Lawai'a issue 8

Lawai‘a 2 0 1 1 of the Year Carl Jellings

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PIFG wrap up / Morphing Mu / Knowledge of Fish Koa issue eight 2012

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issue eight 2012

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contents Issue Number Eight 2012

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Lawai‘a Magazine

SECTIONS 7 Inside

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8 e hoike mai

16 fish stories

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10 poke paradise

46 PIFG wrap up

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14 shoreline tech

56 KELA A ME KEIA

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62 GEAR reviews

FEATURES 22 An Alien Encounter

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26 Morphing Mu

34 Lawai‘a of the Year

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42 Barbless Hook

44 Knowledge of Fish Koa

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28 Old Memories

52 Memories of Mike Sakamoto

Oahu Transit Services (OTS) Tournament held 10/21-23/11

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Publisher Pacific Islands Fisheries Group Editor Pacific Islands Fisheries Group pacificfisheries@gmail.com Design Darin H. Isobe > Art Director darini@hawaiiantel.net Director of Marketing + Sales Marc Inouye > Sales & Marketing lawaiamag@gmail.com Consultant Fluid Media Publishing www.fluidmediahawaii.com Contributing Writers John Clark, Brian Funai, Josh Hatori, Kurt Kawamoto, Brian Kimata, Makana, Ben Mori, Bruce C. Mundy, Sean Niesz, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group, Paulo, Clyde Sasaki, Ed Sugimoto, Jeffrey Tom, Nate Tsao, Ed Watamura

NANKO FISHING & DIVING SUPPLY

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

Lawai‘a 2 0 1 2 ar of the Ye pg 34 CARL JELLINGS

FISH KOA / KNOWLEDGE OF MORPHING MU PIFG WRAP / UP ISSUE EIGHT 2012 1

ON THE COVER: Carl Jellings, 2011 Lawai‘a of the year, has been instrumental in supporting the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival and bringing to the forefront fresh reef fish as one of Hawaii’s mainstays in the local community. Photo courtesy Brad Goda and Tammy Takimoto

Letters and Comments email: pacificfisheries@gmail.com

A Place Where Tails Come True

(808) 247-0938

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Lawai‘a Magazine

Lawai‘a Magazine Every attempt is made to publish Lawai‘a 4 times a year. Printed by Lotus Printing Hong Kong. www.Lawaia.net

Brad Goda / Tammy Takimoto

Inside Editorial Board

This issue of Lawai‘a marks a milestone for this grass roots magazine that grew from the vision of a group of responsible fishermen that took the initiative to ensure the positive and important qualities of fishing are shared. Thanks to the leadership and generosity of Sterling Kaya of Hanapa‘a Fishing, Lawai‘a magazine became the vehicle through which the human element of fishing and seafood is showcased as part of our island culture and heritage.

Through this issue, the Lawai‘a torch is being passed to the non-profit organization, Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG). Aside from the various articles and stories featured in previous issues, you may also be familiar with PIFG through the wildly popular Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival held every year at Pier 38. Some of you may be familiar with the organization through the numerous fishery related projects that are run here in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific. For a quick overview of PIFG’s activities, please see the PIFG Roundup featured every month and in this issue on page 52. You can also visit PIFG’s website at www.fishtoday.org for more information and ways you can help this great organization.

Sterling, and his cadre of fishy friends, will continue to work closely with PIFG to bring you intriguing stories about Hawaii’s hidden fishing treasures and unsung heroes that are showcased in each issue of Lawai‘a. Bringing Lawai‘a together with PIFG provides additional resources to both the magazine and the organization allowing us to better service and support you—our fishing and seafood community. We want to assure readers that, other than the change in ownership, there will be no significant change in the production and quality that many have come to enjoy.

This issue of Lawai‘a honors a lawai’a who has taken personal responsibility to “walk the talk.” Local Waianae fisherman, Carl Jellings, was honored by PIFG as 2011 Lawai’a of the year. Carl was honored for his responsible fishing practices, community service, sharing of knowledge and engagement in resource management. Read the full story about Carl walking the talk in this issue of Lawai‘a.

Let’s all strive to be Hawaii’s fishermen, Lawai‘a, and take responsibility when using our ocean resources, not only by understanding and practicing resource conservation, but also by sharing our knowledge and showing others that being involved in its management is important.

Lawai‘a Editorial Board

The Cost of Running a Charter Boat Based on the most recent survey of Hawaii’s charter fishery, fuel, bait, food and ice costs for a full-day charter is $100.15. A half day charter is $56.22. The average length of a charter vessel is 39 feet with a purchase price of $132,823.

Captain wages for a medium size charter vessel is $102.50 with the crew being compensated at $70.23.

Full Day Charter Fuel Ice Bait Food Total

Cost $78.83 $10.16 $0.89 $10.27 $100.15

These numbers sound about right? If not, it’s likely because the information is from a study that was done 15 years ago.

A new survey is about to get started that will update these numbers to better reflect the landscape of today’s charter fishery. The survey will be conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service Pacific Islands Fishery Science Center. When the survey is mailed to you, please take the time to answer the questions and send it in. If you are not in the mailing data base for one reason or another, you can contact Justin Hospital at 808-944-2188 or justin.hospital@noaa.gov.

Auwe: In the last issue we incorrectly credited Chris Maxwell’s ulua on page 20. It was 98 lbs. issue eight 2012

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Joyce Shoji Moi Kawika Subiono O‘io Ladd Yoshimura 18 lb. Ulua

Kaydin Catekista Kupipi

Roddy Dasalla 62 lb Ulua Barbless Hook Brody McMurtry Papio

Brad Shinno 6.47 lb Moi Zachary Kagehiro 4 lb Omilu

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Lawai‘a Magazine

Gani Tano 32 lb Ulua

Go Digital

send us your pics

Garrison Nakamura 4.5 lb Papio

Sid Kunimura, 25 lb Kagami Ulua

Troy Haspe 56 lb Ulua Barbless Hook Darrell Melemai 7.89 Oio

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

Email jpg photos to commpifg@gmail.com> Incude all info please. All pics sent become the property of Lawai‘a Magazine.

Hilo Casting ClubTournament Ulua finalist: D. Ojano, S. Yamamoto, M. Izuno, R. Kaiawe, M. Hirayama

Jason Kaupiko White Ulua 33.15 lbs

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Poke Paradise Tanioka’s Seafood and Catering. Story and photos by Ed Sugimoto

Sam Choy’s self proclaimed “go to” place for poke is Tanioka’s.

What say we head over to Waipahu and have a chat with father-son super combo Mel and Justin Tanioka to talk poke?

Edward Sugimoto: You first opened your doors in 1978 in a thousand square foot space with just four employees. What were those first years like?

Justin Tanioka: I don’t know. I was one years old.

ES: Yeah I heard you were like a kid sleeping on the cooler or something like that right?

JT: Yeah, I was actually born one month before we opened.

ES: Oh wow, OK. So no memories of that huh?

JT: Yeah. The first four years, I don’t know... *looks to dad* Mel Tanioka: It was simple. We had less items. So

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basically we were more like a fish market, selling just fish.

No sushi, no chicken, you know, anything like that. It was just you know, mostly filets, poke.

The trend of poke was just starting then.

ES: Oh so you didn’t have poke from the very beginning?

MT: Oh we did.

ES: You now have a very successful catering business (like you said) to add to your seafood side. How or why did that come about?

MT: Well, in the 1990s, we looked at the fish availability, and I felt that... If it started to get depleted, which we look at in the 90s and we thought if it starts to get depleted, what else, what kind of income is going to subsidize our market. So we decided to start our catering business, which has grown to equalize our

fish. Before it was just a small percentage, but now it’s becoming a larger percentage of our business. So in the future, we’re going to hopefully gear towards more catering as the fish start depleting, unless you go into frozen fish. But for 30 years we’ve been dealing with fresh fish, so we’re trying to avoid that, but eventually it’s gonna come yeah.

ES: What are your top sellers in terms of poke?

JT: Probably our Limu Poke. That’s our top seller. Onion with Limu Poke is right there with it.

ES: It’s just onions on top of that (the limu poke)?

JT: Yeah kind of. A little different mix. A little bit stronger flavor on the onion poke side (with limu yeah). But the limu poke has been our item.

MT: For parties, Spicy Ahi has been one of the best sellers because it stretches. You know the rice and spicy. For parties of two to three hundred, if you put like 20 pounds of poke, they’re gonna eat it up in a few minutes. So we thought that at least Spicy Ahi would stretch it out so everyone would have a share.

ES: What about not in terms of customers, but your guys’ personal favorite? Do you guys have any from here?

JT: Mine would probably be the Onion with Limu. His is probably the Alae.

MT: (in unison) Alae. He knows yeah? I love the Alae Poke. Chili pepper water oooh, that’s my favorite. With some poi and dry aku.

ES: Yeah, you guys have dry aku poke too right?

MT: Yeah yeah yeah.

JT: Yeah, we have dried poke. That one, it’s like a salty candy. When you eat it, it’s good, you know, just to pick on.

MT: I always brag that we were one of the first guys to do that.

Eventually, I don’t know who else does it yeah? *looks to Justin* JT: I’m not too sure. The only hard part about that is the price yeah?

It’s priced kind of high, but, you know, after you dry it, you lose over 50% of your product just off the bat, and that’s not including the time and all of that.

MT: So if you can picture a $10 pound of poke, when you dry it, it becomes $20 yeah? But the drying process is again, the labor process, the equipment used to dry, and all of that. For me it’s worth the price, but when you look at it at $19.95 (per pound) you’re like “woah”, but when you eat it, it’s worth it. *laughs* ES: You guys have, like, I heard over 40 different types of poke, or almost there?

MT: Yeah, probably.

JT: Close to that. Yeah, maybe 30 something. We never really took a count.

ES: Are you guys continuing to think of new ones here and there?

MT: We try to.

JT: We try to. It’s hard to step away from the... Even when we make a new one, people kind of like it, but, like if they had to choose between a pound of the old Limu Poke or the new Garlic Poke, the Limu Poke is going to always come first.

ES: When making poke for yourself maybe like at home, what’s your one, go-to ingredient?

JT: Aloha Shoyu. *laughs* MT: Our famous friends is Aloha Shoyu. We’ve been with them for 31 years.

JT: Tell Sam (Choy) I said that.

MT: Yeah, we’ve been using Aloha Shoyu for 31 years.

ES: You were mentioning earlier that Justin and your daughter Jasmine’s gonna be taking over. What else is in the future of Tanioka’s?

JT: So far, everything’s up in the air yeah?

MT: Yeah.

JT: It depends on the economy. You know how everybody bounces back. I think some of it is fate you know? You gotta look, if you see something, maybe something might pop up (like) “Eh, you wanna be a part of this” or whatever, that’s how we would...

MT: We did create a franchise. We went through the manual. But we’re not sure right now yeah ‘cause it’s hard to... I tried, we had three stores at once, but it’s hard to keep the quality. You can expand a lot, but sometimes you lose the quality. So it’s trying to keep that quality vs. trying to expand... I guess people expand because they want to make more money right? But the end result is... You gotta expand with the intentions of keeping the quality.

JT: And with it being harder and harder to get fresh ahi.

MT: Yeah. That’s the part.

JT: You know, each store is going to have to get their own fish and if we’re having trouble getting fish sometimes, like I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.

MT: There’s a lot of factors. The Fresh Limu Factory is another one to consider. On a daily basis, it’s easy to get, but when it gets to the holiday time, I mean everybody is scrambling to get it, because you know, the volume goes higher. So that’s another thing that we’re looking at. But I think the franchise stores will probably go into like

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Fluid Media presents a new book from Hawai‘i spearfishing pioneer Sonny Tanabe

The Evolution of Freediving and History of Spearfishing in Hawai‘i

In his second book, The Evolution of Freediving, Sonny Tanabe has created a definitive text for the sport. Fueled by a lifelong love affair with the ocean, this compilation of stunning photography, historic lore and modern information is sure to fascinate.

