimi Werner

und Up h Roi Ro iew Wit awa Interv Yoshik Brian

ON THE COVER: ROI ROUNDUP 2010 Invasive Species Dive Tournament Photo: County of Maui plus

THE ULUA

‘A KEI A A MEISSUE SIX 2011 1 ENCE + KEL

H FOR SCI JECT + FIS POPPER PRO

Letters and Comments Send to: Lawai‘a Magazine 1733 Dllingham Blvd.

Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 Or email: hanapaafishing@hawaii.rr.com Lawai‘a Magazine 1733 Dillingham Blvd. Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 T: 808.843.8182 > F: 808.848.5539 Every attempt is made to publish Lawai‘a 4 times a year. Printed by Lotus Printing Hong Kong.

Check out our web site. Featuring details of the Lawai‘a Fish of The Year Contest ©2010 Fin-Nor, a W.C. Bradley Co.

6

Lawai‘a Magazine

Inside Editorial Board

photo by Dean Sensui

<

Conservation Built-in with Hawaii’s Fishing Community As the last glimmer of light faded from the horizon, old timers were scattered along the pier end skillfully casting their hand-tied flies into the darkening sea. When asked what they were fishing for, a woman quickly said, “Oh, menpachi, but sometimes I get aweoweo or akule or upupalu.” As we spoke, the fisherman next to her had a bite. Holding his tip high then slowly pumping the light rod, he raised the fish out of the water swinging it right into his hand. Quickly he removed the hook from the u’u or menpachi’s mouth and tossed it back telling his fishing friend, “we going get ‘em tonight.” He looked up to tell me, “let the first one go… we going get much more.”

Most fishermen have rituals and practices that are done without thought. Many of these routines were passed down from previous generations and practiced to ensure successful fishing in the future.

Many of these are also grounded in sound conservation and management practices, such as resting or rotating spots, leaving the keiki, spearing or catching only what you’re going to eat, sharing your catch with elders who can’t go fishing anymore or pinching the limu instead of pulling.

These practices or routines form the foundation of Hawaii’s strong fishing conservation ethic.

The local fishing community continues to progress toward further conservation of Hawaii’s fishery resources for future generations. Shorecasting, trolling, boat and dive clubs have all done their part to carryon, strengthen and adapt conservation practices to sustain Hawaii’s resources. Debbie Takayama, Hilo Trollers Club president, explains how modifying the rules for their trolling tournaments resulted in several positive outcomes. By eliminating the “total weight” category, fishboxes

full of small ahi stopped showing up at the weigh in. Allowing boats to only weigh in their two largest ahi resulted in increased participation and camaraderie among club members, not to mention the conservation value of leaving the small ahi in the water to grow and mature.

One of Hawaii’s most active and respected spearfishing clubs, Alii Holokai, has done their part to carry on these traditions. Club tournament or competition rules have evolved over the years that require divers to hone their skills. In a previous issue of Lawai’a, Hawaii dive legend, Frank Farm Jr., explained how rules have evolved to emphasize responsibility and conservation amongst the divers, including rules such as bag limits, size limits and species limits. This is seen in tournaments that include specific rules for surgeonfish or “knifes”, requiring participants to hunt for exact species and/or limit the total number that can be weighed-in. Minimum sizes are also common for competitive dives. Alii Holokai’s standard rule-of-thumb for tournament size limits is the State of Hawaii’s minimum size regulation plus two inches. So, to record a kumu at a club dive, the kumu would have to be 12 inches or larger – the State’s 10-inch fork-tail length plus two inches.

One of Sonny Tanabe’s dive tournaments on the Big Island required participants to weigh in only three fish total and one of each species from a predetermined list of potential species.

Farm tells of a Sonny Tanabe competition that was held in Kona one year where people laughed when the divers came in with only three fish. The locals said, “Hey, those guys not too good.”

Farm chuckled and says, ‘if those guys only knew.”

Alii Holokai also does their part on shore by holding annual

issue six 2011

7

Project Name: Bottomfish Bio-Sampling Project Sponsor: National Marine Fisheries Service and Pacific Islands Fisheries Group Participants: Boat based fishermen Contact: Clayward Tam, (808) 265-4962 Project Name: Bottomfish Tagging Project Sponsor: Pacific Islands Fisheries Group Participants: MHI bottomfish fishermen Contact: Kendall Wong, (808) 265-4962 Project Name: Acoustic Tagging Project Sponsor: Bottomfish University of Hawaii Participants: Boat based fishermen Contact: Kevin Weng, (808) 956-4109 Project Name: Moi Tagging Project Sponsor: Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources Participants: Shore anglers Contact: Annette Tagawa, (808) 832-5003 Project Name: Oio Tagging Project Sponsor: Pacific Islands fisheries Group Participants: Seine net fishermen and shore anglers Contact: Brian Funai, (808) 265-4962 Project Name: Oio Tagging Program Sponsor: Oceanic Institute Participants: Shore anglers Contact: Kim Harding, (808) 735-8290 Project Name: Tuna Tagging Project Sponsor: Pelagic Fisheries Research Program Participants: Boat based fishermen Contact: David Itano, (808) 956-4108 Project Name: Ulua and Papio Tagging Project Sponsor: Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources Participants: Shore and boat –based anglers Contact: Clayward Tam, (808) 587-0593

From left to right; Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries, Kahana Itozaki, Hilo Casting Club member, and Kurt Kawamoto, NOAA Fisheries. Kahana received the 2010 largest Barbless Circle Hook Ulua award at the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival on October 10th, 2010).

8

Lawai‘a Magazine

beach clean ups. Every year, club members and family converge on a beach to clean up trash and debris from Oahu’s shoreline. Farm explains, “it’s a way to give back to the community, teach the keiki how to take care of the ocean and everyone always enjoys the games and food.”

Shore casting tournaments have also adopted rules to foster conservation practices. Over the years, the Atlapac Fishing Club eliminated the total weight category in their tournaments to encourage anglers to target their effort on prize fish and discourage participants from “loading up the cooler.” Through the help of fishing clubs, such as Atlapac, local fishing supply stores (Tokunaga’s Fishing Supply), Izuo Brothers tackle distributor and conservation-minded fishermen, many shore-casting tournaments now include expanded award categories for anglers who tag and release ulua or papio and/or use barbless circle hooks during events. The Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, a local non-profit organization supporting fishing, teamed up with the State’s Ulua and Papio Tagging Project and National Marine Fisheries Service Barbless Circle Hook Project to create these new categories in some of Hawaii’s biggest shore fishing tournaments. Growing participation isn’t a surprise given the top notch prizes awarded (rods, reels and other gear) and the opportunity for the grand prize which is awarded at the annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival held in Honolulu during the month of October.

Winner of the 2010 Largest Barbless Circle Hook Ulua was Kahana Itozaki, President of the Hilo Casting Club, who also won the Ulua Division of the Ohana Fishing Tournament by landing a 85.2 lb white ulua. This was only the second time the tournament winning fish was caught on a barbless hook. But it doesn’t stop there. The second and third place ulua were also taken on barbless hooks! Desmond Valentin recorded an 82.2 pound ulua and Jarrick Dasalla took third place with a fish that weighed in at 70 pounds. This barbless clean sweep is a first for any tournament, especially considering the Ohana tournament did not host a Barbless Circle Hook Challenge category. The three Hilo Casting Club members lead by example and fished responsibly using barbless circle hooks. Kahana Itozaki received his Barbless Circle Hook Award at the 2010 Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival on October 10, 2010 from NOAA Assistant Administrator Eric Schwaab and Barbless Circle Project Manager Kurt Kawamoto.

The PIFG Statewide Tagging Challenge has grown over the past 6 years. Tagging provides scientists with important growth and movement information for two of Hawaii’s most important reef fish species – white papio/ulua and omilu. The Challenge has taken off as seen in the 2010 Tokunaga tournament that recorded 36 ulua and papio tagged and released. This is huge considering that the total number of fish weighed in totaled 45 ulua and papio. For comparison, in 2004, the first year that the tagging category was introduced, only two papio were tagged and released.

In 2010, eleven tournaments hosted tagging categories with 43 ulua and 59 papio tagged and released. These fishermen who participated are contributing to better the understanding our resource and taking personal responsibility to conserve our fisheries for the future.

Winner of the 2010 PIFG Statewide Tagging Challenge went to Garrick Yamamoto from Kamuela of the Big Island who was recognized and awarded a Naoki Gyotaku print by Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and Papio/Ulua Tagging Project Manager Clayward Tam.

26

More Opportunities More and more fishermen are doing their part through government sponsored cooperative research projects that rely on fishermen to collect much needed scientific information to better manage Hawaii’s fisheries. Tagging data provide growth and migration information of important recreational and commercial fish species. Here are a few of the ongoing cooperative research projects: Hawaii’s commercial fishing fleet has for years regularly brought back tons of discarded or lost cargo nets and fishing gear for disposal at the docks. In 2005, Federal and State agencies recognized this effort and created a special marine debris bin at Pier 38 in Honolulu harbor where marine debris can be discarded, hauled off and recycled into energy at the H-Power plant. The Hawaii longline fishery has also been working hard with fishery agencies over the past decade to improve fishing techniques to reduce impacts on seabirds and sea turtles. Interaction rates with Laysan and Black-footed albatrosses have nearly been eliminated as fishermen have changed their fishing methods from setting off the back of the boat to the side, began setting lines at night and started using weighted leaders to help the bait sink faster. Turtle interactions were mitigated through the use of circle hooks and avoiding “hot” turtle areas during certain times.

Its not surprising that the Hawaii’s fishing community isn’t tooting their horn when it comes to helping conserve our natural resources. They are just doing what they’ve always done – with conservation built in.

I.G.F.A. Records in Hawaii… and counting.

