May Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 June 2007
The fish of the month was definitely Yellowfin Tuna or Ahi as they are called locally. Technically the fish as to be over 100 pounds to truly be an Ahi and be counted in the total number of "real" Yellowfin Tuna you or your boat caught for the year. Anything smaller is called a Shibi and doesnt command the same amount of respect as it big brother. It pretty strange when you hear someone say "Oh man, my Yellowfin Tuna was only 97 pounds. Shoot, it doesnt count". What ever... It's still a damn nice fish! For the first time in a very long while lots of boats from Haleiwa harbor had score cards with over 10 Ahi in just one month. Usually May is the start of the Ahi season and things tend to build up gradually. Not the case in 2007. The fishing went from 0-60 over night. You gotta like that!
April Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 May 2007
Mahi Mahi was definitely the fish of the month in April. If you went fishing anywhere off the North Shore of Oahu chances are you caught a Mahi Mahi or two. If you went fishing on the Foxy Lady, you might have caught a few more than two. From an action and excitement point of view Mahi Mahi fishing is hard to beat. And when everyone on the boat gets to reel in several fish over 30 pounds in a day, we consider it a very successful trip.
And speaking of successful trips. Mike and his buddies were quite busy on April 15th. The intresteing part about this trip was that Mike was scheduled to fish a few eeks prior but due to engine problems, we had to reschedule his trip. He was able to find another day that fit his intinerary and brough along Dustin and Chris for a makeup day.
As you can see they had one of the best days of the month. I guess for these guys our blown engine turned out to be a good thing.
March Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 April 2007
Is it summer yet?? Not quite. Our favorite yellow finned friends made a brief appearance ant the beginning of the month. A few fish in the 80 pound range we landed and a few were unintentionally released as well. The weather was decent with lots of very comfortable days on the water and great fishing conditions. From about mid March the numbers of Mahi Mahi being seen and landed had increased and things were looking up. It's always nice to not have any real dead spots during the year when the good or even great fishing just stops. That's one of the best things about fishing in Hawaii and especially on the North Shore of Oahu any day of the year could be the best fishing trip of your life! Summer's coming, isn't it time to start planning a fishing trip or two?
Big fish honors for the month go to John and his 300# Blue Marlin. The story goes like this. John's wife Brook booked thier fishing trip as part of thier Hawaii vacation plan but decided that John would have more fun if it was just a "man day". What do you do on a "man day"?? Catch a "Man Fish" !! And a few fat Mahi Mahi's and Ono's too!
Here's John and all his manliness.
So far this year with regards to the fishing we have been lucky. But, speaking of lucky... the Foxy Lady's luck took a turn for the worst just before were scheduled for another visit from "Marlin" Ross and his lucky shorts. The starboard engine blew a head gasket shutting us down for a week. While the fishing remained good, the Foxy Lady and her crew remained tied to the dock and covered with grease instead of fish blood. Oh well it's all part of the game. And the good news is the engine is fixed and the fish were nice enough to wait for us to get back out there and catch them. And... "Marlin" Ross and his lucky shorts will be back to try again another day, or two, or three.
February Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 25 March 2007
The big news in the harbor was the completion of the new floating pier. The Foxy Lady and the rest of the boats over 36 feet in length have a new home. It's a bit tricky to park. But other than that our new accommodations are quite nice. Almost too nice for little old Haleiwa Harbor.
February marked the end of the consistent medium sized Yellowfin Tuna action. It was consistent all month long with some great days mixed in. That's one of the best parts of fishing, every day is different. About mid month the Mahi Mahi started to show up. The tunas moved out and the Mahi's moved in... perfect. Most of the fish were on the small to medium size with 15 to 20 pounds being about average for these early season Mahi Mahi. Hopefully the Mahi Mahi hang around, the Yellowfin come back and they bring some hungry billfish along with them. Spring is here and it should only get better from here on out!
Here's a great day of February fishin'.
January Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 06 January 2007
Just another "slow" month. So who was the one who decided what months were going to be slow for fishing in Hawaii anyway??
Maybe it's global warming, El Nino, La Ninya OR... they didn't do much fishing on Oahu. What ever the case may be, this January was HOT!
Tuna, Tuna and more Tuna. Some days we had to travel half way around the island to find them but that didn't matter. If there are fish with in range of a full day charter and we have anglers who are up to the challenge we'll go the extra mile(s). Even though it took longer to get to the better areas, it was nice to see the fish start to spread out around the island. This kinda keeps things interesting for us.
Yep. More dull and boring days of winter fishing in Hawaii.
Based on December and January of 2004, 2005 and 2006 it might be time to re-examine our "fishing seasons" in Hawaii. Or at the very least not lump the north shore in with the rest of the state. Hopefully 2007 continues the trend.
December Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 January 2007
Another one of Hawaii's "slow" months was quite good on the north shore of Oahu. Our good friend Mr. Yellowfin Tuna was nice enough to stick around for most of the month keeping things interesting for our guests. There was no shortage of sore arms and worn out anglers. Too many fish is a good thing!
A few Marlin were added to the mix which was another nice surprise for this time of year. Here is Jerrold with one of the nicer Blues for the month.
And lets not forget Norene, Lane, and Dennis and thier nice Striped Marlin. One of the bigger Stripers for the month.
It just goes to show that in Hawaii you never know what you are going to catch. Even the slow months can be red hot.
November Is Done! - 05 December 2006
Well November wasn't as slow as predicted. In fact it was pretty darn good. Mahi Mahi's were nibblin', Yellowfin Tunas were on the prowl and a few Marlin's joined the party.
Big fish honors go to Capt. Chris and Capt. Mark on the Karlyn. After a long run of the "Rubber Hook" syndrome they finally stuck one and a nice one too! Hey Chris, what did tha guy behind you loose over the back of the boat?? His lunch maybe...?
The boys on the Foxy Lady got one too.
We also had a fun day of recreational fishing with Noel. Who was on R&R from Iraq. He got to pull on a few nice Tunas. He's back over in the bad lands now, everyone please wish our fighting men and women well and Support Our Troops!!. We were fishing light tackle stand-up style and had a great time. No pressure! It was a good break from the charter routine.
C'mon El Nino! Keep that warm water coming!
Hang on.
September Lake Report - 28 November 2006
September was just plan slow for The Foxy Lady and Karlyn. The phone wasn't ringing and there wasn't much reason to go commercial fishing. Soooo... The Peacock Bass got the holy heck knocked out of them. It was wide open, full speed, as good as it gets fishin' at the lake and we had lots of time to enjoy it. Too bad there is no money in fresh water fishing. None the less it was nice to take a break and just enjoy fishing for the fun of fishing. NO PRESSURE!
Spending a day with Ian the Little Bassmaster is priceless.
At 4 years old he can catch and hook on his own bait, make a good cast and set the hook. He's got pretty good form too. Until the commercial fisherman in him comes out. That's when the rod goes back in the rod holder and he says "Dad, let me hand line 'em in!"
Good times.
The phone is starting to ring again and October is already firing!! Stay tuned, We're Back!
.
October Report. Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 28 November 2006
Still having some trouble with this darn page. But just for future reference. Here's the October roundup. We had good numbers of Mahi Mahi both offshore and along the 40 fathom line. 1/2 day and full day trips saw some good action. Our good buddy and photographer extraordinaire Russ Coover came over for a few days and got some great shots. I grabbed his frighteningly expensive camera and snapped off a few hundred shots myself. Good camera equipment is amazing. Look for more of Russ' images soon.
The highlight of the month was the crazy Canadians and thier 5 Ahi and 1 Blue Marlin day. That's teh best Ahi fishing since July 4th 2000. That day made Capt. Dave feel about 10 years younger. AHI!!!!!!! It's kinda like the fountain of youth. Except it wears off quicker. None the less I missed it and will probably have to wait another 6 years for a day like that. Nice job guys.
We are moving into the "slower" time of year. Let's hope that this little El Nino keeps us going all the way till April!
Hang on.
August Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 October 2006
Another month passed and the fishing continued to improve. Fish counts for August remained consistent through the month. The Foxy Lady crew had a few banner Mahi Mahi days and the Yellowfin were cooperative as well. One more regulation 100 pounder hit the deck, adding to the Ahi count. No Billfish to report on the north shore. Hmmm where did all the Marlin go?
The highlight of the month was taking our local weather forecasters out for a day on the water. We were hoping to punish them with some rough water as they have a knack for UNDERESTAMATING the conditions at sea. Enough cheap shots we all know that even though they are wrong most of the time, we still need these guys and really appreciate the job that they "try" to do.
On to the good part. Of course they score the nicest day of the year. Flat clam ocean, a little cloud cover and hungry fish! After getting every one warmed up with a nice batch of Yellowfin it was time to move on. Since one of the weather guys was also an avid bird watcher every bird pile was getting extra special attention. One swarm in particular looked interesting even from 2 miles away so we decided to get a bit closer and investigate. Surprise surprise! Under the birds was a small piece of tangled up rope that someone had marked with a plastic orange jug. Who ever marked it also left a bunch of hungry Mahi Mahi behind. The Mahi Mahi were ferocious, the water was flat and there was no one around to crash our party. What does it all mean? Break out the light tackle and have some fun! We would catch a dozen fish, take a water break, have a snack and set back up for another pass. After 3 or 4 passes like this the box was getting kinda full and we could see the school of fish shrinking. Back to bird watching and a nice ride home.