With passionate detail, The Evolution of Freediving presents the art of apnea and spearfishing in concise and intriguing fashion. This book traces both the advances in dive equipment as well as the progression of the spearfisherman–from explorer to hunter to the current evolution as steward of the sea.

For a list of authorized retailers please visit:

www.evolutionoffreediving.com

a different type of program. Not maybe 40 different types of poke, maybe they’ll have like 5 of just the basic sellers. Spicy Ahi, Shoyu Poke, Limu Poke.

JT: And then of course the cooked food side. You know like the okazu-ya, just grab and go. Fried Chicken, Fish Patties, Shrimp Tempura, you know, stuff that’s consistent every day, tastes good. You know, it’s basic things that you would eat every day too yeah?

JT: But as for me, I think my future is here at the market. Just keep it going. Keep this place going.

ES: Carry on the name ah?

JT: Yup. Make my father proud. Make my parents proud.

ES: You guys have anything to add to your loyal customers or future customers?

JT: Well, I would like to thank our customers. Thank you for standing in line. Some days are so busy. We try to get them (in and) out of here as fast as we can. I think we have a pretty good system right now.

MT: And they’re so pleasant. Our customers are like, “Oh sorry, sorry you gotta wait in line,” (and they’re like) “No, no, no, it’s worth the wait.”

They’re so positive and we’re just, we appreciate that yeah.

JT: A lot. We appreciate it a lot.

MT: And first of all we always trust in the Lord to guide us.

JT: And our employees too. Our employees are what makes us. You know, without our employees, we wouldn’t be Tanioka’s you know. But our employees work hard, they work, you know they work fast... *looks at dad* Anything else?

MT: Smiles It was great to see a truly genuine family doing good here in Hawaii.

Justin was super cool and mellow, like he could’ve been your high school buddy growing up, while Mel Tanioka was very generous in packing, and I mean PACKING 3 shopping bags full of okazu items - like maki sushi, cone sushi, and even a bento to go along with their popular Limu Poke - for us to take back to the office. And though I didn’t get to meet daughter Jasmine, mom Lynn was just as warm and bubbly and always smiling.

Not only is their poke winnahz, they, as a family, are as well. Go and support the Taniokas k?

Tanioka’s Seafood and Catering 94-903 Farrington Hwy. Waipahu, HI 96797 Tel: (808) 671-3779 // www.taniokas.com Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm // Sat: 9am-5pm // Sun: 9am-3pm

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Shoreline Tech B y B r i a n K i m ata

Question: What do you do when your rod tip is too large for the blank you’re wrapping?

Answer: That depends. How large is the variation? Most rod tips won’t fit onto a rod perfectly but do fit close enough.

In these cases, rod tip top adhesive will usually fill the gap fine.

A common technique is to build up the rod’s tip with wrapping thread, giving it more girth to accept the larger tip. This will work as well but not if the gap’s too large. It’s usually best to stick with a guide that is reasonably close to the blank so you may want to shop around to find another tip if the fit is not right.

A technique that has worked well for me is to build the tip of the rod up with epoxy and sand it on a rod lathe to the correct size after it has hardened. I have used this on many rods with some having very large size differences. Just remember that you will want to only use tip top adhesive and not epoxy to glue the tip on. Epoxy will not allow you to adjust your tip should it be off axis and I won’t even get into what it’s like to change a tip that’s been epoxyed on.

Today’s tip: Check your wraps thoroughly before you glass your rod. Remember this is your last opportunity for any corrections.

Crossed threads and gaps will actually appear larger after they are glassed so be careful. The glass actually acts like a magnifier and will highlight any errors. You will also want to make sure that your rod is examined and glassed under correct lighting. Poor or dim lighting will hide thread errors and bubbles in the mixture. I use a light shining directly onto the blank and wear a magnifying visor to perform all rod work. Remember it’s easier to prevent a problem than to try and correct one.

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Question: What’s the secret to a good glass job on your rod wraps?

bubbles while creating additional ones in the process. Don’t try to pop all the bubbles at once. Remember the mixture is quite thick and it will need some time for the small and deepest bubbles to rise. Trying to pop all of them instantly usually causes the mixture to lose too much viscosity and the watery mixture may run down your guides as the rod is spun.

Answer: Wow, that’s a question I could write a book about! A

You will have to rotate the rod for 2 to 3 hours while the resin hardens.

These times may vary with the weather so an electric dryer is advisable.

good coat of glass is the finishing touch on any custom rod and will make or break its appearance. The finest thread art will be ruined by a sagging, uneven, or bubbly coat of glass. Applying glass can be an easy task but many things can go wrong in the process. The general procedure is the same, regardless of who is doing the work, but individuals may have his or her techniques to a quality job. As with any other skill, practice and experience plays an important role.

As with most technical tasks, first and foremost…..read the package! Yes, that may sound like a no-brainer but you’ll be amazed at how many people don’t do it. Follow the instructions carefully. While all rod finishes are high build polymers, there may be slight differences between them. All finishes require a precise 50/50 mixture of ingredients mixed thoroughly. Hardening times may vary as well.

An uneven or poorly mixed mixture is probably the cause of most glassing problems. Unlike automotive body filler, rod finish cannot be made “hotter” by adding more hardener. You will not be able to speed up the hardening process so don’t do it. One part of resin reacts with one part of hardener and that’s it. Any additional hardener will have nothing to catalyze with and will leave the finish sticky or tacky in feel. You will want to mix both parts together thoroughly, scraping the sides of the container, as well as the mixing stick or brush. Two minutes should do the trick. I usually place the mixture in a flat pan and not in a cup. As the mixture catalyzes, it will begin to warm. Heat is an additional catalyst, so this warmth speeds the process further, resulting in a shorter pot life and thus less working time. Remember, you will be working against the clock as you glass.

Most finishes have roughly 15 minutes of working time. Some rod builders add denatured alcohol to make the finish less viscous and lengthen its working time. A couple of drops is the norm.

Your second coat is the finishing touch on your rod. This coat will be thicker than the first and will be primarily for appearance purposes. Make sure that this coat is not added within 12 hours of the first. Bubbles can appear in an otherwise clear first coat while flaming the second if not allowed to stand for at least half a day. Start by inspecting the first coat for any imperfections. “Pimples” caused by dust or stray strands of thread can be lightly sliced off with a fresh razor blade. Don’t worry; the “scar” left by the razor will be invisible after it is glassed a second time. Dust or even insects may also be atop your first coat so check it well. Apply the mixture much like the first coat, but heavier. You will be able to heat or “flame” this mixture a little more aggressively as the threads have already been sealed and will not generate additional bubbles if slightly overheated.

Sometimes a mixture will not harden properly. If it’s been a day and your rod still feels tacky, don’t panic….yet. Set the rod aside, perhaps in the warmest part of the building and let it sit for about a week. Often, rods that haven’t hardened correctly will do so with a little time. Waiting will usually do the trick, but if your rod is still sticky after awhile, another coat of finish will handle the problem.

Apply the finish to a level rod. You may want to check this with a pocket level. Rod finish will run “downhill” on a tilted rod and result in an irregular finish. You will need 2 coats for a proper job and first coat should be a light one. You will want to use this first coat to saturate the threads and not leave a smooth glassy surface. Too thick a coat can cause numerous problems and leave a final coat that looks thick and fat.

Mixed glass is clouded with very small bubbles whipped in as the mixture was stirred. These bubbles will need to escape to create a clear, gin like finish. Bubbles are helped out of the finish by slightly heating them with a propane torch as heating the mixture causes it to become more fluid, allowing the bubbles to flow outward and escape. Heavy applications require more heat but overheating a mixture can cause the glass to burn, giving it a brown and sometimes unlevel appearance. Too much heat may also create more bubbles in the process, sometimes resulting in a cycle of heating to pop issue eight 2012

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Fish Stories B Y J o s h H ato r i

Attacked

By A Kahala

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I

was told by my friends and other divers that I should submit this story to you guys, because this is unbelieveable.

As you can see in the picture, i shot a kahala. What the picture does not show is that i shot it with a 3 prong from shore, and thats not even the crazyest part. I decided to use a 3 prong instead of the usual Riffe because we intended on hunting goats.

The drop I did before shooting the kahala, I shot a good sized kumu.

I had no stringer or bag to put the kumu away, and the only stringer was with my dive partner a distance away. So i put it into the top piece of my two piece hammerhead wetsuit, with the tail still sticking out the bottom of my suit. When I looked up, I noticed that the current had pulled me into much deeper water to the point where the bottom was barely visible. I saw a school of reef fish cruising below me, so i decided to make a drop. I leveled out at about 60ft, with another 15-20ft left till the bottom. As i looked around I felt the kumu still kicking despite me braining it. No sooner had i seen a shadow coming straight at me really fast. At first i thought it to be a smaller white tip shark, but when it came closer, i knew it was a kahala, so in a split second i cocked my 3 prong a little further and let go as the fish was a foot or two away from ramming straight into my face at full speed.

As i let go the spear, the fish turned and the spear pierced right through its gill plate. I was scared that my 3 prong would be stolen or bent, but at the same time my adreneline kicked in and I immediately reached out to

grab his tail and the tips of the prongs that penetrated through the other side. As soon as I touched him, he swam violently down with me hanging on. I yanked as hard as i could on the prongs in his gill plate to get his head to face upwards so he would swim up to the surface, and he did just that. We hit the surface, and i immediately put him between my legs and reached for my knife.

After a miniute or two of fighting, I manged to hit that sweet spot with my knife, and put him to sleep. I hunted the kumu, the Kahala hunted me, but in the end i won and gave the kumu to the Kahala since that was what he was probably charging me for anyway... The kumu is in his mouth.

-Josh Hatori HSD (Hapaman) Youtube (TheHapaman) Big Island Hilo

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Fish Stories B Y C ly d e S a s a k i

Luck?

I have come to believe that to catch a fish while shoreline fishing especially pure bait-casting or slide-baiting takes a lot of luck. Granted – experience, skill and equipment all play an important role in catching and landing a fish. But unlike most other different forms of fishing, with pure bait-casting or slide-baiting, you are casting your bait or line to a random underwater spot that you can’t see and at the same time placing all your hope that a fish will come swimming along and either smell, see

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or feel your bait in the water and take a bite. With this form of fishing, you and your bait are committed to a single, isolated, stationary spot in the wide ocean.

My lucky and fateful fishing trip began on Tuesday evening when I met my long-time fishing partner Terrence Takahata. We set up our gear and before casting, Terrence went to the reef and caught some Hinaleas and Kupipis for bait. We bait-casted out two poles each – I was using a 13’-

99 Lbs of it 6” Outcast Launcher (one of the softer Outcast conventional models) and a stiffer Outcast Slinger – both equipped with Shimano Torium 30 reels. Although I do have much heavier fishing gear, many times I like fishing with lighter gear because of the sport and on Oahu, big fish bites when baitcasting are quite scarce.

I used one of Terrence’s Kupipi and a GB (green head eel) fillet on my poles for the dusk patrol with no results. We then got into our sunset routine of a few beverages, sunflower seeds and cigars. Later that evening, we enjoyed a great bento dinner prepared by my wife Alison. Once it got dark, I only used GB eel fillets on both poles, changing bait every 2 to 2.5 hours. No bites, not even eels. Terrence retired in the back of his truck soon after midnight. I stayed up a while longer and climbed into my truck for a nap at about 2:00 am. Two hours later, I got up and changed bait, again using GB fillets.

At about 5:00 am, Terrence awoke and began to recast live bait for the dawn patrol. He encouraged me to use the live bait, so around 5:30 am, I changed the bait on my Launcher to a small but lively Kupipi which I hooked through the back with an Izuo Brother’s HC Black BKN size 34 hook. Since our club is having a July Challenge, I recently overhauled my reels and reloaded with new line. The Torium 30 reel on this Launcher was loaded with new Berkley Big Game 40# test line.

