$3.95
Koinobori • Maui Cooperative Fishing As sociation
Passing On Fishing Traditions and Knowledge KONA FISHERMAN, HARUYOSHI “HARU” IGUCHI
A Can’t Miss Stop
pg. 14
THE LARGEST SELECTION OF SEAFOOD IN THE STATE
ISSUE NO. 12
• Boating Safety Corner
Trophy or Lomi O‘io Bonefish
“Supporting Fishing and Our Youth” THE MIKE SAKAMOTO MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP & FISHING CHALLENGE Mike Sakamoto was a tireless advocate for the fishing and diving communities. When Mike passed in 2009, The Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship was created for graduating high school seniors and graduate students who are interested in marine sciences or helping sustain Hawaii’s marine resources.
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.
The scholarship funds are generated through the Mike Sakamoto Memorial Fishing Challenge and participating state-wide boat and shoreline tournaments. Entrants can win tournament prizes and also be entered to win grand prize trips with an annual drawing at the Hawaii Fishing & Seafood Festival. 2012 Scholarship Recipients
Andrew Hanano
Caitlin Strickland
Carson Young
Lindsey Caldwell
Mikayla Pico
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 2
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
150 Hamakua Dr. PBN# 430 Kailua, HI 96734
Ph: 808 265-4962 Web: fishtoday.org
To apply for the scholarship or find more information of participating tournaments go to www.fishtoday.org or like us on Facebook.com/fishtoday.
one world. one breath.
Nature’s way of making sure you only take what you need.
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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contents I S S U E T W E LV E S P R I N G 2 0 1 3
S E C T I O N S
9 / INSIDE 10 / E HOIKE MAI 12 / AUNTY KWONG’S KITCHEN 14 / A CAN’T MISS STOP 20 / SHORELINE TECH 22 / TACKLE TIP 24 / FISH STORIES 28 / WHAT’S THIS 32 / TOURNAMENTS 50 / PIFG KOA 54 / IS YOUR PROP RIGHT? 58 / KELA A ME KEIA 60 / VENDOR LIST: WHERE TO GET LAWAI‘A 62 / GEAR REVIEW LINCOLN ISHII, HAWAIIAN ISLAND PICS
F E A T U R E S
36 INTERVIEW W/ “HARU” HARUYOSHI IGUCHI / 42 KOINOBORI 44 MAUI COOPERATIVE FISHING ASSOCIATION 48 LAWAI‘A BOATING SAFETY CORNER / 56 MALAMA
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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Inside I S S U E
T W E LV E
S P R I N G
2 0 1 3
Publisher Pacific Islands Fisheries Group
• Anchor Point Lodge • Shelter Lodge
Editor Pacific Islands Fisheries Group pacificfisheries@gmail.com Design Darin H. Isobe > Art Director darini@hawaiiantel.net Director of Marketing + Advertising Marc Inouye lawaiamag@gmail.com Advertising Suzanne Eugenio kaicomm.eugenio@gmail.com Consultant Fluid Media Publishing www.fluidmediahawaii.com
GO ON AN
Alaska Reel Adventure!
Contributing Writers John Clark, Josh DelaCruz, F/V Alissa’s Pelican, Herb Fuller, Isaac Kaulili, Brian Kimata, Lawai‘a Editorial Board, Stephen Lee, Roy Morioka, Paulo, Stefanie Sakamoto, Ed Sugimoto, Ed Watamura, Ben Wong and Bryan Yoshida
Reservations & Info (808) 551-1993 info@alaskareel.com $3.95
Koinobori • Maui Cooperative Fishing
ISSUE NO. 12
Association • Boating Safety Corner
Passing On Fishing Traditions and knowledge HI “HARU” IGUCHI KONA FISHERMAN, HARUYOS
p A Can’t Miss Sto
ON THE COVER: Haruyoshi “Haru” Iguchi passing on fishing traditions and knowledge. pg. 14
THE LARGEST SELECTION OF SEAFOOD IN THE STATE
Letters and Comments email: pacificfisheries@gmail.com Salmon • Halibut • Black Cod • Rockfish Dungeness Crab • Alaskan Spot Shrimp
Lawai‘a Magazine Every attempt is made to publish Lawai‘a 4 times a year. Printed by DMS Hong Kong. January 2013. www.Lawaia.net
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
BRAD GODA
Hawaii’s Premiere Alaska Fishing Destinations
R to L: Billy Chang, Representative Ken Ito and his wife Joyce.
IN THIS AND FUTURE ISSUES OF LAWAI‘A,
we will continue to feature some of the Island fishing traditions that are longstanding and some that are relatively new. We’ve all heard of flying fish flags from our boats after a successful catch but one late angler’s Boy’s Day tradition of flying paper or cloth carp, or koi in Japanese, is being carried on by his family. Read how the carp symbolizes strength, resiliency and persistence, all those things that fishermen need but also very befitting of the very quarry that all of us seek out for sustenance and recreation. Boy’s Day, a celebration from Japan now more commonly referred to as Children’s Day, is right around the corner so fly your koi with pride! As we go to print with this issue of Lawai‘a, the State of Hawai‘i Legislature is in the middle of its 2013 session. As usual, there are many bills introduced that could affect the use of our ocean resources in some way or another that the fishing community should be aware of. We encourage everyone to engage your lawmakers, most of whom are not completely informed about the activities and conditions occurring in and around our ocean resources. Of utmost importance is to make sure we educate them about our ocean going lifestyle, how we preserve it and how important it is to our island population. Our elected officials need to hear equally from all sectors of the community when it comes to making policies and laws governing its management. This is part of the foundation of this publication: that we, the fishing community, people who care most about the health of the ocean because we are in it and around it every day, take part in its maintenance and management. It is an unwritten responsibility that we take very seriously. One of the sectors that experienced the most impact over the years has been the bottomfishing community. A story about the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association, an organization made up primarily
of bottomfishermen, explains how the impact of increasing restrictions and the loss of fishing grounds over the years have negatively impacted their fishery. This in spite of their efforts to work with managers to change present regulations for more effective measures and provide data that show how the fishery is sustainable. A most concerning issue is that our lawmakers are hearing increasingly more from groups that are intent on bringing their beliefs and customs here to the Islands. Sadly, however, it is at the expense of Hawai‘i’s centuries old island lifestyle of fishing and sustaining ourselves from the ocean that surrounds us. It is truly disturbing to see that the opinion of people who do not live here in Hawaii be considered as more important than that of our Island residents. But that is often the case when email and online petitions come into play when management issues are addressed and it is therefore even more important for our island residents to speak up. Many in both the State House of Representatives and Senate serve poke and other island seafood delicacies to kick off the session but some seem to have forgotten where they came from and that the locally caught healthy, wholesome, nutritious, and delicious seafood that they prize would not have been possible to serve if not for Hawaii’s fishermen. . Maybe one day, the fishing community will start another new tradition of flying carp as we make our way around opening day, visiting our legislators to let them know that we are concerned, that we want to be involved and that the perpetuation of traditions and our cultural heritage is important. Maybe it should be known as Fishermen’s Day. Let’s strive to be Hawai‘i’s fishermen, Lawai‘a, and be responsible 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
Apologies: In issue 11 we mispelled Kazuhiro Mitake’s restaurant Tokkuri-Tei and the author of Pu‘u Kilo I‘a was Carl Jellings.
Tribute Lawai‘a magazine would like to extend our condolences to the family of Murphy Kanana. Murphy was the weighmaster of scale #1 for the Waianae Boat Fishing Club’s Ahi Fever Fishing Tournament since 1997 and various other tournaments. In the words of WBFC President, Norman Swift, “He has always made our harbor clean-ups and other projects fun and he always tried to be there for our club”. Aloha Murphy you will be missed. ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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Joslynn Mendoza Papio
Isaiah Jellings 2.03 lb Akule Sammy Kawakami Oio
Noe Lum Kaku
Jenna Okada Kupipi
GO DIGITAL
SEND US YOUR PICS
Wes Yokoyama 46 lb Ulua
Daryl Wong
Email digital photos as jpg files. Please take pics at your highest setting possible. Email jpg photos to: lawaiamag@gmail.com Include all info please. All pics sent become the property of Lawai‘a Magazine.
Marcus Au Night tako
Jensen Inafuku 7 lb Kamanu
Reece Mitsuyasu Nenue
Riley jones 7.2 lb Oio
Marcus Chun 9 lb Mu
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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Aunty Kwong’s Kitchen
Pan seared paka with mushroom medley Ingredients: • 6 – 8 opakapaka fillets (4 oz each) • Salt and pepper • Flour for coating • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For the mushroom sauce: • 4 to 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms • 1 pack enoki mushrooms • 1 pack shimeji mushrooms • 1 1/2 cups dashi stock • 1/4 cup shoyu • 2 1/2 tbsp sugar • 1 tbsp mirin • 1 tbsp sake • 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with 1 tbsp water • Chinese parsley and green onions, to garnish Wipe excess moisture from fillets, season with salt and pepper to taste and lightly coat with flour. Cut off the stems of the shiitake mushrooms and cut into 1/2” slices. Cut off the stems of the enoki and shimeji mushrooms, then cut into 1” - 1 1/2” pieces. Heat a fry pan over medium-high heat, then add 2 tbsp oil to the pan. Add 4 fish fillets to the pan and sauté until browned, about 2 minutes per side, adding more oil if needed. Transfer the cooked fillets to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining fish.
Add the shiitake mushrooms, and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add the shimeji mushrooms and cook for another minute. When it returns to a boil, add the corn starch dissolved in the water to thicken the sauce. Finally, add the enoki mushrooms to heat. Pour the mushroom sauce over the top of the cooked fish, then garnish with sprigs of Chinese parsley and green oinions. Serve with rice and steamed baby bok choy. 12
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
PHOTOS JESSE VICTOR AND RACHEL SAMSON PHOTO: JESSE VICTOR AND RACHEL SAMSON
Meanwhile, make the mushroom sauce: Combine the dashi, shoyu, sugar, mirin and sake in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer the sauce for 3 minutes.
A CAN’T MISS STOP BY ED SUGIMOTO
TAMASHIRO MARKET
We’ve all seen it. That iconic pink building with the cute crab calling in Kalihi. It’s a landmark. A national treasure even. So I was surprised to hear about some who have yet to pay them a visit. 14
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ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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TAMASHIRO MARKET www.tamashiromarket.com Facebook: www.facebook. com/tamashiromarket Twitter: twitter.com/ TamashiroMkt 802 N King St Honolulu, HI 96817 (808) 841-8047 Mon-Fri: 9am-6pm Sat 8am-6pm Sun 8am-4pm
Tamashiro Market originally opened in Hilo on May 1st, 1941, but when a tsunami destroyed most of the business district in 1946, founders Chogen and Yoshiko Tamashiro decided to relocate the family business to Oahu where it remains today. Today, 3rd generation Tamashiros, Cyrus, Guy and Sean, continue the family tradition, offering the largest selection of seafood in the state, with over 75 varieties, over 30 styles of fresh poke, produce and unique, ready-to-eat items like green bananas, breadfruit, green papayas, pasteles, kulolo and much more. During a visit to the United Fishing Agency Fish Auction, I made contact with Guy Tamashiro and spontaneously held an impromptu interview.