For over 75 years, the Fin-Nor® name has set lofty expecta-

tions among saltwater anglers and the new Fin-Nor

Santiago™ is a true testament to the legacy of the greatest

big game reels ever made. It’s built with the finest materials and with the latest technologies including a massive

stainless steel drag plate sandwiched between two ultra-

smooth carbon fiber disks, and a unique 2-speed lever that

uses a push-button to quickly make the switch from high to low gear to help you manager your world-record catch.

6 models to choose from, including the incredible SA80W with the ability to hold 1600 yards of 130 lb. braid.

Massive stainless steel drag plate is sandwiched between dual carbon fiber plates for the ultimate in smoothness and durability.

Wide-range fine tuning of the drag lets you control the battle your way, plus the simple push button speed shifter is easy to use.

You can also personalize your Santiago reel with your name, your boat’s name, your company’s name or almost any text you choose.

Miscellaneous discarded cargo and fishing nets and other marine debris collected by Hawaii fishermen while at sea that was brought back to be recycled.

©2010 Fin-Nor, a W.C. Bradley Co.

issue six 2011

9

Ashley Hagmoc .9 lb. Squid

Travis Lee

Chris Maxwell 67.9 lb. Ulua

Cinco De Mayo 112.1 Ulua

Brian Chang 35 lb. Ulua

Colin Dumlao 1.9 lb. Joe Jarrett Gabriel 10.35 Omilu

Chris Paglinawan 12.20 Unicorn

Fea Tolua 21.67 Ulua Jessie

Justin Fukumoto 81 lb. Daven Tong 50 lb.

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

Jaren Luke 2 lb Lehi

10

Stacy Hanson's 65 lb. Ulua

Go Digital

send us your pics

Brandon Kurisu Oio

Grant Hernandez 4 lb. Kumu

Email digital photos as jpg files. Please take pics at your highest setting possible.

Email jpg photos to hanapaafishing@hawaii.rr.com Incude all info please. All pics sent become the property of Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine.

Kevin Sakuda 5.89 lb. Palani Ryan Nakagawa

Eric Imasaka 70 Ulua

Justin Guillerno 39.4 Ulua issue six 2011

11

Kele Olandan 12.59 lb. Ulua

Ty Tsukayama Papio

Kaleb Kester Aha aha

Quad Fathers Ulua hunter 116.5 lb.

Jesse Okumura-Ulua

Chad Ponce

Ryan Ujimori and family Jon Barretto

Karter Kester with his first nenue

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

Rocky Domingo 7.1 lb. Nenue Renee Kester Table boss

Travis Lee Kagami

12

Nainoa Suratt 115.5 lb. Ulua

issue six 2011

13

Pan Roasted Opah with ginger miso brown butter, ogo, baby bok choy & ume rice.

kimi’s corner

The Art Of Letting Fish Taste Like Fish

BY KIMI WERNER • PHOTOS BY STERLING KAYA

14

Lawai‘a Magazine

Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas Hiroshi Fukui is a chef of great complexity.

Kona Cold Lobster Cake with bacon air, orzo & tarragon broth

From an avid fisherman to a rocking guitar player in a band, his life’s journeys and facets seem endless, Yet throughout of all of his complexity, his goal remains simple, to serve the freshest fish possible and keep the taste pure.

Born in Yokohama Japan, Hiroshi has fond memories of fishing off a pier as a very young boy. Perhaps it was there that he discovered his appreciation for both fish and cooking. His father, originally from Maui, was a chef and taught Hiroshi that cooking was a very important life skill. “He’d cook every night and always made good food like braised turkey tails. He was a big influence on me.”

Hiroshi and his father moved to Hawaii after Hiroshi’s mother passed away. He was only 12 years old and found himself in a new world, struggling to adjust quickly to an unfamiliar culture. By the time he was a junior at Kaimuki High School, Hiroshi was working fulltime in issue six 2011

15

4 Ahi with Captain Craig Yamada on the Tammy Y

Panko Seared Mekajiki iwth Hauula tomato concasse, Thai basil, takana musubi & roasted garlic soy butter sauce

“My goal in cooking is to have my customers taste the pure fish without any overpowering sauces or flavors.” the Waikiki restaurant Furusato. He started as a dishwasher, but always found himself studying what the chefs were doing. By the age of 18, he left school for cooking and truly began his culinary journey.

“I saw cooking as a way to do art. I was never good at drawing or painting, but my chef Shuji Abe, taught me that food is art too. He taught me to look at the scenery, high and low, to study the mountains and ocean, and to present my food in that same manner. It was art.”

After working at Furusato for sixteen years, the company expanded and opened the popular restaurant L’Uraku and Hiroshi became the executive chef. He worked at L’Uraku for ten years and then was presented with the opportunity to partner with chef D.K. Kodama of Sansei and Master Sommelier, Chuck Furuya to open the restaurant Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas. “I was happy but also very nervous. Though most people knew I was the executive chef at L’Uraku, it’s different to actually have your name on the door.”

The restaurant has been open for seven years and serves some of Hawaii’s finest seafood such as Sous Vide Onaga with ume shiso vinaigrette and the delightfully tender, herb-infused, panko crusted swordfish with soy butter sauce. Though Hiroshi is very well known for serving such delicacies, many people do not realize that he often catches the fish that he serves.

Hiroshi loves fishing with his friends and tries to go trolling once or twice a week. He loves catching ahi as well as otaru to prepare as tataki. His favorite catch to

16

Lawai‘a Magazine

Ceviche of Kona Kampachi with Wailua asparagus, Ho Farm’s long beans, Big Island hearts of palm, cilantro air & Kahuku corn

Sous Vide of Onaga with quick roasted Hauula tomato, cauliflower puree, shiso & ume vinaigrette

cook is mahimahi for the versatility of preparations that it offers.

Mahi is a good fish and very fun to catch. It is a great fish to sauté, bake or even serve as sashimi.

Hiroshi’s passion and knowledge of fish are more than apparent in the food that he serves. He offers an abundance of local fish to choose from and many of the species are playfully described on the menu from a fisherman’s point of view. His profound culinary background and superior finesse are obvious in the presentation of each plate alone and his ingredient selection and cooking techniques are of the most elegant that Hawaii has to offer. However perhaps the most impressive skill evident, is that Hiroshi has mastered the art of letting fish taste like fish. The subtlety of flavors added to each delicate bite is truly what lets the fish shine. This skill alone, adds such a fine sense of sophistication that perhaps only an award-winning chef and avid fisherman combined could master.

“My goal in cooking is to have my customers taste the pure fish without any overpowering sauces or flavors. I want them to know what opah tastes like, to know what kajiki tastes like. Each fish is different and that’s what I want them to truly taste.”

Hiroshi euRASIAN TAPAS 500 Ala Moana Blvd.

Dinner nightly

Restaurant Row

5:30 to 9:30pm

Honolulu, HI 96813

808-533-4476

issue six 2011

17

SHORELINE TECH

By B r i a n K i m ata

Question: I am about to build my first rod and need some help. I am copying a rod I already have and I think it’s one of yours.

How do you wrap the bell holder and glass it flush to the tube? Do you use masking tape or something else?

Answer: First of all congratulations on taking the plunge! You’ll find rod building easy, rewarding and good for your wallet. Let’s begin with wrapping the bell holder. I started changing the way I wrap a bell holder about 10 years ago and haven’t deviated since. The wrap is quite unique but I’ve shown the technique to many individuals so the rod may or may not be one of ours. It’s become quite popular.

The style I use wraps a holder so that no thread protrudes past the tip of the tube on either end. The more traditional bell holder has an underwrap that extends past the metal tube and an overwrap attaching it to the underwrap, much like how a guide is done. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’ll work fine for years. The wrap I use starts with two very short underwraps on either end of the tube only.

These wraps don’t extend past the tube itself. I usually treat these wraps as if they were the trim portions of a standard wrap. So, for example, they might consist of 5 wraps of metallic thread blending into the main color of the wrap and simply ending there. Typically there may be as little as 10 turns of thread on each underwrap. I then take the metal tube and tape it onto the underwraps to hold it in place. At this point the metal tube is sitting on two individual, short, underwraps and should be flush at each ends with the thread.

I then wrap thread to hold the bell holder in place starting where the underwraps end moving in toward the opposite end. When you reach the underwrap at the other side, tag out, and you’re done! Pretty simple, actually. The advantage to this technique is that the entire wrap is lighter in weight as it uses less thread and glass. I also believe that it looks better as all the thread sits on one plane and does not

Today’s Tip: When applying rod finish to a rod, two coats is a must for a professional job. One thick coat is not the way to go. That will usually look sloppy, wavy, and have too many bubbles trapped in the finish. The best thing to do is a thin first coat followed by a slightly thicker second coat. Your first coat is there to seal the tread so it’s not enough to have a smooth finish. Rod finish needs to have some thickness to flow correctly and that’s your heavier second coat. You can usually flame your second coat mare liberally as well as the threads will have been sealed and will not bubble on you.

18

Lawai‘a Magazine

have a “step” as a traditional bell holder does. On a traditional bell holder, the overwrap sits on top of another layer of thread and you can see the uneven layering of glass as it sits upon it. The technique I use will glass flat and the shorter more compact design looks cleaner. In addition to this, the longer more traditional wrap looks out of place if you are doing a short performance wrap on the guides. This type of bell holder blends with that theme.

