Maui Sept 2007

[captainmorgans1]

Hey was looking for some advice. Am heading over to Maui or Hawaii for my honeymoon end september 2007 beginning of October. Am interested in doing some light shore fishing and a charter with the wife. Any advice on the area, any good charters would be greatly appreciated. I saw an articel about a month ago with a recommended 6 piece travel rod & reel but can't find the thread.

Tight lines to all.

Cheers Derek.
:giveup: Have dodged the wedding bullet for as long as possible

[PanamaJack]

Hi Derek
Was this perhaps the thread you were referring to about travel rods - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49903?

Now to Hawaii. Whilst the islands are volcanic in origin, often with sheer drops into deep water, there are some beaches. I’ve never been to Maui but on the ‘Big Island’ itself there is a beach at South Point and certainly opportunities to fish from the harbour wall at Kona-Kaulia. Most of the ‘light tackle’ spin fishing with artificial lures would be for the smaller Trevallies and Snapper. (Poppers work well but you need to crank fast!) Baits might work on light gear and I know, for example, that BIG Bonefish are encountered around the islands.

Here’s an interesting reference - http://www.ucolick.org/~bolte/hawaii.html - covering shore fly fishing opportunities from Hawaii, with details of marks as well. But what they can catch on fly gear you should also be able to catch on artificials. Then there’s this site - http://www.hawaiibeachcombers.com/hawaii-shore-fishing.html. There’s also a brief write up on Maui on this url -http://www.mauifishing.com/shore/index.html.

Offshore both Blue Marlin and Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi in Hawaiian parlance) will be present, and both islands have extensive charter fleets. (Also some may have started to experiment with the deepwater jigging opportunities off the islands.) Most of the boats would be looking to go out on sole charters but you will find that, given the number of tourists, some will also organise charters for individuals. Here’s a link for one set of charter boats on Maui - http://www.mauifishing.com/boats.html and on the Big Island - http://www.konabiggamefishing.com/.

Hope that gives you an insight into the opportunities.
Dave

[captainmorgans1]

That was the one i was looking for Dave, time to do a bit of shopping around now. What type of lures do you favour personally. Over here we use shads & jelly worms for light spinning for pollack. Was going to take some of these with a dexter wedge or two and a couple of plugs. Any other suggestions. Have looked at the charter boats but had hoped for a bit of local knowledge concerning the actual charter boat to go for.

Thanks again for you much appreciated help. Tight lines, i am not supersticious but think i will leave the bananas on the shore.

Cheers Derek

[PanamaJack]

Hi Derek
I guess unlike the UK in all tropical water you need to work the lure FAST. This bit I found against - http://www.ncffb.org/Hawaii_Flyfishing_Primer.htm - was full of good advice.


One word of advice: speed!! Everything in the water in Hawaii is either predator or prey. Nothing dies of old age in the ocean! Sight fishing with accurate imitations can work from time to time, but usually, speed kills (or, catches fish, in this instance). You’re trying to cover a huge expanse of ocean, fishing for cruising fish that may or may not be hungry (actually, they’re always hungry). Even if your fly is not an exact imitation of what they normally eat, a quick-moving flashy fly will usually trigger the feeding instinct and cause an attack. Use a retrieve two gears faster than you usually use, and you’ll attract some fish.

You'll find if you work a lure as you would in this country the fish - and you'll often spot them - will zoom up to the lure and quickly lose interest. So keep the retrieve fast. Especially for the Jack I personally use things like the YoZuri Hydro Tiger and Surface Bull GT. They run on the surface and kick up lots of disturbance. You should be able to buy them in this country from places like Veals or RokMax.

Also importantly keep winding especially as you're likely to initially get abortive strikes but the speed - the 'escaping baitfish' - and competition from others in the school will keep them striking.

Barracuda love Needlefish and for those I prefer to use 'Tube lures' - they're foot long lengths of surgical tubing, armed with trebles, with a weight in the 'head' end. You're likely to see them just idly cruising or motionless. Don't cast at them but aim to land the lure 20 to 25' away and again wind quickly. Their speed from a standing start is unbelievable.

For the Bonefish - they grow to World record sizes there - and Goatfish a piece of bait ledgered on sand in between the reefs will work.

The locals do fish at night from the shore for Giant Trevally (Ulua in Hawaiian parlance - their language is full of vowels.) but that's very specialised - really heavy beachcasters and often big game reels. They do though catch 100lb plus fish! I'm not aware of any guides though that will take anglers fishing for them.

As to the offshore fishing have you decided yet which of the islands you'll be staying on - Maui or Hawaii itself? Hawaii itself has an extensive charter fleet and given the competition you'll find most are good and competitively priced. Some of the local displacement hulled boats will be cheaper but that doesn't mean they're less effective - the 100 fathom plus depths can literally be within half a mile of the shore.

But I guess in the end factors like whether you want a sole or shared charter, how much you want to pay and comfort - whether on not you want to take your then wife - out. Certainly off Kona (on Hawaii) the seas are flat calm - you're in, thanks to the twin volcanoes, in a massive lee. The other thing that might be a factor is would you want to try deepwater jigging or light tackle fishing whilst you're there - most of the boats will only be equipped with heavy - 80 and 130lb trolling tackle for Blue Marlin and the Yellowfin Tuna.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Derek
If you click on this thread - http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21693
- there’re some further observations about the deepwater jigging by Dave Irving and the skipper, Jeff Rogers, he fished with. This is Jeff’s web site - http://fishinkona.com/boats.htm . He’s got a excellent reputation.

Also, for interest, there’s this link -
http://www.hawaiifishingnews.com/100plus.cfm?order=ID – which, if you click on the angler’s or fish name you’ll see images of those huge GTs they catch from the shore. Just have a look at some of the tackle they use!
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Sorry Derek managed to concatenate the name of two of those Yo-Zuri lures! As well as the Hydro Tiger the other one I would suggest is the smaller of the Surface Cruisers. The ‘giant’ one that’s like the Hydro Tiger also through rigged with wire is the Surface Bull GT. (That does require a specialist set of popping gear to fish properly.) You can see illustrations of them all on this page - http://www.charkbait.com/cs/csc4.htm.
Dave

[captainmorgans1]

Thanks Dave all the info has been very helpful. Have still to pick out a charter boat from Maui. We are staying at the North West end of the island Lahina or something like that is the nearest port. Will hopefully post something on my return.

Take it easy. Cheers & tight lines