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Pelagics
Pacific Blue Marlin
Makaira nigricans
Hawaiian Name: a’u
Avg Weight: 200lbs
Fishing Method: Trolling/Live
Bait
Best Fishing: Year-round
Current
IGFA all-tackle record: 1,402 pounds, 2 ounces Vitoria, Brazil February 29, 1992
Australian Record: 997lbs Batemans Bay, NSW 1999.
The entire calendar year is the season for Pacific Black & Blue Marlin in the South Pacific. Sure, many skippers will say there might be a few more in the summer time coming in behind the Skipjack (Aku), but take a look at the catch records over time. Marlin can be caught any time of year in the South Pacific. The anglers like to troll artificial lures, but when conditions dictate, live baiting is so much fun. We rig up a 400lb leader to a single hook on a bridle through the tops of an Poddy Mullet, Garfish or Skipjack eye sockets, and let the fish swim. We troll the boat at slow speeds in order to create a conflict between the live bait and the Marlin. Just like the tigers on the Serengetti, no predator can resist the weakest link in the chain. The bait will become nervous when a strike is impending, and this is where the angler’s and the boat driver’s skills must work in unison. Although many claim the right approach is to count to 10 or more after the initial strike, Marlin open their mouths wide and engulf the entire bait with a vacuum-like force. We believe the hook should be set about 3 to 5 seconds after the taking of the bait. Any longer and the fish tends to have swallowed the bait making for a less enjoyable fight and a higher chance of mortality caused by gut-hooking. One of the great advantages of live baiting a Marlin, if done correctly, is the cost of releasing it. When the fish is controlled at leader, if the hook is not easily removed the line can be cut and the fish released with minimal trauma and a total loss of about $5.00 worth of fishing gear (a hook and 8 inches of line) instead of losing a whole $50.00 lure.
Striped Marlin
Tetrapturus audax
Hawaiian Name: a’u
Avg Weight: 60 lbs
Fishing Method: Daytime trolling/Live Bait
Best Fishing: May-December
Current IGFA Record: 494lbs Tutukaka, New Zealand 1986
Australian Record: 422lbs Merimbula NSW, 1992.
Catch a Striped Marlin the same as you would a Blue if you are running with lures. One of the fun things about Stripers is multiple hookups are quite frequent. Unlike the Blue which is essentially a lone-wolf predator, the Stripers often travel in pairs; male and female. Stripers are often found away from the usual banks and bottom curves that many other fish hang around in, and most interestingly, the Stripers often school up in deep water hundreds of miles off shore (out of range of most day trips, but certainly within range of our Long Range Charters). Although not as large on average as the Blue, the Striper can be an awfully fun fish to play, especially on light tackle. Because of this, some anglers like to switch to lighter tackle in areas where we believe Stripers are more prevalent than Blues.
Black Marlin
Makaira indica
Hawaiian Name: a’u
Avg Weight: 200 lbs
Fishing Method: Daytime trolling/Live Bait
Best Fishing: Year-round (seldom caught)
Current IGFA Record: 1,560lbs Cabo Blanco, Peru 1953
Australian Record: 1442lbs Cairns Qld 1973.
Black Marlin are plentiful in northern Queensland waters but very rare in Hawaiian waters with only about half a dozen or so a year. It is thought that the Black Marlins that travel away from their "home" in Australia strayed following a school of bait and forgot the way back after the feeding frenzy dissipated. Not much is known about the breeding or feeding habits of the Black in Hawaii, and all of the Blacks landed are incidental catches while trolling or baiting for Blues. We hear Blackies put up one heck of a fight.
Broadbill Swordfish
Xiphias gladius
Hawaiian Name: a’u ku
Avg Weight: 100 lbs
Fishing Method: Night hand line
Best Fishing: May-September
Current IGFA Record: 1,182lbs
Iquique, Chile 1953
Australian Record: 387lbs Merimbula Canyons, NSW 1996
This fish is one of the reasons why New Zealand and Hawaii are able to provide such diversity to the Angler. The Broadbill, a night fish caught using a lightstick at the end of the line (basically the same trolling methods, just done at night), supplements the Billfishing activity after everyone else has gone home. These fish are more abundant in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands than in the main islands; possibly as a result of overfishing by commercial fishermen. The Broadbill is a delicacy known as Shutome in Japan, and they have truly become a specific target of longliners looking for supplements to their stocks when the tuna bite is slow.
