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Ono Becomes Last Minute Delight

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Ono Becomes Last Minute Delight for Brothers Rob and Ron along with their Dad Robert and his twin Brother Ron.  No kidding, all we had to remember was two names.  The day started with the usual anticipation.  We headed out of the Harbor with offshore lures in the water hoping for Tuna, Mahi Mahi, Shortbill Spearfish or Marlin.  These guys wanted a fish!  Period!  As mid morning arrived and no bite for us yet, the mood was changing along with the lures.  Still no bite.  There was a tournament going on and we were listening to the radio chatter.  Or lack of radio chatter.  Turns out, there just wasn’t any fish being caught.  Although, we had fun not catching!  These guys bantered back and forth with Adam, Linda and I all day.  They even joked about wanting to know the best place to buy fish.  Now the lures are being changed out again and we are headed in to “Ono Lane”.   We are still putting out the lures and we are Hooked Up!  (Never so happy to hear a line scream!)  Earlier in the day, Adam had spotted a lure we had not run before.  He rigged it up and had it ready for the afternoon Ono run.  This is the lure that got bit within a few minutes of being set.  We appropriately named it “Yummy“.  Robert Sr. is in the chair and fighting his fish.  After a short fight he had the fish to the boat.  Dinner Tonight!  As you can imagine, the mood quickly changes.  Smiles all around.

 

Watch Cameron Bring In His First Mahi Mahi

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Cameron along with his family from San Antonio, TX had a mission. Catch a fish! Last year Bob Collins brought his family to do some fishing in Kona, Hawaii and we had two days of terriffic fishing! His two daughters pulled on everything from rainbow runners to mahi mahi and Ono and even a shot at a marlin. Now he is back with his Grandson, Cameron hoping for a little action for him. Sure enough, we had some fun. The first day was a little slow with a small mahi mahi. Now on the second day things pick up. We had a few shots at an elusive Shortbill Spearfish that hit two lines and did not stick…Arrgh! Then as we headed offshore, this nice mahi mahi strikes. We are hooked up! Cameron lands the fish effortlessly. Fun Family Fishing! Cameron will be attending college in the fall on Oahu, I think the Islands agree with him.

New Family Record Mahi Mahi for Tucson Couple

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New Family Record Mahi Mahi for Tucson Couple.  Steven and Catherine from Tucson, AZ  returned to the Big Island for another day of fishing in Kona Hawaii. Last year, Steven caught a Mahi Mahi and Catherine did not get a chance on the rod….well, things changed!  After an early morning triple strike of Striped Marlin and Shortbill Spearfish that eluded our razor sharp hooks and created ten minutes of  sheer excitement, I headed for the top corner of the grounds where I heard there had been a few fish caught.  Within about fifteen minutes of arriving to the area, the short rigger rod is bit, we are hooked up.  Catherine is in the chair and after a swift 10 minute fight, her 28 pound Mahi Mahi is in the boat!  Catherine has established the new family record…. Steve was quite proud of her.

Catherine featured in photo with Adam Ludwig and her 28lb Mahi Mahi March 2012

Lucky Lady Hooked Up and Lucky Linda Lure is Lost

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Lucky Lady Hooked Up and Lucky Linda Lure is Lost!  This is true.  Katherine and Mark from Lincolnshire, IL boarded Fire Hatt for a day of snorkeling at Captain Cook Bay and an afternoon of fishing.  After trolling to Captain Cook and enjoying some snorkeling, which by the way had two Humpback Whales just yards from shore.  What a sight to see.  The two whales leisurely hung in the bay for hours.  Several kayakers and many boats got to  hover a safe distance and watch them.  Truly a remarkable sight.  Spinner Dolphin joined up later as we were leaving the cove.  Now with lines back in the water and lunches being eaten, we are headed out to the deep.  Not many boats out today and not many reports of fish except a few Mahi Mahi, it didn’t look too promising.  We were headed back to the harbor and had just started to put things away and start to bring in the lines when Linda saw a fish coming in straight for the “Lucky Linda” on the short rigger.  One strike, then another and the fish was on. A nice Pacific Blue Marlin!  Kathy was the designated angler and was in the chair in seconds after the hook up.  The Marlin came up jumping and running, we could clearly see it was a nice fish.  After about 15 minutes the line goes slack, the fish is off.  Ouch!  And the Lure is gone too.  Not to fear though, Bomboy (Bomboy Lures) made the lure for me and will have another one (or five) to me as soon as possible.  Kathy hooked up to a marlin a few years ago in the Bahamas and it came off after about an hour of fighting it.  Looks like third times a charm for this Lucky Lady Angler.

Mahi Mahi Surprise for New York Brothers

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Mahi Mahi Surprise for New York Brothers.  As 14 year old brothers Max and Dillon were boarding the Fire Hatt along with their parents David and Dawn for an afternoon family fishing trip, we were told that  Dillon was the lucky one.  Sure enough!  Just moments after the chair talk, we were talking and laughing when the short rigger went off.  As luck would have it, the “Lucky Linda Lure” was the choice for the Mahi.  Dillon is in the chair and the fight is on!  The Mahi Mahi fought hard and Dillon fought harder.  A short 10 minutes later he has his nice 20+ pound Mahi Mahi to the boat.  Crewman Adam Ludwig leadered and gaffed the prize and the fight was finished.  Now the family is trying to determine where to take the beauty to have it prepared for dinner.  There are several restaurants that will prepare your catch.  Have your crew make sure the fish is properly chilled and keep it cold until you get it to the chef.  It is always good to call ahead and let the restaurant know you are coming.