Here's Uncle Ray the ring leader. Lucky weathermen.
Hang on
July Fish Report North Shore, Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - 01 September 2006
July on the north shore started out with a bang and then just kinda fizzled out. The Mahi Mahi made a nice appearance early on and then tapered off to a slow trickle. They must be scarce all over because the wholesale price is once again at an all time high. With the cost of fuel, bait and everything else going through the roof it's about time that the local fishermen are getting a fair price for their fish. Now all we need to do is find more fish!! With the rumor of warm water approaching and 2 slow months behind us, August and September should be hot!
The Foxy lady added 2 more Ahi to the years score card and another nice Blue Marlin as well. Our biggest Ahi (162) was caught by Dean just a few days before he shipped out for yet another tour in Iraq. Be safe over there big guy. We need you to come back and put the hurt on some more fish!
The Karlyn got two more Ahi as well. One of them was on the way home just 4 miles from the harbor in 37 fathoms of water! Wow. Talk about luck. And to not have our resident population of "Tax Collectors" bite the heck out of their shallow water Ahi... Double Lucky!!
All in all this years Ahi fishing off the north shore has been fair. Not great, lets just call it fair. Hopefully it ain't over yet.
We have had some good fun light tackle days on the 40 fathom ledge. The Ono's and Mahi Mahi's have been cooperative (sometimes) and it's always fun to enjoy the battle a little more by fishing tackle that matches your quarry. That is until the previously mentioned "Tax Collector" shows up and eats your fish. And they always seem to eat the really nice fish too. It's quite painful to watch helplessly from the bridge as an angler is desperately trying to get a fish up to and into the boat before a perfectly designed eating machine takes control of the situation. It's like watching a train wreck. It terrible yet fascinating all the same time.
For anyone who hasn't been down to the harbor lately you'll be surprised when you look at the outer basin. THERE IS A NEW FLOATING PIER. That's right after years and years of talk the state finally it together and installed an new set of slips of the 36-50' boats in the harbor. The rumor is that we will even have 110v power at every slip. Oooooo Ahhhhh. Imagine that... after 30+ years of waiting the big boats finally get electricity! Stop by and check it out, it sure looks different.
Maybe by the end of August we'll be all moved in to our new spot enjoying life on a floating pier. Oh wait, this is Hawaii... Maybe by the end of August 2007, that's more like it.
Hoping for flat water and hungry fish. SOON!
Hang On!
June Roundup - 01 August 2006
June was a pretty uneventful month on the North Shore. The boats were busy fishing but not doing a whole lot of catching. Good days were scattered in with the slower than average weeks. The water temperature was down a bit and it just didn't seem to have that "Fishy Feeling".
The Foxy Lady did manage to add 3 more Ahi to the score card, now we are at 7 for the year. A single for yours truly and 2 for Capt. Dave. Man, that bugger is on a roll. Capt. Mark on the Karlyn is now on the board with his first Ahi for the year. A little flurry of Ahi bites right before the annual tournament got every one's hopes up that it might be an exciting event...NOT.
The Hanapa'a Jackpot had a meager showing and pretty shabby catches for 3 days of tournament fishing. The days of needing to catch over 1000 pounds of fish to win the event seem to be over. Capt. Rusty on the Kuuloa Kai edged out the competition with a whopping 328 pounds of fish for 3 days. A close second was Capt. Lance on the Lauren IV with 325. Damn Lance... just one more fish. Oh well.
The Lovett clan spent a week in Kona on the big island checking out the fishing opportunities on the island. Unlike Haleiwa, Kona was on fire. Both the day time and night time bites were epic. Large Tunas and even larger Marlins were being caught in the day and some whopper Swordfish were being landed at night. The biggest to date was 505 pounds! WOW.
The best news for the month is that the Peacock Bass at at lake Wilson are biting again. If you want to have a fun day on the water, you should give freshwater fishing a try. Be careful, you just might like it.
This is not a Peacock Bass. But it goes to show that you never know what you'll catch at the lake!
May Roundup - 07 July 2006
May marked the return of the REAL Yellowfin Tunas to Oahu. Good numbers of fish were reported on all sides of the island with the west side once again leading in the Ahi count for May. There is just something about Waianae, a small single engine outboard boat and a few lures way way WAY back that the Ahi really seem to like. Hopefully a few schools decide to move around the corner to Haleiwa a stick around for a month or 2.