Shortbill Spearfish
Tetrapturus angustirostris
Hawaiian Name: a’u
Avg Weight: 35 lbs
Fishing Method: Daytime trolling/Live Bait
Best Fishing: December-May
Current IGFA Record: 74lb 8oz Bay of Islands, New Zealand 1999
Australian Record: 73.8lbs Sydney, NSW 1997
This fearless little predator is often a precursor to the Marlin. If a hook up with a Spearfish is made while trolling for other gamefish, pay attention to the direction the fish was headed, which you can sometimes tell by watching the strike or by the feel of which boat heading makes for a more difficult fight. It’s important to know this information because if you know which way the fish was headed, you can often tell where he came from. Since the Spears and the Marlin eat the same food, once you know with some degree of accuracy where the Spear came from, you have a good chance of going in that direction to find the Marlin. It may not happen the same day, but usually within the next couple of days, especially if the Spears are schooling, the Blues will be right behind.
Pacific Sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
Hawaiian Name: a’u lepe
Avg Weight: 45 lbs
Fishing Method: Daytime trolling/live bait
Best Fishing: Year-round (seldom caught)
Current IGFA Record: 221lbs Santa Cruz Island, Ecuador 1947
Australian Record: 196lbs Lord Howe Island, 1987
Right throught out the South Pacific but don’t spend too much time targeting Sailfish in Hawaii, because they are pretty rare. If you have light tackle and happen to run across one, play it and then actually say you intended to do it, the gang back at the dock will call you a liar. This beautiful species is one in a million in Hawaii, so if you get one, the best thing to do is immediately go buy a lottery ticket, because you are on a hot streak.
Dolphinfish
Coryphaena hippurus
Hawaiian Name: mahimahi
Avg Weight: 20 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling, live bait
Best Fishing: September-May
IGFA Record: 88 lbs Highbourne Cay, Exuma, Bahamas 1998
Australian Record: 84lbs Botany Bay, NSW 1989
This South Pacific & Hawaiian staple table food fish is also one of the most exciting to angle for. While out cruising for Marlin, the anglers of will often find a cargo net, a piece of plywood or some other floating debris with a nice school of Mahi-Mahi underneath it. We try to catch the first one as we troll by the hazard, and if we get a good hookup on about a fifteen pounder, we either leave it on the rod or set it out on a bleach bottle rig attached to a 40 foot piece of 20lb line. The Mahi will return to the school, and as he does, one crew will go below and get out the light tackle casting gear while two or three crew will watch the bottle and the floating debris. Then the fun really begins. We cast live bait fish (if we have it), spoons or small lures with or without dead bait into the school, and we then spend a couple hours fighting beautiful, rambunctious fish. The lighter the tackle, the more fun the fishing.
Wahoo
Acanthocybium solanderi
Hawaiian Name: ‘ono
Avg Weight: 25 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling, live bait
Best Fishing: April-October
IGFA Record: 158 lbs 8 oz Loreto, Baja California, Mexico 1996
Australian Record: 104lbs Sydney, NSW 1987
The rule of thumb for catching Wahoo (Ono) one of the fastest and the most delicious yet sharpest toothed of the pelagic species of gamefish, is to use the depth recorder religiously in order to stay right at 40 fathoms. Although we don’t know what the reason for Wahoo’s preference to this depth is, we do know they often hang around near the bottom in this part of the water column and then attack surface lures with a vengeance. Our theory is the pressure gradient at 40 fathoms allows them to be comfortable yet still have the ability to feed on both the bottom (hence the sharp teeth) and the surface. In Hawaiian waters there are many ledges very close to shore, and the depth often drops from 40 fathoms to several hundred fathoms in only a few miles. While we do occasionally catch Wahoo in deeper water, we usually consider the deep water dogs to be an incidental catch. Don’t target Wahoo in deep water, or you might spend a bunch of time wondering why you have no fish back at the dock. To prove our point, we often share the story about the end of a recent tournament we were in. While heading home, the some Hawaii anglers travelled and zig-zagged right at 36 - 40 fathoms and boated several Wahoo only 300 yards away from another boat in the same tournament who was consistently outside the 40 fathom line in deeper water. Our competitor missed completely.