[Edward Sugimoto] Describe your history with fish. [Guy Tamashiro] OK, well, I think we first started with fish, actually my dad had a feed store and all that, the first Tamashiro Market, but then he started selling a little bit of fish. I think the story was that he bartered it at that time for some opelu. Then it sold, so he said “ok, that was fun.” So he started going down to the auction across from Aala Park, then he started selling a little bit more, and it started selling well, so he just started expanding it from there. And then, in 1962, he constructed the building that it’s in now, and then from there, it just started seafood as the emphasis. [ES] And you guys started doing poke after a while? [GT] Yeah, yeah, actually, poke was just one/two pans. When I first started working it was only 1 or two pans, and then from there, we, I don’t know, maybe 30 something? [ES] Out of that, which one is the most popular one?
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[GT] Ahi is, by far, the MOST popular. And if aku is available, that’s pretty popular too. [ES] Ahi limu or any kind of ahi? [GT] Ahi limu, ahi shoyu, ahi onion. We’re getting new flavors in too now. As we go on, we want to add to the different tastes that you can get from it, not just the plain type, but also other tastes we want to try out too. [ES] What is your personal favorite? [GT] Oh, that’s a hard one. Well, I love aku. Large aku. But for ahi, because they’re coming out with different flavors now, I don’t know. I have a poke lunch maybe 3-4 times a week, and it’s not always the same lunch. Hard to have one favorite, it’s just different flavors. [ES] What’s in store for Tamashiro Market? [GT] Well, we just hope we do a lot more sales. *laughs* [ES] Do you have any words for your customers out there? [GT] Sure. You know where to shop. You know where we are. Come down, see us (smiles*). It’s always busy whenever I go, but on this occasion, I just so happen to be there right before closing, so the “getting-stuffs-for-dinner” rush was in full effect. As Guy suggested, I picked up some Ahi poke. Ahi Onion and Ahi Shoyu to be exact. Sometimes, if I’m in the area for lunch, I like to pick up poke from Tamashiro’s and drive over to nearby Dillingham Saimin. The cold poke and hot saimin make for a good marriage. Here’s a shot of my Furikake Poke from Tamashiro’s at Dillingham Saimin. So the next time you’re in the mood for fresh seafood, go check um out, go check um goooo. Tell the crab Ed sent ya. Located on North King Street in the heart of Kalihi, Tamashiro Market boasts the largest selection of seafood (over 75 varieties) in the state. With their unmistakable pink building and trademark crab statue hanging above, Tamashiro’s is definitely a can’t-miss stop. Showing their love of the sea (and perhaps an ode to the Japanese boat in the war bearing the same name), a good-sized fishing boat sits atop the center island, overlooking the store. It’s always busy whenever I go, but on this occasion, I just so happen to be there right before closing, so the “getting-stuffs-for-dinner” rush was in full effect. As Guy suggested, I picked up some Ahi poke. Ahi Onion and Ahi Shoyu to be exact. Sometimes, if I’m in the area for lunch, I’ll pick up some poke from Tamashiro’s and drive over to nearby Boulevard Saimin. The cold poke and hot saimin make for a good marriage. Here’s a photo at Boulevard Saimin, after I bought some Furikake poke from Tamashiro’s and took it over.
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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A Fish Story
What’s Your Favorite Seafood Dish?
B Y J AC K I E YA M A DA
LOMI SALMON 2 cups salted salmon - diced 3 medium tomatoes - Remove seeds and juice then dice. 1 Kula onion - diced 1/4 cup green onions - diced Splash of chili pepper water to taste (optional). Mix the above ingredients in a glass bowl and gently lomi lomi (Hawaiian word for massage) with your fingers. Serve well chilled and enjoy!
both lodges experience a fantastic fishing adventure, beautiful sightseeing of Alaska’s famous Inside Passage and viewing of amazing Alaska wildlife. They
“Opah on the grille with a little bit of olive oil”
(but we’re not sure which makes the best lomi), Pacific halibut, a variety of rockfish, and black cod (butterfish). You can also take the opportunity to drop pots for Alaskan spot shrimp and Dungeness crab which will be the freshest seafood you’ve ever had! They top off your exciting trip
This fish story and tasty recipe is provided
to Alaska with some touches from home,
to you by Alaska Reel Adventures, who has
like bento lunches, fresh sashimi appetiz-
raised and donated over $7500 to the PIFG
ers and of course lomi salmon served up
Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship Pro-
with Hawaiian hospitality! Operating for
gram during the past two fishing seasons.
over 30 years, they truly are Hawaii’s
To get the best and freshest fish for making
premiere Alaska fishing destination! If
your very own lomi salmon, call Alaska Reel
you haven’t done it yet, give Richard and
Adventures and book an Alaskan fishing vaca-
Jackie Yamada a call (808) 551-1993 or
tion to Anchor Point Lodge or Shelter Lodge!
email them at info@alaskareel.com. To
Both lodges are remotely located outside of
check out the latest landing and lodge
Juneau, Alaska on Shelter Island. Visitors to
facilities visit www.alaskareel.com
WPRFMC_2013-Hawaii Skin Diver Mag ad-PRESS.pdf
Lomi Salmon W
Pierre Klieber
offer fishing for five species of salmon
1
2/6/13
Sarah Yamada “Shrimp Tempura, four at a time!”
Carter Cameron “Tanioka’s Ahi Poke”
2:34 PM
Fish Forever –YELLOWFIN TUNA Tagging studies show that most yellowfin tuna found in Hawai‘i stay in Hawai‘i. This means Hawai‘i can’t rely on fish coming from outside the region to maintain local catch rates and harvested stocks. 23
hen you think of an ono traditional Hawaiian dinner, your taste buds start
M
minute, how did salmon become a staple in Hawai-
Y
ian cuisine? We sure haven’t been hooking too many
pes, although a good lomi salmon has generous amounts
CM
salmon while trolling for papio in recent memory.
of freshly salted salmon in each bite! For those of you
MY
who were thinking of salting your own salmon for your
CY
arriving in the Hawaiian islands. Among them were
next Hawaiian feast, here’s a simple recipe to follow.
ships from the Pacific Northwest, carrying barrels of the salted salmon which found its way into the local food fare and became a popular favorite in the islands. When local fish were out of season or the weather restrictive, salted salmon was easy to “catch” and enjoyable to consume.
18
SALTED SALMON Take fresh salmon fillet that’s been frozen and thawed, approximately 1” thick and rub with 1/4 cup Hawaiian salt. Wrap and refrigerate for two days. Unwrap the salted salmon and soak in cold water for four hours, changing the
Today, lomi salmon is found in just about any fish
water every half hour. This removes the salt from the salm-
market as well as on the menu of Hawaii’s finest res-
on. Taste the salmon and repeat as many times as necessary
taurants. There really isn’t much variation in the reci-
to remove the saltiness. Remove skin and bones.
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
CMY
LATIITUDE
lau, poke, poi and….lomi salmon? Wait a
Early in the 19th century, whaling vessels began
22
C
22.0
Current minimum size Weight: 3 lbs. Age: 8 months Fork length: 16 in. Sexually immature Value: $1/lb–$2/lb
20
19 201.5
K
Illustration: Les Hata, © Secretariat of the Pacific Community
watering with thoughts of kalua pig, lau
202.5
203.5
Weight: 10 lbs. Age: 14 months Fork length: 24 in. Maturity: 0.1% Value: $1/lb–$3/lb
Weight: 30 lbs. Age: 25 months Fork length: 35 in. Consider these facts: Maturity: 6% • Small yellowfin have high natural mortality below one year of age. Value: $2/lb–$4/lb LONGITUDE
Many more will survive and grow locally after this age/size.
• Growth is rapid. Spawning begins around 30 lbs, and half the population is spawning by 60 lbs (L50). Spawning locally, they provide more and larger tuna for Hawai‘i fishermen.
Weight: 47 lbs. Age: 29 months Fork length: 41 in. Maturity: 25% Value: $2/lb–$5/lb
Weight: 60 lbs. Age: 32 months Fork length: 45 in. Maturity: 50%, or L50 Value: $3/lb–$6/lb
http://www.wpcouncil.org http://www.dlnr.gov ISSUE TWELVE 2013
19
Shoreline Tech B Y B R I A N K I M ATA
Answer: If you don’t have a frame, GET ONE! I firmly believe that this is the single best modification that you can make to your reel. It will be a change that you will notice immediately. Let’s see why…. First of all, let’s start with what a Tiburon frame is. A Tiburon
A Tiburon frame is a one-piece frame designed to replace a reel’s main frame. It is machined out of 6061-T6 aluminum and hard anodized for durability and beauty.
frame is a one-piece frame designed to replace a reel’s main frame. It is machined out of 6061-T6 aluminum and hard anod-
corrosion. Machined aluminum is much stronger and will resist
ized for durability and beauty. Your Newell, (or Penn for that
corrosion better than cast aluminum will. The protective coat-
matter), has a main frame constructed of 4 individual compo-
ing on the Tiburon is superior as well. If your Newell is a newer
nents. On a Newell, those parts are called the frame post, (the
“S” series, your frame is assembled without screws and instead
top bar ), the support posts, ( the pair of bars fore and aft of the
uses a long threaded rod with a cap screw on the end. These
frame), and the reel base. Because these parts are individual
reels are particularly prone to failure as water tends to collect
pieces not tied together other than with the side plates, when
in the gap along the threaded rod. This causes severe corrosion
assembled, it is virtually impossible to line up both plates and
to the rod, often freezing it in place and making disassembly
the frame perfectly. As a result, the main frame is out of align-
difficult or impossible. In some cases, the rods corrode enough
ment causing the spool and the bearing to be so as well. This
to break completely in two.
affects the reel’s ability to free spool and operate correctly. Your reel may seem aligned and may free spool quite well but it will
While many people are aware of the benefits of a one piece
noticeably improve with a frame installed. In addition to this,
frame, a common misconception is that the frame will make the
reels that lack a one piece frame are prone to getting further
reel heavier and less user friendly. Well I am happy to tell you
out of alignment as they are used. The frames twist from the
that’s simply not the case. In fact, a Tiburon frame without the
torque placed against them from fish and just everyday use. Re-
rod clamp attachments weighs about a half ounce less than its
member, these individual pieces are merely screwed together.
graphite counterpart. If you are like most of us, you’re probably
All reels that lack a one-piece frame suffer from this but Newells
trying to make your gear as light as possible too. At Brian’s Fish-
are particularly prone to it. A Tiburon frame will align your reel
ing Supply, we offer the frames with or without the rod clamp
and keep it that way.
attachments and sell the clamp kits separately, should you buy one without it and change your mind.
Now let’s talk about durability. As I mentioned earlier, Tiburon frames are constructed of machined aluminum. By contrast,
So, you can see that a Tiburon’s got a lot going for it. The
the Newell’s main frame is constructed mainly of graphite, or
frames are affordable, stronger, last longer, cast and retrieve
cast aluminum in the case of the P series. As someone who re-
better and best of all….boy do they look sharp! They are avail-
pairs reels daily, I can tell you that I have seen my fair share of
able in a variety of colors to match or contrast your favorite rod
cracked and corroded frames. Many exhibit screw holes that are
as well. It’s an investment that is certainly well worth it. So, the
badly stripped from an improperly aligned frame and,/or, severe
real question is: What are you waiting for?
BRIAN FUNAI
Today’s tip: When assembling your Tiburon frame, be sure to run a thin bead of grease along the mounting surface and in the screw holes. This will help insure that there is limited electrolytic corrosion between the aluminum and the
Question: I have read that a lot of people are putting tiburon frames on their reels. I have a newell 546. What’s so good about them? 20
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
stainless hardware. You will also want to back off one of the bearing caps slightly until the frame is tightened in place and then readjust your spool tension. You will find that the frame fitment is quite perfect and that any adjustment to center the spool will be unlikely. Enjoy!
