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Fleeting Marlin Moment

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Michael and Kia Worth aboard Fire Hatt celebrating their Honeymoon.

A Fleeting Marlin Moment for Michael and Kia Worth while aboard Fire Hatt this week.  The Worth’s booked a 3/4 day Charter Fishing trip in Kona Hawaii  with the hopes of catching a Pacific Blue Marlin.  The Worth’s are celebrating their honeymoon after just getting married in Maui.  Kia is from Minnesota and Michael from Australia.  With busy careers, the two have enjoyed some down time in the Islands.

After a quiet morning with Captain Joe Shumaker and first Mate Anthony De la Cruz,  an estimated 350 pound Pacific Blue Marlin exploded on the long rigger line.  While Michael jumped into to the fighting chair, the marlin jumped and ripped out line the whole time.  A minute into the fight…the marlin threw the hook.  Ouch!  While getting out of the chair Michael made a spontaneous comment that I’m sure he will be reminded of for years to come… “That was the most exciting minute of my life!”  Kia will surely grin every time this story is told.

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Fleeting Marlin Moment

Living Right

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The “Allii Brothers Marlin Hui” is alive and strong and living right!  Today, Buzz Colton and his brother Father Gary Colton fished an action filled day aboard Fire Hatt.  They are both avid fishermen and purchased this trip through a donation we made to the IGFA Foundations Silent Auction.  Buzz has snagged this trip several times over the years.  We thank him for supporting the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) .

Using light tackle (for here) Two Shimano 50’s and two Shimano 80’s were their choice.  The day started with a nice rip on the stinger, we are Hooked Up!  Buzz was in the chair and after a few minutes the fish came undone.  A short time later, the long corner was hit and this time Father Gary is in the chair.  Father Gary successfully brings a nice Striped Marlin to the boat and the Crew on Fire Hatt released the fish.  And then not to be undone, we have another bite, Buzz is back in the chair and the fish again comes undone!  We had one more mystery bite to complete the day.  I think God has a favorite here!  Buzz and Father Gary have been fishing waters of Kona, Hawaii for over 50 years.  They have fished numerous Tournaments, won their share of trophies and have stories of a lifetime.  We are proud to call them friends.

Father Gary Colton

Born in Van Nuys, Calif., Father Colton and his family moved to Maui in the early 1950s because his father, a dentist, loved Hawaii and wanted his family to live in the islands. Later, the family moved to Oahu for the elder Colton to set up a private dental practice in Waikiki.

On Friday, June 2nd , 50 years to the day, St. Theresa Church in Kihei hosted an anniversary celebration with Colton serving as the main celebrant during Mass.

Father Gary continues to serve as a chaplain for the Maui Police Department. He’s a member of the advisory board for Catholic Charities Hawaii, Maui; a member of the Diocesan Board of Education for Hawaii Catholic Schools; and he’s one of the founding members and an ongoing member of the board of directors for Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resources Centers.

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Living Right

Six Species in Two Days for Joe Gunja aboard Fire Hatt

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https://www.dropbox.com/preview/Joe%20Gunja%20Marlin%20Nov%202017/Video%20Nov%2020%2C%2011%2000%2024%20AM.mov

Six Species in Two Days for Joe Gunja aboard Fire Hatt.  Now and then a person enters your life and it is almost as if they were sent for a reason.  Joe Gunja called me and we discussed a two day fishing Charter on FIRE HATT, fishing for Blue Marlin in Kona Hawaii in November 2017.  A little history on our adventure, Joe is from Springfield Missouri.  I was born in Harrisonville about 90 miles away about the same time.  Joe is a retired high ranking Federal Bureau of Prisons Regional Supervisor, effectively making him the second in Command, supervising over 20 Wardens. Myself as a retired Chief Officer in the Fire Department we both had a lot of stories to share on our Public Service times and experiences.

Joe had fished many of the Lakes and rivers I had as a youth and he updated me on the new (40 year old) Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir that is in the middle of the Southern Missouri Fishing and Hunting Region.   Joe’s wife passed away suddenly this past year with no previous illnesses and he himself had suffered Leukemia and is now in remission.  Joe is a former Army Military Policemen and then rose through the ranks of the Federal Prison System including being the Warden at three prisons.  While a disciplined and structured Man, Joe has a love for adventure and fishing.