I started ulua fishing in the late 1960’s with my dad and he shared with me most of what I know and practice today, so you could say that I fish “old school” style. Unlike most of my fishing friends, I don’t use braided line or power-pro or a bimini twist with double or triple braid and Albright knots to the leader/rub-line. I use straight mono going directly from the reel to the swivel with a double improved clinch knot. The swivel is connected to a 4’ length of 150# Big Game mono rubline. This rub-line goes to a second swivel then a short (about 8”) 150# mono leader to the size 34 hook.

I was feeling dehydrated and tired from the previous night’s beverages and the lack of sleep, so I kicked back in my chair with a bottle of Gatorade and began to doze-off.

About twenty minutes after recasting, I heard my bell ring

and Terrence (who was catching more live bait) yelled my name. With the early morning light breaking through the dark clouds, I looked up and saw my Launcher was standing straight up. My first thought was that an eel had eaten my Kupipi. I began to walk to my pole (which was about 60 to 70 yards away), when it slowly started to bounce up and down.

No sooner had I began running when the pole completely bent over and my rachet was screaming. My legs couldn’t run fast enough.

When I reached my pole, I quickly removed my tie-down line and bell. My pole remained bent way over and the line in my reel was already half gone. I lifted the pole out of the spike and then feeling the weight of the fish, realized that I had something heavy and fast on the other end. With all the excitement and adrenaline, I began to thumb the side of the spool to slow the fish down. I quickly burned my thumb, but also realized that at this rate I would soon run out of line. I had no choice but to tighten my drag down intending to slow this ‘runaway freight train’. I locked down the drag all the way, but this strong fish was still running as if my reel was on ‘free-spool’. Soon, Terrence was at my side with the gaff, but my line was disappearing too fast. In no time we could see the ‘loading peg’ on the reel spool protruding through the last few rows of line still left on the reel. Terrence yelled at me, “You gotta do something fast cuz you going lose the fish anyway!” Already locked down tight and the fish still running fast, desperately I leaned as far back as I could, placing all my

“With all the excitement and adrenaline, I began to thumb the side of the spool to slow the fish down. I quickly burned my thumb, but also realized that at this rate I would soon run out of line.”

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bodyweight on the Launcher which was now doubled over like a horseshoe. I grimaced, realizing that either: 1) the 40# test line will snap; 2) the pole will break in half; 3) the reel will be empty in a few seconds or… 4) I might get lucky.

I got lucky - The fish soon slowed down, there were only a couple of wraps of line remaining around the now exposed spool and I was afraid that the fish would make another run. If he only knew how close to freedom he was, I’d only have another ‘fish story’ today. The fish and I were at a stalemate for a minute.

Terrence was quick to remind me that with every second that I rested, the fish was recovering also. I quickly dipped the pole and cranked, getting back about 12” of line. This tedious task went on for many minutes and I was able to retrieve only 6 to 12 inches of line with each effort. Since the fish had run to the right, I walked a little in that direction to retrieve a little more line. Then the fish reversed to the left, so I began to move left also. Lucky we were on a beach and not a cliff.

With the line so tight and humming in the wind, I could see the line disappear in the water far, far out. There’s a shallow reef to the left of us, but the fish was way beyond that. I knew that with my equipment and the fish still so green, I wouldn’t be able to ‘horse’ the fish in or boost him towards my direction. The only real strategy that I could use was constant pressure on the fish to wear him down; but, up to this point, the fish seemed to be winning this battle. I also didn’t want the fish to get close in and have him swimming side to side only to hang up in this reef. So, I let him continue to swim left and began walking down the beach hoping that he would swim far left of this reef.

After walking over 200 yards down the beach and with at least 30 to 40 minutes of this battle now past, my arms and legs felt like noodles. Not to mention, with the butt section of the rod pressing between my legs and trying to walk sideways all this time – well, you guys can probably feel my pain. I had recovered about half the line in the spool and the fish was now swimming from side to side. We saw the fish break the surface of the water momentarily and this gave me some needed motivation.

By now, between cranks I was alternating my grip on the pole with one hand at a time and trying to shake the stiffness out of the other arm and hand. Keeping pressure on the pole and slowly retrieving more line with each minute, the fish was soon close to shore. As it swam in the shorebreak in front of us, Terrence quickly ran in and gaffed it through the back.

As the wave receded, he struggled with the fish’s weight to pull it to shore. He successfully beached the large fish and we stared in awe at this great ulua as the reality of this catch slowly began to sink in.

After a brief rest, Terrence walked back to our campsite

“Terrence was quick to remind me that with every second that I rested, the fish was recovering also. I quickly dipped the pole and cranked, getting back about 12” of line.” to bring his truck closer to our location. Now exhausted and fatigued, we lifted and carried the fish (needing 3 rest breaks) to get the fish to his truck and into a fish bag. As we loaded the fish on his truck bed, the dark skies opened and we were blessed with a morning shower.

Luckily, my son Gabe was on his way to work nearby. After a phone call, he came with much needed ice and helped us pack and load the fish bag on to my truck. It took us another hour to jack-up our other poles and break camp. We drove to Hana Pa‘a and they helped us weigh the fish with the scale settling at 99.6#. Then we drove to Kaneohe where Naoki met us to make a Gyotaku print.

In the past few days, I have received many congratulatory calls from friends. I also hear many “Awww shucks man! All you needed was less than half a pound more to push it into the century club.” Well, while all of that is true, I can vividly remember all the thoughts and fears that ran through my mind while I was fighting this fish. Will this beast make another run and empty my reel? Will it get hung up on the reef or a coral head? Will my 40# test line and knots hold up?

Will the small size 34 hook rip out? Will my Launcher finally fail and break in half under all this pressure?

One half pound? At this point in my life I realize that there are so many things beyond our control. Fate made this fish chose my bait and luck helped me land it. I realize how fortunate I am to have experienced a battle and a catch this size. Successfully landing a big fish like this with so many odds against me makes me truly appreciate this blessing of a lifetime.

I would like to thank my wife Alison for all her support and bentos when I go fishing, my son Gabe for the ice and help, my fishing partner and gaffman Terrence, Hana Pa‘a for weighing the fish, Naoki for making a Gyotaku print of this fish, and all my shoreline fishing friends and community for their support through the years.

Note: Remarkably, it was along this same stretch of beach exactly 30 years ago that I helped a lone fisherman land a 96# Ulua on a Fenwick rod with a Penn Jigmaster loaded with 40# test line, no wire or heavy mono leader, hook size about 20 or 22, finger-size tako bait, fish hooked in the lip and day time bite. That battle took well over one hour. Safe Fishing,

(Editor’s note: We apologize as the weight of Clyde’s fish was incorrectly noted (99.6 lbs) in the previous issue)

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Fish Stories

Jeffrey Tom Ahi 103 While south shore jet ski fishing with 40lb main/50lb fluorocarbon leader I hooked up at 6:30am on Memorial Day to a 103lb ahi. It took approximately an hour to land the fish and after securing it on board I headed back to shore with the jet ski listing to the side of which the ahi was resting on. To my friends on shore who were a big help in weighing, icing and later filleting the ahi, MUCH MAHALO.

18lb Kagami I was diving on the North shore of Oahu with my big brother Kena.

I saw two manta rays approaching and under them was an 18lb.

Kagami. I slowly dropped down to take a shot and then realized it was passing too fast. I grunted and it slowed down. I pulled the trigger and hit it on the back side. It ran and took some line from my reel, but my brother went after it and put a back up shot in it. I’d like to thank God for giving me the life that live, my big brother Kena for the backup shot and my uncles Darrell & Donald Manlapit for teaching me how to dive.

Makana

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An Alien Encounter

by Sean Niesz

There is a predator lurking just below the sand.

It waits patiently in its hidden burrow for unsuspecting prey.

Launching its attack with lightning speed, it uses its razor sharp claws to grab and slash its victim to pieces. It has the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom and can grow over 14 inches long. What is this vicious creature? It goes by many names: aloalo, squilla, shako, mantis shrimp. These alien looking little monsters are both frightening and fascinating, and they’re a lot more common and complicated than most of us think.

In Edward Hosaka’s pioneering work Sport Fishing in Hawaii, the author describes the way local people used to fish for the mantis shrimp in the days before WWII. It seems that in the 60 plus years since the book was published a lot of the local knowledge of these creatures has been forgotten.

I was taught how to find the shrimp from my friend Ed Tamai who learned the craft over 35 years ago on Molokai. Not many people still remember how to find the shrimp now, and this has allowed them to continue thriving in the shallows of the reef, right under our noses. Most people think the large shrimp found in 2003 when the Ala Wai canal was dredged was some kind of mutant. It was actually just a normal mature zebra mantis shrimp, and they’re all around the islands, hiding in plain sight.

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Not many people still remember how to find the shrimp now, and this has allowed them to continue thriving in the shallows of the reef, right under our noses.

Finding the zebra mantis shrimp requires a keen eye for its burrow, as the shrimp carefully shapes the sand at its burrow entrance to disguise its true size and depth. The burrow of a mature shrimp is U-shaped, can be over 4 inches in diameter, and is often several feet deep. Luring the shrimp out of their dens and catching them requires fresh bait and a steady hand. On Christmas Island, I got to see the local method of catching the shrimp. There the brave fishermen will reach bare-handed into the burrow of the shrimp, and pull it out by the claws. I am not so brave. Heavy duty gloves or some sort of a snare is recommended when attempting to catch the shrimp. The shrimp will eagerly grab a piece of bait inserted into its burrow and drag it down to the bottom. If you can get the shrimp partly out of its burrow, you can grab its back or its claws and pull it out completely. But be careful! Not only are the claws razor sharp and covered in serrated barbs, but the back of the shrimp’s shell and the edge of its tail also have needle sharp

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spines. Once removed from their burrows, the shrimp are disoriented and will keep fairly still. Even then you should still use caution when handling the shrimp.

According to Dr. Roy Caldwell of UC Berkeley, the zebra mantis shrimp (L. maculata) can live over 20 years, and mates for life, each pair of shrimp sharing a burrow.

The shrimp are more active at night, hiding in the depths of their burrows by day.

The shrimp’s complex eyes allow them to see in infrared and UV light in addition to the colors of light visible to humans. Sporting large claws with eleven barbs, the male shrimp are more aggressive and do most of the hunting. The females are darker in color, thicker bodied, and have shorter claws.

The long life of the shrimp relates to the great size they can attain but hardly anyone in Hawaii knows they exist anymore. If you plan to hunt the shrimp, do so in moderation, at least until further study can guide us in the right direction for future management measures. Let’s make sure our children can have their own alien encounters in the years to come.

“I love the smell of

fresh ahi in the morning.”

While you’re waking to the smell of coffee, Nico’s checking fish.

Bringing it fresh from the auction to your plate, every day.

Nico wouldn’t have it any other way.

Open Monday-Saturday: Lunch & Dinner, Now Open Sundays • Telephone: 540-1377 • Fax: 540-1376 • www.nicospier38.com issue eight 2012 25 1129 North Nimitz Highway (across from the Nimitz Business Center) • Honolulu, HI 96817

Morphing

Morphing – the change of a person or thing into another – is an illusion often seen in movies or on television.

By Bruce C. Mundy, NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center

B

A 6/10 inch long larval mu- collected at Penguin Bank, Moloka‘i in September 2011. This specimen is yellow-white because it is preserved, but was mostly transparent when alive.

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Photo:Bruce C. Mundy

ut morphing is reality for most marine fish during their first few weeks of life. They begin life as larvae that look almost nothing like adults. Some species morph through several different appearances before they look like the fish we catch.

Mu-, or bigeye emperor, are highly valued when caught or speared. Very little is known about the biology of this species (Monotaxis grandoculis). Almost nothing is known about when and where mu- spawn, or about the first few weeks of their lives.