Ok, so you have now wrapped the bell holder and we can now tackle the second part of your question, glassing it. If you look at the ends on the bell holder and it’s wraps, it becomes pretty clear that you wil not be able to brush on any rod finish flush onto the thread and have it come out cleanly, no matter how hard you may try. The secret is to glass the bell holder with no regard to keeping the ends tidy. You will clean this area after you’re done glassing it. My suggestion is to concentrate on glassing the holder fully, with special attention given to the “tunnels” on either end of the holder. Make sure that they are filled with rod finish or they may bubble on you as they dry. Bubbles further in the tunnel may also be visible if you are using lighter colored threads so be conscious of this. You’ll want to glass past the thread on either end as well. It’ll be sloppy for sure but don’t worry it’ll be OK. After you’re done glassing and flaming the wraps, it’s time for clean up. As the rod spins on your dryer, take small pieces of a paper towel folded in half and dab them with rubbing alcohol. Transfer the extra glass onto the towel by sliding it along the edge of the wraps as it revolves. Turn or change the towel and repeat the process after each pass until the blank is clean. Repeat the process on the other end and you’re done! You may want to go back and check the wraps after a few minutes to make sure that the glass hasn’t flowed back out too much.

If it has, simply repeat the process. Remember, as in any other wrap, you’ll need two coats of glass to do this correctly so you’ll have to do this again on the second coat.

This style of bell holder looks and works great but there are some limitations. I don’t use this technique on too lightly colored thread, especially If the blank is dark. What happens is that thread becomes lighter and translucent when glassed. The “tunnel” on either side of the bell holder will become very visible and you will be able to see some blank color peeking through the transition of the underwrap and overwrap. Remember, there is only one layer of thread so the blank will be very slightly visible in that small gap. It’s usually not a problem and you’ll be hard pressed to see it at all through the glass there unless the thread is light in color. Good luck with your project. I’m sure it’ll come out fine. If not, remember…. I also do rod repairs. LOL.

issue six 2011

19

f is h st o r i es B y W a lt e r O k u m a

,7 0 9

L B Ma r l i n

Aloha, My name is Walter Okuma and I would like to submit these photo’s to Lawai’a Magazine.

The date was 12 September 2010. Joel, Dave, Gabriel, Johnny and I left Waianae Boat Harbor at 6:30 and started to set lines out as soon as we got to the 100fm curve, headed toward Sierra Buoy. After the first lure was set out, I was setting the center out and noticed a nick in the line so I brought it back in to re-tie. That’s when someone yells “fish!” as I look back I noticed a splash and realized it missed it! In an instant the fish takes another swipe at the lure and got it, the rigger slams down and line slowly starts peeling off. I hit the throttles to set the hooks and we have a definite hook up! Huh! No need to clear lines. Dave starts to crank this fish to the boat and it’s relatively easy. I’m thinking a small fish. The rubber band gets to the tip of the pole and then all hell breaks loose. It started stripping line off the 130 Shimano at an alarming rate.

20

Lawai‘a Magazine

I check the drag and this fish is pulling 32 lbs of drag as if it were in free spool. In just a couple of minutes we are at 3/4 of the spool and it’s not stopping. I turn the “COLLEEN” around and start chasing her down then off in the distance some 300 yards out we see the water erupt in a fury of white water then she lunges completely out of the water three times. We estimate the fish at 500 plus and we get into the routine of fighting her in the chair. Within an hour I have the leader in hand while attempting to remove the safety pin from the bang stick. She digs hard underneath the boat and I had to let her go. The driver Gabriel is on the money for handling the boat, as we maneuver out of the way she wasn’t spooked but definitely pulling harder. She pulls out fifty yards of line and stays there for a while not allowing us to get an inch of line back.

Within 3 hours of the fight she gets to within leader 3 more times but would have nothing to do with it and pulls out line again and again. At the four hour mark she starts to descend and we don’t get her stopped until we have about a half a spool out again. I told the guys she went deep and died. I explain what we must do to get her up from the depths.

The guys all take turns and after 10 or more times of driving forward and then reversing to get the line recovered she breaks the water 50 ft. behind the boat, dead. After securing her with a couple of flying gaffs and tying off her tail the boys let out a cheer and start celebrating with beers shared by all onboard. At the scales she weighed in at 709 lbs. Thanks to uncle Jesse for weighing our fish and to my son Nathan for helping load and unload the fish at the docks. Also to Brian Keo, James B. and Neal Araki for helping me unload it at the block. Mahalos.

f i s h st o r i e s By curtis togami

ta k o an d F c rab It was on the south shore, a place I used to dive regularly over 15 years ago, I found the exact spot one morning when I made my run to Waikiki on my stand up paddle board. The following day I brought a dive mask and my new waterproof camera, no spear. I made a fast scan of the area and came upon the crab in the grips of the tako. As I was taking the picture the tako spotted me and moved back into his hole.

He couldnt go all the way in because the crab wouldnt fit and he didnt want to let go.

After I took the picture I dove down and grabbed the tako and tried to get it out of the hole. He let the crab go and pulled himself deeper into the hole, I had to realease my grip and go up for air. When I went back down he slid deeper into his hole and I couldnt even feel him. Both of them lived to see another day.

BTW, the crab didnt have a chance against the Tako.

w hat â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s t h i s u n u s ua l catc h es

/

Greg Mau 1.96 Helmet Gurnard Hooked on 11/15/10 issue six 2011

21

t o u r nam e n ts

Ahi Fever 2010

by Garrett Lee

My Ahi Fever tournament started as I stepped off the plane friday morning and got word that the bite was good. I picked up my stuff and then met up with Clint, Darren, and my cousin Brandon. Everyone was excited and ready for a fun weekend of fishing. We loaded everything we needed and headed down to Koolina Marina to get the “Lexi Ann” ready. Koolina was busy with boats making their way in from around the state and crews getting everything in order for the two day fishing tournament.

On the line for day one, 200 boats await the call “start fishing, start fishing.” It’s clear that most of the boats are headed north for day one. With a plan in mind I call my friend to see what he’s planning. “Yup we’re going way north” he says. Sounds like we have the right idea. After a long run we setup and immediately get a bite. Everyone is doing the fire drill until we realize it’s a mahi. The mahi is snagged on top of its head, which is the reason for the false alarm. Damnit ,would have been nice to get one first thing in the morning.

We keep working the area and after a few hours the center goes off and it’s a screamer, then the rigger comes down and starts pulling line. I say to myself, “I hope that’s the one” as the guys clear the back and start to work on the fish. The first fish that comes in is a big ono. Oh oh not likely we have a double ono and ahi but the second fish is coming in really slowly. Turns out we snagged the second ono right in the middle of its body and dragging it in sideways made the fish seem bigger. There’s a foot and a half gash from the hook on the side of the fish but we manage to land it.

It’s getting to be about lunch time and we’re riding around with a bunch of other boats. So far no one around us seems to be catching the right type of fish. Up ahead I see a single bird flying high, then the guys say, “there’s a small pile over there.” And a small pile it is, maybe six small birds total, but with no other boats turning on it I figure we’d make one pass for the hell of it.

We make a good pass on the pile and just as I’m thinking oh well, I see the rigger jerk back but it doesn’t come out of the clip. As I adjust the boat I call down to the guys that we just missed something on the rigger. At this point everyone is

22

Lawai‘a Magazine

staring at the rigger and a few seconds later the rigger slowly starts bending, bending, bending then #@!!$ Kapow, it comes down. Everyone gets the lines cleared. Then Clint and Darren start to work on the fish.

The fish comes to the boat quickly and at this point we’re thinking it’s something small. The fish is on the surface when we first see a little color and we all agree that it looks like a small marlin. We work it closer. Then as if the fish hears us say, “it’s an ahi,” it makes a long slow run back out to the marker and digs in. Now the fight really begins as Brandon, Darren and Clint all take their turns tiring themselves out as the ahi won’t budge from its comfort distance. It’s back and forth, gain a bunch of line then lose a bunch to the fish. We finally get the swivel up and after some tense moments at leader, Brandon sinks the first gaff and Darren follows up with the second. After putting the fish on the deck we all celebrate then pop a cold one to rehydrate. We call it into tournament base and decide to stop fishing to be sure we get to the scales in time.

At Waianae boat harbor the tournament truck meets us at the dock and we load the fish and hitched a ride to the scales. Everyone cheered as the announcer called out the weight at 221 lbs. That fish won us largest ahi for day one and held on to take largest ahi of the tournament.

It was a great weekend of fishing and hanging out with friends and we were lucky to be blessed with the winning fish. We would like to thank all of our families and friends for the many congratulations. It really made the win special. Also special thanks to Hinahara Construction for sponsoring our team and Tsutomu Lures for the lucky fish head lure.

© Tsutomu Lures All Rights Reserved.

MORE

IN THE HANDCRAFTED

S FISHING LURE MADE IN HAWAII

BLOOD

BOX

the “Lexi Ann”, to the crew of l: 221 lbs.

Congratulations gest Ahi overal lar the th wi up ad Bullet. hooking u Lures Fish He Taken on Tsutom

AHI Weigh IN - 221 lbs!

EW ANN CRChamps!

LEXI ver Ahi Fe

Available at These Locations :

Maui Sporting Goods

• Roy’s Fishing Supply • Alas Fishing Supply • 5 Oceans 7 Seas

issue six 2011

23

t o u r nam e n ts

2010 Eastside Invitational Tournament

left: winner jason castro & eit queen kathy kawamura. top: keoki freitas. bottom: chris maxwell.

24

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

top left: davin pang. top right: bryson imasaka. below right: bryce iwai. below left: ryan moriguchi

Results ULUA 1. Jason Castro (70.5) 2. Keoki Freitas (58.5) 3. Davin Pang (44.7) 4. Chris Maxwell (29.4) 5. Ryan Moriguchi (21.8) 6. Bryce Iwai (21.3) 7. Bryson Imasaka (19.4) OTHER GAME 1. Daven Tong (14.28 Kahala) issue six 2011

25

t o u r nam e n ts

Kaneohe Bay Keiki Tournament

26

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

issue six 2011

27

t o u r nam e n ts

Lanakila Papio Tournament

7.4-pound Papio snags winner $3,000 first prize in second annual Papio tournament benefiting Lanakila Meals on Wheels

28

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

Lanakila Kitchen awarded $5,000 in prizes today in its second annual Papio Tournament benefiting Lanakila Meals on Wheels. The fun fishing tournament netted more than $25,000 for Hawaii’s largest and only island-wide meal provider for seniors.