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
21
Tackle Tip BY THE ROAD WARRIOR
Do It Yourself Fishing Innovations – the “Road Spike”
What to do when there is nowhere to spike your pole? The answer is the “Road Spike”.
Fishing is fishing everywhere you go…or is it? On Oahu we have lots of fishermen and a limited amount of space to fish. In many areas, we are forced to fish on the shoulder of the highway which puts us in a lot more danger from traffic at all times of the day and night. One of the added difficulties to fishing many of these areas is the lack of suitable places to set your pole holder. One of the common solutions many turn to is to use a rock spike and pound it into whatever is available, be it the hard coralline or lava benches along the shoreline, the hard packed edge of the road, or perhaps even the blacktop on the side of the road. Others solve this by cementing pvc pole holders into holes or natural depressions at their favorite fishing spot-kind of a big giveaway if you wanted to keep your fishing spot a secret. Some of these methods are very difficult and I certainly don’t recommend anything destructive. This was the dilemma I faced when fishing with friends that liked to take it easy and fish from their cars along the road. We’re all getting older and appreciate the creature comforts that fishing from your vehicle affords. What to do? This is a problem especially if you get there late and the few spots for the spikes are taken. How could I use my sand or rock spikes without all the hassle or damaging the roads or roadside that we all pay taxes to maintain? The solution needed to be non-destructive, that was a given because many non-fishing types are just looking for something negative to blame fishermen for. Oh man, all I need is somewhere for my 2 poles.
great. Probably 10 minutes of work even without a cordless
a few smaller tiger sharks, papios, oios, choke balloon fish, lots
After encountering this situation a few times, I figured that there
drill. It was very portable and even broke down (just unscrew
of eels, etc. and have no problems to report. The set up is also
must be an easy, low cost solution to my problem. I kept brainstorming
the nipple) to lay flat in my truck. It does take up more space
convenient when you want to keep your poles close to you for
but it only made my head hurt. Nothing easy immediately came to mind
than a conventional sand spike, which is a downside, but it
security reasons or to keep your reels out of the splash zone.
so I let it drop for a few months. There were solutions but no simple
gives you the freedom to fish anywhere you can park your car.
“cheap” fixes came until I had an epiphany while looking at my truck tires. That was the answer.
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
Of course, you can get fancy and use nuts, bolts, and wash-
The way to use this road spike is to go to your spot and park
ers to secure the floor flange to the board for added security.
in front of where you want to fish. Bust out your assembled
A board made from hardwood could also be used. Also a plastic
What I realized was that we all have a great anchor point when fish-
pieces and place the end without the floor flange immediately
pipe insert could replace the ghetto-looking duct tape used to
ing from our vehicle. It is the vehicle itself. We can use it to hold a flat
in front of your tire with the flange and nipple side facing the
shield the butt cap. Based on my experience, these are good
pole holder or “road spike”, as my friends have been calling it. This
ocean. Start the car and drive forward to pin the board under
suggestions as, through neglect, I have had the flange screws
is how I made my first one. Looking around the yard, I found scrap
the tire to hold it in place. I use one on my front tire and one on
pull out as the set up gets older. Thankfully it didn’t happen
wooden boards approximately 2.5’ x 8” x 0.75”. Basically, they were left
my back; just right for fishing with 2 poles. Cast out your lines
during a strike. You could also make it a multiple set up kind
over from some house renovations. I went to the hardware store and
and use the upright pipe nipples as your pole holder. Works
of thing by using more flanges/nipples and larger boards. The
purchased a galvanized pipe nipple (2” x 6”), a galvanized floor flange
great. I tie my safety line to my truck or it can be attached to
idea and template are just food for thought and further inno-
(2”), and wood screws to fit the flange. Total cost was about equal to
the road spike if you fitted it with an eye bolt. I’ve been using
vation - the possibilities are many and you guys can all make
buying a cheap sand spike.
this for a few years now and have not run into problems but I
your own inexpensive DIY custom road spikes. Of course if you
Assembly was quick. Screw the floor flange to one end of the scrap
also haven’t taken any ulua strikes on this yet. I don’t run “go-
can weld you can make an even nicer, fancier, more perma-
lumber. Screw in the pipe nipple and pad the top of the nipple with duct
rilla” drag settings either so the wood screws have held up well
nent one. Now go catch some fish - anywhere…and no forget to
tape to keep it from scratching the butt cap on the rod. Done. This was
on the strikes. I’ve taken some pretty good strikes and caught
clean up before you leave. Thanks.
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
23
Fish Stories BY JOEL KIYSAKI
laughing when Dean said “I guess we better start catching or we goin have to lie to da kids!” Fast forward to the present and we find ourselves a lot older and perhaps a tad wiser! We’ve put in our time, paid our dues as they say and actually do catch more fish than we used to. I’m not saying we catch ulua every time out or anything, but, let’s just say we’ve lowered our expectations these days and have realistic catch targets. We still whitewash sometimes, but, more often than not, we get something to take home or release back into the sea. Catch and release; now that’s probably the biggest change in our fishing philosophy and perhaps the most important! It all started when Dean called from California, saying he had been giving fly fishing a try and was really enjoying it. He wanted the boys to come up and give it a shot! “Fly fishing?” I asked suspiciously. “Yea, it’s pretty cool, more like hunting, ’cause you actually see the fish and target a specific one!” “You catch anything?” “Yea, rainbow trout!” “Did you eat ‘um?” “Nah, released ‘um.” “What?” Despite our initial skepticism, we all ended
Da Old Man
up in Northern California, stuffed into neoprene condoms, uh, waders and kookie little vests that looked too short. Turns out though, fly fishing was pretty cool! I ended up going yard: bought my own waders, boots, kookie vest and even wrapped a G. Loomis 4wt rod when I got back home to Kona. After catching a few fingerlings in a local stream near Dean’s house to get the feel of things, we head-
Dean and I had just been laid off from our jobs and
lived in Waialua all his life and had fished there for many years.
ed north to fish the upper Sacramento River and its
were spending our first summer unemployed since graduat-
He didn’t fish anymore, he said, he was too old.
tributaries in the Trinity Alps. We had decided the
Catch and release; now that’s probably the biggest change in our fishing philosophy and perhaps the most important.
ing high school. We were dunking some spinners at a little
When he came by we were just about to start packing
best way for us to really learn was to fish on private
beach park in Waialua. Back then it was actually just an
up to go home. I don’t know if it was the “pleeeny papio”
land; somewhere that they supplemented the wild
empty lot. An old man had walked over to see what we had
comment or the thought of not being able to fish anymore
stock in the streams with farm raised fish, giving
caught and that was his response when we told him that we
that made us change our minds, but, that we did. Instead of
us a better chance of hooking up. The thing was that
hadn’t had any luck.
breaking down our gear and heading home we, shoved our
these types of places are normally catch and release
Back home in Kona, the first release was a papio I estimated at about 3 pounds. Tagging kits
still rigged poles and coolers in the car for a quick trip to
only. We all chipped in and rented a cabin on a pri-
weren’t available back then so it was just a simple admire, quick picture and release. Felt pretty
the store to restock our supplies!
vate ranch that gave us one mile of well-stocked
good actually! Since then several ulua, a bunch of papio and oio have been fought to submission, revived and set free!
I recall at the time we were a little bothered by his remark initially, perhaps fueled by the fact that we had no time limits on our fishing and still our fish cooler remained empty! Ah
As we drove to the store we laughed, saying that someday
stream to ourselves! We all caught and released fish
well, he was just curious, He no doubt had fond memories of
we were going to be the old man telling the young boys how
and had great time doing it! Next challenge: master-
fishing in the area and just wanted to talk story. He told us he
there used to be pleeeny papio! We nearly ran off the road
ing the dry fly! That’s a story for another forum.
I recently got tagging kits for papio and ulua. Perhaps if we keep at this we can change that line to “Still get pleenty papio!” (Reprinted courtesy of Spyda’s Blog,hosted by www.iFishHawaii.com)
24
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
25
Fish Stories BY NEIL KANEMOTO
The Green Jack’s Back? In mid-January, Dante Biacan caught a green jack (Carangoides caballus) while fishing in Haleiwa. In December of 2011, fisher-
H AWA I ` I P R E PA R AT O R Y A C A D E M Y ’ S MIDDLE SCHOOL THEME WEEK
Fishing/Gyotaku Adventure
men started reporting catching green jacks on a regular basis. This ‘bite’ lasted until June 2012. They also reported the green jacks got bigger in
ONCE A YEAR, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS OF HAWAI`I PREPARATORY ACADEMY
size as the season progressed with the largest re-
extend students’ learning experiences beyond the classroom. Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders journey beyond our Kamuela campus to hike, fish, SCUBA, ride horse, surf, swim, cook and bake, give back to their community, become stewards of the land, and to appreciate the passions of the educators in their lives. This special week in February is called Theme Week. I took my theme week group fishing on the south side of theBig Island. Along with the 12 middle schoolers, I bring my trusty chaperones (Namahoe Soo, Bradley Samura, Paul Patterson, Michael Chung, Michael Harvey, Naoki Hayashi, and my husband Joseph Cootey, III) to camp, fish, swim, paddleboard, dive, and learn about gyotaku from Mr. Naoki Hayashi. Here is a combined reflection from their adventure down south, enjoy!
ported being in the 3lb. range. Anglers have also reported catching green jacks back in 2003-2004 with several being tagged and released. Brayden Heatherly also caught a green jack recently in March of 2012. Kurt Kawamoto of NOAA stated that this species is normally found in colder water off the coast of Mexico and Japan. The re-appearance of the green jacks this year leads to a flurry of ques-
BY JULIE CAMARILLO
tions: Is the water getting colder or are cold water currents staying closer to Hawaiian waters? Did a population of these green jacks stay back in Hawaiian waters from last year? Have they always showed up during winter months and we’re texts/camera phones/social media? Were they mistaken in the past for omaka, bigeye papio or akule and only now are anglers beginning to take notice? Some speculate that cold water currents may
DAY 1 I catch a boat to Honomalino. The ocean is so smooth, you see for miles With the gentle rocking of the boat, you cannot fight sleep. I am awakened by the snap of the center reel, Surprise, it’s a shibi! DAY 2 I wake before the sun and fish off the rocks My first catch is a moana As I take the paddleboard out a light bulb switches on in my head Fishing off the paddleboard… Brilliant!
DAY 3 I sit up on the paddleboard to climb upon the J. Crew The water is bath-warm, but refreshing We head out to deep water to find bait. After pulling up four ‘opelu The biting stops… A fin pierces the water’s surface like a knife.
have a more significant role in their presence in Hawaii. Right now we’re seeing an influx of Japan tsunami-related marine debris and Gyotaku artist Naoki Hayashi reported printing a hiramasa (hamachi), another known coldwater fish, caught recently by a local angler offshore. Hopefully anglers keep reporting their green jack catches and help provide pieces to the puzzle. But still, we left out one major question – How do they taste? Dante’s reply: “Sashimi Filipino style with some vinegar salt ginger and onion. It was Ono.” *Based on a poem by Portia Nelson, “Autobiography in Five Short Chapters” LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
February 4-7, 2013
DAY 2 (10 MINUTES LATER) I paddleboard 50 yards off shore The water is transparent I see the bottom teems with coral I stop and set the anchor I drop two baited lines and squirmishly wait for a bite
only noticing now due to faster information from
26
Fishing Theme Week in Four Short Days*
DAY 4 I catch a boat to Honokohau The ocean moves quickly without a single bite My head bobs to stay awake Our adventure has ended. ISSUE TWELVE 2013
27
What’s This? BY KURT KAWAMOTO
Is that a wahanui… or something new?