Many divers know that adult mu- look very different than juveniles. Adults have rounded heads, thick lips, and are mostly silver-gray during the day. They sometimes show faint broad bars on their bodies.

A juvenile mu- photographed at 35 feet in Sharks Cove, Pu-pu-kea, O‘ahu.

Small juveniles are different enough from adults that many people don’t realize that they are the same species. Young mu- only a few inches long have black bars on the body, a pointed nose, and yellowish fins.

Mu- look even more different as larvae in their first few weeks of life. Larvae of mu- have never been described or illustrated in publications before now; however, there are published descriptions and pictures of a related emperor species from other parts of the world. Scientists at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center have identified mu- larvae based on their similarity to other emperor species.

It is easier to identify mu- larvae here in Hawai‘i than elsewhere because the mu- is the only emperor species in the Hawaiian Islands.

When mu- are larvae, only a few weeks old, they are mostly transparent, with only a few dark spots on the fins and body. The most noticeable difference between a larval and juvenile mu- is that larvae have a saw-edged ridge on the top of the head and a long spine on the gill cover with large hooks that curve forward.

The edge of the lower jaw is also saw-edged.

Mu- larvae look even more different from the adults, in the first couple of weeks after they hatch from eggs. The fins are not formed and the body is slender. The most remarkable aspect of these recently hatched mu- larvae are the very large head relative to the body, long spines on the gill cover, and the very large sawedged crest on top of the head. The spines on the gill covers of recently hatched mu- do not have the curved hooks seen in older larvae.

The transparency and large spines of very young mu- may give them some protection from the many predators of the plankton as these larvae swim in the open ocean far from shelter. These recently hatched stages of mu- are a good example of how much the young stages of marine fish differ from adults during the first few weeks of their lives. The mu- seen when fishing have morphed from tiny, spiny creatures that look almost nothing like the adults with which we are familiar. S

A small adult mu- photographed at 95 feet in Hanauma Bay, O‘ahu.

A 2/10 inch long larval mu- collected 15 miles off of Kahe Point, O‘ahu, in September 1985. This specimen is yellow after long preservation, but was transparent when alive.

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There is some place buried deep in our minds where we store our most sacred memories.

A basement of sorts where we keep the things that have built our lives, and each of us fishermen keep a special space in that basement reserved for our fishing memories. While most of my own mental basement is a disorganized mess, the fishing section remains clean and meticulously manicured. At the center is where i keep my very first fishing memory from my early childhood.

Much like a watercolor on canvas the details are fuzzy, but the colors are vibrant. It’s no grand spectacle full of gigantic fish, just me standing next to my dad in a small stream watching him catch tiny brooktrout while my mom sits under a tree on the bank reading her book.

A portrait of deep reds, browns, oranges, and green, with the small trout mimicking the colors of the earth and foliage. That’s all it is, simple, the painting of my life.

Fast forward twenty something years from that day...

MOLOKA‘I STYLE The wind on the southeast side of Moloka’i is blowing a solid 45mph as my dad and I struggle to open the doors of the metallic blue rental Mustang. We are parked on the side of the road in a patch of red mud overlooking one of the bonefish flats that I have had good success at in the past. The sky is a menacing brownish grey and the coconut trees are bent over like frail old men. Mom refuses to leave the car, keeps her attention on her book, and tells us to just go fishing. Whether she is telling us to go fishing because we came all this way to fish, or because she is just sick of listening to us complain about the weather is unclear. Either way she’s still right. We sure as hell didn’t come here to sit inside a hotel room and watch tv.

My parents have flown from Massachusetts to Hawaii to not only visit, but because I promised my dad amazing flyfishing for big Hawaiian bonefish on Moloka’i. It’s been well over a year since we last fished together on a bass lake back East; we are going fishing no matter what.

By

Nat e

T sa o

On a normal day, the water on a Moloka’i bonefish flat is crystal clear. Today however, is so outrageously windy that even the waist deep water of the flats has whitecapping chop on the water’s surface. All the commotion has turned the flats into something resembling a large frothy volume of day-old dishwater.

Visibility is marginal at best, and spotting the fish will be nearly impossible. We came here with the intention of doing some classic sight casting for cruising bonefish. While this style of fishing has been practiced for many years in places like the Florida Keys since the 1930’s, sight casting for Hawaiian bonefish is a relatively new practice to the islands. The whole idea behind this fishing style is that the angler will walk the flats in water anywhere from ankle to waist deep and scan the area for his elusive target. Once a bonefish is spotted, the hunt is on. In theory it is really simple: see fish, cast fly/lure to fish, make fish eat fly/ lure, fight fish, smile, take picture, let fish go, repeat...

Simplicity can be difficult to obtain.

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RIGGING UP My dad props the trunk of the car up on his back as we try and hide from the wind while rigging up our gear; which is taking five times longer than usual. It always amazes me how hard catching the loose end of your fishing line can be during a stiff breeze. Flyfishing is out of the question with these conditions, so we each rig up our light action spinning rods with brown curly tail grubs on small jigheads. Conversation between us is being kept at a bare minimum.

Even though we are both thinking that this is going to be a waste of time, we prepare ourselves for the outside chance of catching a fish.

Once the rods are finally set up we make our way to the flats (holding our hats) and step slowly into the chilly water.

A good spinning outfit for bonefish needs to have a light tip to cast small lures with enough strength in the back of the rod to lean into them as they race off across the flats. My favorite bonefish spinning rod to date is a 9’6” Lamiglas Steelhead blank model # XMG114M. I pair this with a Shimano Stradic 4000 spooled with 20lb Suffix832 braided line and about a 10 foot long section of 10lb-15lb flourocarbon leader material. My lure choice is remains pretty basic: a 3” Berkely Powerbait Grub in a variety of natural drab patterns to mimic the colors of the shrimp and crabs that the bonefish feed on. Usually my “go to” color is what Berkely calls “Peanut Butter and Jelly” which is basically a mostly brown grub with hints of dark purple on the body. It may not look exactly like a shrimp, but they seem to eat that lure better than anything. The jighead of choice is a 30

Lawai‘a Magazine

Gamakatsu brand round ball style head with a 3/0 size hook in 1/8oz, 3/16oz, and 1/4oz size lead. A high quality hook is essential for withstanding the drag searing run of a monster bonefish. Lesser quality or thin wire hooks will bend open or break under the pressure.

KNEE DEEP Six thousand and some miles from the chilly waters of my youth, we make the first few steps into the water. Our feet slowly sink into the soft silty mud at the edge of the shoreline, filling our tabis with water and the slight grit of fine sediment. A few more steps out and the bottom becomes much more sturdy with a base of hard packed white sand below us.

We walk out about forty feet from the shoreline and pause for a moment. The wind feels even stronger on the water, so i pull my sweatshirt hood over my head and he tightens his hat a bit. While we finish making our adjustments, I say to my dad “the fish here look green in the water”. Just as the words are running from my mouth, a huge bonefish slowly swims right in between us, as if it came to say hello. The fish looks like it’s about 30”-32” long. It’s so close that we can clearly see the barred pattern on its back and the subtle outline of its scales through the cloudy water. Shocked and amazed at what we are looking at, we pause for a second, not knowing what really to make of the situation. After maybe four seconds of just staring in disbelief, my dad opens the bail of his reel and lets his lure gently drop straight down about a foot in front of the fish’s nose. The fish

barely gives the lure any notice and casually swims away after another couple of seconds. Perhaps the fish came in just to tease us. Or, maybe it just wanted to get a look at the only two people dumb enough to be out fishing on a day like this. Either way, the sighting shines a little hope on our spirits.

MOJO A day of fishing has a funny way of creating its own heartbeat; a mysterious pulse of energy that sometimes the anglers are able to link with. It’s days like that, when complete synergy of nature and angler is formed, when a truly memorable fishing trip is made. From the years of our fishing together, dad and I have been lucky enough to experience this a good many times, most often when least expected. If there’s one thing I have learned or been taught from these rare occasions, it’s that they just happen and cannot be forced.

It has now been about two hours since that first giant fish showed itself to us; two hours of my long hair whipping me in the face like a cat at its scratching post; two hours of slowly dragging the little brown grubs over every inch of bottom, searching for a bite; two hours of asking dad if he’s seen anything; two hours of humming Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl” in my head; two hours of...

Doink?!?... A small tap on the line puts my mind into auto focus as the mental radio clicks off. There is a feeling of tension ever so slightly more intelligent than a piece of seaweed at the other end, and I set the hook. The fish instantly boils and makes a long run through the shallow water; kicking up mud and sand in its wake. Almost as fast as the fish peels line out from the singing reel, it turns a 180 and comes right back towards my feet at full speed. Struggling to reel fast enough to keep tension on the line, I watch the fish glimmering like a ghostly green torpedo as it streaks by my feet in the opposite direction. After another strong run and some awkward maneuvering around stray coral heads, the fish gives up as dad grabs the tail and cradles its belly. An average Moloka’i bonefish, it’s about 6.5lbs of high octane drag burning power. Cool. We snap a few pictures before carefully reviving the fish and letting it free. No bananas for us today, the ice is broken.

DAD’S GIANT Looking to the past, I can’t even begin to add up the amount of time and energy he has spent trying get me hooked up to fish. Now that I’ve grown a bit (in age if not maturity), I want to try and repay him in some way for all he has given me. There’s only one way i can think of ever doing that; getting him into some big fish Hawaiian style.

Another hour passes, and through some act of good fortune, the sun starts to come out and the wind backs off a bit. We separate from fishing close together to cover some more ground, all in hopes of spotting a fish with the brightening sky conditions. It has even become

pleasant enough for Mom to finally decide to get out of the car. She finds a nice short coconut tree to sit under, watches us for a few minutes, and then goes back to reading her book. Dad is upcurrent of me about 100 yards, working a particularly gravelly area of flats, while I continue down current working a weedline. They say that twins have a sixth sense when something out of the ordinary happens to their sibling. Well, the same goes for good fishing partners, sometimes you just know when they hook up. It’s unexplainable yet it proves itself true time and time again, so I wasn’t surprised when that familiar sneaky feeling made me look back upcurrent to watch dad set the hook on a fish.

In the distance i can see his rod pinned down and bending right through to the handle. His face is too far away to see, but I know the look on it: mouth halfway open a bit sideways, part smile, part panic. Classic. Mom puts her book down to watch and I take off towards him running through the thigh deep water. Getting closer, I can hear his drag squealing like a caffeinated weasel.

This fish must have took 75 yard of line out, maybe more.

I get closer and closer but not fast enough, the fish is still working on him and now it’s headed to a few exposed rocks on the flat. By the time i finally get there to help him out, he’s gained half his line back, but the fish has reached the rocks. Out of breath and completely winded from running through the water, I tell him that he’s gotta stop pulling. Too much tension on the line now could fray it against the rocks and break.

The best bet now is to relieve pressure and run over to the rocks, gently fighting the fish out from the obstructions (not that he needed that advice).

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A day of fishing has a funny way of creating its own heartbeat; a mysterious pulse of energy that sometimes the anglers are able to link with. It’s days like that, when complete synergy of nature and angler is formed, when a truly memorable fishing trip is made.

my hand. Whatever, “look at the size of that thing!”

We stare for a moment in amazement at the size of it. The nature of fishermen is to quantify the unmeasurable, so we throw out some guesses on the weight. I say maybe 9.5lb, he says 10. The actual number is trivial, neither of us really care. A local boy on a red moped who was watching the whole thing from next to our rental car throws both his hands up in the biggest “double shaka” ever thrown, and gives an extra loud “AUWWRITE!” We hoot back some excited man-sounds and take a few pictures before letting it go. It swims casually in a circle around our feet before disappearing across the flat. Our hand shake is a little tighter than usual, and our smiles a little bigger.

Two little kids rushing back to the shoreline to ask mom “Did you see that!”