Look at these faces….that tells it all!

December Fishing In Kona Hawaii

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Long time friends Russ and Deborah Whitman from Redondo Beach, CA have been fishing in Kona Hawaii for years.  Arriving this week, they already have one trip under their belt.  The Goal, simply catch Russ his first Blue Marlin since his massive heart surgery last year.  Russ is not a beginner.  He has fished Marlin, Tuna and Mako for at least 40 years from Coast to Coast.  Most of those years from his home port of Marina Del Rey, CA.  So far this week, we have a 28+ pound Mahi Mahi to brag about.  We went deep offshore early in the day and found a nice bird pile and lots of bait.  After working the area for a while with no luck, we decided to head back in closer.  Just outside the 500 fa line the long rigger was bit.  Although it was not the prize, it was a nice Mahi Mahi.  Russ, transferring his own rod to the chair had the fish landed in no time.  Did I mention it was caught on the “Lucky Linda Lure?”  We are ready to go after the prize Marlin now.

Fishing Floaters in Hawaii

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Fishing floaters in Hawaii is our version of fishing the prized kelp paddy in Southern CA.  This time of year there are still some Pacific Blue Marlin around.  There are still some Ono too.  But honestly, if we can spot a floater this time of year, stand back because we will be in for a great episode of catching.  Heading offshore with a watchful eye, and really good binoculars, we encourage our guests to report anything that is NOT water.  We are looking for birds, trash and current lines.  Our guests really get into it.  This floater pictured to the left consisting of old nets and line was spotted about 10 miles offshore and proved to be loaded.  Our guests spent a couple of hours pulling in nice Mahi Mahi and a few Ono.  After several passes the fish tend to get wary.  Now we get the ballyhoo out and enjoy some light tackle fun!  Of course there is always the possibility that a predator is nearby.  These floaters are considered “refrigerators” for Marlin and other Prey fish.  We always make several passes just outside the area before we leave.  Bigger fish tend to hang just outside and know a meal is there when they are ready to eat.

Offshore Adventure for Joseph Sweeney and Company

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Offshore Adventure for Joseph Sweeney and Company.  Joseph Sweeney is getting married this week.  His buddies, Chris, Mack, Jeff, George, Joseph and Justin treated him to a day of fishing and snorkeling here in beautiful Kona Hawaii.  Although Joseph lives in the Hilo area, he had never fished Kona.  The day started simply with Ono lures in the water and we headed down “Ono Lane” for a quick snorkel at Captain Cook Bay.  The guys are excited with the anticipation of what the day may bring.  Just a short distance from Captain Cook the long corner rod is screaming.  Joseph is in the chair fighting what turns out to be one of our biggest Ono this season and His biggest fish ever!  Estimated at 35+ pounds, the Ono was such a thrill for the group.  Once we finished our snorkel, we put the “big guys” out and head off shore for possibly a Pacific Blue Marlin or perhaps the coveted floater.  Sure enough, we spot a pile of birds at about 2700fa.  Once we arrived in the area we spotted a large cargo line that had been at sea for some time.  With the first pass, a nice Mahi Mahi is caught.  Then mayhem breaks loose.  These are all nice 20-30+ pound Mahi Mahi.  We did get another nice Ono in the mix too.  With the fish box full and the long ride home, we put out a few high speed lures and reluctantly headed in.  The group rode the bow all the way back to the harbor laughing and talking about their offshore adventure.  A good time was had by all.

KONA The Anglers Paradise

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The Mahi Mahi are here!  It is that time of year again when we see greatly increased numbers of the highly prized food fish arriving.  Make sure you have the Binoculars and eyeballs tuned up, to help locate the “Floaters”.  Since we have no grass or kelp here in Kona, it is floating nets, ropes, wood and trash that provide sanctuary for bait and schools of Mahi as they float along in current lines offshore.  Mahi like the more temperate waters found in the fall and winter here.  Temperate water temperatures are a relative term, being that Kona’s water temperatures rarely go below 76 degrees.  Right now, we still are seeing 81 degrees but there have been several floaters loaded with Mahi under them.  When you contend with Mother Ocean, you just never know what will happen.                                 

Check out this months issue of Coastal Angler Magazine.                                                                  http://www.coastalanglermag.com/magazines/2011/hawaii/

The Mahi Mahi Are Here

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The Mahi Mahi are here!  This time of year we are looking under every single piece of debris we find for a prize Mahi Mahi hiding out.  The last two days out turned up two different “floaters” Each being large nets tangled with rope and floats. The first one we spotted kept us busy with Dr. Mike Ferrera and his wife Donna visiting from Scottsdale, AZ pulling in three nice fish around 20 to 25 lbs.  Donna’s was the largest.  Again Lady Luck!  The next day we headed out with high hopes of finding the floater again.  Well, that didn’t happen.  Unlike the previous day of smooth calm water, today it is a little bumpy with some wind and swell making it harder to spot floaters.  We tried to calculate where it may have drifted to in a blistering north current.  No luck.  But we did find a different one.  This one was also large with rope and floats tangled in it.  On the first pass we snagged a nice Mahi Mahi about 25 lbs.  Today  David Blauvelt visiting from Avon, OH with his wife Christie was our angler.  David brought the Mahi Mahi to the boat like a pro.   We circled the floater a few more times with no luck and moved on.   We continued on our mission to find more debris.  We did!  This one rewarded us with a nice Shibi and an Ono!  Not bad for day on the water.  Mike was able to take a mixed bag of fish back to his hotel for dinner. (Some hotel restaurants will prepare your catch for you.  Always ask them in advance before you bring fish back with you.)