Yellowfin Tuna
Thunnus albacares
Hawaiian Name: ‘ahi
Avg Weight: 125 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling, live bait
Best Fishing: May-September
IGFA Record: 388lbs 12 oz Isla San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico 1977
Australian Record: 274lbs Bermagui, NSW 1993
Some anglers, like our master lure craftsman Stu Dixon, don’t consider a Yellowfin Tuna an "Ahi" unless it exceeds 100 pounds. Although from a scientific standpoint the characterization is inaccurate, it is fun to follow the same guideline and call the smaller ones Shibi's. Thus an "Ahi" is more of a prize, while a 15 pound Yellowfin is a baitfish or a great piece of raw table food. A long time staple in the Hawaiian diet, Yellowfin are succulent and full of flavor, especially when eaten with Wasbi and dipped in Soy Sauce. Hunt for the Yellow Fin the same way you would for Marlin and other gamefish; look for piles of birds that are active and organized. The some anglers also try the FADS (Fish Aggregation Devices) when looking for Tuna. Mix up your lures to see what they bite on a given day; sometimes it’s big and purple, sometimes it’s small and green. You should also carry bait if you are looking for Tuna, because there are times you’ll want to drop bait down to the fish instead of trying to troll the surface.
Bigeye Tuna
Thunnus obesus
Hawaiian Name: ‘ahi po’onui
Avg Weight:40 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling, hand line
Best Fishing: October-April
IGFA Record: 435 lbs Cabo Blanco, Peru 1957
Australian Record: 264lbs Bermagui, NSW 1986
The Bigeye is often mistaken for a Yellowfin, but it is typically a smaller fish and does have a much bigger eye. The other most remarkable difference is found in the dorsal and anal fins; the Yellowfin’s are longer and sharper, almost like a catfish’s, while the Bigeye’s are more fin-like. Bigeye is seldom targeted per se in Hawaiian waters because Marlin, Yellowfin and other species are so readily available, and they often are found as incidental catches with the other Tunas. In fact, many anglers catch them and eat them as though they had caught a yellowfin without batting an eye that something was different.
Skipjack Tuna
Euthynnus pelamis
Hawaiian Name: ‘aku
Avg Weight: 5 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling, hand line
Best Fishing: May-September
IGFA Record: 45 lbs 4 oz Flathead Bank, Baja Calif, Mexico 1996
Australian Record: 27.5lbs Port Hacking, NSW 2001
Known in Hawaii as Otado’s when they exceed 20 pounds, many anglers target Skipjack Tuna (Aku) for their multi-hookup action-packed activity which makes for a fun time regardless of whatever else is caught on a trip. Once an Aku school is found and identified by constant surface boiling combined with active and organized bird feeding, get out the smaller lures and handline them with small double hooks for quick retrieval. Multiple hookups are frequent, and the crew work will be constant. For big time sportfishing excitement, however, the Aku truly is the known hero for live-baiting Blue Marlin. Where there’s Aku, there’s usually Marlin. Rig the Aku as described in the Marlin section, and troll at slow speeds just outside the school creating the disturbance and fear that predators sense so well. The great thing about live baiting Skipjack Tuna is if you catch a Marlin you have a story to tell your friends about forever. If you don’t catch one and the Skipjack Tuna dies while trying, you can bring it back on board, ice it down, and make sashimi (raw cut fish) or poke (a salted concoction mixed with herbs and greens) for a delicious crew meal.