“OH MY GOD” we both say, as we get the first look at the fish while he guides it out of the rocks. With the sun now beaming on the water, the fish looks like a three foot long neon green shark. It’s tail and dorsal kiss the surface of the water, leaving the tiniest V-shaped wake on the surface as it glides into the shallows. The fish has been on for close to ten minutes now. We’re both real nervous that the hook has worn a big hole in it’s jaw from such a long fight. Most fish are lost right at your feet. A few more ginger handle cranks and the fish turns side up ten feet from us. The fish is beaten. It doesn’t resist my hands under its belly when I lift it from the water and look at dad, whose jaw is dropped wide open.

He hands me his rod and I hand him his fish. His old reel immediately falls apart in

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A NEW MEMORY I take this memory and place it down in my mind’s basement and look back to the painting of my first fishing memory. The image is cleaner. The lines are defined. The boy has grown older. Light shades of greens, blues, tan, and silver brush the landscape.

Miles from there, yet so at home, all is the same. I watch my dad fish; mom reads under a tree.

Trophy or Lomi O‘io Bonefish

If you recover a tagged o‘io call 265-4962 Be prepared to provide the following critical information: 1. Your name, address, and telephone number.

2. Capture date, island, and fishing location.

3. Tag number.

4. Fork length – measure from tip of the nose to “V” in the tail.

5. There are 2 species - Sharp Jaw Albula virgata which has a bright green/yellow dot under the pectoral fins, and Round Jaw Albula glossodonta has no green/yellow dot.

Reward

In return for your valuable information, you will receive a free special edition t-shirt featuring original artwork (seen above) by artist and fisherman Mike Sakamoto.

For More Information

150 Hamakua Dr. PBN# 430 Kailua, HI 96734

Ph: 808 265-4962 Web: fishtoday.org issue eight 2012

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Lawai‘a of the Year C a r l J e lli n g s

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sterling kaya

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Lawai‘a Magazine was created in part to celebrate the human element of fishing, focusing on the generational practitioners that showcase the positive, realistic view of Hawaii’s fishermen. In support of this vision, the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG), a non-profit organization created to support Hawaii fishermen, established the Lawai‘a Award honoring a fisherman who exemplifies a true lawai‘a and lives up to the PIFG Fishermen’s Pledge for the Future.

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dean sensui issue eight 2012

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dean sensui

The Pledge embraces a spectrum of ethical codes that embody the idea of taking personal responsibility of one’s actions and doing their part to maintain our Pacific island fishing heritage, culture and traditions. Many of the ideas that underline the role and responsibilities of lawai’a in old Hawaii are carried forward through the PIFG Pledge. It challenges each person to step up and promote sound resource conservation to ensure ample fish for future generations. Or as PIFG likes to say, “walk the talk.”

Lawai‘a Magazine and PIFG are pleased to honor Mr. Carl Jellings of Waianae (Nanakuli), Oahu, as the 2011 Lawai’a of the Year. A big mahalo goes out to Carl for his dedicated work as a lawai’a and for supporting all the PIFG efforts over the years. Carl, his family and crew have been instrumental in supporting Hawaii’s fishing community and bringing to the forefront fresh reef fish as one of Hawaii’s mainstays in the local community.

Carl was born into a fishing family and was raised in Makaha, Oahu, by his grandparents who instilled the values and practices of generations past. A graduate of Waianae High School, Carl has been commercial fishing for more than 45 years. Today Carl primarily fishes commercially for akule off the leeward coast of Oahu using surround nets.

He also dives for tako, trolls or fishes at the buoys for ahi/ shibi and occasionally night dives as a way to diversify his fishing activity to control amount of effort and his impact on the resource.

As a commercial fisherman, Carl says “there are many

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ups and downs and sometimes there are long stretches of hard times. During one period a while back, there was no fish (akule) for 6 years!” However, “it is not about the money, but the lifestyle and being in the ocean” as a fisherman that keeps him going. What also keeps him going is his family and crew which he refers to as his ohana.

If you ask some of Carl’s friends and fellow fishermen about what makes him so special, you’ll hear a variety of stories about his honesty, vast knowledge of the ocean and its resources, ability to catch any kind of fish whenever he wants and thoughtfulness. The one thing everyone will agree on is his generosity to his ohana, friends, leeward community residents and statewide community of fishermen. It is for all these reasons and more, that Lawai‘a Magazine and PIFG have honored Carl as the 2011 Lawai‘a of the Year.

Here are some short snippets from friends about how Carl and his ohana step up to the PIFG Pledge and “walk the talk” on a daily basis!

Learning and following fishing laws and regulations that apply to my fishing location and practices; “Carl is very aware of the rules that relate to his fishing practices and has often taken the time to share the history of those rules and the issues that led to their creation or modification.

He is also quick to engage and raise awareness when rules outlive their usefulness or have unintended consequences such as the prohibition of net fishing for gold spot herring which is an introduced species.” Mark Mitsuyasu

“On recent fishing trip, I asked a friend’s son about his fishing adventures which he then explained that, “they were going to Kahe electric plant to catch halalu but the netters came and got the school right outside of the inlet. The netters tried three times to get the school.” A few days before, I was asking Carl about his fishing experiences catching halalu at Kahe. He mentioned how he had to make a very difficult maneuver to cut the school in half. The purpose of that was, one, to leave seed fish for the next season and, two, to leave fish for the shoreline guys. The school was cut successfully and the remainder, of all things, ran into the sheltered area of the Kahe plant breakwater, right in front of the shoreline whippers.” Brian Funai

Practicing safe fishing principles and safety at sea by following the relevant laws and using common sense to prevent injury to one’s self, others and property; “When it comes to safety, Carl always thinks of his crew and, more recently, the oio tagging crew, first. He’s never one to take chances even if the fish are there, calling off trips if there’s any potential hazard to his crew, others or himself. It doesn’t matter if he needs the fish or income, safety and respect of the ocean comes first!

dean sensui

Taking only what is needed and practicing “catch & release” of fish that are unwanted or prohibited from being retained;

Engaging in rule-making processes that determine how our shared resources will be managed; “Time and time again, Carl puts his own livelihood aside to spend hours waiting to testify on fishing-related bills at the Legislature and fishing regulations at public meetings, to provide the perspective of a specialized practitioner of the ocean. He would openly share his experiences, catch reports and photos documenting the health of the resource--data that most scientists find difficult to not only gather, but refute.” Tracy Kubota

Being respectful of other resource users by:

• Not over-crowding areas or interfering with other fishermen or resource users; • Observing private property by always asking and receiving permission before entering private lands; • Respecting all fishing practices, traditions and cultures and taking time to engage others in positive dialog.

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sterling kaya

Respect all fishing practices, traditions and cultures and take time to engage others in positive dialog.

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“Carl feels strongly that the ocean should be shared and tries very hard to avoid impacting others. But he realizes there are less and less traditional fishing grounds to fish as he is being pushed farther and farther away to avoid other more recent ocean users, including kayakers, casters, snorkel tours, divers, swim with dolphin and whale watching tours, etc. He tries to oar in to talk story with people on shore first if his fishing operation might be close. Recalling one incident when setting a surround in front of two casting groups, Carl noted that one group had no problem. While his crew was oaring in with bags of akule for the two groups, one fisherman was casting toward them in anger. Crewman landed and gave the first group their fish. As he walked over and handed the angry caster a bag of fish, the fellow just stood there stunned.” Brian Funai

Being knowledgeable about and respectful of all natural resources by:

• Observing, monitoring and investigating the condition of our resources; • Learning the life cycles of fish, so you know when it is best to sustainably fish for them; • Being mindful of catching juvenile fish that have not yet been able to reproduce; • Protecting and monitoring fish habitat and reporting changes or degradation to appropriate authorities; “Carl’s lifelong commitment and unwavering dedication to Lawai’a is demonstrated through his natural affinity for the ocean elements, currents, winds, waves, tides, seasons and marine resources. The reef fish display at the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival make tangible Carl’s experience and knowledge of the ocean and its resources. His personal collection of at least one of each of the 20+ different reef and near shore species of fish, crustacean and mollusks caught within a 2-day span, displayed the natural colors and beauty of Hawaii’s ocean food supply and educated 10s of thousands of residents, visitors, especially keiki, who took photos, touched and asked questions like--is the color painted on the fish or is it real? Tony Costa

Setting a good example for others to follow – “walking the talk” – as good fishing and conservation practices and fellowship are infectious.

“In the past, I held a jaded view against netting of all types. After meeting Carl and learning of his responsible and ethical methods and philosophies, I realized how wrong and unjust my biases were against net fishing and that responsible net fishing can and needs to continue. His knowledge of the resource and the interactions with tides, currents, seasons and a whole lot more opened up a new world for me. I now consider him not only a true Lawai‘a but a lifelong friend.” Neil Kanemoto

Properly disposing of opala or trash by:

sterling kaya

• Always containing and removing trash (plastics, old bait, fishing line, etc), and leaving fishing areas cleaner than when I / We arrived; • Helping to remove excess trash (going beyond my part); • Reporting the location of large marine debris to proper authorities; and

“Carl feels very strongly about not leaving any of his gear behind. He takes off from fishing once or twice a year to go out and pick up derelict fishing gear and other marine debris, stopping at a couple regular spots that are also popular shorecasting sites to pick up lead, leaders and hooks left on the ocean bottom. He does not do this with any self promotion or publicity but does it to take care of our fishing grounds and just because it is the right thing to do.” Sterling Kaya issue eight 2012

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Have you made up your mind yet?!?

B Y

K urt

K awamoto

Barbless Circle Hooks… have been working for me since I began the project in 2005. Since then, all of my shoreline fishing has been conducted exclusively using barbless circle hooks.

How can I stand up there at the weigh-in, asking all of you guys to even try it if I hadn’t tested it out and believed it myself? Like many of you, I could see the theory behind the shape and not needing a barb to be effective but the proof, as they say, is in the pudding or, in this case, the actual fishing results. I’m primarily a small game kind of guy and my fishing experiences have been positive and the catch results are normal – catch some, lose some – just like everyone else!

Using barbless hooks requires no training. Just use ‘em like regular hooks. Kids catch fish with no problems. They have no preconceived notions about the effectiveness of the barbless circle hooks. Adults on the other hand need proof. Thus far the proof has been showing up over the years and in the many tournaments that incorporate a “Barbless Challenge”.

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This past year was a stellar example of the effec-

secret spot. We were fishing small game and I hooked up a good sized akule so I decided

tiveness. Hilo Casting Club member Stephen Arquitola

to slide it on my barbless 16/0 hook. The strike came about 15 minutes later and the battle

landed a 95.7-lb white ulua on June 25, 2011. He won

was on. It took a good initial run and almost drained my 454 Newell. I finally stopped him

the 2011 award for the Largest Barbless Circle Hook

and began to bring him in. He took two more runs and finally gave up. The battle lasted

Ulua. His story is a classic. In his words...Why I decided

about 15 minutes. It was the best fight so far for me.”

to use barbless? “I received the free hooks at the

Hilo Casting Club President Kahana Itozaki was not to be outdone this year. He caught

NOAA booth which was set up at the Pole Benda Tour-

a 101.2- lb white ulua on September 23, 2011 during a Hilo Casting Club tournament. This is

nament and figured I’d try it out”. Was this my first

the second 100 pounder for the Barbless Circle Hook Project. His story is another example

time? “Yes, never used barbless before.” Problems?

of the effectiveness of the barbless circle hook. He was fishing solo at the famous South

“No problems”. Story? “I took my friend fishing be-

Point of the Big Island when it happened. He had met his friends at the fishing spot just

cause it was his birthday. So we decided to go to our

before they were ready to leave. They reported having had some luck getting strikes

Lawai‘a Magazine

and even had one fish get pinned down on the left side. They decided to “wait it out” and the 50-lb + fish eventually got loose and escaped from the barbed hook after being pinned down for many hours. Kahana set up camp after they left. He then casted out his lines and slid some fresh tako. He took a strike and during the tough battle it got pinned down on the left side. Instead of getting anxious and doing something hastily, he elected to “wait it out” in hopes of having the ulua untangle itself or float free. After 10 hours of waiting, he made the decision to break the line and hoped that only the lead was snagged. Gloving the line broke just the lead line and so luck was on his side. The huge fish floated up as he reeled it in. This was by no means a done deal yet as it took an hour to pull the huge fish up the cliff by himself. I guess the big fish had his name on it. This was the fourth 100 pounder of his career and just the first on a barbless circle hook.