Goldflag snapper, photo by Ed Watamura
As it usually happens these days,
28
Ed’s picture was easily identifiable as a goldflag snapper, Pristipomoides auricilla, known locally as a yellowtail kalekale or yellowtail paka. Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. It is sold
are now accepted for sale at the fish auction.
and eaten everywhere it is caught. It is an offi-
Brooks says to bring ‘em down. Thank you to
cial member of the bottomfish management unit
UFA for helping out our local commercial fish-
species (BMUS) that are under federal manage-
ing community.
ment. Although uncommon in Hawaii it is a more
In the past, Hawaii bottomfish fishermen had
common and important commercial species in
only been catching a few yellowtail paka from
other US areas of the Pacific which is why they
time to time. This season there have been multi-
are on the management list. They were the sec-
ple reports of fishermen catching this species. It
ond most common fish caught in an experimen-
seems like for some reason the catch of this spe-
tal deep-handline fishing survey in the Mariana
cies in Hawaii is up this year. Is it more abundant
Islands. In other areas in the Pacific they are
now or are they just biting or have fishermen
caught as shallow as 40 fathoms.
been fishing different areas or different depths?
After a quick email to Brooks Takenaka at UFA
Has anything changed in the recent past? Is it
relaying the fisherman’s question and species
a natural cycle of abundance? Is the baseline
identification, he asked that species references
population of these in Hawaii increasing? Inter-
be sent over. Pictures and reference documents
esting questions to ponder.
on the yellowtail paka as well as the wahanui
To answer the looming question of “What does
(smalltooth jobfish, Aphareus furca) for com-
this taste like?” Ed took the plunge. After find-
parison were emailed to UFA. The documents
ing out that this was indeed edible and more
confirmed what Brooks had already guessed. In
importantly non-poisonous he prepared one of
his years of seeing all kinds of fish brought down
them using his favorite pickled ginger steamed
to the fish auction, he had seen this fish many
fish recipe with all da fixins. He reports that it is
times before. This was a case of species misiden-
excellent eating, soooo onolicious that the fish
tification. The auction personnel were just doing
auction may never get another one from him.
it all started with an email question and a picture. “Is this a yel-
caught one from what looked like a large single species school. It
their job as best they could in rejecting a fish
Ed is now looking forward to some fine dining in
low tail kalekale? UFA wouldn’t accept it, they said it was a wahanui.
was reported that the fish were being caught while bottomfish fish-
that had the potential to affect public health.
the near future when he cooks up the other one.
Is it good to eat? How should I cook it?” The email was from the
ing in 70-140 fathoms (1 fathom = 6 feet) and that the fish were not
Wahanui have been implicated in many ciguatera
He would probably never have eaten this if it
Waialua Boat Club President Ed Watamura. He had gone fishing at
being accepted for sale; same story from all the guys. Everyone was
poisoning cases in Hawaii. The fish auction, as
was accepted for sale the first time. Sometimes
Penguin Banks and had taken some nice bottomfish to the Honolulu
taking it home to eat or give away. Most fishermen knew that it was
always, was erring on the side of public safety.
there is a silver lining in that dark looking cloud.
Fish Auction run by the United Fishing Agency (UFA). Ed had caught
not a wahanui but didn’t know what to do about getting it better
Brooks urges any fisherman who has ques-
If you have a fish you can’t identify please
a couple of these unusual fish while fishing for opakapaka. He had
identified. Some even remembered it being sold at the fish auction
tions on rejected fish or species to please con-
take a good picture of it, keep it refriger-
never caught one before and didn’t know what it was or even if it
in the past.
tact him while they are at the auction or to call
ated or frozen, and contact me, Kurt Kawamoto
was edible. The fish were not huge, being only about 15-18 inches and
Ed’s picture was easily identifiable as a goldflag snapper, Pristipo-
and discuss the issue as the buck stops with him.
(Kurt.Kawamoto@noaa.gov). I’ll try my best to get
weighing in at about three pounds each. For fishermen in these hard
moides auricilla, known locally as a yellowtail kalekale or yellowtail
In this case if any of the many fishermen who
it identified. Since fishermen are on the water a
economic times every fish counts. He was disappointed when they
paka. The bright yellow on the upper lobe of the tail, with the darker
had their yellowtail pakas rejected would have
lot more than anyone else, it is only reasonable to
were not accepted due to them being identified as a wahanui. Ed has
lower lobe of the tail, and no wide yellow bars (like gindai) on the
contacted him immediately this could have been
assume that on a day to day basis they see much
been fishing all his life and knew this was not a wahanui.
body is an identifying characteristic. This species is very uncom-
cleared up on the spot. The fish would have been
more than a typical fisheries scientist. Everyone
Subsequent to Ed’s question, we have heard that some of the
mon in Hawaii but is found in abundance elsewhere in the Pacific.
accepted and any misidentification immediately
can be observant and make a difference. Science
other deepwater bottomfish guys are catching this fish. Many were
It is not a large fish, usually weighing in at 1-3 lbs. The documented
corrected. He emphasized that the fish auction
is full of serendipitous events that lead to new dis-
catching just a few here and there mixed in with paka and some
species range is from Mauritius, Maldive Islands to the Hawaiian
is here to help the fishermen and an open dialog
coveries. Maybe you could discover a new species
other bottomfish species. Another fisherman reported that he had
Islands, Johnston Island, French Polynesia, southern Japan to the
is the best way to accomplish this. These fish
and have it named after you.
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013 TSUTOMU AD FNL.indd 1
29
4/29/12 10:14 AM
What’s This? B Y C L AY TA M
What did I catch now?
assisted NOAA’s Bio Sampling Life History program. The program
one like this before and reported it, but just in case I will take a
has been ongoing and is studying many species of fish from
picture”. Now convinced it was ok to cut up the fish, Billy took
larval to adult stages, including pelagic and bottomfish. NOAA
the liberty of finally cleaning the fish.
PIFSC is also involved with a project called “Bar Code of Life”
The next day he emails Kurt a photo of his catch and the
where eventually all species of fish will be collected physically
yellow fish. Immediately Billy gets a call from Kurt, “Where is
and cataloged through DNA.
the fish?” Billy: “I cleaned and filleted it, I figure someone else
Looking at physical characteristics on this fish, such as head
caught one or reported one.” “No” says Kurt, “where is the head
and mouth shape, long wide tail, silver tongue and gill rakers, we
and rest of the fish?” Billy: “Oh the trash man came early this
concluded that these traits indicated the fish to be some sort
morning, but I still have the fillets.” “Ok save the fillets perhaps
of lehi hybrid. At the same time, however, the body shape and
they can get a positive identification from DNA in the fillet. Did
coloring appeared to be an opakapaka. Since the fish could not
you measure the fish” Billy: “No”, “Did you weigh the fish?”, Billy:
be positively identified by conventional methods, NOAA scien-
“No Did you take more photo’s of the fish?”, Billy: “No.”
tist turned to DNA analysis to determine the species type. After months of waiting, DNA analysis showed what others thought
Kurt later checked with NOAA fish identification specialist Bruce Mundy and this is what he commented on about Billy’s fish.
might be true; that this fish was indeed a true hybrid, a cross
“It’s clearly not a Randall’s snapper or an opakapaka, because
LAYNE NAKAGAWA, A MAUI COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN, was out bottom fishing the night
between an Opakapaka (Pristipomoides filamentosus) X Lehi
it has about 70 lateral line scales. I think that this is either a
of January 11, 2010, when he cavught a strange looking bottomfish. Although it was at dark
(Aphareus rutilans).
wahanui (Aphareus furca) or a hybrid of a wahanui and another
and the bite was on, as soon as he saw the fish he knew it was different. The head of the fish didn’t seem to match its body or its tail. He packed it away with the rest of the other
Another possible bottomfish hybrid has literally surfaced!
snapper species. Wahanui are variable in color. This photo looks
A bottomfish was recently caught by Billy Chang who was fish-
like an extremely pale specimen of the color variety with the
ing with fellow fisherman, Roy Matsuoka, on board F/V “Akaaka”.
yellow on the head, gill cover, and fins. However, the body and
Layne: “Hey Clay I got a weird looking fish”
On January 12, 2013 while fishing for Deep 7 bottomfish at one of
head proportions don’t match those of a wahanui very well. I’ve
Clay: Can you describe the fish?
their secret spots off of Oahu, Billy hooked and landed a strange
never seen a fish like this, but there are photos of similar fish on
Layne: Yah it has the head of a Lehi and the body of an opakapaka
looking, bright yellow bottomfish about 2 to 3 pounds. He looked at
the internet that are identified as A. furca. There is the possibil-
Clay: “Really!”, How big is it?
Roy and both could not figure out what kind fish Billy had caught.
ity, of course, that there is more than one species now included
Layne: “It’s about 4 pounds
Thoughts ran through Billy’s head: was this fish safe to eat, could it
in what we call A. furca. Geneticists would be able to determine
Clay: “Could you send me a photo and hold on to it when you get in”
have ciguatera or be poisonous, where did this fish come from, did
if that is true or not. But without other evidence, it’s reasonable
Layne: “Shoots”.
someone catch one like this before? So in the cooler it went with the
to assume that wahanui are variable in color and that this is an
As soon as Layne unpacked his fish, he sent me a text with a photo. As soon as I saw it I
rest of the bottomfish caught that day.
extremely yellow specimen. We are getting a sample from the
bottomfish and continued fishing. The next morning on his way home he gave me a call.
asked him to please keep it, as I didn’t know what it was too. In the mean time, I asked Layne
After a successful day of fishing and washing down the boat
for some information that would help document his catch, such as location caught, depth, fork
at Roy’s house, it was time to divide the days catch. They usually
length measurement, weight and to take more photos especially of the head while the fish was
catch enough fish to eat and share with family and friends. As
still fresh.
Roy began dividing the catch, “this one for me, that one for you”
fillet to have genetic analysis done to find out if it is a wahanui, a hybrid, or perhaps something new.” Lawaia will publish the results once DNA work is completed, but it may take some time.