Mac Tuna
Euthynnus affinis
Hawaiian Name: kawakawa
Avg Weight: 3 lbs
Fishing Method: trolling with bait
Best Fishing: Year-round
IGFA Record: 29 lbs Isla Clarion, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico 1975
State Record: 23lbs Makapu’u, HI 1993
This little fellow will show up when you least expect it; trolling for hours on a sunny day with no strikes, the Mac Tuna will suddenly strike a lure rigged on a 130 class line and try to hard in vain to outstrength the drag. The poor thing usually ends up being towed around awhile before the half asleep crew even notices strange activity out off the back of the boat. This fish is similar in appearance and often found with Aku. The easiest way to tell a Mac Tuna from an Aku, especially if they are in a school together, is the underbelly of the Mac Tuna has spots instead of black stripes. It tends to stay nearer to shore and in the same areas, and will feed off both the bottom and the surface just like Ono. These traits may help explain why Marlin are more likely to hit the Aku than the Mac Tuna in a live baiting situation.
Amberjack (Kahala)
Found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and caught year-round in the South Pacific. Amberjack frequent offshore reefs, wrecks and buoys. They are caught by jigging in deep water, or with live bait, dead bait, and even lures trolled slowly. 155 pounds is the world record; Australian Record 81lbs Flinders Reef, Qld 1970
Barracuda (Kaku)
Caught year-round in the South Pacific, barracuda are found near reefs, wrecks, buoys and occasionally in open waters. The world record is 84 pounds. Australian Record 70.5lbs Yammacutta Reef, 1979.
Hammerhead, Mako, Great White & Tiger Sharks
The South Pacific waters are inhabited by many species of sharks. The mako shark is prized by big game anglers for its ferocious tail-walking and its knack for chasing anglers out of the cockpit when landed. Kona's largest mako to date weighed 1,207 pounds. In addition to mako, Kona boats also catch tiger sharks up to 1,250 pounds, hammerhead sharks over 500 pounds, thresher sharks over 500 pounds, and white tip sharks or occasional blue sharks over 200 pounds. Australian Record Hammerhead 789lbs Port Stephens NSW 1999 Mako Shark 1029.5lbs Port Stephens, NSW 1991 Tiger Shark 1442lbs Cape Moreton, Qld 1958 Great White 2664lbs Ceduna, South Australia 1959
Giant Trevally (Ulua)
Caught year around in the South Pacific. The ulua is normally caught from the shoreline; however, it can be caught from a boat by plug casting, deep jigging, drifting baits or slowly trolled lures close to shore. These fish reach weights over 100 pounds. Australian Record 92lbs Escape Reef, Qld 1955
Cobia (Black Kingfish)
Rachycentron Canadum is an Englewood Florida Saltwater Fishing gem. Cobia are a long, slim fish with broad depressed head; lower jaw projects past upper jaw; dark lateral stripe extends through eye to tail; first dorsal fin comprised of 7 to 9 free spines; when young, has conspicuous alternating black and white horizontal stripes. Food Value: Excellent. Very unique taste. Where found: Both INSHORE and NEARSHORE inhabiting inlets, bays, and among mangroves; frequently seen around bouys, pilings, and wrecks. Size: Common to 30 pounds. Florida Cobia Record: 103 lbs., 12 ozs. Australian Cobia Record: 109 lbs 3 oz Southport Queensland 1971 Cobia Fishing Techniques: Casting, Drifting, Still Fishing and Trolling. Remarks: Cobia spawn in spring and early summer; feeds on crabs, squid, and small fish.
Hapuka
Predominately caught in New Zealand, up to two metres. A well known food fish, this species is widely distributed about our shores in depths from a few metres down to about 240 metres on any kind of ground. It is subject to heavy fishing pressure and is now more abundant in deeper water. Its colour is variable, usually shades of grey-blue to grey- brown. The food taken is anything of suitable size, mostly other fishes, but including crabs and prawns. Rattails of various species are commonly found in its stomach. The more slender form, pointed head and protruding jaw distinguish this species from its deep-water relative, the bass. Groper is a widely used alternative name. Mostly fished for over deepwater reefs, particularly in the winter months. Hapuku fishing is regarded as more of a food-harvesting exercise than sportfishing. However, hapuku hooked in shallow water, where they cannot be disabled by pressure changes, will give an excellent account of themselves.