Joe, my backup Captain Joe Schumaker and I set out and started combing the waters off Kona Hawaii and shortly later caught a 40 pound Shortbilled Spearfish, a rare species World Wide and only found in the waters of the Central Pacific.  Many Anglers throughout the World come to Kona to try to capture this rarest of Billfish as they had caught most of the other Billfish Species that lived in their Ocean waters.  This turned out to be just openers as over the next two days Joe caught six different species of Gamefish that reside here in Kona Hawaii.  Finishing off our first day adventure was a 20 pound Skip Jack and later a 15 pound Barracuda.

Day two began with an early morning bite with the first species being an Ono, also called “Wahoo”, followed by a small Mahi Mahi and then came the Big Pacific Blue Marlin.  Estimated at 300 pounds while being released, it was by far Joe’s biggest fish of his life, so far.   Attached are some glimpses of the Blue Marlin as we hooked up brought it to the FIRE HATT.

Joe Gunja and I have become solid friends and we will share many more of these adventures as time goes by.  Thanks Joe for coming out to fish FIRE HATT in Kona Hawaii!

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Hawaiian Style Fishing at its Finest!

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Hawaiian style fishing at its finest!

The 30th Firecracker Open Big Game Tournament kicked off the 2017 Tournament Season.  It was an intense two days of Tournament Fishing aboard Fire Hatt!  There were many hook ups both days and three boated Blue Marlin.

Jody Bright, the tournament director”s comment today: “Krista O” with Capt. Mike O’Shiro, Darren Hayashi and David Magallanes have won the 30th Firecracker Open Big Game Fishing Tournament – in a 17 foot boat – with a 533 pound blue marlin. It’s “OFFICIAL”.

Some of the finest, funniest, local characters competing against some of the biggest names and war wagons in the game. In true Kona Style, we all celebrate your win – a hui hou!

Fire Hatt had a Spearfish release on day one by Charles DiBona, and a Blue Marlin release estimated at 175 pounds in just under 15 minutes on day two by Jeff Curry. We had two other awesome marlin strikes that did not stick.  Last year during this tournament, Charles DiBona tagged and released his first Marlin, this year, Jeff Curry tagged and released his first Marlin.   Our crew, Captains Chuck Wilson, Joe Schumaker and Jack Leverone are awesome! Chuck and I are looking forward to the next event.  Check out the Kona Tournament Schedule here at konatournaments.com

#FireHattSportfishing #CharterFishingInKonaHawaii #HawaiianStyle

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Holy Cow! Big Tuna!

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Holy Cow! This was the term used by Monte Priest after landing this big cow tuna! Our Son Monte and his family are visiting us from Killeen, Texas.  Monte is a 20 year Firefighter/Paramedic in the Central Texas area.  Along with his wife Nicole and Son Miles they have been to the Big Island several times and spent many hours aboard Fire Hatt trying for the trophy Marlin….or anything.  In all his years of fishing in Kona Hawaii and in Southern California we had not been able to get him his Marlin.  Until today!  With Captain Chuck Wilson at the helm, we left Honokohau Harbor at about 6:30 AM and around seven o’clock we had a grand explosion on the short rigger….we are Hooked Up!  Monte fought the Ahi for about 18 minutes and had the beauty in the box!  We had just finished putting the lines back out and were still hosing the blood off the deck when the short corner line started screaming. We are Hooked Up again!  Monte was back in the chair, still worn out from fighting the first fish.  Captain Joe Shumaker leadered the Blue Marlin after another impressive short fight.  Monte was out of the chair and Tagged his first Marlin.  Captain Chuck commented “When you want a fish so badly for someone, that is the hardest fish to catch.”  Congratulations Monte! #FireHattSportfishing #BestCharterFishingInKonaHawaii #MarlinFishingInKonaHawaii #AFTCOProTeam

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

 

Hawaiian Style Fishing at its Finest!

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Hawaiian style fishing at its finest!  The 30th Firecracker Open Big Game Tournament kicked off the 2017 Tournament Season.  It was an intense two days of Tournament Fishing aboard Fire Hatt!  There were many hook ups both days and three boated Blue Marlin.

