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Fish University 103: Fishing in Hawaii: Your Expectations at Sea |
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Fish University 103: Fishing in Hawaii: Your Expectations at Sea |
You
are thinking about chartering a boat and going fishing in Hawaii. You’ve heard about all these giant fish that
are caught all around the state, the warm, indigo waters, breathtaking scenery, and expert
captains driving “hot rod” sportfishing vessels.
But someone, maybe a friend or a relative, or even the little voice inside
the back of your head, told you, “Hawaii is fished out” or “that’s an
expensive boat ride.” Curious
anyway, you make a few calls to some skippers. They
all tell you the fishing is good and they’re the best so book with them. You’ve got only so many days for your
vacation and your budget isn’t unlimited, so you want to have good value for your
dollar. Now you’re not sure what to
expect. For certain,
chartering a boat is expensive, but there are two things to remember about that. First, on an hourly basis, compare the rates to
that of getting your car fixed, hiring a backhoe to dig a small ditch in your yard, or
even a ride in a taxi in your hometown. Second,
many don’t realize all the costs involved in running a high quality charter boat year
in, year out. In addition to paying for the
crew, the skipper, fuel, bait, lures, and line on a regular basis, the engines and pumps
need servicing and ultimately a major overhaul or even replacing after about 15,000 hours
of use. Add on slip fees, insurance and
advertising to pay for, and when days of bad weather knock out a week’s worth of
business, captains have to tighten the old belt just to make ends meet. We make no
bones about it that charter skippers are in the business as a labor of love, and while you
as the potential charter guest might see the sparkling boat and a smiling skipper and crew
anxious to take you to sea, it is important to remember what got the skipper to this level
in the first place. But this article
isn’t about what the skipper did to get here (that’s fish university 103);
it’s about your expectations at sea. |
| So what should
you expect from your charter experience? First, you
should expect to be greeted by a couple of people who generally won’t be wearing a
uniform. Though they will probably be wearing
matching t-shirts, one of the perks of this dirty job is the ability to wear comfortable
clothing instead of a suit and tie. But
regardless of what the crew is wearing, you should see them smile, offer to shake your
hand, and welcome you aboard in a cordial and friendly manner. At that first point when you are on the back of
the boat, from both the feel of the boat and the friendliness of the crew you should have
a general warm, fuzzy feeling that they are truly glad to have you aboard. |
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| Some skippers
collect payment before the trip; some do it at the end.
That is just a matter of personal taste and we’d hope either way would
be fine with you. Some skippers will get the
boat going right away as you stow your things, while some will take you through the safety
briefing before leaving the harbor. Either
way is fine if the weather on the outside is good and everyone is anxious to get going. Flat or fairly calm seas are fine for going
through the information while underway. At some point
early in the trip, the skipper will set the course for where he thinks you have a chance
of catching fish, and the crew should take you through a “chair drill;” allowing
each member of the party to practice the technique of reeling a fish from the fighting
chair for as long as they like. Many people,
even experienced anglers, have never felt a rod and reel of this size before, and the
equipment does take some getting used to. You
have every right to sit in the fighting chair and practice until you feel comfortable with
the equipment, and you shouldn’t feel strange for asking. Remember, about 75% of all people who go fishing
on a charter boat in Hawaii have never big game fished before, so don’t feel foolish
about wanting to practice…..you aren’t alone!! On the islands
of Kauai, Kona and Oahu, most of the time the lures will be set immediately or within a
very short run from the harbor. On Maui, most
boats on most days will run out about 30-45 minutes or so to get to known more productive
areas. Unlike places in the Gulf of Mexico or
the East Coast of the United States where there exists a shelf ranging from 20 to 75 miles
out, Hawaii has extremely deep water very close to shore, and many a Marlin or tuna has
been caught within a stone’s throw of the shore.
For example, in Kona, the 1000 fathom line (6000 feet) is only 4 miles from
the harbor. Many people visiting for the
first time are amazed to see skippers begin fishing right from the navigation aids! As you settle
into trolling speed, watch as the crew sets out the lures.
Ask questions and try to understand the technique involved. Many people can’t believe that a funny
looking plastic head with a squid-like tail dangling off the surface about 50-100 feet
behind a big, heavy boat churning up the water will result in fish being caught, but these
are the techniques that have been employed for years and are the most proven to raise and
strike these types of fish. Large leaders,
heavy line, and big-headed lures have all proven to be very successful over time. |
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Generally, five
lures will be run in the pattern, each connected to a separate rod and reel. All skippers run their patterns differently, but
all generally have a short and long corner, and short and long rigger, and a fifth rod
that either runs in the middle in the “pocket” or way back behind (known as a
“stinger”). The lures generally run
on the front of the waves generated by the boat. Some
lures will swim around side to side, some will dive, plunge, cause a bunch of spray, and
others will do a little less. Some lures will
be colorful, some dark. The skipper and crew
will choose the lures based on the time of year, what’s been working lately. Sometimes it’s a science, sometimes it’s
an art. |
| After about an
hour of trolling, maybe there has been a strike, maybe not, and the boat is out away from
the shore and getting into the most productive areas.
It is at this point where the anticipation of the trip wears off and
the mind set becomes more focused on the fishing. It
is important to understand at this point that your skipper and crew have done this for
years in these waters, and they know that in Hawaii, a big fish can strike at ANY time. The trick is being prepared for it, which means
being relaxed and focused at the same time. You
might not realize it, but your captain and crew are very in tune with the surroundings,
i.e. the depth of the water, bottom structure, current, and many times they can predict a
strike while you have no idea what is even happening. The
real key to understanding and appreciating a fishing trip in Hawaii is believing in
your mind and heart that the fishery is unique, special, and for every day it is the most
spectacular place on earth, sometimes it is unforgiving.
