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A December Trip for the Books

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A December for the books and the Dawson Family! Rob Dawson wanted to take his family out fishing here in Kona Hawaii. This is not a new phenomenon for Rob. Rob has been fishing in Kona for many years and actually has crewed aboard Fire Hatt in the past. Their hopes were to get his daughter and son on a fish. As it turns out all family members got a turn on the rod. Along with his daughter Christina Dawson and Jon Gill, His Son Cole Dawson and Alannah Chalmers, the family had no idea what was in store for them!

First thing out of the harbor mouth as the crew finished putting out lines, we are hooked up! Jon Gill, his Son in Law was battling a blue marlin. After a fierce five minute fight, the fish was off. the crew put the lines back out and within an hour we are bit again. This time Alannah Chalmers was in the chair. She fought her fish for a short 15 minutes and boated her first Shortbill Spearfish estimated at 50 pounds! Her largest fish ever!

Now with lines back in the water Captain Chuck heads off shore and down the coast to the tune of two more mystery bites and finally Wham! Hooked up again! A double Stripe Marlin bite! Both of Robs children, Christina and Cole are on the rods. Christina’s fish was brought in first and then Coles was successfully released. You can only imagine at this point how ecstatic everyone was.

Next up we spotted a porpoise school and marked several big Ahi. After working the school for about an hour and a half, no bites. We moved off. Then we turned back up the coast headed to the harbor…. BOOM! A big short corner bite! Rob is in the chair. Being no stranger to fighting big fish, Rob brought the Blue Marlin to the boat and we released an estimated 250 pound fish in just under 20 minutes!

Celebration Aboard Fire Hatt

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Max Collins tagging and successfully releasing his first Pacific Blue Marlin estimated at about 150  pounds.

A Spectacular day aboard Fire Hatt with Captain Joe Shumaker and first mate Austin Toth today. Monte Collins from Rossmoore, CA along with his two sons, Max and Ethan are keeping this crew hopping! The family is back on the Big Island celebrating Max’s Graduation from Los Alamitos High School. The day started before 7:00AM with Max Collins tagging and successfully releasing his first Pacific Blue Marlin estimated at about 150  pounds. Ethan Collins then proved me right today when I commented earlier that there were Ahi busting on the surface for the past several days and then at about 9:30AM, we are hooked up! Ethan lands his first Ahi weighing approximately 140 pounds! Not bad! After securing the Ahi and getting lines back out….we are hooked up again, this time Monte Collins is in the chair and brings in this nice Ono! These guys are fishy! It isn’t even noon yet! The family fished with us two years ago and released a Pacific blue Marlin about this same size… so someone has to break the tie now. We are hoping for a Mahi Mahi today to earn these guys a Grand Slam!

Monte Collins not to be outdone,
lands this nice 20+ pound Ono!

Ethan Collins lands his first Ahi weighing approximately 140 pounds! Not bad!

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

Reality Check for East Coast Family

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John Bolton and his son, Kyle, both from Northern Virginia, and John’s nephews Kevin and Alex Harrison from Beaumont, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, respectively…

Well, they’re back on the snowy East Coast and regretting every minute of it.  It’s 28 degrees and they have 10 inches of white on the ground. a reality check for this East Coast Family, and fellow Texans as well!  The Bolton family has fished aboard Fire Hatt with Captain Chuck Wilson for several years, nothing compares to the day they had this time…Christmas Magic?

John Bolton and his son, Kyle, both from Northern Virginia, and John’s nephews Kevin and Alex Harrison from Beaumont, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, respectively, booked a half-day of family fishing in Kona Hawaii aboard Fire Hatt for the day after Christmas.

We took off from Honokohau Harbor around 7:00 AM with Captain Joe Shumaker at the controls and first mate Anthony De La Cruz setting the lines.  About 10 minutes out, we’re hooked up on two lines!  Kyle is in the chair reeling in the larger fish, while John tries to bring in his fish from the starboard aft.  Kyle’s fish makes a couple of long runs, so Anthony first helps John bring in a nice striped marlin, which we estimated at about 80 pounds.  Anthony successfully tags and releases the striped marlin, then goes to help Kyle bring in and then release a blue marlin, estimated at 175 pounds. Also tagged and released.

Captain Joe brings Fire Hatt to a spot where we see at least four humpback whales frolicking. One of the whales puts on a spectacular breaching display

A great start to the morning only gets better.  After trolling near an offshore buoy, Kevin and Alex spot whale spouts closer to shore, and Captain Joe brings Fire Hatt to a spot where we see at least four humpback whales frolicking.  One of the whales puts on a spectacular breaching display.  After about 30 minutes whale-watching, we’re off to do more fishing, and not long after we’re hooked up again!

This time, Kevin is the chair, and after 15 minutes of hard reeling, he brings another blue marlin — this one estimated at 225 pounds — to the boat.  Beautiful fish, as you can see from the pics.

Unfortunately, we could not get a fourth fish for Alex to bring in, but Fire Hatt entered the harbor flying flags for three marlin.

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.

Reality Check for East Coast Family

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.

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.

 

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.

Oh So Close, It was a little painful, but worth every moment!

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Oh So Close!  “It was a little painful, but worth every moment” says Julia and Jon Eichler who live in Eagle River, Alaska.   The Eichlers have been to the Islands five times since 2011. They have been to Kailua-Kona on 3 occasions including this last trip. The family fished with Chuck and I a few years ago, we did not get one bite, but it was a beautiful trip with some snorkeling at Captain Cook Monument.  They were then visiting the island because Julia had competed in the LavaMan Triathlon.

This time they wanted to dedicate the entire charter to fishing. “Captain Joe Schumaker and deckhand Captain Brian Schumaker did a great job of making this an enjoyable trip and did a wonderful job. Very professional.”  Were the comments relayed to Chuck and I from Julia and Jon.

We had great weather of course and several whale sightings. About 30 minutes before the fish hit, Joe mentioned that fish normally hit when all of the guests have fallen asleep. Jon’s  wife and daughter fell asleep and he tried to keep his eyes open, but found himself waking up to the sound of the reel screaming!  Hooked Up!  The Marlin came in on the long rigger line and ate a pearl head bullet.

This Pacific Blue Marlin is the biggest fish Jon has caught. Though he wasn’t sure why it was considered caught, but apparently knew a requirement was met that makes it reportable.

RELEASE: Once you get to leader it is considered Catch and Release whether you release it or it releases itself.  In a tournament situation, the fish would have to have been tagged for it to count.

Video courtesy of Jon and Julia Eichler.

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.

Christmas Day Luck

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Christmas Day Spearfish 2015 1

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 AFTCO Logo 2read their amazing story.