Jody Bright, the tournament director”s comment today: “Krista O” with Capt. Mike O’Shiro, Darren Hayashi and David Magallanes have won the 30th Firecracker Open Big Game Fishing Tournament – in a 17 foot boat – with a 533 pound blue marlin. It’s “OFFICIAL”.

Some of the finest, funniest, local characters competing against some of the biggest names and war wagons in the game. In true Kona Style, we all celebrate your win – a hui hou!

Fire Hatt had a Spearfish release on day one by Charles DiBona, and a Blue Marlin release estimated at 175 pounds in just under 15 minutes on day two by Jeff Curry. We had two other awesome marlin strikes that did not stick.  Last year during this tournament, Charles DiBona tagged and released his first Marlin, this year, Jeff Curry tagged and released his first Marlin.   Our crew, Captains Chuck Wilson, Joe Schumaker and Jack Leverone are awesome! Chuck and I are looking forward to the next event.  Check out the Kona Tournament Schedule here at konatournaments.com

#FireHattSportfishing #CharterFishingInKonaHawaii #HawaiianStyle

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Mahi Mahi Makes Memories for Six Year Old Gavin Kelln

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Beautiful Morning Sunrise aboard Fire Hatt with the Kelln and Dwyer Families, Waiting for the Mahi Mahi bite!

Mahi Mahi Makes Memories for Six Year Old Gavin Kelln.

Serena and Steven Kelln, Steven’s dad, Elton, and their (soon to be 6 year old) son, Gavin along with  brother in law, David Dwyer and his daughter, Sarah spent the day on a family fishing trip here in Kona Hawaii and had the privilege and wonderful experience of heading out on the water with Captain Joe Shumaker and Captain Brian Shumaker on a gorgeous morning in March.  Sightings of dolphins on the way out of the harbor were amazing and the beautiful blue sky and calm water made for a relaxing and wonderful experience.  The first couple hours of their trip passed uneventfully without a nibble but the newness of being on a boat kept 5 year old Gavin entertained and excited to be out.  They all just enjoyed the beauty of the water and the friendly company of the Captains.  This was an extended family fishing trip but also the unique opportunity to fulfill the exceptionally special birthday request of Gavin’s, to be able to fish for the very first time for his upcoming 6th birthday.  Then, within the last half hour of their trip, we had two strikes! We are Hooked Up!  Gavin and his Dad had the thrill of a lifetime hauling in a beautiful Mahi Mahi together.  Gavin had a bout of shyness and didn’t get a picture with the Mahi Mahi but Steven happily stepped in and took his place.  Although there was little action on the first part of the trip it was absolutely chalked full of firsts and amazing memories that they will all look back on with such incredible fondness.  Thank you Kelln’s and Dwyer’s for your great spirit and friendliness, we are looking forward to seeing you folks again in the future!    #familyfishinginkonahawaii 

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

From Two Pound Bass to 200 Pound Blue Marlin

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From Two Pound Bass to 200 Pound Blue Marlin.  Today on Fire Hatt, Daniel Perez broke his personal all time record for the largest fish he has ever caught, (a two pound Bass). This estimated 200 pound Pacific Blue Marlin will give him bragging rights for a very long time. Daniel brought the beauty to the boat in just under 20 minutes. The Marlin was tagged and released, tired but unharmed by Captain Joe Shumaker. Nice!  Daniel is from the Bay Area of Northern California.  Fire Hatt was in about 1200 fathoms just outside the Honokohau Harbor Marina when the fish exploded on the short bait.  Captain Joe Shumaker likes to run the well known “Smash Bait” in tight close to the boat…for this reason!  The Big Blue jumped at least fifty times and tired itself out giving Daniel the upper hand.

 Tagging and Releasing of Pacific Blue Marlin

Scientific name: Makaira nigricans.  The blue marlin is the largest of the marlins, common to 11 feet, and known to exceed 2,000 pounds. It is cobalt blue on top shading to silvery white on bottom, although colors can vary by region.   In common with striped marlin, they are rarely encountered in shallow nearshore waters, preferring blue, oceanic waters.  