Immediately I contacted and forwarded the photo to Kurt Kawamoto, NOAA Pacific Fisheries Science
and then there was Billy’s yellow fish, “Ok Billy, since you caught
The next time if you or someone catches something unusual
Center (PIFSC) Bottomfish specialist, to see if he or anyone else had reported a fish like Layne’s. Kurt
this one, it’s all yours. If you eat it, let me know how it tastes just
and are not sure what it is, please record the following infor-
too had not seen a fish like this, so he contacted NOAA fish identification experts Bob Humphreys and
in case we catch one again.”
mation: Date, Time, Location, Depth, Fork Length measurement
Bruce Mundy. Upon viewing the photo both Bob and Bruce concluded they had not seen a fish like this
Off Billy went with his share of the catch. Upon arriving home,
(from the nose to the “V” in the tail), weight (if possible). Photos
he decided that he had enough energy to clean all of his fish.
are critical so please keep these in mind; (1) when taking a pic-
Especially since trash pickup was the next day, it was perfect
ture, it is best to take it before the fish dies or is thrown on ice
of the fish, such as gill raker and fin ray counts, teeth formation and even looking at the number
timing to clean fish so the trash would have no time to get
so the fins are erect and the colors are vibrant. A high resolution
of scales along the lateral line of the fish. This information is keyed out in a book that describes
stinky. Billy busted out his fish scaler, fillet knife and choke
photo is great. It helps the scientists count fin spines and soft
the unique characteristics of most species of fish. If this method does not work, today modern
newspapers. One by one he started cleaning all of the fish; all
rays as well as lateral line scales when trying to figure out what
science has made DNA analysis available and it has proven to be a very effective method of
except for his yellow fish. He thought what should I do with this
it is or isn’t; (2) when taking a photo, try to take the it straight
determining species composition, although it can be very expensive to perform.
fish, I want to eat it but I want find out what it is too. So he calls
on from the center of the fish lying flat; (3) lastly, a photo with
his brother-in-law who happens to be NOAA’s bottomfish expert,
the fish next to a ruler or object for size reference will also help
replied “sure” and graciously donated the specimen to the NOAA science center.
Kurt Kawamoto, but he doesn’t answer. He must be out fishing.
a lot. Then, contact PIFG at 265-4962, email: pacificfisheries@
During the past few years Layne has been involved in collecting other bottomfish
“Oh well”, Billy thinks, “someone else must surely have caught
gmail.com or Kurt Kawamoto Kurt.Kawamoto@noaa.gov
before either. Fish experts determine the type and species of a fish by physically examining certain “key” parts
Knowing that this fish was unusual, I asked Layne if we could examine the fish. He
specimens for the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group (PIFG)/NOAA Cooperative Fisheries Project. The collaboration between fishermen, PIFG and NOAA has greatly
30
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
31
Tournament
WAIMANALO BOAT RAMP PAPIO TOURNAMENT PHOTOS BY LINCOLN ISHII, HAWAIIAN ISLAND PICS
The Waimanalo Boat Ramp, located at the South end of Kaiona Beach Park, is the Waimanalo community’s literal connection to the ocean, which has provided sustenance, recreation, and life for generations. The ramp, built in the 1950s for launching small water vessels, was always well used and vibrant with the hustle and bustle of the local fishing and ocean-going community. In the late 1970’s, due to severe weather and extremely abnormal tides, the boat ramp was destroyed. Waimanalo fishermen petitioned both City and State to have it rebuilt but the site sat unrepaired for nearly 20 years.
32
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
With an enormous effort, the Waimanalo community pulled together and, persevering through bureaucratic obstacles and government red tape, restored the boat ramp in 1999. In 2002, to celebrate this great and long-awaited accomplishment, the Waimanalo Boat Ramp Papio Tournament (WBRPT) was born. Thanks to volunteer community organizers, participants, and supporters, it has been held every year since. The 2012 tournament was held on September 21, 2012 and served, like it does each year, as a reminder to the community of the importance of the connection to the ocean.
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
33
SERVES AS A REMINDER TO THE COMMUNITY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR CONNECTION TO THE OCEAN
34
LAWAI窶連 MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
35
Interview w/
“HARU”
Haruyoshi Iguchi
At 87, Haru now fishes a couple times a week with Dennis Colon, a retired auto body specialist. Fishing together Haru is passing on his fishing traditions and knowledge to the next generation of fishermen. He has taught Dennis how to fish for opelu, bottomfish and kona crab.
Later he worked on the F/V Neptune that fished out of Oahu and on the F/V Sea Queen out of Kauai, delivering aku to the Kauai tuna cannery. After 7 years of aku fishing, Haru moved to Kona in 1955. He brought his fish traps from Oahu with him, which he tried using in Kona. He discovered at the time that “never have red fish like I got off Oahu,” so he looked for other options. One day a mainland guy approached him, wanting to purchase tropical fish for aquariums. The guy supplied Haru with all the equipment – dive gear, air tanks and compressor, and after two weeks, they never heard from the guy again. Haru plainly states, “That was the end of that venture.” But with the equipment, they
One Sunday morning,
turned to spearfishing for palani, mu and other reef
In 1960, it was time to get a bigger boat so Haru
Molokai and Maui as they worked their way back to the Big Island. On that trip,
the PIFG guys caught up with long time Kona fisherman, Haruyoshi Iguchi, better known as “Haru”, at Honokohau Harbor on the Big Island. Haru was
contacted his friend Mr. Uga, a bottomfisherman in Ho-
Mr. Uga also showed Haru bottomfish fishing spots off the Big Island and how
hanging out with local fishermen, Dennis Colon, Nathan Abe, Kevin Awa and Geoff Walker, who participate in the PIFG bottomfish tagging project.
nolulu, who sold him a 32 foot sampan. Haru picked up
to hook opelu at night.
fish. He would send the fish to his friend, Mr. Horimoto, at the Honolulu fish market for 15 cents a pound.
Haru, now 87, was born and raised in Kaneohe, Oahu. After high school, he spent 3 years in the Army during World War II in the European theater and
his new boat on Oahu and fished with Mr. Uga on their
From his lessons with Mr. Uga, Haru would run south from Kona for hours to
was discharged in 1948. That same year, he bought his first boat, a small 20 foot skiff, and fished out of Kaneohe using all kinds of gear, including traps,
way back to Kona. Mr. Uga taught Haru how to bot-
fish for opelu at night. He used a coffee can with a light bulb to attract the ope-
nets and trolling. He also worked on aku boats in the 1950s with his father, Jujiro Iguchi, who was a captain on the F/V Constance C .
tomfish and showed him bottomfishing spots around
lu and would sometimes hook up to 900 pounds. After running south to hook
36
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
37
Haru has been a mentor to many Big Island fishermen who occasionally see Haru at the harbor and say hello. Haru chuckles as he admits, “I can’t remember half of them now, but I say hi.”
opelu, Haru said one day he talked to his friend Mr. Uga who told him, “Why you run way down there to hook opelu, get right in front of your place, too.” After that, Haru said, “no more running south for opelu.” Haru’s other fishing adventures included palu ahi fishing, kona crab fishing, gillneting and 2 years of fishing salmon and harvesting kazunoko (herring eggs on kelp) in Alaska. He proudly claims that the United Nations sponsored him to teach fishing techniques in Micronesia. He taught fishing for one season in Yap and two seasons in Pohnpei. He taught the Micronesians how to bottomfish, tuna fish, dry fish and
COVER TO COVER FISHING LIVES HERE
catch akule at night. For lights they would use burlap bags soaked in
Plus, quarterly drawings for new subscribers to
kerosene and laughed when he said that “no more light in the rain.”
WIN TRIPS FOR TWO
The fishing platforms used were confiscated 32 foot boats upon which he taught 12 Micronesians how to fish Hawaii-style.
of today’s fishermen, offering help along the way. He fished mainly by himself but was joined by his wife after she retired. His stomping grounds ranged from the Kona area to South Point. At 87, Haru now
LIND SEY RECI CALD PI WELL MEM ENT OF ORIA
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THAN K Y U UNCO L A 808 Mr.PapE
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on go! Airlines. WE
Living in Kona, Haru is married with three grown daughters, two living in Kona and one in Honolulu. Haru crossed paths with many
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fishes a couple times a week with Dennis Colon, a retired auto body specialist. Fishing together Haru is passing on his fishing traditions
38
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and knowledge to the next generation of fishermen. He has taught Dennis how to fish for opelu, bottomfish and kona crab. In keeping with old time practices, Haru still uses land marks to find most of his fishing spots. Even though he has modern day electronics such as GPS on his 24 foot Radon, Haru says “it’s a great ride but burns fuel, like all Radons.” Nathan Abe, a generational bottomfisherman from Kona, says that “Dennis is a large reason why Haru still fishes.” Both Dennis and Nathan agree that Haru has been a mentor to many Big Island fishermen who occasionally see Haru at the harbor and say hello. Haru chuckles as he admits, “I can’t remember half of them now, but I say hi.” Reflecting on fishing in the past and today, Haru has lots of stories. In the old days, they would fish nehu in Keauhou with a nehu net he got from Honolulu. They’d hook aku and sell it through street peddlers. He would also net nehu using a deep net at night in
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Kawaihae harbor with bright lights from midnight through morning. Dennis, Nathan and Haru also talked about monchong and its current popularity. Haru said he just recently tried eating it and said it was “pretty good.” He recalled long ago his friend Charley gave him a monchong, or “devil fish”, which he kept in his freezer for years.
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Eventually he used it for crab bait one day. Once in a while they would catch it but they would always let it go. But now, if he catches one, he’s going to keep it. Mahalo to Haru, Dennis Colon, Nathan Abe, Kevin Awa and Geoff Walker for sharing their stories with us.
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
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Last year right around Boy’s Day (May 5th), Lawai‘a magazine stumbled upon this magnificent display being flown off of the boat of late fisherman Dean Yamashiroya.
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the one that came before. He keeps going, not giving up, always doing and trying his best. Finally, the koi comes across a large, tall waterfall, this one bigger than all the others that came before it. Despite the height STERLING KAYA
KOINOBORI
YAMASHIROYA FAMILY
“When I’m not pulling up 20 lb. onaga, I can help you zero-out your electric bill.”
and how tired he is, he decides to gather up all his remaining strength, all his courage and bravery and doesn’t give up. He jumps and as he does, he jumps so high, he jumps into the sky. Now, all this time, the gods and goddesses up in heaven were watching this little koi on his journey. They noticed that he didn’t give up, that he was strong, brave and courageous. They decide to reward this little koi for his great characteristics and turn the koi into a dragon, the most powerful creature there is for the Chinese.
Although we see colorful carp flying all over during this time of the year,
number of male children in the family. With the change from Boy’s Day
When the story of the koi came to Japan from China, the Japanese liked
people may not understand its meaning. Many of us today fly our carp flags
to Children’s day, some now count the number of fish being equal to
what the koi represented … strength, bravery, courage and persistence … not
“because grandma used to.” We consulted with Derrick Iwata, educational
either the number of children (boys and girls) or to the number of mem-
to give up, so they fly the koinobori for Boy’s Day, or now Children’s Day, as
specialist with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii about the history of
bers of the family (big one = father, medium = mother, small = child)
they want all children, boys and girls to grow up with these characteristics.
the Koinobori and Boy’s Day and this is what he explained: What is Boy’s Day?
42
There are many stories of the carp but the one we tell is an adapta-
When businesses, schools and homes put up koi for Children’s day, it
tion from another koi story, this one comes from a legend from China.
is their wish, the community’s wish, that their children grow up, like the koi, to be strong, brave, courageous and don’t give up.”
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Before it was called Tango no Sekku but now it is known as Kodomo no Hi
“Once, long ago, there lived a koi fish. One day the koi decided to see
(Children’s Day). Boy’s day is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month.
what was upstream and started to swim. Now most fish go downstream
Although the boat was sold in the wake of Dean’s passing, his wife Kathy
In the old days, people wished for health and well-being of their boys. Cur-
but this little koi wanted to see what was upstream, where the river be-
and family hope to continue the tradition. Kathy also purchased another
rently, happiness for children (both boys and girls) is being prayed for.
gan. On his way, he came across a small waterfall, small enough for him
smaller boat recently so it is nice to know that the family will keep on fishing!
