Tag-n-release* protect the resource and let them live to fight another day, and hopefully have a bunch of babies along the way. The big 'uns are usually the female "breeders".... Not judging though..... I dont have a freezer big enough for a fish like that :wink: * like I used to do with chicks in the younger days
Makes sense. I'd like to see more tag and release restrictions on Yellowfins. They are widely more over fished than Marlins, at least here anyway. In some areas on O'ahu, fishing and diving is banned for an entire year to let the fish population breed and grow. I went down to a spot near Diamond Head earlier this week and boy, the fish down there are meaty!
That's one thing that surprises me about Hawai'i....... it's a place so dependent on it's natural resources and beauty that I'd expect stricter conservation / environmental laws..... Strict size limits / seasonal closures on most fish here (& some that are too strict / bullshit / dont make sense IMO*) but you can see certain fish species rebound from it. * our Red snapper is closed yet there are 10X as many of them than say Grouper, yet we can keep them..... Cman's seabass are off limits here in the heart of winter.... of course that's we we catch the good ones. politics but back to the billfish..... they're viewed as sportfish here. We RARELY catch Marlin, but we'll get a good run on Sails in the winter, but nothing like South FL where in winter you can catch 10 + in a day in view of the beach, where they have nearshore deep water like you. We have to run out 40-50 miles in NE FL to get to most pelagics...... It's legal to kill one, but you'll get some dirty looks at the dock/marina..... but if one got foul hooked / boated dead, he may end up on the smoker :smile:
weather was super nice, so I said fuck work, and threw the kayak in the truck.....to go find some secluded backwater creeks with the flood tide & hopefully some fish. got into a bunch of short "rat" Reds. Also caught a short Trout, flounder & bluefish mostly tossing gold spoons. Inshore shorty Slam. Fun time, but no meat in the box :shit:
Still beats a day at work pardner! I didn't know the size limitations down your way. I would have figured bluefish would have been good no matter the size. The weather has been cooperating so far this fall. No major coastal storms yet and no polar air either. I might do a cold weather trip for blackfish in 2 weeks depending on the wind and wave heights.
NO DOUBT! I just wished I planned ahead and taken the whole day off and brought lunch (paddling makes you hungry) and a beer or two. We've had weird weather..... several NE'ers, it was already in the 30's before Thanksgiving, last weekend was rainy/foggy with highs in the 50's. WT is already 62 (about a month early).......Weather today was 70+ without a cloud in the sky + new moon. had to go. The bluefish was a lil guy..... funny thing is he was the feistiest fighter of the day. Took a lure more than half his size intended for a nice Red or flounder (that I didn't locate) some inshore limits Bluefish: 12" @ fork; 10 per person Redfish (red drum): slot 18-27" 2 per person (just raised from 1) Flounder: 13" (but that small are almost worthless, unless you already killed on the way in) (10 per? not sure, I'm usually stoked if I catch a couple worth keeping) Speckled trout: slot 15-20" + one over (5 per person?) I had a chance to go with a buddy to go for seabass & grouper yesterday last minute type deal, but declined as I was supposed to get some work from a client..... that didn't come So he decided to save gas $ and went surfing.....
Wow.. Talk about your missed opportunites. I'm sure you'll get another shot at em this winter anyway. We got enough seabass to last pretty much all winter. Factor in the Bluefish and Fluke and we're good to go.
My cuz didn't bring the Marlin back to O'ahu, instead he gave most of it away to the folks on the Big Island. It fed many, he wouldn't have it any other way! In other news, a visitor from Washington was attacked and killed by a shark in South Maui. His leg was dangling from a kayak while fishing with artificials and the shark came up and bit his leg, severing his artery. Third fatality this year, 13th reported attack, 8 of it on Maui. Be careful out there!
I saw that about the attacks, really bad. I'm not familiar with Maui but how far are these attacks from Kahalui or Lahaina?
I'm not too familiar with Maui but I know that Kahului is on the northern part of the island, and Lahaina is on the south western tip. Most of the attacks have been happening south near Makena. The most recent attack was near Molokini Crater, a popular dive spot. Sharks are smart. They follow and take your catch straight from your float line. I know some guys who now clip their haul to their belt and say that sharks just swim right by. Plenty guys say the shark cages attract them closer to shore, and there's been tension between the sides. Last week I saw an 8' black tip jump out of the water Nat Geo style and try to snag a fishermans catch at a popular surf spot in town. They're smart creatures.
unless the Tuna is at the end of your rod just took out the yak for a bit..... we were supposed to have another october weather day 70 sunny w/ lt SE winds...... but then PEA soup FOG as soon as I started to drive to my spot + NE winds. Fished for a little bit, got 1 short 15" red on a paddletail grub, then another fog bank rolled in, so I said screw it and left before the next feeding period to come home & watch the JETS...... so they'll probably lose. of course the sun comes out right as I'm typing this.... :shit: :grin:
well, I guess coming home to watch the JETS was better than sitting in the fog after all :jets: My buddy went offshore saturday, but I had to work...... they caught 4 nice Blackfins (20lbs?) and got into the vermillion (beeliner) snapper (21"! which is pretty big. limit is 12") and triggers. Looks like I missed a good one....... he did however drop off a nice size Tuna steak while I was watching the game About to cook it up....... cilantro, ginger, macadamia oil, ponzu, garlic, sesame, lime from the tree...... beer.......Sierra Nevada on sale @ Publix :up:
^^Awesome brah! Glad you're finally getting a chance to get out there! One thing I love about Hawaiʻi, is when friends randomly drop by your house and give you fish!
The lure or the fish? :smile: DOA Paddle tail grub on a 1/8 jighead (that thing is money for some reason) Redfish (Red Drum)
The Fish wiseguy.. :grin: BTW, wifey got me some cold weather gear for Xmas. Goretex no less!! Looks like I'll be back at it in February or March.
:grin: I put together the NE FL Coastal Angler Magazine...... Here's the Jan inshore forecast from Tommy Derringer (local guide)
