Captains Blog Archives - Page 4 of 21 - Kona Fishing Charter

Joshua Huehn’s First Pacific Blue Marlin

March 24, 2017/in Captains Blog /by linda

Joshua Huehn’s first Pacific Blue Marlin was released aboard Fire Hatt while visiting Kona, Hawaii on a family fishing trip. Joshua and his family, Stephanie, Jeff, and Madison, were visiting from Tsawwassen, BC. We fished down to Captain Cook’s Bay, where the family snorkeled and saw dolphin. On the way back up the line, just outside of Captain Cook the long rigger line started screaming…we are Hooked Up! Joshua fought the fish for about 20 minutes before bringing the fish to the boat where Captains Joe and Brian Shumaker released the estimated 150 pound Marlin! A nice note along with the photo was sent to us by the family stating this memory is one the family never forget! We hope to see them again. (That fish will only get bigger….)

Featured in the photo are Joshua Huen and Captain Brian Schumaker.

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Encounter with Baby Whale Shark in Kona Hawaii

February 28, 2017/in Captains Blog /by linda

Baby Whale Shark Amazing Encounter with Baby Whale Shark in Kona Hawaii as the Crew and guests aboard Fire Hatt were on a family fishing trip this past week. Captain Joe Shoemaker spotted this beauty and was able to pull in all the lines and drift along with this Baby Whale Shark. This is only the second time in our history that we were able to witness this wonder. At one point the baby actually kissed the bow of the boat. We are constantly amazed at the wonders of the mighty Pacific Ocean! Whale Sharks are the largest fish species in the ocean, but the majestic gliding motion of the whale shark is, scientists argue, an astonishing feat of mathematics and energy conservation. Data shows that whale sharks are able to glide without investing energy into movement when descending, but they had to beat their tails when they ascended. This occurs because sharks, unlike many fish, have negative buoyancy.

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Kona Tournament Series Schedule

November 22, 2016/in Captains Blog /by linda

2017 Kona Tournament Series Schedule:

June 10 & 11, 2017

Kewalo Harbor Big Fish Chase

June 24 & 25, 2017

Kona Kick Off

The Tournament that kicks it all off. Local Style. Largest flag fish of each category splits purse.

July 1 & 2, 2017

Firecracker Open

Kona’s signature Big Game tournament. Marlin and Ahi points are scored for base purse.

July 4, 2017

World Cup Blue Marlin Championship Tournament

No other big game tournament allows teams to fish anywhere in the world for 8 hours in their time zones. The World Cup is for 1 day only, for 1 species only and with 1 winner only. There is no second place in the World Cup.

July 4, 5 & 6, 2017

The Kona Throw Down

Winner Take All for the Biggest Marlin of the Tournament from the Base Entry Fee. Two Biggest Marlin Winner Take All Categories.

July 7, 8 & 9, 2017

Skins Marlin Derby

Patterned after the golf format. Daily purse is available for the largest marlin over 500 lbs.

July 14, 15 & 16, 2017

The Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge

PRESENTED BY BLACK BART LURES

The Hawaii Lure Makers Challenge fishes exactly like the September Challenge did, we have simply added a category for teams sponsored by lure makers to compete against each other to prove which is the most productive lure brand.

August 23 – 27, 2017

Big Island Marlin Tournament

Kona’s first high stakes, big game tournament to pay cash for tag and release AND big marlin. Founded in 1987.

Sept. 9 – 17, 2017

Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament

Built on prestige, trophies and strict International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules for world records, teams from around the world gather to fish the world-famous waters off the Kona Coast and a chance of capturing the HIBT’s prestigious Governor’s trophy.

Sept. 20 – 24, 2017

It’s a Wrap Tournament

This tournament will follow the HMT Series Points scoring system, so that all teams in the running can Wrap the season competing for all possible points.

Yes,Yes ,Yes My very first catch!