21 boats joined in the action launching from Heeia Pier in Kaneohe Bay. A huge mahalo to presenting sponsors: D.R. Horton, Schuler Division and Stanford Carr Development. The fundraiser netted more than $25,000 for the non-profit program that serves Oahu’s kupuna.

Lanakila Pacific’s Meals on Wheels program serves hundreds of homebound kupuna each week. Delivering more than a nutritious meal, the volunteer may be a senior’s only personal contact each day. Lanakila Meals on Wheels provides nutrition education and counseling, monitors health and welfare, and serves as an important bridge to support services, helping seniors remain in their own homes rather than more costly premature institutionalization.

A huge mahalo to presenting sponsors D.R.Horton, Schuler Division and Stanford Carr Development.

Other sponsors who have made this event possible include: Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA), James Campbell Co., Kobayashi Group, The Pacific Resource Partnership, R.M. Towill Corp., Bank of Hawaii, Choyce Products, McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaii, Allied Inspection & Services, LLC, Aloha Shoyu, Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc., Pepsi, Armstrong Consulting, First American Title, D & S Commercial Service, Inc., H & W Foods, Ham Produce & Seafood, Inc. Lanakila Meals on Wheels is a program of Lanakila Pacific, whose mission is to build independence for people with challenged lives. This makes Lanakila Meals on Wheels especially unique as Lanakila Kitchen provides food service training for people with disabilities in the preparation of meals of meals for seniors. The social enterprise also provides catering services for businesses, groups and schools which generate revenue to support the programs. This partnership of two well-established programs provides tremendous synergy and leverage to help more people in need.

Results ADULT division 1. James Hill, Ashley Maru ($3,000) 2. Elton Tanaka, SS Murashige ($1,000) 3. Brendt Chang, Dana ($750) KEIKI division 1. Todd Dwight, Auliamanu II ($70)

issue six 2011

29

t o u r nam e n ts

Kona Iki Keiki Tournament

30

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

t o u r nam e n ts

Kauai Spearfishing Challenge Roi Eradication

By Jon Barretto Kauai Spearfishing Challenge Director

62 divers participated overall. A total of 379 invasive species were brought in. Of that 244 were Roi. In coordination with Brian Yoshikawa of Maui Sporting Goods and the committee of the Roi Round-Up, Jared Furusho and Kevin Sakuda will have the opportunity to compete in the Roi Roundup on Maui with free entry and hotel accommodations. This will hopefully become a coordinated effort throughout the Hawaiian Islands and will one day become a championship series.

Results total pieces 1. Jared Furusho & Kevin Sakuda 2. Calvin Lai & Braxton Fernandez 3. Mike Hatcher & Shane Cabiles largest Roi

Edwin Corrales & Brian Trinidad (5.4 lbs) smallest Roi

Payton Hough Jr. & Payton Hough Sr. (0.2 oz)

issue six 2011

31

THE ulua Popper

PROJECT 32

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

b y N ath a n T s ao

Wake Up The clock on the other side of my bedroom reads 4:47am. It’s Thursday morning, work starts at 7:00, and if I stop slamming the snooze button on my alarm I can get in thirty minutes of fishing before its time to clock in. My girlfriend is quietly sleeping next to me and another hour of sleep sure would feel good. That vicious missed strike from yesterday morning is burning clearly in my otherwise sleep-fuzzed mind. It’s time to get up; time to get moving.

Plug fishing for ulua from the shoreline is about nothing short of driven and single minded dedication. It took me a couple of years to really figure that out. If you want to pop for ulua, you get out only what you put in. And the effort that goes in is tremendous.

I moved here to Kona about six years ago from a small harbor town in Massachusetts, where I grew up fishing in both fresh and saltwater since before I can remember. Fishing was a way of life in our family. From a young age my dad taught me how to fish for anything from bluegill to trout to striped bass. I can still remember him giving me fly casting lessons on the front lawn. As well as some of the funny looks from the neighbors walking by looking at this 7 year old kid waving a long stick with some funny string tied to it, trying to land it on a dinner plate.

As I got a little older and had to decide what to do with myself I chose to attend Unity College in Maine, and major in fisheries biology/ aquaculture. Maine was a bountiful fishing heaven with trout streams and bass ponds too numerous to count. I had no idea, however, that graduating college in Maine would lead me across the Pacific to the ultimate challenge in sportfishing: Giant Trevally.

To a guy from the New England coast, fishing here in Kona was an incredible new landscape with a whole new set of angling opportunities. Having only briefly heard about GT’s in magazines, I brought along all sorts of Striped Bass fishing gear that seemed like it would work. Wrong! My first encounter with an ulua came about 2 weeks after arriving in Kona while fishing with a Yo-Zuri Hydro Popper and

To a guy from the New England coast, fishing here in Kona was an incredible new landscape with a whole new set of angling opportunities a Shimano Calcutta 400 baitcasting reel with a 7’ Cape Fear rod. It was June, and the shallow waters of Mahaiula beach were calm and clear.

The fish weren’t biting but it was a nice place to be so I kept on working the popper (occasionally glancing at some tanned women in bikinis).

And just as it happens in all fishing; my head was turned away from the lure and there was an explosion in the water. Swinging my head around in panic, all that was left to be seen was the lure 4 feet in the air and a gigantic whirlpool of whitewash about 30 yards off the shoreline.

“What the Hell was that”, I thought, paralyzed by the sight of that strike, I realized that my gear was not going to get the job done. For the next few years after that the ulua rarely came across my path and each time ended swiftly in failure. During that time I spent mostly fished for o’io, papio, and moi.

It wasn’t until about three years ago that the ulua plugging bug really got ahold of me.

First Cast The clock on the truck’s dashboard reads 5:31am when I pull up to my favorite deep water plugging spot. Overcast skies and low early morning light are making perfect plugging conditions at this first light hour. A tingle of excitement trickles down my fingertips as I

issue six 2011

33

Here on the Kona coast the biggest obstacle with plugging for ulua is keeping them from the ledges, reefs, and caves that riddle the jagged shoreline. grab my popping rod and scurry quickly out onto the ledge. Hardly any finish is left on the tooth scarred popper. The drag is set tight, all the knots are strong, the hooks are sharp.

Everything is ready. Cast.

Although most whipping is done with spinning reels, I often prefer to plug for ulua using conventional or baitcasting gear. The main reason for this is that it allows you to throw a very long heavy leader without sacrificing distance and cast knots well through rod guides.

Here on the Kona coast the biggest obstacle with plugging for ulua is keeping them from the ledges, reefs, and caves that riddle the jagged shoreline. Sometimes even with smaller ulua under 30 pounds it is impossible to keep them from getting into the rocks. This is where having a long leader and a conventional reel works to your advantage; you can play them gently out of the reef without breaking the line. When the fish gets into the rocks, just disengage the clutch and play the fish with appropriate thumb pressure on the spool until the fish pops out.

Then engage the clutch again and continue the fight. This technique has landed me at least five different ulua this year alone.

My current conventional setup consists of an 11’ Lamiglas 1322M rod and an Avet MXL 5.8 reel. On this rig I throw 80lb Suffix Braid with a 40’ long 100lb Ande leader and 5’ of 200lb Ande bite tippet. To connect the braided line to the leader I use what is called an “FG Knot” which is basically a chinese-fingertrap style friction knot.

This connection is almost seamless between the monofilament leader and the braided main line.

With this popping rig you can expect to cast between 60 to 80 yards consistently along with some 100yrd bombs if there is a good tailwind.

Conventional reels are not always the answer though, such as in a stiff headwind, when a

34

Lawai‘a Magazine

conventional reel is hard to cast. Always have a spinning rig handy also. For a spinning reel setup I use both a Van Staal 275 and a Shimano Stella 18000. On these reels I really like to use Jerry Brown Hollowcore Braided Spectra line in both 80lb and 100lb strengths. Hollowcore Spectra allows you to insert your leader directly into the main line for a truly seamless connection between the braid and leader. Again I use 100lb leader, but only about 15’. Casting a long heavy leader through spinning guides severely cuts down the casting distance and can wrap around the rod guides causing breakage.

Popping With a heavy splash, the first cast of the morning disrupts the glassy calm water. Pop and pause, pop and pause, all the way in. No strike. A trail of bubbles and disturbed water mark the path of the lure from outside of the dropoff. Next cast, a little more to the left and a bit farther, still no strike. Conditions are perfect and the fish were here yesterday. Third cast, still more left and a bit faster retrieve. On the fourth POP a large boil behind the plug about 5 feet in diameter makes my heart stop. A familiar spark of electricity runs up my spine. Instinct takes over. Two more quick pops with a deep breath and then it happens.

The type of lure to use is always a question of any fisherman around the world. Here in Kona, I typically start out with a Yo-Zuri Surface Bull GT Popper. They are readily available without ordering from specialty shops, and are relatively inexpensive when it comes to GT fishing lures.

These plugs are nothing fancy, but they have a nice compromise of actions between a chugging popper and a skipping popper. Other plugs that have done well for me are Super Strike Little Neck Poppers, OTI Komodo and Sea Dragon Poppers,

issue six 2011

35

36

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

and the super heavy chugging Cubera 150 Popper. There are lots of other premium GT plugs on the market, but prices can go upwards of $100 a piece which for shorecasting is quite steep! As far as color goes black and purple is my favorite, but anything works, even hot pink. A lure’s success seems to be linked more to its action.