For every trip that results in a Marlin, many don’t. For every trip that results in a nice Ahi, more
don’t. For every trip that winds up with
multitudes of Mahimahi, some people go home empty. And
understanding this is like understanding the lure of Las Vegas. When a person
visits Las Vegas, they don’t go with the expectation that they will walk away as the
next Vegas millionaire; they go with the understanding that they will have a good time,
enjoy the shows, the food and the sights and sounds of Vegas. But maybe, just maybe, they’ll be the one
that walks away from that crap table or slot machine a huge winner. It’s about the dream, and the pursuit of a
dream. Absent the compulsive gambler who
throws his or her whole life away with the spin of a wheel, the average person seldom
walks away from the table feeling they were ripped off or taken. People understand the risks, the potential
rewards, and simply look for ways to enjoy their spending as long as possible. It’s much
the same with fishing in Hawaii. So long as
the skipper and crew are friendly and courteous, the boat is in good condition, and you
are pursuing the fish with enthusiasm and enjoyment from beginning to end, one should
never walk away feeling empty if it at the end the result is no fish on the boat. |
| As an example
of big fish biting at any time, I’d like to share an experience where I was out on a
trip taking photos and writing a story for one of the charter boats we represent. I had a chance to talk with the people on board;
it was a group of six passengers from all over the country.
By two o’clock, there hadn’t been a single strike, and the trip
was scheduled to be over at about 3:30 or 4:00. Some
of the passengers were asleep, but one was feeling rather gloomy, proclaiming
“I’d just be happy if we got a 30 pound fish at this point.” I turned and said to him, “Don’t think
that way. Understand this fishery and enjoy
it. You can get a 30-pound fish anywhere, but
Hawaii is one of the few places you can get something huge.
You keep thinking good thoughts about that large fish you’ve always
dreamed about, and whether it happens or not, just enjoy the scenery and the company
knowing you had you chance at it.” |
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| No sooner did I
finish my speech did a fish make me appear to be the prophet. The center rigger dropped hard and within seconds
a 450 pound Blue Marlin was stripping out line, leaping and jumping all over the place. The focus on the boat went from comatose to sheer
pandemonium, from slumber to an all out roller-coaster-like adrenaline rush. Everyone understood within the blink of an eye
what we had all been talking about all this time by seeing a fish that was as powerful as
it was majestic. The angler got
into the chair and the fight was on. 45
minutes later, the fish was under the boat, as strong as ever. A few minutes later, the fish was let go unharmed,
and the mood on board changed from a group of people who knew nothing about each other to
one of name and address exchanges. Hands
danced as they pointed to the sea describing the action of the fish as it leaped to the
sky. Frowns turned to smiles, and for this
day, the captain was a hero. The angler
mounted the fish based on the estimated measurements, and the others that witnessed the
great Marlin were the first ones to the photo developers that afternoon. The Marlin was
the only strike of that day, but the sight and feel of that powerful fish made believers
of everyone. Many people
believe they’d be more interested in staying inshore and going for smaller, more
plentiful fish as opposed to going for the one shot at a big fish. The trouble is, in Hawaii, the water is so deep so
close to shore that there are no inshore species to speak of such as in Mexico or Florida. We don’t have grouper, roosterfish, or many
of the jack species found elsewhere. There’s
no tarpon, bluefin tuna or bonito. Hawaii’s
main target species are Blue, Black and Striped Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi), Wahoo (Ono)
and Dorado (Mahimahi). You’ll also come
across Skipjack Tuna (Aku), which is the principal bait for Marlin, Kawakawa, Short nosed
Spearfish, and the occasional Barracuda, Giant Trevally, and Amberjack. There’s a few species of shark, including
thresher and tiger that might occasionally hit, and of course, you might see a Sailfish, a
Broadbill Swordfish, or a Moonfish (Opah). |
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Make no mistake
about it though, you’ll be out there looking for the main staple fish of Marlin, Ahi,
Mahimahi and Ono, and anything that hits your line in the deep water could be anything
from a 4-pound Kawakawa to a 400 pound or larger Marlin.
Same baits, same areas, same time of day or week. Whatever, wherever, whenever. It’s that simple. The chances of
hooking into something during your eight hour charter are very good,
probably 90% or better for most of the year. A
reasonable expectation is 3 to 6 strikes in the course of a day, though some days will be
much better and some days will seem like the train will never get to the station. Some days you’ll find multiple catches of
Mahimahi, but with the exception of the springtime, you shouldn’t expect it. Some days you’ll get 4 to 6 Marlin bites, but
you shouldn’t expect it. Some
days you’ll get a couple of Ahi bites, and in the summer, that’s a good
expectation. The bottom line is to expect a
good time, let the skipper and crew do their job, and be prepared for when the reels go
off. |
| In Hawaii, you
just never know what will hit your line, and like Las Vegas, it could be a little payoff
or a truly big score. However, unlike Vegas,
your effort and the crew’s skill will come into play.
Plus, your odds are much better overall. As they always say on the Hinatea, one of the Maui boats Sportfish Hawaii loves to book, “don’t wait until the fish bite to start having fun!” Enjoy the boat, enjoy the day, and who knows…you might end up with the fish that you’ve dreamed about all your life. |