Stephen Arquitola 95.7 lb Ulua

These two examples of barbless catches were honored at the 6th Annual Fishing and Seafood Festival on Oahu at Pier 38 on October 9, 2011. Stephen Arquitola received the Largest Barbless Circle Hook Ulua for 2011 Award and Kahana Itozaki received the project’s second 100 Pounder Award. Incredible barbless catches were also highlights in 2010. In that year Kahana received the Largest Barbless Circle Hook Ulua for 2010 Award, catching his winning 85.2 pounder during the Big Island Ohana Tournament. Not to be outdone using barbless circle

Kahana Itozaki 101.2 lb Ulua

hooks were his fellow Hilo Casting Club members Desmond Valentin and Jarrick Dasalla who caught 82.2lb and 70-lb uluas respectively, taking second and third places in the Ulua division in the same tournament. That was the first sweep of any tournament by barbless anglers.

So the question of “Do they work?” has been answered in my mind.

Have you given them a try and made up your mind yet? Please let me know. Kurt Kawamoto, Barbless Circle Hook Project, Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. Kurt.Kawamoto@noaa.gov

The Truth Behind Offset Circle Hooks Some people bend them themselves. Some people buy them that way. At some time, you probably have used them yourselves. What are they? I’m referring to offset circle hooks and why you shouldn’t be using them. But first of all, what is an offset circle hook? Well let’s start with what’s a non offset circle hook. Non offset circle hooks are circle hooks that have a tip that is bent back in a plane parallel, or nearly parallel to the shank. They’re the most common form of circle hooks and the ones you are most likely to see. By contrast, the Atlantic States Fisheries Commission defines non offset hook as one with the point turned back perpendicular to the shank. They have a point that is bent back with a major deviation from the plane parallel to the shank.

As a Honolulu tackle store owner, I try to help my customers hook and land more fish. Offset circle hooks have been proven to be less effective with less strike and penetration force. To visualize this inefficiency, imagine attempting to drive a nail when it’s placed at an angle to the board. Its energy is not directed to the point squarely making it much more difficult. They also tend to hang up on the ocean floor easier, so you can see why I try not to recommend them.

Offset circle hook also harbor a much darker side. Studies from the Marine Resource Research Institute (MRRI) have shown that offset circle hooks have deep hooking rates, (gut and throat hooking), of 23% and mortalities or 10%.

(South Carolina dept. of Natural Resources data) By contrast, sailfish catch and release data show deep hooking catches of just 2% with standard circle hooks. (Prince et. Al. 2002).

This should not be surprising as non offset hooks were designed to lip or jaw hook fish. Non offset hooks have even been pulled from fish’s stomachs as the rolled parallel tip avoids the throat and gut cavity. This does not happen with offset hooks and larger offset angles increase the likelihood of a deep hooking.

This reduction in deep hooking is so dramatic that as of June 1, 2008. Florida requires non offset circle hooks while bait fishing in the gulf coast. The Federal government still allows the use of offsets there but discourages their use.

While I could not find any deep hooking data on non-fish species it would seem logical that increases would occur here as well. Incidental hooking of turtle and seals do occur and the use of non offset circle hooks can help protect these populations too. A NOAA documented incident in 2007 indicates that seals would be capable of removing a barbless circle hook themselves. So, the next time you think of bending your circle hook, bend the barb down and leave the tip alone. You’ll help the environment and put more fish in you cooler too!

Brian Kimata

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of Fish Koa Can Guide Inshore Management B y

P a u l o

Fishing is being increasingly regulated by government based on a questionable assumption – that adequate enforcement of new and existing regulations can be provided by underfunded government agencies with multiple jobs. Many people in Hawai`i believe that governments need to entrust inshore fisheries management responsibilities and costs to those who have more tangible local experience and practical competence.

Without the formation, internalization and propagation of values, about community and about conservation, the communitybased management in Hawai`i approach will lack legitimacy, cultural authenticity and responsibility. For responsibility to become embedded in daily practices demands that fishermen not only be aware of its precepts but that these precepts become so much a part of their psyches that they insist on proper behavior to uphold them.

Communities can act on local interests quite directly. This could be useful in overcoming what is seen as the distant, impersonal, insensitive and bureaucratic approach now characterizing

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the role of government in fisheries management.

What is it about specific inshore places that government and the general public cannot see but is detectable by longtime Hawai`i fishermen?

Understanding when, where and how to conduct inshore fishing so that it is compatible with local resource dynamics requires an intimate knowledge of natural rhythms and processes associated with natural replenishment. In Hawai`i, simplified species life-cycle models have proven useful for integrating fishermen’s knowledge more deeply into local fisheries management. Such models elucidate important ecological linkages to habitats/re-

sterling kaya

sources needed for life cycle completion and may indicate where key ecological linkages have been diminished and where habitat restoration could help rehabilitate stocks. This information builds on the current understanding of fishermen about the importance of good habitat for all life phases of marine species.

In the Hawaiian view, reef fish are aware that they need to be in certain places at certain times during various stages of their life cycles. Life cycles are continuous solutions to specific resource constraints that may limit particular fish populations within particular geographic settings.

Fish aggregation in areas having distinct hydrographic/bathymetric features is a behavior consistently observed by Hawaiian fishermen. The Hawaiian name for such areas is fish koa or fish house.

The locations of koa to this day are carefully guarded secrets not shared outside of the families who fish and monitor them. Fish koa bring together some of the resources that are needed throughout the life cycles into a smaller geographic area than is usual..

Aggregation of fish to koa indicates that these particular locations are necessary or imperative for closure of the life cycle; that is, there is connectivity of needed habitats and resources, such as food, shelter from predators, population structure favorable for reproduction and proximity to currents that are likely to return new recruits close to their birth sites after spawning.

Longtime Hawai`i fishermen understand that inshore fish

abundance is the cumulative of various populations of many given reef species and that amounts vary over time. Variability over time is determined by the intergenerational loss of individuals from any one population through mortality, water quality and temperature, or currents and eddies, or capacity constraints.

Stock-wide fish abundance is not the context for traditional Hawaiian malama. Instead, the focus is often on maintaining the richness (number, variability and overlap) of koa to sustain inshore fish groupings.

The number and overlap of viable nursery areas for fish species’ early life stages and of viable retention areas for the return of adults can be monitored through direct observation of fish populations and habitat conditions at particular koa. Intensive fishing at the wrong times can deplete fish populations associated with particular koa. However, degradation of habitat or interrupting habitat connectivity associated with particular koa can be more damaging than fishing. If a place where juvenile or adult fish are supposed to return is altered so that it loses its functional value, the fish associated with this koa can essentially become “homeless� and unable to close their life cycle.

It is the responsibility of good inshore fishermen in Hawai`i to protect koa, especially at critical times when spawning is occurring. They may also protect fish koa at other times when they believe reef fish are vulnerable within their specific life stage.

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PIFG KOA Welcome to the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG) koa where you’ll be sure to find the latest on what, where and when things are happening on the PIFG front. In this issue, we’ll roundup PIFG activities on cooperative research, 6th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival, Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship and Fishing Challenge and other outreach and education activities.

Cooperative Research

The new bottomfishing season opened on September 1, 2011 just as PIFG renewed its contract with NOAA’s Cooperative Research Program (CRP) to continue collecting scientific information on bottomfishing and bottomfish species in the Pacific Islands. In addition, the bottomfish tagging projects in Hawaii and Guam will now continue through July 2012!

Fishermen will continue working NOAA scientists to collect Deep-7 bottomfish samples to improve our knowledge on aging of these important species and determine at what size and age they mature and reproduce. Collected samples are also being used for DNA and genetic analysis.

This information is important for improving the development of stock assessments.

Earlier this year, PIFG participated in the NOAA National Barotrauma Workshop in Atlanta, GA. At the workshop, we shared our “drop shot” recompression device and venting tool and received positive responses from those attending the workshop. In general, the depths at which we work seem to be much greater than those working in other parts of the US. In September, PIFG participated in the 141st Annual American Fisheries Society (AFS) meeting held in Seattle, Washington, Convention Center from

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September 4-8, 2011. Bottomfish cooperative research coordinator for PIFG, Clayward Tam, provided an oral presentation on “Fishermen as Part of the Solution” in the Humans and Fisheries Management Session. PIFG also made splash at the annual AFS meeting by hosting an informational booth to showcase its cooperative bottomfish and oio research projects and other educational programs.

There was much interest in the tools especially from fishery researchers and managers from Alaska, Puerto Rico and Norway. We plan to engage with scientist in these areas to further test these tools in their fisheries.

The PIFG Oio Tagging Project continues awaiting the return of larger oio schools along the Waianae Coast for tagging opportunities. As of this writing, over 1,000 fish from two schools have been tagged and recaptures are being reported, 16 so far. Keep an eye out for a public service announcement that has been airing on cable television’s OC 16 since mid October, 2011. Volunteers attended the Ewa Beach Fenceline to Fenceline, Oahu Transit Services, Weighmaster’s Obake Shootout and Kakaako Kasting Club shoreline fishing tournaments to perform outreach and education, targeting members of the shore-based fishing community. PIFG would like to thank the organizers of these tournaments for allowing the Oio Tagging Project volunteers to attend and for supporting the project. If you catch an oio with a green tag, be sure to call the number on the tag to get a free gift and help improve the management of our valuable fisheries.

6th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival

PIFG extends a big MAHALO to everyone for making the 6th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival the best one to date! Despite concerns about APEC beautification road work on the medians and the threat of less than perfect weather, droves of Festival goers showed up in waves that continued through late afternoon. Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete our festival survey which revealed valuable tidbits that will help make future festivals even better.

Of the 512 survey participants, one lucky person won a trip for two to Las Vegas courtesy of Hawaii Goes Fishing. An estimated 22,000 people came to the Festival with about 60% being first timers. Eleven percent came to all 6 festivals!

Be sure to save the date and we’ll see you at next year’s festival on October 7, 2012.

Top 3 reaso comnins for g: Fo

o Enterta d, i and Pronment gram

Top 4 wa ys people h e a about therd Festival: W

ord of mou th Newspape , TV, r and Radio

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Sakamoto Challenge and Scholarships

The Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship Fund (Fund) was developed by the PIFG to support Hawaii students to help carry on Mike’s work and philosophy towards continuing Hawaii’s ocean dependent culture and sustaining Hawaii’s marine resources. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Kiara Kealoha of Kamehameha Schools Alohi Nakachi of Hawaii Preparatory Academy To support and perpetuate the Fund, PIFG created the Mike Sakamoto Memorial Fishing Challenge (Challenge) as a bonus category with shore and boat-based tournaments. Winner of each tournament Challenge receives prizes donated by PIFG. In addition, each participant that records a qualifying fish, gets their name entered into the state-wide drawing for free trips to Las Vegas or Alaska. PIFG would like to extend a big MAHALO all those who participated in this year’s Mike Sakamoto Memorial Fishing Challenge! Two grand prize winners were announced at the 6th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival on October 9, 2011. Congratulation goes to the following for winning the 2011 Mike Sakamoto Challenge grand prizes: Mitch Mizokami – Boat Based Category: Round Trip vacation to Las Vegas for four.