It’s always important to vary the speed and action of your retrieve according to the terrain in which you are plugging. In general I’ve found that a very quick skipping retrieve works well in water less than 30 feet deep. A slightly slower louder popping action seems to be more productive in water 40feet deep and over. Over the last three years I’ve found the most consistent ulua action in fairly deep water (50 - 80feet) that is located adjacent to very shallow areas.

Typically the best popping times are from 5:30am-7:00am, and 5:30pm through sunset.

Daytime strikes are not uncommon, but midday action is certainly less consistent than during the low light hours of dawn and dusk.

It’s On A second massive crushing strike engulfs the plug in whitewash. The fish thrashes on the surface for a moment with its tail and fins flailing wildly on the surface before gaining its balance and dives hard for the bottom. There’s a nasty shelf down there that has ended many fights before, but the water is deep. All I need to do is try to lock the drag and pull his face off before he touches those rocks. Yeah, right. Both my thumbs are clinching the spool as the fish rips off about 15 feet of drag. It’s now or never to stop him. Putting my left foot up on a rock and leaning all of my body weight against the fish I feel him turn. Now every ounce of strength goes into turning that reel handle. There is no stopping now, no letting him turn his head again, and no quitting until the fish is on the surface at my feet.

If there is anything I’ve learned about ulua popping, it’s that every bit of success comes from hard work and tenacity. You need to pay meticulous attention to the details of your gear to avoid failure. It takes being at prime areas at prime time very often to get the good strikes.

When the strike comes, you need to be relentless at getting that fish to you as quickly as possible.

More than anything, however, it takes the thirst and drive to follow all the steps that it takes

to be successful. There are long stretches in ulua popping where strikes may only come once every month or less; this is where the raw determination to succeed comes through.

In spite of all the early mornings, fishless sessions, and lost opportunities there are those times when all your hard work comes together and your dream fish becomes a reality. Catching an ulua from the shoreline is a special thing for any fisherman, and to do it on a plug is probably the most rewarding challenge in all of modern Hawaiian fishing. When you do get your dream fish remember to revive it well and release it as unharmed as possible so that it can continue to grow and spawn. Catching an ulua is amazing, but releasing one is an uplifting experience.

The Finish After about a minute and a half of cranking and boosting hard on the fish my legs, back, and arms are on fire with pain. The fish is lying at my feet resting in a tidepool. She’s probably about 40lbs. I snap a few quick photos and work some water over the fish’s gills. Another few minutes of revival and she’s ready to go back. She swims away strongly into the deep. My watch reads 6:07am. Enough time to go get a coffee and be at work by 7:00. Sure glad I didn’t sleep in.

issue six 2011

37

twenty 5

Years Of Diving North Shore Spearfishing Classic b y A l L agunte

In part the invitation read like this, “Aloha and welcome to the 25th Anniversary of the North Shore Spearfishing Classic. The purpose of this contest is to bring the ohana of divers for a day of friendly competition, camaraderie and fun.” For myself this tournament has become more than just a contest. It has put me in touch with countless others who share the same passion and love for the sea. It has also shaped the landscape of competitive diving as we know it today. Gone are the days of ‘shoot’em-up’ contest. Always known for its parties and entertainment, the Classic has reached a major mild-stone…a quarter-century of diving!

BIT OF HISTORY It’s July 17, 2010 and minutes away from briefing the divers of the rules and regulations going into this event. Although I’ve done this many times my mind flashes-back to the first contest held at our old beach house on Keiki Road on the North Shore of Oahu. Myself and lifelong friend Marc Nobriga, just wrapped up another dive session at one of our spots and headed back to our vehicle. Competition was never our motivation, however, it was always fun to see who would return with the prize catch.

Uhu’s, kumus, lobster and an assortment of reef fish were our primary targets. It was on one of those walks back to the vehicle that I thought of having a dive tournament. Upon reaching home I passed the idea to my room-mate Kevin “Tash” Nakamura. Our neighbors who were on our porch overheard the conversation and jumped at the idea. Phone calls were made, flyers distributed, everyone pitched in.

The first tournament was held in July 1985. Eleven divers showed up and after a short briefing everyone took off on foot. It was a four hour dive and the boundaries were dictated by how fast you could swim or, run and return in four hours. There would be no vehicles to drive to and from your spot. When the divers left things were heating up at the house. The neighbors were getting excited. Tents were being erected, food prepared and musicians started to assemble. And yes we even had a queen. It was

38

Lawai‘a Magazine

issue six 2011

39

40

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

getting pretty close to noon (official end of dive) and the neighborhood eagerly awaited the return of divers. You could see from our vantage point that some divers were far down the beach. The count down to the final seconds was on. All of a sudden (from behind our house) a diver ran holding a fish that appeared larger than he was and the whole neighborhood erupted with applause. The diver’s name was George Matsuda. He was followed by friend Sam Kuboyama, who had an impressive catch of reef fish. Another diver by the name of Bobby Ueda had a pretty large tako. As if by magic the North Shore Spearfishing Competition, was born.

For the rest of the afternoon (or should I say early into the next morning) we sat, talked story and marveled at some of the diving equipment George and Sam brought with them. We never saw long fins before. We never saw home-made guns built so perfectly. We never saw tag-lines that resembled mountain climbing gear. We became instant friends and everyone who participated vowed to return the following year.

In 1986 the contest had grown to sixty-seven divers. This growth had a lot to do because of George and Sam. Both were members of Ali’I Holo Kai. Unbeknownst to us there were quite a few local divers who dove in competitions on the mainland. That year I met the Yoshikawa brothers (Myles, Brian and Alan). They were actively diving in these meets and were revered as fierce competitors. Brian became a mentor to many and such a big influence on the North Shore Spearfishing Competition. It wouldn’t happen until years later but Brian would eventually open the first store in Hawaii dedicated to the art of free dive spear fishing, Maui Sporting Goods.

In the following years the contest had a regular turnout of about a hundred divers. In 1991 the North Shore Spearfishing Competition had grown to one hundred seventeen participants. This would be the largest contest ever for the tournament. This growth was mainly attributed to technology as brand names such as Riffe, Cressi Sub, Esclapez appeared in stores around our state. The holo-holo, back yard diver was becoming a thing of the past. Divers began to take on a new look. Rash guards were replaced by wetsuits. Homemade spear guns were replace with high-tech carbon guns. The simple holoholo 3-prong was reinvented to include graphite and aluminum. Interesting as it may be we also noticed something that was happening in our waters.

As years went by we began to see a decline of fish stocks. Huge schools of kala, large kumu’s, were becoming fewer and harder to come by. For this reason we decided to limit the numbers of fish and implemented size requirements that exceeded State rules. This move of conservation would

issue six 2011

41

42

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

eventually influence other tournaments that began to spring-up around the state.

Many have come through this contest not so much for the bragging-rights but to see where they stood against the diving elite. I don’t know of any contender at the national level who hasn’t dove in any of the North Shore meets. This also opened the doors for spear fishermen who sought sponsorship from companies previously mentioned. In short the evolution of free dive spear fishing was changing before our very eyes.

FAST FORWARD 25 YEARS So here we are twenty five years later. The rules have been changed to an all invasive-species contest. The reason was to educate and make an awareness of the destruction of introduced species. This was also a good time for the divers to give back, to take care of the sea that has been so good to them. The fish targeted were roi, taape and toau.

This grassroots movement started on Maui and eventually caught on to include Molokai, Big Island, Oahu and Kauai.

As the tournament neared its final minutes divers began to return with stories of rough conditions which made hunting for the invasives difficult. Up until the final minutes things actually looked bleak. Of the three categories no divers had brought anything back that was impressive until Hanalei Adric shows up. He leaves his cooler at the weigh table and walks away. All are wondering what ‘Hana’ has in there?

Like a magician Hana opens his cooler and twenty-two of the largest roi appears. And, just like that another classic goes into the history books. Pau

On behalf of the North Shore Spearfishing Classic and its participants I would like to personally thank the following business and individuals that have helped this contest succeed for over 20 years. I would like to first acknowledge Joe Green (Surf & Sea) in Haleiwa, for your trust and believing in what we were trying to accomplish. To Brian Yoshikawa (Maui Sporting Goods) your friendship and affiliation with the contest and the North Shore Spearfisher’s are immeasurable. To Hideo Kobata (AQA Watersports) for all you’ve donated and mostly for ‘putting up with me.’ To Lance Ohara, thank you so much for all you’ve contributed and your involvement with the club as well. To Ken Jones (Clark Sales) From the very beginning you never hesitated to donate to our cause. To my son Kekoa ‘Paki’ as far as I’m concerned you are the best graphic artist ever! To my sister (Dora) and Lynette Canon, where would I be without both of you? I cannot even begin to say what you mean to me…thank you!

For this years sponsors I would like to thank all of the afore mentioned and also POP Ocean Producers, Nico’s Restaurant at Pier 38, The Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, Daryl Wong, Kimi Werner, Haleiwa Joe’s, Hanapa’a Hawaii, Cal Hirai (Outside Hawaii), Darrell Tanaka, Rico Naputo (New Image Graphics), Charlie Tantog (NS Air Conditioning), Ron Camarillo, Samatha Preece (2010 Miss Starlet) and finally the Manu O Kekai Canoe Club of Haleiwa.

issue six 2011

43

FISH FOR SCIENCE

by Paul Bienfang and Sue DeFelice

44

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

E

ffort by the local spear fishing community has been supporting ciguatera research activities at the University of Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pacific Research Center for Marine Biomedicine. A targeted pursuit of roi has been underway for years. These harvesting endeavors have been organized through hosted spear fishing tournaments as well as individual spearfishermen taking aim at this invasive reef species. Most of the speared roi are donated by the fishermen to scientists at the University of Hawaii to be used for research on ciguatera fish poisoning.

Fortunately for scientists, this has created an ample supply of roi for various forms of laboratory work. Having received close to 2000 roi over the last three years, they are still looking for more. Why so many fish?