The big Steve on the Kana Nui is up and running after a long timeout while getting repowerd. Mahi Mahi's you better say your prayers! On one of his shake down runs Steve saw a small Swordfish sunning on the surface. Ahi's and Swordfish in May?? What are we back in the 1980's??? Wouldn't that be cool.
Rumors of a big Blue Marlin being caught by a guy fishing alone in his skiff at the X buoy we circulating around the harbor late in the month. The fish was too big to be brought in by 1 guy in a little boat and had to be towed in by another larger boat. Weights have ranged form 500 to 800 pounds. No matter what the weight, that's the best Marlin story for the month. A few other fish in the 200-400 pound range have been caught and a lot more lost as well. No granders for Haleiwa the past 2 years, this could be the summer of the slobs. Everybody check your knots and line, it's game time.
Here is the best charter story we have for the month.
Time and Erin came over for their Honeymoon and decided to do a little fishing. Tim had fished Haleiwa a few times before and knew that he really wanted to "Go for BIG". 2 people who want to target big fish. Talk about a dream charter. Nice water made it even better. As we approached the II buoy in the morning it looked pretty interesting and the resident boat population didn't include any one who would pose much of a threat to the fish population. We decided to make a few passes and try to get the skunk off the boat before heading out to look for the beast. Being that both Tim and Erin are experienced light tackle standup anglers all the heavy lines came in and 2 TLD 25's were selected to catch dinner. On the first pass a big bull Mahi piled on Erin's bait just 10' behind the boat. I didn't see the fish sneak in from under the boat and it caught Erin off guard resulting in a nice little birds nest. 2 engines in heavy reverse, wind over the backlash and in comes Erin's 42 pound Mahi Mahi- her biggest to date. Very nice.
On the next pass a good size Yellowfin blows up on Tim and it's game on again. The bite was worth the price of admission and if we hadn't seen the fish we all would have bet that it was going to be well over 100 pounds. Tim knows his stuff and was putting maximum pressure on the fish from the time it ended it's first run throughout the fight. But this Tuna was just plain bad.
Here's Tim puttin' the hurt on.
The next 2 hours were not exactly what Tim had in mind when he said he wanted to fish the light stuff for a bit.
Tim spending a little quality time on the rail.
After a long and very well played battle Tim got the fish within range of the gaff. SHAWACK!!! 82 pound Yellowfin in the box. Tim looked up on the bridge and said "WE DON'T NEED TO FISH THE LIGHT STUFF ANYMORE".
ALL RIGHT! Moving on. Big guns go back out and the hunt continued. After wandering around for a few hours with nothing to show, the afternoon J buoy drive by resulted in a few more Mahi Mahi being added to the collection. All caught on the big rods.
Got a story and a photo or 2 you want to share with the world? email me. I'll make you famous.
Until next month...
Hang on to the big one.
Jesse
April round up - 01 June 2006
April in Haleiwa marked the return of the Mahi Mahi to the north shore of Oahu. Good numbers of fish in the 10-20 pound range were being caught from the 100 fathom line out as far as you cared to venture.
Capt. Dave on the Foxy Lady skippered Bill Willamson and his 4 boys to a 477# Blue. In 3 days of fishing the Willamson gang landed well over 1000 pounds of Mahi Mahi. Lance Galapia on the Laurin 4 ran over the biggest fish of the month. Estimates put the beast at close to 700. The Foxy lady now has an IGFA certified scale on board so we don't have to "guess-ta-mate" how big the big ones are any more.
"Go Like Hell" Chin on the Keani Aloha was making his usual dent in the fish population Mahi Mahi and Marlin don't stand much of a chance with Chin in the area.
The Gonzalves boys on the Carol Joe were up to thier usual tricks leaving very few fish behind for the rest of us. Unfortunately a little engine trouble put them out of commission for a week. Lucky for the fish.
Capt. Rusty on the Kuuloa Kai stumbled over a nice palm tree on his way home and rounded up 1000 pounds of Mahi Mahi for his charter. Those were 2 tired guys.
Two confirmed Ahi were landed as well. One on the Homalani and one for the crew of the Nacny O. Always nice to see a few scout tunas early in the year. Maybe we will get some schools like back in the 80's...and maybe the price of fuel will go back to $1.00 a gallon.
And as usual any small Yellowfin Tunas that took up residence near any north shore FAD got the holy hell knocked out of them by the buoy fleet. Could that be why there are fewer and fewer real Ahi??? Well, it can't help.
April unfortunately marked the end of an era in Haleiwa Harbor. Richard Murakami of the Maura Maru was killed in an accident on his way to the harbor on the morning of April 25th. Heart felt condolences go out to the Murakami family. Richard's amazing fishing talent, energy and friendly smile will be missed at the harbor.
Hopefully the fishing in May just keeps getting better.
