First Fishing Trip of 2019

Marlon has been asking to go fishing again - so on Saturday afternoon while Noe was on a Laser racing, I figured I could take him to the flats.

Marlon had a bunch of follows but no takers.  I ended up with a nice papio (which I let go since it was the first fish of the year - and really these fish could use all the help they can get with all the pressures they have on them) and a nice kaku

Nice start to the fishing year!

Fishing - Sunday June 17th 2018

I was able to go fishing with Bong Dela Cruz!!!  This guy helped me find some cool fishing spots on DG - I was finally able to return the favor out here!

He outfished Marlon and I by using artificials (2" grubs) - I'm going to have to rethink my fishing tactics... he caught and released 4 papio and 1 lai (queenfish).

Marlon hooked up to a barracuda and two po'opa'a

I ended up with two papio - can't complain!!!  Awesome fishing day!!!

Lots of Follows, But No Takers

Yes I got skunked again... Hickam Flats this past Friday. I saw a handful of oio, but no takers. I saw several rat sized paipo chasing a small silver kastmaster, but no takers. And I had a kaku interested in a crab fly in super shallow water - a blast to see it push wake chasing after my offering, but again - no taker. Oh well - it was still nice to get out on the water and cast a line. I was able to take some pictures of this guy.... You don't see rain on the Ewa Plain like this very often. Despite the lack of hook ups, it was still great fun. I brought out the Orvis Helios and a WF8F (overlined) - it has been a while since I've cast a carbon fly rod - definitely easier to get more line out in windy conditions. I'm going to have to catch an oio soon though, or my ego is going to say "eh brah - maybe it time you go kitesurfing now - da fish don't like you stink"

Not Skunked Saturday on the Flats with Big M

I took Marlon to fish the low tide at Hickam Flats today. I've been rethinking my equipment distribution and put the Stradic FJ 3000 back on the TFO Mangrove rod - and boy am I glad I did!!! This is the perfect setup for whipping the edge of the flats. I'm going to move the Stradic FK 4000 to the Nitro 13' rod - but that will be another post. After a few casts I brought this guy to hand - Marlon caught two back to back - first this Hinalea. He referred to them as "the Bluegill of the Sea"! And then this fat hawkfish put a good bend in his rod!!! We wondered if it was the same one I caught a few weekends back... We kept walking south and Marlon found a moray eel - and then another. They were holed up in the flat and we only saw a small part of their bodies. After a couple of snags, I decided to call it and we started to walk back in. Marlon saw some moving black things on the way back in - turns out they were blacktip shark fins so we walked over to take a closer look. There ended up being four sharks on the spit. Knowing there were probably kaku in the area, I tied on the kaku crack fly and cast out. I got two hooks ups and now a new go to fly!!! This drew more interest at a faster rate than the Kaku Candy fly (so I know what I'm tying more of now). Oh - I did break out some kit I got a while back - the Umpqua Chest Pack worked well. It was where I would normally carry my arms while retrieving, but the pack does hold more than the TOPO sling and keeps everything right up front. I'll keep using this for a bit. Great day fishing!!!!

Saturday Fishing Fun!!!

I took Marlon fishing again this morning - I caught a kaku so no skunk today!!! I lost a bunch of hooks to a few other kaku hanging around the reef edge - I'd see the splash, then the line would tension up then 'pop' - there goes the hook. Marlon and I both hooked up with lizardfish, but before we could take pictures the fish would let go of the bait and swim away. I took this picture later in the session - but same type of fish. The tide pulled out as we were leaving and we found a bunch of mantis shrimp and different types of crabs on the way in - Can't wait to get back out and do it again!!!

No Skunk on a Stormy Saturday

I took Marlon out to the flats this morning. We dismantled our experimental tank and wanted to return the rocks, sand and occupants back to where we borrowed them from, but since we were there... I took a spinning rod and a pocketful of ika (squid cut into strips). I brought this fat hawkfish to hand. I actually had hooked this fish just a few minutes before, but it swung the leader under the reef ledge and cut me off. The second time I hooked it, I got it to hand it still had the other hook and leader in it's mouth!!! Marlon opted to just observe today and armed with a tako box, he did just that. He saw tons of Convict Tangs (manini), baby long spined sea urchins (vana), a type of fish we are still trying to identify, and the prize sighting... an octopus (he'e)!!! I did get another bite later in the session. It took the bait and started a screaming run and kicked up a rooster tail - I stopped to set the hook, but it didn't take and the fish spit the hook... I've said it before and I'll say it again - there is something primal in listening to a reel peeling drag... that sound is awesome!!!! Most likely a barracuda (kaku) - it even shredded my small wire leader a bit. We packed it up when the wind and rain started to come down on us. Great day on the flat!!!

Last Day of Fishing in 2016

I took Marlon fishing during the afternoon low tide on Friday. I hooked up with a small blue fin trevally as we got the to shelf. Marlon picked up a hinalea. And then I got tormented by a pretty good sized barracuda. The kaku ended up taking three rigs from me, but gave me four drag peeling runs before the leaders were bitten through. Awesome day of fishing!!!