Scientists are extracting and purifying Hawaiian ciguatoxins from these fish. All of the roi received are tested for the presence of ciguatoxin using a cell bioassay method thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time consuming, but very reliable and sensitive. When a roi individual tests positive, muscle and organs are further processed for the extraction of ciguatoxin. Though the extraction is straightforward, purifying the toxin is not. The purification process cleans up the crude extract by stripping it of all the oils and compounds that have been extracted along with the toxin. Thousands of pounds of positive fish tissue are needed to yield just a few micrograms (i.e., 1/1,000,000 of a gram) of purified ciguatoxin. Scientists hope to get enough of the purified toxin to obtain its molecular structure, and to generate reference standards for the marine research community.

Armed with information on the molecular structure it will be possible to develop antibodies against it that can be used to produce rapid and reliable detection methods. An antibody, developed using Pacific ciguatoxins from Hawaii is to be coupled with novel detection platforms developed for other marine toxins to allow ciguatera testing that is quick and convenient. The goal is to develop a product that fishermen can use and feel confident about distinguishing unsafe fish from fish that are safe to eat.

Ciguatera fish poisoning is an illness that affects humans who consume fish that have accumulated ciguatoxins in their bodies. It is a concern to all people who consume reef fish from tropical waters, including here in Hawaii.

Estimates indicate that in Pacific Island communities roughly one in four people have suffered ciguatera fish poisoning; in Caribbean Island communities, the estimated frequency of ciguatera poisoning is even higher.

Ciguatoxins are neurotoxins that act on nerves and muscles and can cause a wide range of gastrological, neurological, and cardiac disorders. It is produced by a type of algae called Gambierdiscus spp., named after the Gambier Islands, where it was originally linked to ciguatoxins in fish. These microbes live ephiphytically on macroalgae that grow on the reef. When herbivorous fish graze seaweeds on the reef, they can ingest Gambierdiscus, and the fish absorb toxin into their bodies. As carnivorous fish consume the herbivores, the toxin is passed up the food chain until it reaches humans.

Ciguatera is an issue only in reef fish, not oceanic fish species.

What happens if you eat a ciguateric fish? The general onset of gastrological symptoms occurs within 12 to 48 hours. Gastrological symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, and are exhibited more than 50% of the time. Often, but not always, neurological disorders follow the gastrological symptoms, and may include a tingly sensation in the lips, hands and feet. A classic sign of ciguatera poisoning is the perception of temperature reversal in things you touch, i.e., hot feels cold and cold feels hot. When touching something cold, you may

feel a burning or itching sensation in your finger tips. Muscle, joint, or tooth aches are possible, as well as fatigue and/or anxiety. In severe cases, hypotension with bradycardia, respiratory difficulties and paralysis can occur. Death from ciguatoxin is very uncommon, perhaps because fish rarely accumulate sufficient levels of ciguatoxin to be lethal at a single meal. In contrasts to other maladies, repeated exposure does not confir any future immunity, and to the contrary usually makes the victim hypersensitive to even smaller amounts of ciguatoxin in fish.

As well as advancing the primary goal of a superior testing kit, scientists are looking at the frequency of incidence of roi containing ciguatoxin around the Main Hawaiian Islands. This scope of the research is aided by the sheer size of data set, thanks to the spear fishing community. Spear fishing tournaments have provided the scientists with numerous roi. So far, 271, 165, and 218 roi have been donated respectively from tournaments held on Oahu, Maui and Big Island; a total of 324 fish. The charts below illustrate how many of the tournament roi have tested positive for ciguatoxin to date.

Over 1300 more roi have been donated through individual efforts targeting invasive species. These fish have come from all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The results from all samples, from all locations, can be found on the website www.fish4science.com.

The spear fishing community has put forth a tremendous effort to control invasive species, and ciguatera research has benefited from it.

The scientists at University of Hawaii would like to extend their gratitude to all who have supported this effort.

Results of Ciguatoxin Testing on Roi from Spear Fishing Tournaments

issue six 2011

45

roi reckoning Where: Kahe Point Pavillion Park When: July 31st, 2010 What: Spearfishing event targeting only Hawaii’s invasive reef fish (roi, toau, taape) Who: Spearfisher-people interested in targeting invasive reef fish Why: To bring awareness to the invasive reef fish issue. To remove as many of these species from the tournament zone. To raise donations for Big Brother and Big Sisters of Hawaii.

Zone: From Barbers Point lighthouse to Electric Beach. This year I wanted to go big and have a greater impact. I locked down a zone of west side

46

Lawai‘a Magazine

Westside Dive & by Kris Tyler Tackle’s Roi Reckoning reef and had competitors focus their energy on the invasives threat there. Given the moderate size swell that day making diving somewhat challenging, teams turned in a remarkable 200+ roi, toau and taape. This was pleasing to me as last year’s take from this zone was around 150 fish. My tournament format gives teams incentive to shoot any and all invasive fish. Competitors receive one point per fish and one point per pound with the most points per team winning. I also offer a biggest roi category and there were a few big boys weighed in that day. All in all I feel we had a good impact, the fish count was higher and hopefully next year we

can do even better. Another significant point to my tournament is to bring awareness to the invasive reef fish issue. I was fortunate enough to have really good media exposure and wonderful sponsorship. KGMB did a couple of pre-tourny interviews and KITV did a spot during the event. Hawaii Goes Fishing joined us that day with a display booth as well as generously donating a Las Vegas package for raffle. Pastor RJ Strickland of Living Waters Church donated a bounce house for keiki, organized a family beach cleanup and arranged a local reggae band for entertainment. Joining the fun we had booths for Vitamin H20, Island Silver, Alyssa Pics and Fishing For Art.com which drew plenty of onlookers. My goal was to bring friends and family totaling 200 but I believe someone counted around 300. Good awareness I hope. Lastly I wanted to raise funds for my favorite charity Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Hawaii as I’ve done in previous events. A crucial part of the days schedule was raffling off hundreds of prizes for this purpose. Max Renigado of Maui came over specifically to host this portion and keep the crowd aware of the charitable cause. We were able to get donations from all my major spearfishing manufacturers and I was glad to see that just about everyone walked away with something. Some bigger prizes were from the likes of Marriot Ihilani at Ko Olina which donated a few ocean view nights and Vacations Hawaii for the Vegas trip. In my past I was a mentor to a handful of troubled youth in which I hope I impacted positively. I believe in the work BBBSH does and I hope we have assisted them with this year’s donation. Thank you all for supporting. I feel we added to the awareness of Hawaii’s invasive reef fish issue, removed a decent amount of invasive reef fish and raised money for a great charitable organization. Mission accomplished this year! Hopefully next season we can go even bigger and have an even greater impact.

Kris Tyler is the owner of Westside Dive & Tackle 590 Farrington Hwy., Suite #504 Kapolei, HI 96707 808-228-2295 www.westsidespearfishing.com

Get Updates, Info, Forms Etc. At The Roi Reckoning’s Facebook Page • This Year’s Tournament Date Is Saturday July 30th At Ko Olina.

issue six 2011

47

The Roi Round-Up Interview with Brian Yoshikawa of Maui Sporting Goods.

By Kuhea Paracuelles • Photos County of Maui

Skippy Hau of the State Division of Aquatic Resources is shown here measuring the roi before they’re donated to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa for ciguatera research.

48

Lawai‘a Magazine

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kill 1, save 146â&#x20AC;?

Spread the word, practice it, and encourage it as the correct thing to be doing, not pounding a bunch of reef fish for glory and bragging rights.

Maui Roi Round-up held its sixth tournament on August 15, 2010. Returning divers are clearly becoming more skilled at targeting the evasive roi.

issue six 2011

49

Lawai’a: When and why did you start doing the Roi Round-Up Tournaments?

Brian: A few years ago Wes Calvin made the Hawaii Freedive National Team. He was working for me at the time and we decided to hold a fundraiser dive to help him and Lance Otsubo get to Rhode Island. I have never felt good about hosting a dive contest to shoot a bunch of fish to sell. With the amount of pressure on our reef fish and by the growth of spearfishing in the past 2 decades, we had to get creative and come up with a fundraiser format that would leave a positive footprint on our resources and still allow for our primal competitive killing instincts to be displayed. In conversation with Sean Stodelle and Darrell Tanaka, both of whom had their own reef recovery agendas at hand, we came up with this killing invasives format.

Lawai’a: Do you feel the Roi Round-Up events are having an effect?

Brian: The success of the Roi Roundup tournament is, in my opinion, three fold: First, the divers still can have a serious competition among themselves to claim champion of the day.

Rob Fujimoto arrives at the weigh-in with his bountiful catch.

50

Lawai‘a Magazine

They can also do it in a guilt free format where they can kill ‘em all regardless of size or quantity, and feel good about it. Secondly, the success of the Roi Roundups has given seed to similar format competitions statewide, with every populated island now hosting events like this. We have seen the number of spearfishing tournaments hosted every month now statewide. The direction the sport was going was beginning to take away a big part of spearfishing in Hawaii. That wasn’t how we grew up learning to dive—for food and recreation—it wasn’t for sport. Without this recent growth of local, fisher-led initiatives, such as these invasive dives, it would be way too easy for people to blame the spearfishers as the problem with our stressed levels of resources due to our “take only” perception. Roi Roundups and similar events are “give back” dives, and it is gratifying to see the concept embraced statewide now. Thirdly, the Roi Roundups and similar events have been working together with various scientists in charting ciguatera, gut analysis and ciguatera research. Dr. Paul Bienfang has been most

Stuart Martin weighs the smallest roi (0.702 oz.) caught by Chad Quedding.

issue SIX 2011

51

Roi Round--up divers provide valuable information to the Division of Aquatic Resources and The Nature Conservancy through surveys distributed on tournament day.