Tag and recapture data show that blue marlin travel long distances and routinely make trans-Pacific or trans-Atlantic crossings.  One recent tag return indicates the first inter-ocean for a blue marlin  that earlier data on genetics suggested occurred). In the Pacific, blue marlin tagged in Kona, Hawaii have been recaptured in the South China Sea, in the Marquesas, and off the western coast of South America Some of these movements have occurred in relatively short time scales.

In August of 1997 a pilot project was undertaken on blue marlin in Pacific waters off the coast of Kona, Hawaii.   In this project the first generation pop-up satellite tags were set for durations of 60-90 days and fish ranged in body size between 130 and 300 lbs.   Three of the tags successfully surfaced and transmitted data, and one fish was caught within a week after release within a mile of the initial tag and release event. Remarkably, one blue marlin traveled from Hawaii to an area west of the Galapagos (a distance of approximately 3000 nm) in 90 days. At the time people doubted a marlin from Hawaii could travel this far. The remaining five tagged blue marlin did not report back for unknown reasons, possibly tag failure due to antenna interaction with the fish or mortality. The tagging data provided a short term view that was consistent with the acoustic tagging data- marlin were primarily fish of the surface 50m but occasionally dove to deeper depths.

                   

 

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Big Blue Marlin Tournament Time In Kona

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Captain Chuck Wilson releasing a nice Pacific Blue Marlin

Big Blue Marlin Tournament Time In Kona.   LOOKING FOR TOURNAMENT TEAMS AND ANGLERS 2017

It’s that time of year when our Charter boat FIRE HATT has booked some Tournaments here in Kona Hawaii, and we still have some tournament openings.  A couple of high stakes tournaments are completely open and we are looking for one angler to team up with another angler for the Big Island Marlin Tournament, August  24-25-26, a three fishing day tournament and typically large payout.

We are also wide open for the first tournament of the season, The Rock ‘n Reel Tournament on June 10 and 11.

World Cup Blue Marlin Championship … The one day Tournament on July 4th is the biggest payout of the year

If you are interested, just give me a call at 808-987-0038 or email at firehatt@gmail.com

These high stakes and high adventure events can instantly change your fortune.  Check out our website firehattsportfishing.com to see who we are and also Hawaii Marlin Tournament Series to see details of all events.

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.

Kona Hawaii – The Anglers Paradise

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Kona Hawaii – The Anglers Paradise

May is the beginning of the two month transition of water temperatures to summer fishing here in Kona, Hawaii.  The cooler (78 to 79 degrees) water will change to the July through October 80 to 84 degree water temps.  Some of our fish population such as Striped Marlin and Mahi will move on as the water warms up.  They prefer the cooler water temps, and are replaced by vast numbers of Blue Marlin and large Ahi (Yellowfin) Tuna.

No question we have year round populations of Blue Marlin and Mahi, it’s just that their numbers diminish with the warmer summer season.

Expect great fishing in Kona Hawaii as our Ono (Wahoo) run has started.   There have already been healthy catches and 40 to 50 pound size increasing up to the expected big fish of the year in the 80 plus pound range.  We fish “Ono Alley” or a depth of 40 fathoms (240) feet and some of the best populations are found right outside Honokohau Harbor.  Nothing starts a day of fishing better than an early catch right outside the harbor of one of these prized fish.  FIRE HATT had a double a couple days ago on Ono and got one that weighed 35 pounds.  Fishing south a few miles below Captain Cook is considered a safe bet to get some of the big Ono (Wahoo) …Ono is .a Hawaiian word for delicious…

We will see our water temp rising to around 80 and increasing numbers of Blue Marlin and Ahi.

If you are considering fishing one of the Kona Marlin Tournaments in summer 2017, now is the time to book your boat and crew.  The end of June and first two weeks of July is no doubt one of the best one month of Tournament Marlin fishing found anywhere in the World, right here in Kona.  Contact me at 808.987.0038 for information either fishing with us or one of our recommended boats.

Come on over to Kona and enjoy some of the safest and fun family times you will ever have here in Paradise.

Fire Hatt is a proud member of the AFTCO  Pro Fishing Team.  You can go to AFTCO.com and AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.