Mathias Uchiyama – Shoreline Based Category: Round Trip Fishing Vacations for 2 to Alaska courtesy of Alaska Airlines and Alaska Reel Adventures.

If you are interested Mathias Uchiyama in adding the Sakamoto Challenge in your tournament call PIFG at 808-265-4962 or email pacificfisheries@gmail.com

Mitch Mizokami

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Tagging Challenge

This year’s State-wide Tagging Challenge Winner was Garrick Yamamoto from Kamuela on the Big Island (Kahana Itozaki accepted the award on behalf of Garrick). Congratulations Garrick and thank you for participating in and supporting PIFG’s Tagging Challenge which is hosted in conjunction with Izuo Bros. and the DAR Ulua Tagging Project. For the 5th year in a row, local shoreline tournaments throughout the State participated the Challenge for a chance to win great prizes and help researchers better understand the growth and movement of papio and ulua. In addition to the chance of winning in the PIFG Statewide Tagging Challenge category, every fisherman that tags & releases any ulua or papio in the tournament are entered in a statewide grand prize drawing with the grand prize awarded at the October Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival. If you’re interested in hosting the Tagging Challenge category in your tournament, contact PIFG at pacificfisheries@gmail.com

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Calendar Of Events March 22, 2012 6-9 pm “Cruising for a Cause” with West Marine Honolulu, Oahu > Benefit fund raiser for PIIFG

April 20-22, 2012 4th Annual GT Masters Classic & Ocean Expo Honolulu, Oahu >Tagging Challenge, Barbless Circle Hook, Sakamoto Challenge

April 12-13, 2012 Lanai Keiki Tournament Manele Bay, Lanai >Barbless Circle Hook

April 28 Boy Scout Makahiki, Ala Moana Park, Oahu, PIFG to host fishing education booths

May 19, 2012 POP Safe Boating Week Open House Honolulu, Hawaii >Fishing Safety

June 7-10, 2012 S. Tokunaga Ulua Challenge Hilo, Hawaii >Tagging Challenge, Barbless Circle Hook, Sakamoto Challenge

June 16-17, 2012 Ahi Fever Waianae, Hawaii

June 30 – July 1, 2012 Waialua Boat Club Tournament Oahu >Sakamoto Challenge

October 7, 2012 7th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival Honolulu, Hawaii

October 12-14, 2012 Obake Shootout IV Shoreline Tournament Honolulu, Hawaii >Tagging Challenge, Barbless Circle Hook, Sakamoto Challenge

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Boys and Girls Club

Thirty one boys and girls from the Spalding House Boys and Girls Club were hosted by PIFG at Hoomaluhia in Kaneohe on December 16, 2011 to learn about fishing tackle, water safety, fish resources and fishing rules. More important was the 31 kids that had a blast applying their new skills trying to catch, for most of them, their first fish. PIFG has hosted these Fishing Day events for the Boys and Girls Club and Boy Scouts for several years. Each year it gets bigger and better as the kids are introduced to a fun, healthy and enjoyable activity – fishing.

If you have a group that would like to participate in this program, contact PIFG at pacificfisheries@gmail.com.

Fish Today For Fish Tomorrow

1. Learning and following fishing laws and regulations; 2. Taking only what is needed and practicing “catch & release” of fish that are unwanted or prohibited from being retained; 3. Practicing safe fishing principles and safety at sea; 4. Engaging in the rule-making processes; 5. Being respectful of other resource users; 6. Being knowledgeable about and respectful of all natural resources; 7. Properly disposing of opala or trash; and 8. Setting a good example for others to follow – “walking the talk” – as good fishing and conservation practices and fellowship are infectious.

Once filled, participants brought their stamp-filled passport back to PIFG and was entered in a drawing to win a free interisland round trip on Go, Mokulele!

A public Fisher’s Forum on the Code of Conduct for Hawaii Ocean Users was held as a part of the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s 152nd meeting that was held in Honolulu from October 19-22, 2012. The Forum took place at the Waikiki Aquarium from 6-9 p.m. where PIFG hosted an informational booth and participated in the Forum panel discussion. Neil Kanemoto, PIFG Board Member, represented PIFG on the panel along side other community members including, Rocky and Jerry Kaluhiwa, Judy Caparida, Mac Poepoe, and John Kaneko. The panel, moderated by Mark Mitsuyasu, featured a lively discussion on the issues challenging Hawaii’s ocean users, actions taken to promote responsibility, and key elements that need to be included in a code of conduct for Hawaii’s ocean users.

Brad Goda / Tammy Takimoto

PIFG launched its Fishermen’s Pledge for the Future in October by hosting a scavenger hunt at the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival and by participating in the Fishermen’s Forum hosted by Western Pacific Fishery Management Council. The scavenger hunt challenged Festival goers to seek out participating vendors, answer pledge-related questions and collect a stamp for each of the following statements that support responsible fishing through:

Highlighting the evening was the honoring of a true lawai‘a who exemplifies the PIFG Fishermen’s Pledge for the Future. Neil Kanemoto and PIFG President, Marc Inouye, presented Carl Jellings, generational lawai‘a from Waianae, with an award honoring and thanking him for his dedicated work as a lawai‘a and for supporting all the PIFG efforts over the years. Mr. Jellings has been instrumental in supporting the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival and bringing to the forefront fresh reef fish as one of Hawaii’s mainstays in the local community. The PIFG oio tagging project would not be possible without the tireless effort and contributions from Mr. Jelllings and his fishing crew. Mahalo again to the Jellings ohana for all you do!

If you’d like to step up and take personal responsibility, PIFG encourages you to take the pledge – the Fishermen’s Pledge for the Future. Whether you are an individual, family, club or organization, The Pledge confirms your commitment of responsibility for your fishing practices and activities.

To read the full Fishermen’s Pledge for the Future, visit www.fishtoday.org. Or call or email a PIFG representative at 808-265-4962 or www.pacificfisheries@gmail.com to learn more about the Pledge or discuss how the Pledge can further benefit you and/or your organization.

In each Lawai‘a issue, this column will feature an example of how fishermen like you are stepping up and doing their part to fish today for fish tomorrow.

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Ben Mori

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Memories of A Fisherman And Friend It has now been over two years since Mike Sakamoto left his Hawaii fishing spot to share his fishing tales elsewhere. Since his early passing on January 14, 2009 many articles have been written and many more stories told about “Mike the fisherman.”

This is less of a story of a fisherman and more of an homage to a true friend. A man whose legacy to fishermen young and old alike was to care for our Aina, to take only what we need from the ocean, and that to hunt and fish was not a right but a privilege.

Mike with his O’io caught aboard the “Fish Cake”

I first met Mike in the late 80’s while attending a craft fair being held at Koko Marina Center on sidewalks surrounding the old Ben Franklin Store that was located in Hawaii Kai at that time. He had a booth there displaying fishing gear. I introduced myself to him and shared how much I enjoyed reading his many newspaper articles, journals, and admired his artistic talent. He was warm hearted, friendly, and so easy to talk to. I marveled at the amazing skill and craftsmanship he demonstrated in making lures and fishing rigs.

From Damashi (artificial bait) to surface poppers, Mike knew how to make it all and would freely offer his knowledgeable advice on how to use them. Prior to leaving Mike asked what kind of fishing I liked.

He became excited when I told him I love to bottom fish with light spinning tackle, especially for the hard fighting and elusive O’io. Mike mentioned that he was planning to start a fishing show of his own and asked whether I would take him out some day in Maunalua Bay to film a television segment. That was the start of a great friendship with a man who embodies the Lawai’a way.

Whenever he was in town he would often call me from the Pagoda Hotel. We used to meet at his favorite breakfast place, Like Like Drive-Inn. Often, we would even go for an ono dinner with some close friends at Kenny’s Restaurant in Kalihi for the “Catch of the Day”. Mike was a man who enjoyed his food with company and a lot of fish stories.

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O‘io caught while filming “Fishing Tales” with Stan Kitagawa, Ben, and Mike.

Much of his spare time you would find Mike reading or sketching ideas for his paintings, many of which when finished were exhibited at Liberty House.

Mike, like many Lawai‘a of days past, was an inquisitive man. If there were a museum Mike would get lost in wonderment. If there were an ocean exposition Mike wouldn’t leave until closing.

Mike once invited me to his home and decided to take me night fishing for Akule in Hilo Bay, and golfing at Banyan Course. He, his family, and pets were truly welcoming. The next time I went fishing with him he picked me up at Kona Airport and we drove to Kealakekua and stopped at his editing office at A. D. Ackerman’s. We later joined a shore-casting club for overnight fishing at South Point. We enjoyed a fabulous day and night of fishing that included a steak and beef stew for dinner. The following morning we picked opihi about the size of a half dollar coin, and then drove back to Hilo the long way. During the drive we stopped at Mama and Papa-san stores for food and lua breaks. Everyone we encountered along the way knew Mike and treated him like family. Upon arrival at Hilo Airport the employees of Aloha Airlines gave us the royal treatment.

I recall a time when we played golf at Makaha Resort and he got a phone call telling him about the birth of his first grandchild. He was so happy the rest of the day that the happiness was reflected in one of his best golf scores. Mike then confided to me how grateful he was for his family’s sacrifices of time, money, and energy. Without their support he would never have been able to make the show “Fishing Tales” a success.

In so many ways I still feel the presence of Mike Sakamoto in my life. He

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instilled in me the joy of life that makes me smile every time I’m fishing and visiting places that I know that he would be excited about. Warren Matsunaga, my fishing partner and a very close friend of Mike’s and I have had many reflective laughs as we’ve traveled through Japan. We joked about how he would have driven the merchants and fisherman crazy at Tsukiji Fish Market with all of the questions he would have asked in pidgin Japanese. Just imagine Mike’s reaction to an outdoor Onsen (hot bath-house).

Mike had lots of friends many who knew him far better than I. For this homage some of his oldest and closest friends (Stan Wright, A. D. Ackerman, Denise Lindsey, Audy Kimura, Paul Miyahara, Neal Kanemoto, Hideo Kobata, Brian Kimata, Jeff Konn, Warren Matsunaga) were contacted. Each was asked what character stood out about him the most. Characteristics that they all seemed to have agreed upon were that he was humble, an organizer, an observer, an artist, meticulous, compassionate, humorous, a visionary, a teacher, and innovative. To some of us he was a Samurai (Japanese Warrior, loyal and trustworthy) that exemplified the “Gambare” (perseverance) don’t give up attitude. Mike was an inspiration to many of his friends. He was a conservationist and a defender of fishing rights as well as the preservation of our ocean resources. The best way we can repay his hard work is to continue fishing in a sustainable way.

I would like to thank all of Mike’s friends, and especially his family, Kathleen (wife), Stefanie (daughter), Paul (son), for the opportunity to pay tribute to a good friend. I would also like to thank Warren Matsunaga, for his insight into Mike Sakamoto.

The Freinds of Mike Mentioned Earlier Are Listed Below with Their Status

Mike (in center of photo) with friends aboard the “Hanamana”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ben Mori was loan officer at First Hawaiian Bank for 25 years and has been retired since 1994. Throughout his banking career Ben had numerous customers, met many notable clients, and people from all walks of life. He was known by some as the “Mochitsuku man” and still loves to go O‘io fishing off of his boat named “Fish Cake.” Ben continues to make tempura and fishcake for everyone to enjoy. In July 1995 Mike and Ben were finally able to film a “Fishing Tails” segment focusing on O‘io fishing. This story was written in memory of his friend Mike Sakamoto.

Stan Wright Photographer and freshwater Lake Wilson fisherman A. D. Ackerman – Producer, Kealakekua, HI Denise Lindsey Mike’s secretary at A. D. Ackerman.