52

Lawaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;a Magazine

appreciative of the specimen samples he has and continues to receive as a result of these events.

He has mentioned he would never be able to get enough specimen samples without the invasive dive movement. In the near future we hope to have an accurate, economical ciguatera test system available due to Dr. Bienfang’s work. When that happens, I am sure consumers would then be able to keep the roi population in check in every locale as the roi are good eating fish.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares presented the Largest Roi trophy to Bobby Twitchell whose catch weighed in at 3.93 lbs.

Lawai’a: What can other fishermen do to help?

Brian: We have “Kill 1, save 146” on our shirts. If every roi consumes 146 native fish per year, that is the amount of fish we are potentially saving by killing a single roi when we dive. Basically, by changing the mindset of the divers and encouraging the effort to kill these introduced fish, we are helping our reefs and native species by taking out an outside inhabitant.

Spread the word, practice it, and encourage it as the correct thing to be doing, not pounding a bunch of reef fish for glory and bragging rights.

Mayor Charmaine Tavares presented “Most Fish” trophies to 1st place winners, Dean Kawamura and Bryan Nakamoto, who caught a total of 31 roi, to‘au, and ta‘ape.

Lawai’a: The Roi Roundups are expanding and going Statewide. Who can people contact if they are interested in hosting an event?

Brian: I receive calls all the time about guys wanting to hold similar events in their backyards, and I encourage it. Main thing is that they keep the focus on shooting invasives. In our Roi Roundups guys always ask “can I shoot that 4# kumu if it comes swimming up to me?” Yes, you can, but take it home for dinner and don’t bring it to the scale because that is not a part of this competition. Also, a copy of our latest entry form and rules can be found here: http://www. co.maui.hi.us/documents/Office%20of%20the%20 Mayor/Environmental%20Coordinator/November%20 2010%20Application%20Packet.PDF The Roi Roundup is run by a committee of 6 members: Darrell and Jackie Tanaka, Stuart Funke d’egnuff, Kuhea Paracuelles, and Janice and Brian Yoshikawa. They can be reached at roiroundup@gmail.com.

Results: Total teams/divers: 37 teams (74 divers) Total fish caught: 271 (254 roi, 12 taape, 5 toau) Number of native fish potentially saved from predation by Roi over the next year, with each consuming an average of 146 per year: 39,566 (254 x 146) Awards Presented for: Most Fish: 1. Dean Kawamura and Bryan Nakamoto (31 fish) 2. Rob Fujimoto and Demetrius Xenos (29 fish) 3. Kaulana Kaaa and Mark Riglos (27 fish)

Tournament Director, Brian Yoshikawa, tallies up the scores to determine this year’s winners for Most Fish and Largest Roi amongst other categories.

Most Toau: George Rivera and Lyndon Honda Most Taape: Dana HueSing and Brandon Lee Largest Roi: Bobby Twitchell (3.93 lbs.)

Smallest Roi: Chad Quedding (0.702 oz.)

What happened with the fish that were caught? All roi exceeding one pound were donated to ciguatera research at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The rest of the fish were donated to an organic farmer from Upcountry Maui who will compost them for fertilizer.

issue six 2011

53

Tips from the Marine Education Center

by Mark Kimura, Honolulu Community College, Marine Education and Training Center

What is the difference in gear case oils?

Sterling Kaya

All outboard or inboard/outboard legs, gear cases and transmissions need to have lubrication in the form of some kind of oil. Way back when, most all of them only needed mineral oil. This is oil gotten from the ground. Now we have mineral oil, synthetic oil and a blend of the two.

So, what do we use? The first thing we need to do is to see what the product needs! Find the manual or ask the dealer of the product what kind of oil is needed in the gear case. Depending on the product, this could be anything from engine oil to automatic transmission fluid (ATF) to heavy gear case lube, mineral or synthetic, or a blend of the two.

Oils also come in different weights or viscosities. This is how thick the lube oil is. This can make a big difference in the gear case on how it performs and the life span of the product.

Also a lot of legs like to be filled from the bottom up, to make sure that they do not trap air in the gear case as it is being filled. So please check the manual for the product to make sure that you do it right. If you can find the amount of oil needed to fill it up, you will also have a good idea how much to buy and how much to refill. It’s as bad to over-fill as it is to under-fill!!

There is a four-lettered word that some of us don’t utilize enough when it comes to maintenance of any kind.

That word is READ!!! Please consult the manual or dealer for procedures for the products needed to be used.

PHOTO: STERLING KAYA

54

Lawai‘a Magazine

Powered by NAPA!

– Quality –

Marine Parts

Whether you’re pulling a boat, or driving one, you can count on NAPA parts to keep you on the move.

Visit any one of our 37 naPa auto Parts locations statewide.

issue six 2011

55

Mike Yamamoto

B y J oh n C l a r k

In 1983, I was doing some shoreline research on the Big Island, and I interviewed a woman named Agnes Kaelemakule Winsley Dairo. Known to her family and friends as Aunty Aggie, she was born in 1909 and lived in her family home on Alii Drive in KailuaKona until she got married at 19. The Hawaiian side of Aunty Aggie’s family, the Kaelemakule’s, were opelu fishermen who kept their canoes at Kamakahonu, the small white sand beach next to Kailua Pier.

One of the traditional methods of fishing for opelu is to use a hoop net, which is a bag-shaped net held open with a hoop around the mouth of the bag. When they spot a school of opelu, the fishermen lower the net over the side of the canoe and chum the water to attract the fish and concentrate them over the net. The fish are caught when the net is lifted up into the canoe. During my conversation with Aunty Aggie she told me that the palu, or chum, that her family used was a mixture of pumpkin and red opae. This was the first time I’d ever heard of a cultural use of opae ula, the tiny red shrimp that are found in the anchialine ponds on the Big Island.

“My great-grandfather, Kalawaiahakuolemioi, lived at Makaeo, the opelu fishing community at Old Airport Park,” Aunty Aggie said. “There were several families there besides ours, like the Kamekona’s and the Kalahuia’s, and they all fished for opelu. Makaeo had several big ponds behind the houses, which were in a huge coconut grove. There were also several springs and one well. We got red opae from one pond for palu, and we mixed them with pumpkin.”

At the end of World War II, the Territory of Hawaii decided to build an airport in Kona just north of Kailua town. The north end of the runway 56

Lawai‘a Magazine

destroyed the community of Makaeo along with its coconut trees and anchialine ponds. In 1970, the State of Hawaii relocated the airport to its present site at Keahole Point and converted the former runways into the beach park that’s known as the Old Kona Airport State Recreation Area.

Fortunately, there are many other anchialine ponds and smaller pools on the Big Island, so there are still other areas where opae ula are found, but today they are no longer an ingredient in palu for opelu, The tiny shrimp have gone in a completely different direction and are now popular home aquarium attractions, largely because they need little if any care. They thrive on algae that grows in aquariums from exposure to sunlight and otherwise usually don’t need to be fed. Opae ula, which means “red shrimp” in Hawaiian, are known in the scientific world as Haolocaridina rubra Holthuis, or rubra for short, but they’re better known by a variety of common names, including Anchialine Shrimp, Hawaiian Red Shrimp, Hawaiian Volcano Shrimp, Red Hawaiian Shrimp, and Red Volcano Shrimp.

Opae ula are also trade marked as Hawaiian Micro-Lobsters by FukuBonsai in Kurtistown on the Big Island, where they are offered for sale by owner David Fukumoto. His website is a good place to start for anyone who is interested in keeping opae ula at home, and if you need more information, search “opae ula” on the internet.

Opae ula have been found on Oahu, Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and the Big Island, but one of the easiest places to see them in the wild is the Waikoloa Anchialine Pond Preservation Area on the Big Island.

This collection of large shallow ponds is located on the shoreline

BEFORE there was a reserve, before there was

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were kept pristine with healthy fisheries by the management regime of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council â&#x20AC;&#x201D; banning foreign fishing, bottom trawling, dredging, tangle nets, drift gill nets and longlining; establishing limited entry and quotas; restricting vessel size and permits; and pioneering use of Vessel Monitoring Systems for fisheries.

Photo: U. Keuper-Bennett/P. Bennett, www.turtles.org

a monumentâ&#x20AC;Ś

The Council has sustainably and successfully managed fisheries in the US Pacific Islands since 1976.

GET INVOLVED! To learn how, contact the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council at (808) 522-8220 or email info.wpcouncil@noaa.gov.

Ecosystem-based Management of Fisheries in the US Pacific Islands

issue six 2011

57

Mike Yamamoto

Kalaeloa Anchialine Ponds

near the Hilton Waikoloa Hotel and offers interpretive signage, walking trails, and public parking. The name “anchialine” comes from the Greek word anchialos, meaning “near the sea.” Anchialine ponds or pools are brackish bodies of water in lava or limestone that are connected to the fresh water table and the ocean. Although the ponds are inland of the shoreline, they show tidal movement because of their underground connection to the ocean through porous rock. As endemic inhabitants of anchialine ponds, opae ula are found only in Hawaii.

Lorena Wada, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Honolulu, is an expert on opae ula. In a recent interview, she provided an overview of the tiny red shrimp and her agency’s efforts to restore a 37-acre site of smaller anchialine pools on Oahu that is officially known as the Kalaeloa Unit of the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.

JC: How would you define an anchialine pool?

LW: It’s a coastal landlocked pool with no surface connection to either the ocean or a fresh water source. They have subterranean connections to the sea, as well as fresh water and are tidally influenced. Typically, ocean water mixes with ground water, resulting in varying salinity in the pools over the tidal cycle.

JC: If the pools are land-locked, how do the opae ula get in them?

LW: The shrimp are tiny, so they can travel through cracks and crevices in the lava or limestone the same way the tidal movement perforates the basins of the pools. We don’t know why they leave their subterranean environment for an open air environment, but they do. Why would they go from somewhere safe to where it’s not? Maybe they’re resource driven. Maybe it’s for food.