Koinobori
to jump over and continue on his way. As he continued, he came across
Lawai‘a Magazine would like to extend our mahalo to Derrick Iwata
Koinobori or “carp streamers” are usually hung outside of the home
another waterfall, this one a little bigger than the first. This time, the
of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii for the background informa-
email garrett@alternateenergyhawaii.com | license No. C-26041
but can be inside as well. Some communities in Japan fly numerous
koi had to use some strength to jump over the waterfall and he did.
tion on Boy’s Day and Koinobori, Sterling Kaya for the photos and Kathy
* This special is only available through the pictured AEI Solar Energy Con-
fish over streams or riverbeds to represent the fish swimming. In the
Each time the koi came across a waterfall, it got bigger and bigger and
Yamashiroya for allowing our tribute to Dean. The ahi grounds will be
old days, the number of fish outside one’s home would be equal to the
bigger each taking more strength, more courage, more bravery than
missing his presence this year.
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
Alternate Energy Inc., 96-1276 Waihona St. #124, Pearl City, Hawaii 96782 web www.AlternateEnergyHawaii.com | phone 808 216-1527
sultant (Garrett Lee) and cannot be combined with any other AEI specials or referrals. No cash value.
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
43
MAUI COOPERATIVE FISHING ASSOCIATION
By Mark Mitsuyasu
B Y M A R K M I TS U YA S U
Its 7:30 p.m. and I’m running late! I knew I’d be walking into a room of restless, waiting fishermen. Pulling into the parking lot of Wailuku’s landmark eatery, Tasty Crust, one of the young guns who was standing guard at the entrance greeted me with arms crossed, stating “You actually showed up!” Then he laughed and led me into the restaurant. We walked into Tasty Crust, past the classic diner counter with
form the Maui Cooperative Fishing Association. Lokahi Pacific was a
pedestal stools (that still swivel) and into the board room at the
government funded entity whose mission was to assist people want-
end. The Maui Cooperative Fishing Association, one of the older
ing to start a business. Once the business was started and running,
commercial fishing organizations in the State, just wrapped up their
Lokahi Pacific would turn full operation over to the business owner
monthly meeting business and the members were growing antsy
to run on its own.
waiting around.
The Coop needed a fulltime coordinator to run the business, but
Maui Coop president, Basil Oshiro, did a quick introduction as to
Maui Coop members had regular jobs and no time, so they hired
the purpose of the visit and from there the stories took off. The
someone. The Maui Coop’s first wholesale coordinator, Grant Feder-
Maui Cooperative Fishing Association, a non-profit Cooperative
icks, took the job of buying Coop member catches and running the
where each member maintains their own operation, formed in 1971
ice house. The partnership didn’t work for long. The Coop found and
after several years of planning and organization. Maui Coop veter-
ran through several new market partners, including, Ting’s Enterprise,
ans explained that the organization formed out of necessity. In the
Fresh Island Fish, Valley Isle Seafood and Tropics.
late 1960s there were a group of fishermen marketing their catches
Initial membership consisted of about 30 boats that primarily delivered
to the local markets independently, peddling their products to any
bottomfish. The fleet was comprised mainly of wooden sampans. Fisher-
market for the highest price. This group of fishermen were doing as
men in the Coop supplemented their income by fishing, especially during
many of our weekend warrior trailer boat fishermen do today: work
slow economic periods in construction. Old time Maui Coop members ex-
a regular job during the week, fish on the weekend and drop fish for
plained that the Coop “was more than just an organization of fishermen,
sale for the new week. At the time, they were getting about 25 cents
fishing was a way of life and camaraderie among members was a core
per pound for their fish. Fishermen finally got fed up with the ped-
component of its makeup.” James Gomes said that their “brotherhood of
dling and haggling for best prices that were ultimately controlled by
fishermen” would fish in packs for safety and help each other out when
the local markets on the island. The group of fishermen decided to
in trouble. As boats hauled out for dry dock, members would show up to
call the local fish markets to find a market to attend a meeting to get
help with maintenance and repair.
“one” market to sell all their catch at the highest market price. Not
Average trip catches per boat back then ranged from 250 to 800
a single one of the local markets attended the meeting. But, somehow the law got wind of the meeting and got involved. The local fish markets stated that the fishermen were forming an illegal marketing organization over the fishery. The accusation didn’t hold water. Thus the idea of forming a Cooperative was born. The four original founders, William Choy, James (JB) Balthazar, Robert Cordeiro and James Mederios kicked in $100 each to hire a lawyer to help write the Articles of Incorporation and by-laws for a new non-profit fishing organization. Thus the Maui Coop was formed with a mission to get control over and obtain better fish prices for fishermen. Searching for help on how to run the new organization, the group was led to Lokahi Pacific which helped to start the legal process to
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45
pounds that were easily sold. Membership in 1975 would set you back $10 bucks a year. That fee doubled in 1978, and has risen to a high of $35 today. To become a member,everyone has to pay a $100 initiation fee. If a member leaves on bad terms, such as selling outside of the Coop, it’ll cost him a $500 penalty to re-enter. So what does membership in the Maui Coop buy you? The bottom line is a guaranteed price that is better than what fishermen were get-
THREE SAMPANS REMAIN IN THE COOP THAT WERE BUILT IN THE 1940S. Salador Santos F/V Punahele 32’ Navy re-built James McCormic F/V Hauoli kai 34’ Funai built by Robert Cordeiro
ting as an un-organized group. The Coop negotiates annual contracts that set prices for different types of fish. Today the Maui Coop takes on a new look. Billy Choy and James Mederios, two of the founding fathers, are now in their early 80s. Billy Choy still participates as an active member of the Coop which has 27
Jim Gomes F/V Tanya G 34’ One of three Sampan built in Maui by Funai
members today. In the recent past, Coop member landings would average about 5000 pounds of bottomfish per week with about 15 boats fishing. Today, they have a hard time getting close to those numbers as, among other factors, participation has been falling off. Opening up the can of worms, we asked what has caused the decline in landings and participation. Some of the major events that fishermen noted include: • Less fulltime fishers and the 3-4 day fishing trips are now a thing of the past, with most trips being day or overnight trips. • Kahala and ulua were cut out of the fishery in the 1970s/1980s due to ciguatera and markets are not willing to take them to today. • The closure of Kahoolawe’s waters in the early 1990s wiped out significant and productive bottomfish grounds, impacting some Coop members by 40 to 60% in reduced income. The closures were key as Kahoolawe is relatively close and has safe, fishable areas during bad weather periods. • In 1998, the State put in the Bottomfish Restricted Fishing Areas (BFRSs) which were agreed to at the time. However, the lack of monitoring and follow up by the agency has left many bottomfish fishermen frustrated and upset. • Introduction and spread of invasive species such as the Taape has impacted some of the bottomfishing grounds by displacing bottomfish and competing for prey. Despite the setbacks and challenges, Coop members look to continue perpetuating their trade and delivering fresh local seafood to Hawaii residents and visitors. Looking forward, members cite a few goals to keep the Coop productive. The first is to stick together and support each other as the old brotherhood did in the past. They also recognize the need to recruit new young members who will carry the organization forward in the future. Finally, members acknowledge the need to be aware of and engage in the regulatory process. Many changes have come to the fishery over the years and will likely carry on as Hawaii’s community, economy and environment continues to evolve. As Basil, current President, states plainly, “No grumble If you no participate.”
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
Mahalo to the Maui Cooperative Fishermen Association members for taking the time to talk story about their organization and for providing a glimpse into their fishing past. This article was prepared in consultation with Coop veterans Bill Choy, James Gomes and Salvador Santos and current Coop president, Basil Oshiro. ISSUE TWELVE 2013
47
BOATING SAFETY CORNER ATTENTION all State of Hawaii Commercial Marine License (CML) Holders: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is implementing a new requirement for mandatory dockside safety examinations of all commercial fishing vessels that operate beyond 3 nautical miles from the baseline (shore) by October, 2015. USCG Letter to Fishing Industry See: http://www.fishsafe.info/NoticeCFVSExaminationRequirements.pdf This new requirement is one of several new mandates established by the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, and applies to all licensed commercial fishing vessels regardless of how your vessel is registered (pleasure, documented or commercial) if you hold a federal commercial fishing license or the State of Hawaii’s CML. For your convenience, the USCG has created a new interactive checklist for commercial fishing vessels at http://www.fishsafe.info/. Click on “LAUNCH CHECKLIST GENERATOR” in the center of the page and use this checklist to see whether they have everything that the regulations currently call for. Please be reminded not to purchase any equipment they may not have without first contacting the USCG if you have any questions, and have reviewed and understand the Hawaii specific exemptions* that have been approved by the Admiral of the 14th Coast Guard District.
Please share this information with fellow commercial fishermen, who need to be advised that all vessels used by commercial fishermen will require USCG examination for all applicable safety gear by October, 2015. In the interim, while you will not be cited for not having the decal, you may be examined to have on board, all required safety equipment and will be cited for any deficiencies. Additionally, be advised that to receive the decal and the Hawaii-specific exemption letter, you must receive an official dockside examination from the USCG. The USCG is currently re-training the USCG Auxiliary to provide expanded inspection resources.
The USCG contact in Hawaii for questions is: Mr. Charlie Medlicott USCG D 14 Prevention Dept Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program Coordinator 300 Ala Moana Blvd Rm 9-212 Honolulu Hi 96850 (808) 535 3417 (907) 378 6184
The USCG will ultimately be contacting everyone directly by: 1st - Phone call to confirm some information about them and their vessels. 2nd - Courtesy visit (pre-examination) to discuss equipment carriage and safety training. 3rd – An official vessel examination will be conducted to confirm compliance with applicable regulations. * The USCG exemptions and equivalencies for Hawaii, 1) exempt vessels less than 36 feet from the survival craft requirements, and 2) GPS enabled PLB instead of 406 EPIRB along with specific action requirements by the fishermen.
The USCG Contact for dockside examination is: Chief Bill Hockensmith (808) 522-8264 Extn. 357
Remember That Safety At Sea Begins with Each Of Us Before We Leave Shore! Start with an inspected vessel and file your float plan!
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(808) 247-0938 48
LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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We would like to thank NOAA PIRO and CNMI DFW for inviting PIFG to participate in the CNMI Fisheries Workshop and for allowing us to extend our Aloha and goodwill to the CNMI fishing community.
PIFG Cooperative Fisheries Project Update
PIFG KOA PIFG Elections The PIFG recently held their officer elections for 2013-2014. Longtime board member, Neil Kanemoto, will now be serving a dual role as president and secretary. He succeeds former president, Marc Inouye, who remains as a board member. Former Hilo Trollers President and current PIFG board member, Debbie Takayama, succeeds another longtime board member Kelvin Ching as Vice-President. Kendall Wong was also re-elected as treasurer. Kelvin Ching of Oahu and Mark Oyama from Kauai also continue to serve as board members.
Message from incoming PIFG President Neil Kanemoto 2013 marks the 8th year of the Pacific Islands Fisheries Group. The PIFG would never have achieved our current level of success without the support of our key volunteers, fishing clubs, tackle dealers, wholesalers and manufacturers from across the state. Programs such as the Statewide Tagging Challenge, Bottomfish and Oio Tagging projects and the Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival are just a handful of the many PIFG accomplishments that could not have happened without the support of these individuals and organizations. We look forward to working with you in the years to come as we move forward in achieving our goal of supporting fishermen and fishing as an integral part of Hawaii’s culture and tradition. To our fishing community and supporters, a big mahalo!