February 13, 2016/in Captains Blog /by linda

Yes,Yes ,Yes My very first catch! Ever. I have never fished before! Were the words of sheer thrill from Delores Raycraft and her family from Hamilton Ontario. Coincidently, her Son-in-Law is a district fire chief in Hamilton Ontario. (A profession near and dear to my heart.) Delores sat in the fighting chair and waited patiently for what seemed like several hours. At one point she pronounced to everyone, “if this rod gets bit, I’m bringing it in!” You probably see the rest of the story unfolding…. the rod did go off, Delores fought the fish and I landed it! A nice 70+ pound Striped Marlin! I know her Son-in-Law will be back to book another trip because after all, he had to go back to the fire station to tell them his mother-in-law was the only one to bring in the big fish. I must add that Delores and her husband and were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary as well.

We are looking forward to a return trip from to Hawaii and of course the Fire Hatt.

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Christmas Day Luck

January 4, 2016/in Captains Blog /by linda

Christmas Day Luck aboard Fire Hatt with our crew of Brett Lazenby from Kona and Rob Dawson from Kamloops, BC brings a day of good fishing action to Scott Watts from Oahu. The day started out with a triple hookup on Mahi Mahi with two of them escaping and Scott landing one. The Mahi ranged from 15 to 18 pounds. A short time later we headed to OTEC Buoy and hooked a nice 30+ pound Short Bill Spearfish. Scott Watts landed the trophy in a matter of minutes.

Featured in the photo is Scott Watts with his 30+ pound Shortbill Spearfish

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Winner Of Rotary Club Donation Scores Blue Marlin In Kona Hawaii

September 7, 2015/in Captains Blog /by linda

Winner Of Rotary Club Donation Scores Blue Marlin In Kona Hawaii. Thanks to the Rotary Club Fundraiser that Fire Hatt Sportfishing and Harry Avila generously donated to, Steve and Carolyn Springer Won the bid for the Sportfishing Trip and Accommodations here in Kona Hawaii. I had the privilege of being on the boat with this lovely couple and their friends today. This group is from Fremont California and were a delight to spend the day with. Carolyn was the first angler for the day and landed her estimated 175 pound Pacific Blue Marlin. Her first Marlin! She did an awesome job bringing it in in just under 10 minutes. Later in the day we hooked up again and had a shot at another Blue Marlin that did not stick.

Featured in the photo left is Carolyn Springer in the fighting chair!

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Blue Marlin In Kona Hawaii

One Of The Most Productive Blue Marlin Seasons Of All Time

August 25, 2015/in Captains Blog /by linda

One Of The Most Productive Blue Marlin Seasons Of All Time. This month a 1075 pound Blue Marlin was weighed. That is indeed a World class Marlin. The summer news up until yesterday was that during the week before, over 112 Big Blue Marlin were released. Jim Rizzuto, a famous Author and Hawaiian fishing History authority has been writing about how in a one week period in August 2015, Kona Hawaii may have had the most Blue Marlin releases of all time. Clearly in the Charter Community this is an inexact statistical endeavor, but all documented evidence points that way.

Gotta tell you, between the several Tournaments held by different tournament Organizers, and the daily boats returning to the Harbor, it has been a hugely successful season

What we look forward to in September 2015 is continued warm Ocean waters, bait remaining in near shore waters and fantastic fishing. Over the past five years, the warmest Ocean water of the year has been occurring in October.

Just for the record, we have Blue Marlin catches year round to release and weigh, and we are reaching peak season right now. What does this mean??? I honestly believe we are in for great fishing in September and October barring any great weather upheaval. There has been an increase in Mahi catches as well and it is great to see the busy fishing action for our guests. I promise you, all of the Charter Captains want to see our guests succeed and catch their new lifetime record fish, it’s just that we cannot make them bite.

** Credits to Joe Rittenhouse and his Family for the Release Photo of their 200+ Pound Pacific Blue Marlin. The Rittenhouse’s were one for two on releases.