They’re grazers and they feed off the algae in the pools.

And we know that once they’re in the pools, they’re residents. They don’t leave if the habitat remains healthy. They’re really resilient, and they can withstand great changes in heat, salinity, and oxygen in the water. They can survive really well. Humans could never do it. We could never survive such extreme changes in our environment.

JC: You’ve been working to restore the anchialine pools in the Kalaeloa Unit that were either degraded or destroyed when the military occupied Barbers Point NAS. Why are the pools so important?

LW: The pools are a unique system that blends fresh and salt water. They are 58

Lawai‘a Magazine

Shortly after the closure of Barber’s Pt. Naval Airbase and the designation of the Kalaeloa Unit of the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in 2001, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service began removing haole koa and debris from an area of the former base that was left to overgrow for many years. Native plants began to thrive once overgrowth was removed and coastal conditions changed. Halocaridina rubra or opaeula were also discovered in this area when a USFWS volunteer happened to see water at the bottom of a small crevice between some large rocks and recognized the red shrimp. Upon investigation by the USFWS, it was discovered that there were many debris filled pools throughout the refuge. The USFWS then decided to see if the pools could be restored and began excavating areas where they had been filled in. Staff first excavated holes by hand but large amounts of soil and clay remained. Water slowly seeped into the pool and shrimp occupied the pool after about a year had passed. Further efforts to clean out holes incorporated mechanical pumps to pressure wash sides and pump out suspended silt with water. The increased water flow in restored pools allowed shrimp to return in one month.

Pool bottoms were also filled by natural sedimentation and more solid coral debris.

Sediment of Kalaeloa clay, a fine dense material, was generally in two layers, with the oldest estimated to date back more than 100,000 years. As holes were being cleaned up, ancient remains of birds and fish were found. Remains of an extinct Hawaiian hawk, whose habitat was thought not to include the Kalaeloa area, were also found. More study revealed that these holes contained a significant amount of remains from extinct birds – for some species up to 40% more than any other source of deposit found previously. Through this, scientists also learned that the Ewa plain was at one time more of a forest environment and a major seabird habitat, even though seabirds have never been known to inhabit the area in recent history.

Shrimp or opae ula live in anchialine pools and underground fissures and the subterranean environment, moving about where the free flow of water is allowed. They will not move into ponds that have too little water flow so not all attempts to restore or re-create ponds have been successful. The shrimp are highly tolerant of wide ranging salinity and temperature changes and can be found throughout the State. One of the more puzzling discoveries is that a variety occurring in Kona on the Island of Hawaii, is also found in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. Both occur

NANKO FISHING & DIVING SUPPLY

• Rod & Reel Repairs • Bait • Bulk Ice • Beer • Sundries • Novelties

A Place Where Tails Come True

(808) 247-0938

100% Local  100% Original

And soon 100% HD

Join Cindy, Dave and Margot as they bring you a full hour of the best in local fishing each week.

www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com issue six 2011

59

indicators. The pools and the shrimp are a window to help us tell the health of our island waters. By sampling the water, we can tell if pollutants are infiltrating our fresh water table. On the ocean side, the pools tell us the acidity of the salt water. By monitoring the salinity, we can measure and see change. Dramatic changes may also impact the shrimp, so the pools and the shrimp tell us the health of our overall water system. This is the same system that includes our drinking water and the ocean water that surrounds our islands.

JC: What are the major threats to the anchialine pools?

LW: Many of the pools in the wild are located where people fish and camp. Unused bait and other rubbish gets dumped in the pools, polluting them and killing the opae ula and the other mollusks and crustaceans.

People throw their aquarium fish in them. In pools with lower salinities we’ve found fish that can survive in brackish water, such as guppies, tilapia, cichlids, and mosquito fish. As soon as the fish are introduced, the opae ula disappear.

JC: There is more than one species of opae ula, but the aquarium collectors have focused on Holocaridina rubra. Why is that?

LW: H. rubra is the only anchialine shrimp that is found in large numbers. With the right conditions, they multiply quickly, and one pool may have 100 to 1,000 shrimp.

The other species may only have five to ten per pool. And H. rubra is the same in aquariums. They multiply quickly and are also an attractive red color. Right now, there are no restrictions on harvesting or farming opae ula. They are not under any state or federal protection.

Lorena Wada, other members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, and members of other agencies are interested in preserving and restoring Hawaii’s anchialine ponds and pools. The ponds and the opae ula, are one of our windows to the future, so their efforts to protect them are important to all of us. Let’s do what we can to help them keep the window open.

nowhere else in the Islands.

Several species of anchialine pool shrimp are candidates for addition to the threatened or endangered species list because the primary concern is loss of the anchialine pond habitat. Concerns include over development, contamination of water, dumping of refuse, and release of non-native fish into the ponds. Besides eating the shrimp, fish also produce solid waste that builds up. The waste build-up eventually clogs fissures and prevents the free flow of water during tidal changes, degrading the ponds as shrimp habitat.

The Kalaeloa Unit of the Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, protects endangered native plants and the anchialine pools that are part of Hawaii’s dry, coastal ecosystem. The USFWS asks that the public be considerate when entering the coastal ecosystem and refrain from dumping debris or releasing baitfish into ponds. The accompanying story

by John Clark illustrates the connection between these ponds and our fishing history. Please keep that history alive and help care for the ponds the way our ancestors who depended on them did.

New

Avocado Ahi Poke

Come and try our NEW Avocado Ahi Poke made with fresh avocado and cubed ahi mixed with a special sauce.

We guarantee you’ll love all of our fresh seafood* or We’’ll Double Your Money Back**!

*Seafood guarantee applies to the fresh seafood items in the service and self-service cases. Pre-packaged UPC labeled items and any frozen tray packed seafood products are excluded.** Proof of purchase required to receive double money back. Other restrictions may apply. See stores for details.

60

Lawai‘a Magazine

Gear reviews by e d wata m u r a

Okuma Makaira The latest entry from Okuma is once again a result of their new partnership with Tiburon. This new 2 speed reel has many patented innovations, starting with the revolutionary carbon, dual force drag that operates on a pull bar drag system, thereby increasing maximum drag limits and eliminating any pressure on the reel frame. This Tiburon engineered drag also reduces side pressure on the ball bearings thereby reducing overheating and promoting smoothness in the long battles with “da big ones”. The carbon drag washers are sandwiched between precision ground, hardened stainless steel, and wet with Cal Sheets Universal drag grease. Another Okuma exclusive is the helical cut gears for the ultimate in smooth gear transitioning.The frame uses the latest technology in anodizing to prevent corrosion and the drag lever and cam are both ratcheted for precise adjustments. Also the patented t-bar handle is ergonomically designed for the perfect fit and angle for those long fights. Thanks to Izuo Brothers I had the pleasure of holding and operating the 80II model and I can say from first hand experience that it is beefy, robust, smooth, and beautiful, with a really loud ratchet. Check out these websites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1C3TFJW4FLc http://www.360tuna.com/forum/f72/okuma-makaira-50-ii-rebuild-2-16-2010-a-8980/

Fin-Nor Spinning Reels Just hearing the name Fin-Nor brings visions of epic battles with trophy fish and the pioneering days of big game fishing. The “Offshore” line of “egg beaters” lives up to this legendary name by being built like a veritable tank. There are no plastic parts to break if you accidental drop or bang it into something in rough seas. The main and pinion gears and shaft are all constructed with stainless steel and the 4 stainless ball bearings are double shielded. These reels are renowned for their powerful gears and huge line capacity and combined with the multi disc stainless steel and carbon fiber drag system these reels can stand up to the toughest of opponents. The 6500-9500 models specify an unbelievable 60 pounds of maximum drag. Fin-Nor’s name lives on with uncompromising toughness.

CRKT M.U.K. That’s a lot of initials, so let me expand out these letters. CRKT stands for Columbia River Knife and Tool and MUK stands for Marine Utility Knife. This amazing knife was designed for fishermen by Tom Veff, who is a meat cutter, professional knife sharpener, and knife designer with a patent. He is the patent holder of the Veff Serration. His goal with this knife design was to create a one piece fixed blade that didn’t need to be opened, had a brightly colored handle so you could grab it in an emergency and combined several useful features. Firstly, it has an offset handle angle for knuckle clearance when cutting. Also it has a soft polypropylene handle with four finger indents for better grip when wet. Secondly you will notice a rounded back drop point blade with a straight cutting edge in combination with a concave serrated section. The straight edge cuts flat

62

Lawai‘a Magazine

against a cutting board and will even cut braided line while the oversized serrations have no points to snag when cutting rope or nylon line. The blades rounded back avoids the risk of cutting the guts when cleaning a fish. The blades top also sports a row of nonslip grooves that doubles as a thumb grip and a fish scaler. The blade is made totally of high carbon stainless steel for strength and no rust. Your purchase will also include a hard sheath. Tom Veff may have designed the perfect fishing knife.

OCEANIC DIGITAL CHANNEL 349

CATCH THE FISH AT THESE TIMES: • Sportfishing with Dan Hernandez Monday & Tuesday 7:00pm

• Saltwater Ventures Sunday 1:30pm

NEW ON CHANNEL 349: • Aquahunters

(Kayak Fishing Local Style)

• Spear The Menu

(Dive Fishing)

• Guy Harvey's Portraits of the Deep

(Fishing Adventure)

Bringing You the World of Water. The Ocean Network. Oceanic Digital Channel 349 See OceanNetwork.tv for show times. issue six 2011

63

The largesT selecTion of skirTs in a man’s sTore

PIER HONOLULU 6438Lawai‘a Magazine FISHING VILLAGE

808.537.2905

WWW.POP-HAWAII.COM