Oio Action Remember that 2000-plus oio with green tags in them are still swimming around out there off the Leeward Coast waiting for you to catch them! PIFG’s Hawaii Oio Tagging Project tagged 3,000 oio from schools between Nanakuli and Keawaula (Yokohama Beach). So far, over 60 tagged fish have been recovered and valuable data provided. Public service announcements have been airing on cable television’s OC 16 since mid October, 2011. PIFG volunteers continue to attend various tournaments and fishing related community events to encourage reporting of recaptures. If you catch an oio with a green tag, be sure to call the number on the tag to get a free t-shirt for participating in improving the management of our valuable fisheries.
CNMI FISHERIES WORKSHOP IN SAIPAN
PIFG Ventures to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) PIFG recently participated in the CNMI Fisheries Workshop in Saipan hosted by NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office (PIRO) and CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). The scope of the workshop was to provide opportunity for CNMI’s fishing community to comment on various fisheries programs, such as fishing research, regulations and developments in CNMI. At the workshop, PIFG gave a presentation on “Efficient Low Cost Fishing Methods” around fish aggregation devices (FAD) or floating objects. The benefits of fishing around FADs are reduced fuel costs and providing fishermen with an alternative fishery which helps reduce fishing pressure on nearshore reef areas. CNMI fuel costs are very high so distance of travel to and from fishing grounds is critical. Since most of the fishing vessels at FADs are less than 21 feet in length, they tend not to travel as far due to range limitations and safetyconcerns. Some of the fishing methods shared with CNMI fishermen have been used successfully in Hawaii for many years. Various gear-types used in surface jigging, deep water jigging and baiting techniques were displayed and explained. In addition to the presentation, PIFG staff provided CNMI fishermen with hands-on rigging demonstrations and fishing tackle giveaways.
PIFG Cooperative Research fishermen will be supporting two NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) cruises this season. One will be the last 2 weeks in April and the other is scheduled for 2 weeks this coming summer in July 2013. The purpose of this research is to gather data to develop a fishery independent sampling protocol to help monitor the Deep 7 complex. During the cruise, contracted fishing vessels will be providing detailed information on factors effecting fishing effort such as wind and current speed as well as recording fishing effort. Deep 7 fish caught during the cruise will be retained as bio samples for NOAA PIFSC Deep 7 life history studies or tagged and released. Since the bottomfish season officially reopened on September 1, 2012, fishermen have tagged a total of 472 Deep 7 fish (17-onaga, 99-ehu, 216-opakapaka,129kalekale and 11-gindai). As of September, a total of 12 tagged opakapaka were recaptured. If you should happen to catch a tagged bottomfish, please record the following information: date of capture, tag number, fork length measurement (from the nose of the fish to the “v” in the tail), species, time, weight (optional) and location of capture. Then, call and report the recorded data to PIFG at (808) 265-4962.
RECOVERED TAGGED EHU
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.
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Fish Today For Fish Tomorrow
April 12-14, 2013
May 11, 2013
June 15-16, 2013
Brian Kimata Walks the Talk to live the PIFG pledge:
GT Masters Cup/Hawaii Ocean Expo Oahu
Waikiki Yacht Club Invitational Jackpot Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, Oahu
15th Annual Ahi Fever Fish-n-Tournament, Waianae Boat Club Oahu
April 20, 2013 May 18, 2013
July 14, 2013
POP Fishing and Marine’s Annual Safe Boating Week Open House/ National Safe Boating Week Pier 38, Oahu
Hilo Trollers July Tournament Hawaii Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship
Calendar Of Events
Hawaii Yacht Club Senoritas Jackpot Fishing Tournament Oahu
Pledge #4: “Engaging in rule-making processes that determine how our shared resources will be managed.” There are those who complain (talk) and fewer still who take action (walk). Meet longtime Lawai‘a Magazine contributor Brian Kimata. Many fishermen know Brian from visiting his Honolulu tackle shop, Brian’s Fishing Supply on King Street . Those that frequent his store know that he is a passionate advocate for responsible fishing and fair and sensible regulations. Many have turned to Brian to learn about or discuss various issues that are affecting or may affect Hawaii’s fishing community somewhere down the line. Brian has been involved in many marine-related issues for years and is one of a handful that show up at the legislature to offer testimony on marine-related bills. If you scan the daily newspaper, you often find his comments in the editorial section. In addition to walking the talk, he also coordinates through his shop donations of used rods that are repaired and re-distributed to keiki programs or the needy. When asked for his thoughts on the future of Hawaii’s fishing tradition, he offered these comments: “Pay it forward. This is our obligation to this sport, teaching a child or someone just starting out. As we all transition from students into teachers, we are obligated to pass on what we know to the next generation of
April 20, 2013 18th Annual Wahine Fishing Tournament, Maui Trailer Boat Club/ Ma‘alaea Boat & Fishing Club Maui
April 20, 2013 Big Island Fisheries Alliance Invasive Species Spearfishing Tournament & Harbor Clean-up Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
fishers. And, while the knots, the techniques, and bait are all important, more importantly we need to teach the next generation to be responsible stewards of the ocean. Sometimes I think that we forget how fortunate we are to live in such a special place with so many gifts including a vibrant and bountiful sea. It’s future is our responsibility and we control that destiny. Teach everyone to care and be involved. Protect this tradition for those who follow in our footsteps. Speak out, and call out those who wish to break this pact. This can be our way of insuring that we can continue to harvest and enjoy one of the great things that is Hawaii.” Mahalo Brian for all your efforts and for living the PIFG Pledge.
April 27, 2013 Boy Scouts of America Makahiki Oahu
May 5, 2013 Hilo Trollers May Tournament Hawaii Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship
May 3-5, 2013 5th Annual Island Colors Westside Ulua Challenge Oahu
May 7-9, 2013 3rd NOAA Managing Our Nation’s Fisheries Conference Oahu
May 23-26, 2013 Pole Bendahs Tournament Hawaii
May 25-27, 2013 Waialua Boat Club Memorial Day Tournament Oahu Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship
May 31-June 1, 2013 Friends for Roland Galacgac Sr. “Da Weighmasta” Shoreline Fishing Tournament Oahu
June 1, 2013 5th Annual Hanapa‘a Shootout Jackpot Tournament Oahu
June 2, 2013 Hilo Trollers June Tournament Hawaii Mike Sakamoto Memorial Scholarship
July, 2013 S. Tokunaga 2013 Taape Contest Hawaii
August 4, 2013 Hilo Trollers/Hawaii Islands Contractors Assoc./Bank of Hawaii/ Honsador Scholarship Tournament Hawaii
August 29-September 1, 2013 Hilo Trollers Labor Day Tournament Hawaii
October 4-13, 2013 Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Week
October 13, 2013 PIFG 8th Annual Hawaii Fishing and Seafood Festival Fishing Village, Pier 38, Honolulu
October 31, 2013 Halloween Shootout Lahaina, Maui
June 6-9, 2013 S. Tokunaga 2013 Ulua Challenge Hawaii
To learn more about the Pledge or discuss how the Pledge can further benefit you and/or your organization, visit www.fishtoday.org, call or email a PIFG representative at 808-265-4962 or www. pacificfisheries@gmail.com.
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Is your prop the right prop for your boat ? BY HERB FULLER, 808 BOATS
The propeller is a critical component in making sure your boat performs correctly. It must be right for your particular boat’s set up and the way in which you use it. It must also take into account things like variations in load and weight, average operating speed, captain’s ability, and even typical sea conditions. All of these things affect boat performance. But what if the prop you’re concerned about is the prop that came with the boat? These are many times mistakenly thought of as the standard prop. Truth is, there is no such thing as a standard prop, and there’s a chance that the prop that came with your boat is not the ideal propeller for your specific needs. So since no standard propeller exists, and there are so many propeller choices, how does one even begin to find the correct prop, and how do you properly evaluate the performance of the prop you have? Answer...in the water at wide-open throttle (WOT) rpm. The trick is to not over-complicate things. Here are the basics: First, make sure your boat’s hull is clean and structurally sound and that the engine(s) runs correctly. Then, in your normal boating environment, run your boat wide-open with your average load and in average conditions, trimmed maximum speed. The engine rpm should max out in the upper 30% to 50% of the manufacturer’s specified WOT rpm range (as measured by a tachometer). In fact, the closer to the top rpm number specified the better. If it’s not in this range and no other performance-limiting conditions are present, a different prop will most likely be needed. But which one? You’re simply looking for the propeller solution that you need, for what boat you have and how you use it. To help make the selection process easier, Manufacturers have an easy-touse method based on your boat type, and it’s an integral part of Propeller Solutions. It’s application-based, not productbased, so you don’t have to look through all families of props to find the one that’s right for you. Here is an example for picking a prop from the Yamaha Prop Selector Program: Start by selecting the type of boat you have from one of the four major categories below. You’ll notice we’ve listed the props that typically provide the majority of solutions for your category of boat, so this process immediately slims down the pool of typically eligible props you need be concerned with.
LARGE BOATS Applications Express Cruisers, Large Center Console (CC) Open, Walkarounds, Approx. 10,000 lbs. & up Solutions Saltwater Series II - SDS*, SWS XL 3-blade - SDS* (F350), Performance XL4 (F350), Performance XL4–HP (F350), Offshore II, Offshore 1 (4-blade), Saltwater Series HS4TM-SDS*, Fusion 4
MEDIUM AND SMALL BOATS Applications Small twins, Deep V hulls, Tiller handles / jon boats, Dinghies Solutions Reliance, Performance 3 / Turbo 1, Quest (3- or 4-blade), Pontoon Performance/ Pontoon 1, Painted Stainless Steel, FX4 / Ultima 4, Hot Shot, Deep V Aluminum, Aluminum
FAMILY AND WATERSPORTS BASS / BAY / FLATS Applications Deck boats, Pontoons, Fish & Ski Solutions Reliance, Pontoon Performance/Pontoon 1, Dual Thrust, Painted Stainless Steel, Performance 3 / Turbo 1, Saltwater Series II - SDS*, Vector, Quest (3- or 4-blade), Aluminum
BASS / BAY / FLATS Applications Bass boats, Bay boats, Flats boats Solutions V MAX (ventless/vented) • TXP/FXP/TXPOT4, Performance XL /Lightning, Pro, Offshore 1, Performance 4/Turbo 2+2, FX4/Ultima 4, Fusion 4
Next, use Yamaha’s propeller selection procedure to help whittle down this short list of possible propeller solutions to just a few. You’ll find this information, and the rest of this simple procedure, on the Yamaha website at yamahaoutboards.com/propellers/picking-a-propeller. Give it a try. It’s easier than you might think.
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Malama
We are OC16’s top-rated show for the second year in a row thanks to you!
BY PAU LO
O
ne of the core values of Hawaiian society is malama, or taking care. Detailed knowledge of marine resources guided the practice of malama at specific times and places, so that the Hawaiians were as wise in not fishing as in fishing (Pukui). This knowledge has been eroded because contemporary Hawaii relies on imported food rather than locally produced food. Nevertheless, wisdom about sustainable resource use accumulated by Hawaiians through generations of observation, experience and perception is a priceless legacy. Traditional knowledge, however, is generally overlooked by contemporary fishery managers because it is place based and rarely available in written form. Published literature gives the impression that traditional Hawaiian knowledge of marine resources is almost completely lost. Even in 1952, when Native Use of Fish in Hawaii was first published, the book’s author could count only “a few Hawaiian fishermen still living who were trained in Hawaiian knowledge” (Titcomb 1952). Despite substantial erosion of marine resource knowledge in Hawaii, it has proven capable of being verified, regenerated and even expanded by new generations engaged in subsistence fishing. There was no written Hawaiian language prior to the mid 1800s, so traditional knowledge was transmitted from generation to generation through chants, stories and demonstrations. Hawaiian kupuna and kahuna still are accustomed to transmitting their knowledge orally rather than through writing. People’s understanding of Hawaii marine life cycles was never communicated verbally as much as by following observed practices of elders. The wrong word at the wrong time could force group leaders to send fishing families home without any catch. This is because of the mysteries that surround traditional fishing in Hawaii. For native Hawaiians, the lesson and the learning of the lesson is ultimately interwoven with the situation and the environment of the learner. Every situation is a learning opportunity. Native Hawaiians have never conceived of education in terms of schooling alone or regarded education as separate from living (Benjamin J. Wist, A Century of Public Education in Hawaii, October 15, 1940).