Barramundi
In Australian waters you can fly fish for Barramundi on the north coast from the Pilbara through the Kimberley and the Top End, the Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York and down the Queensland coast as far south as Fraser Island. It is also found in south East Asia, China and the Persian Gulf. The Barramundi can be found in creeks, rivers and estuaries in clear or turbid waters. It is listed as a freshwater fish but can commonly be found in estuarine waters. Size Barramundi have been known to grow in excess of 60kg or 1.8 m but is more commonly caught in the 10-20kg and up to 1.2m range. It is illegal to catch Barramundi under 55 cm in the NT and 58cm in QLD.
Feeding Barramundi eat a range of food including fishes, shrimp, crayfish, crab and aquatic insects and they are mainly but not exclusively nocturnal feeders. Seasons Barramundi are easier to catch when the water is warmer in the north of Australia. From September to December the weather "builds up" when the air and water temperatures and humidity levels increase. The other best time of year is the "run off" when the wet season winds down from late March and the flooding is running off the flood plains. In some areas it is illegal to intentionally catch Barramundi over the wet season. Breeding Barramundi are born as males and then transform into female for breeding at around five years. They grow to maturity in the upper reaches of freshwater rivers then migrate downstream, often during flooding to estuaries and coastal waters for spawning. Description The Barramundi has a pointed head, concave forehead, a large jaw extending behind the eye and a rounded caudel fin. It has a first dorsal fin with seven or eight strong spines and a second soft-rayed dorsal fin with ten or eleven rays.
Adult Barramundi are blue to green-grey dorsally, silvery on the sides and white below. Juveniles are mottled brown with a distinct white strip from the dorsal fin to the snout. How to catch them Barramundi are prized by recreational anglers as a strong and large fighting fish often known for its spectacular acrobatics and leaps when hooked. They are also a splendid eating fish especially if they have spent the majority of their lives in flowing, clear waters. A favorite haunt for "Barra" is amongst mangroves and around submerged logs and other overhangs where it waits to ambush it’s pray. It prefers larger waters with a slow continuous flow and water temperatures above 20 C. They will hit the fly hard and run for the snags and the fly fisherman is usually the loser if the fish gets there. Barramundi are nocturnal feeders, but like most fish they are usually active at change of light or tide. They can also often be caught during the day when they are opportunistic feeders. Hot Spots River estuaries in the Northern Territory and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Equipment Barramundi can be caught on fly, lure and by trolling.
Bass
Predominately caught in New Zealand, the bass is similar in appearance to its relative the hapuku, but grows larger, has a stouter body, larger eye, and shorter lower jaw. These fish grow in excess of 200kg, but an average size is more like 20-30kg. They tend to deeper (200m-800m) and more northern waters than hapuku, but their ranges and habitat overlap to a large degree. A popular table fish, bass is not commercially distinguished from hapuku, and is recreationally caught by deepwater bottom fishing with large strip baits on 24kg or 37kg tackle. While hardly classed as sportfish, these large powerful fish are hard to move off the bottom, but often embolise in mid-water and float up the rest of the way.
Yellowtail kingfish
Caught all over the South Pacific, growing to 1.7 metres. A large fish of northern New Zealand waters, which moves south in summer months to about Banks Peninsula, it is also known in Australia. Its colour is variable in shades of grey-green to blue-green with yellow fins, particularly the tail fin, and there is a yellowish brown stripe along the sides. The large head, streamlined form and short low first dorsal fin are readily-observed features. Its food is mostly other fishes, either bottom or surface kinds. Piper or garfish is a surface species commonly taken. This sought-after sportfish is taken with a wide range of techniques including trolling, livebaiting from shore or boat, jigging, and flyfishing. The worlds largest kingfish are found in New Zealand and most world records are held here.