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Striped Marlin for Illinois Folks aboard Fire Hatt

July 8, 2015/in Captains Blog /by linda

Striped Marlin for Illinois Folks aboard Fire Hatt. I was just talking to an old friend, Rob Webster from from Southern CA this morning who has the boat Magellan while reminiscing about our legendary Striped Marlin days. We have not seen a Stripey here in Kona for a while. Rob was saying that rumor has it, a Striped Marlin was just hung in Dana Point, CA over the weekend. Then low and behold, just an hour after my conversation with Rob, our stinger line is bit. We are hooked up! Dave Schafer from Newton, IL on a full day charter aboard Fire Hatt with Captain Joe Schumaker and First Mate Brett Lazenby brings in his first Marlin. Previously Dave’s largest fish was a Sailfish. Still time for the elusive Ahi Tuna today! Peak fishing time in Kona, Hawaii right now!

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

Banner Day Aboard Fire Hatt for Hank and Jinx

June 28, 2015/in Captains Blog /by linda

Banner Day Aboard Fire Hatt for Hank and Jinx! This is the third year Hank and Jinx have spent fishing in Kona Hawaii with us. Every year the stakes get a little higher, actually a lot higher! I don’t know what it is about these two, but they are fishy….this year Hank brought in our largest Mahi Mahi to date, a whopping 46 pounds. That is considered a nice one for these waters. As you can see in the photo it looks like we had assigned uniforms, it was just by luck that we arrived wearing what turned out to be a winning combination. With that in mind, Hank and Jinx hand washed the lucky garments and wore them again the following day….gotta tell you, the luck was there! On day one we had the Mahi along with a Blue Marlin Release, day two produced the nice Shortbill Spearfish for Jinx while the 150 pound Yellowfin Tuna came on the last day with Hank on the rod. We are looking forward to your visit next June and landing the elusive Ono!

We love starting out each day with the greeting of Hi Hank, Hi Jinx!

Fire Hatt is a member of the AFTCO Pro Fishing Team. You can go to AFTCO.com and read their amazing story.

685 Pound Blue Marlin for Paul Musgrave

June 11, 2015/in Captains Blog /by linda

Capt. Joe Schumaker and crew Brett Lazenby’s Wednesday trip on Fire Hatt was cut short by a 685.5- pound blue marlin — the biggest weighed here last week. Joe and Brett left Honokohau Harbor early enough to be down off Keauhou in time for the 8:30 a.m. bite. They found their fish on the 400-fathom line off the “Red Hill” landmark.

Their angler Paul Musgrave was a visitor from Australia with a bit of previous big-fish experience, which helped make for a shorter than usual fight. Musgrave’s previous biggest was a black marlin of around 150 pounds. With some expert boat handling assistance from Joe, Musgrave had the leader to Brett in about 40 minutes. After securing their catch, the happy gang had the fish back at the Honokohau scales by 10:00 a.m.

The big fish struck a lure with some very significant history. The same lure caught a 1,058-pound blue marlin for Fire Hatt in March 2013. Joe says he was originally nervous about running the lure on routine daily charters for fear they might lose it. Fire Hatt owner Chuck Wilson told him not to fret. The lure is a black MoldCraft Softhead, which is easily replaced. Moldcraft is a high-production manufacturer that turns out thousands of identical lures every day at its facility in Florida.

For those of you who are technically-minded, Joe rigs all of his lures with a single-hook positioned at the tail end of the skirt. Joe opts for singles rather than tandem pairs because singles are less dangerous to the crew and easier to release from the fish.

In the case of the 685.5, however, ease of release didn’t matter. Fire Hatt kept the fish to donate for use at the June 19th memorial tribute to the late skipper Randy llanes. Organizers are expecting a large crowd to remember the popular fisherman.

The Fire Hatt’s 1,058-pound blue marlin initiated a rather strange coincidence. Three of the last six grander blue marlin caught here in Hawaii scaled at the exact same 1,058-pound weight. Considering how random the events were, you can imagine that a mathematician would want to rule out coincidence in favor of a logical explanation. Most likely guess? The three fish were all weighed on the same scale, which topped out at 1,058.

Nope. They were weighed on three different scales — one at the Charter Desk, the second at the Bite Me dock and the third in Lahaina on Maui.