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Gonad placement in moi, Pacific Threadfin (P. sexfilis) (note: other organs removed)
Despite substantial erosion of ancestral marine resource knowledge in modern times, it remains dynamic, capable of being verified, regenerated and even expanded by new generations.
Dedicated to Hawai‘i’s fishing community
Teachers there were, and even schools, but Hawaiians were less prone than our contemporary laymen to expect schools to provide all of the education necessary, or to blame the schools when failing to do this (Wist, 1940: 8). Perhaps the most significant contribution in this (indigenous) frame of reference is the theory that education consists in a process of reconstruction of experience. The school, as such, may therefore be more or less incidental in the education of an individual, its effectiveness depending on the degree of success in establishing situations which are provocative of growth in thinking (Wist, 1940: 8). What many in the modern world are just beginning to realize, more primitive people took for granted, namely, that ethnology furnishes the natural and basic content material of the educational curriculum. Great as the contribution of writing has been to man, one sin can be charged against it. It has tended to take purpose out of education, making learning an academic thing, often considered worthy as an end in itself (Wist, 1940: 8). Many people, including some fishermen, do not recognize gonad anatomy, which is fish species specific. Most fish have a pair of gonads suspended somewhere along the dorsal wall of the body cavity just below the gas bladder (figure 1). Gonads usually have separate organ connections at the front end and are lightly connected at the back end, where they attach to the body wall at the point of exit for wastes from a female. The elongated whole gonads pictured here show the organ connection and smooth bottom. The picture is a general classification which is based upon the moi, or Pacific threadfin (Polydactylus sexfilis).
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BY JOHN CLARK
Located off the west end of Molokai, it attracts fishermen who are after opakapaka, onaga, ulaula, and other popular bottom fish. The broad, flat shoal, or “bank,” at 30 fathoms (180 feet) deep, stretches over 20 miles west southwest from Laau Point and drops abruptly to 100 fathoms along its north, west, and south edges. In addition to coral, the bank consists of sand and rubble, while on the east side there is also land-based sediment, such as mud, which is associated with run-off from Molokai. The origin of its name goes back to 1897 when the bank was discovered by the HMS Penguin, a three-masted sailing ship in the British Royal Navy. Originally a 1,130-ton man-of-war, the Penguin was converted into a surveying
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ship and assigned to the Surveying Service, the agency responsible for charting the seas all over the world. Under the command of Captain Arthur Mostyn Field, the Penguin was commissioned for service in the Pacific with a crew of 137. She was one of a half dozen ships tasked to conduct deep-sea soundings for the British, who were interested in connecting their possessions of Canada and Australia by an underwater telegraph cable. Deep sea soundings at that time were taken by lowering a weight on the end of a wire line. The ship had head into the prevailing wind and sea and hold steady while the weight on the sounding line was lowered and then wound in again. The crew repeated this operation many times in
Photos: United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Penguin Bank is one of the most famous deep water fishing spots in Hawaii.
different locations to “map” an area of interest. On Tuesday, July 20, 1897, the Penguin was four months out of Sydney, Australia, and on her way for a layover in Honolulu Harbor. Standard procedure on the surveying ships was to deploy a sounding line, a “tell-tail,” off the stern while they were in transit. Much to the crews’ surprise their line struck bottom off Molokai in an area that showed only deep ocean on their charts. They marked the spot and continued on to Honolulu. As soon as they arrived, news of their discovery spread, and two days later on Thursday, July 22, 1897, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser, now today’s Star Advertiser, ran an article called “Shoal Struck.” Although the officers aboard the Penguin were loathe to give any information, it has been learned that at about 10:00 o’clock on Tuesday night and while about 30 miles off the island of Oahu, the “tell-tail” of the ship showed that a shoal 26 fathoms below the surface of the water, had been struck. There was great excitement aboard as nothing of the kind had ever been reported and the discovery was noted for the first time. The Penguin will return to the place as soon as possible to make a full investigation into the matter and a British manof-war will have the credit of discovery. On July 24 the Hawaiian language newspaper Ke Aloha Aina ran an article that mentions the discovery and talks about the larger mission of mapping the route of the proposed undersea telegraph cable. It was titled Ka Moku Kaua Penguin, or “The Battleship Penguin.” O ka mokukaua Pelekane Penguin, ua hoea kakahiaka nui mai oia no ke awa o Kou nei ma ka Poakolu nei, me ka haupu mua ole, a he 4 hoi no mahina o kona kaawale ana mai Sidane mai, no ke ana ana i ka hohonu o na wahi e hoomoe ia mia o ka uwea olelo moe moana, iloko o ka hohonu lipolipo o ke kai o ka Moana Pakipika. Ua hoike ae na Aliimoku o ka Penguin, ua hookui lakou me kekahi pukoa ako’ako’a he 30 mile mawaho aku o ka Mokupuni o Oahu, he wahi hoi o 26 anana ka hohonu, e ulu ana malalo o ka iliwai o ka moana nui akea o ka Pakipika. E hookaulua iki iho ana paha oia no kekahi mau la, a i ole he mau pule paha a hoomau aku no ma kana huakai i hoouna ia mai ai e kona aupuni. The British battleship Penguin arrived unexpectedly in the early morning hours of last Wednesday in Kou Harbor after being away from Sidney for 4 months measuring the depths
of the areas where the undersea telegraph cable is to be laid in the inky deeps of the Pacific Ocean. The Officers of the Penguin reported that they had come across a coral shoal some 30 miles off the Island of Oahu, an area 26 fathoms deep that was growing beneath the surface of the great, expansive Pacific Ocean. It [the Penguin] may linger for a few days or even weeks and then continue its mission it was sent on by its government. (Translation by Puakea Nogelmeier.) Of interest in the Ke Aloha Aina version of the discovery are some of the words in Hawaiian. First, the old name for Honolulu, which was Kou, was used for the harbor, “awa o Kou,” instead of “awa o Honolulu.” Second, the phrase coined for the undersea telegraph cable was “uwea olelo moe moana,” which literally means “talking wire that lies in the ocean.” And last, the phrase used for the underwater “bank” is “pukoa akoakoa,” which means “coral shoal.” The HMS Penguin left Honolulu on August 13, 1897, but before departing Hawaiian waters for Fanning Island, Captain Field returned to the bank and did a complete hydrographic survey. When the discovery was officially recorded in the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office, map makers in Britain and America added the name Penguin Bank to their charts. By the turn of the century, Penguin Bank was in common use and is still name we use today.
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
ISSUE TWELVE 2013
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gear review
Run Straight & Run Fast
BY E D WATA M U R A
Da Bulls DAIWA HAS GIVEN US A SERIES OF REELS that
WHAT IF THERE WAS A RIG THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO RUN DEAD BAITS TO LOOK LIKE LIVE BAIT and troll them up to 8 knots? Hard to believe, but the Predapro baitfish rig does
expands the choices for bottom fishermen, the Dendoh Tanacom Bulls.
just that. This better mousetrap was invented by a young angler named Clayton
Like “Gear Fighter Dendoh” ( the anime series these reels were named
Camilleri who needed to solve the problem of having only dead bait available, but
after) these reels are power assisted to help us fight and wind up those
knowing that live bait works best. Wanting to avoid the time consuming and rigorous
highly prized deep dwellers like onaga and opakapaka. The Tanacom
exercise of rigging dead bait, he set out to design a quick and easy solution. In 2008,
Bulls come in three sizes, TB1000, TB750, and TB500, and all three offer
using stainless steel strips, pop rivets, and paper clips, he came up with a prototype that,
features like level wind, auto stop, and a variable power/speed lever.
after 3 years of real world research and development, was ready to be patented and marketed.
The Bulls also have a unique, programmable auto jigging feature that
This rig takes less than 10 seconds to deploy and is strong enough to catch a 120 pound bluefin tuna. You
will save your arms a lot of pain, when working the FADs for shibi. They
gotta’ check it out on their website and in person at Brian’s Fishing Supply on Oahu.
also feature an ergonomic handle for manual winding and have sealed electronics for easy wash up. The digital readout and depth memory will help you drop your baits to exactly where the fish are in the water column. If it’s power you’re concerned about, the TB1000 boasts up to
It’s Cool Man, No Need Ice
70 pounds of maximum continuous and 154 pounds maximum instant winding power and can retrieve up to 70 fathoms per minute. Durability and reliability are enhanced by using 4 super corrosion resistant CRBB bearings and brass and aluminum gearing. So if you’re searching for a smaller, lighter and more technologically advanced bottom fishing reel,
STRAIGHT FROM YOUR FREEZER TO THE POT
check out these Bulls.
luck table, the Pupu Cooler does the job of keeping those containers of poke, dip, and salsa nice and cold. The unique design incorporates re-freezable non-toxic gel ice and insulating foam to create an efficient and sleek product. The double-walled construction keeps it cold for hours while deflecting external heat and preventing condensation. The Cooler even provides a place for the container lids and fork and hashi. How thoughtful!
What’s In A Name? TSUTOMU IS GARRETT LEE’S MIDDLE NAME
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LAWAI‘A MAGAZINE
Tallus-man
and the Japanese translation is “hard worker”. One look at his lure creations and one can see that his
IT’S NOT REALLY MAGICAL, but the features of the
name was well chosen. The foiled fish head inserts are works of art and take twice as long to make com-
Shimano Tallus Blue Water Series Fishing Rods will add awesome
pared to the shell type inserts. According to Garrett, there are so many steps involved just to get the insert
powers to your arsenal. These rods are a more economical version
ready, before pouring the resin, shaping, fine tuning, and polishing each head individually. Garrett, who is
of Shimano’s top of the line Terez series. Like the Terez, the Tallus
passionate about all kinds of fishing, including diving, got his start in lure making at a very young age from
rods are specifically designed for use with braided line and come
his uncle, whom he attributes many of his master shapes to. He also was privileged to come under the tu-
in both spinning and conventional models from medium to XXHeavy action. The Tallus also
telage of Gary Yamamoto of “Magic Lures”, who passed on his knowledge and attention to detail. Like most
shares the same TC4 blanks as the Terez and Trevala series, making them just as powerful and
of the local lure makers, Garrett started out by giving the lures to friends to try out and their success led
extremely lightweight. A molded, ergonomic EVA fore grip makes it comfortable and slip proof.
to widespread popularity. The Tsutomu lures are now known worldwide and are sold in as far away places
The guides are Fuji Aluminum Oxide and the tip guide is tapered to prevent line wrap. Like 50
as Guam and El Salvador. Hard work is his middle name, but Garrett says it’s a labor of love.
cent and Lil’ Kim says, this “magic stick will rock your boat.”
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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. 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