Audy Kimura Musician/Composer Paul Miyahara Painting contractor NeIl Kanemoto Pacific Island Fisheries Group Hideo Kobata AQA diving equipment Brian Kimata Brian’s Fishing Supply, Owner and Operator Jeff Konn Former Aloha Airlines sales representative Warren Matsunaga Former manager of Kenny’s Restaurant

Traditional Knowledge

to Guide a Sustainable Future

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

www.ahamoku.org

Ecosystem-based management of fisheries in federal waters around Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Pacific remote island areas.

www.wpcouncil.org issue eight 2012

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B y J o h n C la r k

W

hen I retired from the Honolulu Fire Department in 2005, I started researching and writing a book on traditional Hawaiian surfing.

It was a long journey from start to finish, but in May of last year, the University of Hawaii Press published Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions From The Past. I did most of my research for the book in the Hawaiian language newspapers, which are online and searchable, and as I went through them looking for material on surfing, I ran across a lot of information on fishing. One of the things I was surprised to learn was that native Hawaiians fished from their traditional wooden surfboards.

Like everyone else, I knew they fished from canoes, but I’d never heard they fished from surfboards.

One day I happened to mention this to Kahu (Reverend) William Kaina, who is probably best known as a former pastor of both Kaumakapili (1980–1984) and Kawaiaha‘o (1984–1997) churches. Born in 1932, he spent his childhood in Kalapana on Hawaii island, and he told me that he and his father had often fished from their family surfboard. In the passages that follow, Kahu Kaina describes Kalapana as “a fishing and surfing community” and explains how his father and other Kalapana residents used surfboards for both activities.

“I was born in Kona, but raised in Kalapana. Dad met mother in Hookena when he was working on a highway project there. When the highway project was done, they moved back to Kalapana where dad was from. So I lived in Kalapana during the 1930s and 1940s, actually until 1947, when I left to board at Kamehameha [School].

“At that time, Kalapana was a real fishing and surfing community. My family didn’t have a canoe in Kalapana, and other families didn’t either, so we all used surfboards to fish offshore. Dad oftentimes would go by himself, but if I was around, he would take me with him. I was primarily his bag boy. At home he’d say, “Get yourself ready,” and I’d know that he meant for me to get the fish bag, the eke, and we’d go. He had

issue eight 2012

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© Tsutomu Lures All Rights Reserved.

MORE

IN THE HANDCRAFTED

S FISHING LURE MADE IN HAWAII

BLOOD

BOX

the “Lexi Ann”, s to the crew of .

Congratulation overall: 221 lbs the largest Ahi th wi up ing hook h Head Bullet.

Fis res Lu u Taken on Tsutom

AHI Weigh IN - 221 lbs!

EW ANN CRChamps!

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

I’ll keep the fish if I know that it will not survive, so my percentage is around 20% consume, 80% release.

Michael Tokunaga, owner S. Tokunaga Store

two bags, one for bait and one for fish, and it was my kuleana to bring the fish bag along.

“Our house was next to a pali on the ocean, so he usually went out from the canoe landing at the east end of the pali. He would tie his fishing gear on the front of the board and paddle out. If I went, I would just swim alongside the surfboard. Dad would go about a half-mile out and prepare his lines. He used aama crabs for bait on his hooks.

Sometimes he’d use the whole crab or sometimes he’d take off the back of the crab. Then he took thread and tied the crab onto the hook.

The rock sinker and the hooks were already on the line, but he tied the bait on while he was on the board. Then when he was ready, we’d swim in the direction he wanted to go and drop the line.

“The water was maybe thirty to forty feet deep. He didn’t anchor the board, so as the line went down, the board would drift. The line had five separate hooks, and oftentimes he would catch three or four fish. Mostly he caught enenue and palani and once in a while an uhu. My father would say, “If you’re not lazy, you won’t starve.” Our family ate a lot of fish, and we had a big garden in front of the house. We grew sweet potatoes, and we kids had to prepare the potato mounds. We planted green onions in between the mounds, and we grew dry land taro.

“We had lots of mango trees: cigar mangoes, Filipino mangoes, rose apple mangoes, and common mangoes. Our surfboard was about nine feet long, and it was made out of mango wood. My dad called it a papa hee. As I grew older, my dad would take me surfing and give me hints on how to surf. The sand went way out at Kalapana, and when the

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Lawai‘a Magazine

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issue eight 2012

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waves were big, it was really nice. We only had one board in the family, the nine-foot mango board. The board was really heavy, but once you caught the wave, it would really go. I rode it standing up. The break at Kalapana had a cross wave that would come through the surf, but that heavy board would cut right through it.

“Other families also went surfing, and some of them had more than one

board. Usually, they used their shorter boards for surfing and their longer boards for fishing. We used the term nalu for waves, but if the surf was really big we used the terms kai loa and kai nui. Kai nui was big rough surf with the waves coming in one after another.

“Almost all the families that had children had surfboards and fished from them. A lot of the families depended on fishing for food, but they were selective about what they caught. If a fish was too small, they threw it back.

If they caught more fish than they needed, they gave fish to the kupuna, the elders, who couldn’t fish for themselves. The community had a real tradition of sharing.”

Today, Hawaii island residents still continue the tradition of fishing from surfboards, but they’ve added a new dimension to the sport, stand-up surfboards. And instead of drifting and hand-lining like the fishermen from back-in-the-day, standup paddlers are trolling with a rod and reel. One of the new generation of SUP fishermen is Hilo resident Michael Tokunaga, the owner of S. Tokunaga Store, a fishing supply store started by his grandfather in 1920.

JC: How and when did you get into fishing from a stand-up paddle board?

MT: I started SUP early in 2008 and fishing from an SUP later in 2008. I figured that since we were paddling through a lot of fishing areas, it would be most logical to try and fish from the SUP.

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Lawai‘a Magazine

JC: What type of board do you use?

MT: I go out on my SIC Maui built F-18 board. It is 18’4” long and 27 3/4” wide.

When it is rough, I’ll take out my SIC 17’4” Bullet. The paddle that I prefer is a Werner carbon bent shaft Fuse.

JC: What type of gear do you use?

MT: My rig is a 6ft. Ugly Stik SPL-1102-66 rod with an Okuma 55 series reel loaded with 12# Maxima line. I prefer monofilament line out there because it is easier to cut in emergencies: no special tools required. My leader is 5 feet of 25# flourocarbon connected to a #0 Eagle Claw black ball bearing swivel. Lures are Crank bait style lures with the plastic lip.

Yo-Zuri crystal minnow in the 110 and 130CM sizes works best for me.

Yamashita also makes a Maria lure that is very effective, too.

My other equipment is a fanny pack with a velcro style rod holder. I insert the rod on my left hip. I also carry 1.5 liters of water, a Mustang fanny pack PFD, a plastic whistle, dive knife, gloves, and a small signal mirror in the fanny pack. Other items that I carry are an extra leader, lures, and swivels, but most important is my cell phone in a waterproof bag. My fish bag is a Clark Sales lobster bag made of nylon and mesh.

It is attached and secured to a small tuna clip about a foot in front of where I stand on the board.

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JC: Where do you fish with your SUP board?

MT: I basically stand-up paddle fish out of Hilo and go outside of Papaikou or Keaukaha. Either way, it’s a 6-9 mile total run outside of Hilo Bay. It all depends on what’s happening with the weather and wind conditions. They will determine the direction and how far out I will go out that day. I have two steady friends, Serrell Kanuha and Ralph Snively, who accompany me during my trips. We start off along the black sand beach situated by the canoe landing at Hilo Bayfront Park. For safety reasons I do not go out and SUP fish alone.

Safety is priority one!

JC: What do you catch on your fishing runs?

MT: Mostly I catch papio, kawakawa, kamasu, and lai, but I do a lot of catch-and-release. I try to release most of my papio/ulua catch. I would rather release for it to fight for another day. Since papio/ulua is one of the most sought after shoreline gamefish, I would rather have it kept that way. I’ll keep the fish if I know that it will not survive, so my percentage is around 20% consume, 80% release. Omilu (bluefin trevally), I release all that I hookup. It’s just me. I feel better about it. My most unusual catch was a 2.5 lb. moana ukali coming in to the Hilo Breakwater point. Really did not expect that.

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

www.HawaiiGoesFishing.com issue eight 2012

61

gear reviews by e d wata m u r a

Watch out Stella!!

These new Daiwa Saltiga Spinning Reels have more performance innovations and cutting edge technology than you can shake a pole at. Using NASA’s fuel delivery technology they have developed magnetic oil, that actually changes shape when controlled by a magnetic field, resulting in a seal that prevents saltwater intrusion into the rotor bearing and body. Next, they designed an “Air Rotor” constructed with corrosion proof “Zaion” carbon, making it lighter and stronger.The rotor has an automatic brake that keeps it from spinning when the bail is open. Another annoying problem solved!! The lightweight aluminum spool has a titanium nitride lip that is hardened and stainless and virtually cut proof. Smooth is the operative word when it comes to the waterproof UT Carbon drag that won’t fade.

And talk about smooth, the 14 ball bearing drive includes 4 CRBB corrosion resistant ball bearings and the “Digigear” digitally designed and cut gearing make it the ultimate in smoothness, power, and durability. This reel sports a dual, full time, infinite anti-reverse, rigid aluminum body, and lightweight two piece aluminum handle. Wow, talk about innovation. The Saltiga Spinning Series comes in four sizes, from the 3500 to the 6500 and the drag ratings are impressive, with the largest reel boasting a 66 pound maximum drag. These reels are not for the bargain seeker, but if you seek the best, you should take them for a spin.

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Lawai‘a Magazine

Ooo baby, baby, get up on this, Cush It Hanapaa, hanapaa!! Fish on!! Look for the fighting belt, strap it on, adjust it. Wow, there must be an easier way. Well, a company called Luna Sea Sports has invented an easier solution. The “Cush It” not only protects your hip from bruising, it also will float most rods and reels. When a fish bites, simply slip it on and fight the fish. The three sizes are designed to fit snugly over your different sizes of rod butts and it’s constructed of UV resistant closed pore foam for durability and buoyancy. This company prides itself on “out of the box” solutions and this one definitely fits the bill or should I say butt. Check out their website http://www.lunaseasports.com/about/

Whooo da stink, We as fisherman are always trying to get rid of that smell that invades our ice chests, fish bags, boats, clothes, and everything that comes into contact with our fish and bait, especially if left unknowingly for a few days. Thee Fisherman’s Soap has concocted an odor eliminating soap that will solve that “hauna” smell. This soap doesn’t just mask the smell, but actually eliminates it. Additionally, you can use it to eliminate any odiferous problem that you may have, even skunk, not that we have that dilemna here in Hawaii. Check out their website: fishermanssoap.com

Lighting the Way

ed watamura

If you’re serious about fishing, you don’t just fish in the daytime. As most of you know, fishing is better at night, especially for akule, menpachi, ulua, opakapaka, and many other nocturnal feeders. This leads us to a tool that we all need-- the flashlight. As technology improves, we have available to us, brighter and smaller lights.

The PX 45 flashlight from Coast LED Lights is pushing the envelope with is small size and 212 Lumen output. That is enough light to shed on a target 610 feet away. The PX 45 also features twist focusing for an adjustable beam from flood to spot and a high and low output option. It has a runtime of 7 hours 15 minutes on high and 13 hours on low, measures only 5.2 inches and weighs only 5.8 ounces. This super bright light is impact and water resistant and the lightweight aluminum case is durable and can handle tough ocean use. To prove how well constructed this light is, the company backs it with a lifetime guarantee. So next time you’re looking for the ulua on the rocks below or trying to find your way back through the channel at Hawaii Kai or Sampan Channel in Kaneohe at night just grab this little powerhouse.

issue eight 2012

63

When

the ocean decides to happen to you

it doesn’t ask where you bought your gear

or how much you paid it only asks if you’re ready .

Really Ready.

We got it.

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Lawai‘a Magazine

next to nico’s at pier 38 1133 n. nimitz hwy. • honolulu, hi 96817 • 808-537-2905 • toll-free (u.s.): 1-800-288-6644 • pop-hawaii.com