Oahu South Shore Easter Week Report

[Tightlines667]

This past week had light winds, peak currents, and good temperature charts, so I went fishing as much as I could.  

Last weekend my friend Captain Jay had successfully days on Saturday and Sunday fishing the diamondhead pinnacle and Penguin Bank with his typical ballyhoo dink bait trolling rigs.  He caught 5 Mahi in the 15-25lb range, 2-20lb Wahoo, a Barracuda, and a Striped Marlin.  He missed another 3 Wahoo, and 4 Mahi.

We dropped the fish on the block Sunday evening, and went out to dinner.

[Tightlines667]

Monday

We both took half days at work, and I hoped on Jay's boat along with a couple of young marines.  We fished the diamondhead pinnacle area for 5 hours w/o any success.  

Wednesday

I took the boat out myself from 1500hrs to 1930hrs.  I high speed trolled for Ono (Wahoo) on the 40fa. Ledge around Barber's Point with no bites.

Thursday

I went solo again from 1600-1930hrs.  I ran my small marlin lures at 11 knots out to the diamondhead Pinnacle and back with no bites.

Friday

I fished a temp break 8nm S of Pearl Harbor from 1700-2000hrs with my 5 and 7" Mahi baits.  I fish took a swipe at a bait and missed.

Saturday

I lleft the dock at 0900hrs and met up with Jay 12nm south of Pearl Harbor.  I found a floating bucket holding at least 2 Mahi.  They ate a few chunks of bait when I first tossed them in the water, then turned their noses up at the remaining chum, and hooked baits, jigs, spoons, and poppers I tossed.  They dropped down deep.  I left them and Jay, and trolled 18nm out to the HH FAD bouy.  As I arrived, it went from no wind and a light 2-3' chop/4' groundswell to a torrential downpour, with 100' visibility, 35knot wind gusts, and short/steep 5-6' waves in like 20mins as a storm hit.  I pounded my way for 2.5hours uphill back along the 500fa. curve.  As soon as the weather broke, about 3nm S of Barber's Point, I took a double wahoo hit on my 7" lure spread.  The fish hit the only 2 purple colored baits in the spread (the short corner, and the long rigger).  After a 30 second run the short corner hooks pulled, but I landed the nice 30lb Wahoo on the long rigger.  I continued to work this area the rest of the day, and had 5-15class Mahi crash my spread w/o getting hooked.  Jay managed to land 3-20class Wahoo, and 2-15lb Mahi.  He lost another Wahoo that missed the hook.  We dropped 3 Wahoo on the block.

Sunday

I left the dock at the crack of noon, after digging up a dozen Ballyhoo/Seawitch combos, and borrowing a pair of planers from Jay.  I ran to Barbers,  set up a 4 bait Wahoo spread, and trolled the area I found fish the day before.  No bites.  Found a current line, and worked it 10nm offshore to the west.  I caught I Barracuda on the planer.  Turned south, worked the BO FAD bout for a while, and ran back to where I started the day.  Current looked great on the ledge, so I ran inside and trolled the 40fa back towards the harbor.  After rounding the last point, I pulled the throttles back, and pulled my lines.  As I was reeling in the last bait (the shallow planer), a Wahoo smacked it.  I set the hook, and after a nice 75yd run, and some head shaking, I brought the fish to gaff standup on my hot-rodded 9/0.  Had him on the block 1.5hrs after landing, he weighed out at 22lbs.  Funny how I trolled 40+mm and ended hooked up 3nm from port.

Weather was beautiful, and although the bite was a bit slow, it was great to get out.  With any luck those 2 fish should bring enough money to cover fuel/bait/ice costs for the week, or nearly so anyways.

Jay is out fishing Wahoo again today.

John

[Tightlines667]

Pics...

[Tightlines667]

More pics...

[Tightlines667]

More pics...

[Alto Mare]

Nice John, that's what I call being persistent. That was a nice surprise at the end , you earned it!
Good job!

Sal

[Swami805]

Thanks for the report and pictures, heck of a week with a payoff at the end. Nice they let you sell what you catch there to offset your costs,wish we could do that here
Any chance you can mount a GoPro on your cabin? must be quite a show clearing all your lines solo when your bit!

[Dominick]

that is a good week fishing.  Dominick

[mo65]

Great fishin' John! I'd love to catch one of the wahoo...looks like a blast.

[theswimmer]

Nice report John,
Thanks......

[Benni3]

now that's looks like fun 

[Shark Hunter]

Good work John.
Glad to see those Senators doing what they do best.

[Tightlines667]

My 2 Wahoo @44lbs gilled and gutted fetched $4.80/lb-10% auction commission, $190.08 total.  My trip costs (fuel/bait/ice) were $250 on the week.  This means it only cost me about $10/day to go offshore fishing.  Beats the heck out at the local full day charter rates $1100+.  Of course I still need to pay General Excise, and Income tax on that, and really my fixed ownership, cost were closer to an additional $350, still under $100 per trip.  Il

I hope the Wahoo fishing continues to improve over the next 2 months, and I can figure out a way to catch a few more.  I just ordered a pair of planers...

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/hofmann-tool-die--32-oz-planer--2980779?adpos=1o1&creative=108421562044&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&mrkgadid=3076662381&mrkgcl=481&rkg_id=h-e78ef39dc407195363559ed99ac27ea9_t-1522801597&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzIzWBRDnARIsAAkc8hGuMn0Hce33xAkSjkadVN53O0i1IjSWm8_eqQ7HdG5x_kwykUwX_CUaAqZCEALw_wcB

Cheaper and easier to run then my downrigger.

We also ordered another 2 cases of Ballyhoo from Florida.

The temperature break has been holding pretty steady for the past 4 days

John

[Shark Hunter]

I have no doubt you will prevail John.
You have your technique down to a science.
Very Impressive my Man.
My approach is very different.
I can only go three times a year and deal with the cards I am dealt and the time at hand.

[Tightlines667]

I managed to sneak out for 1.5hrs around sundown yesterday.  I checked the same area I caught the last fish.  Good current, but temp break is gone, and no one was home.

Wind is blowing for next week to week an a half, so maybe I will finally have time to start servicing/spooling the 4-130 lever drags, International 12, TLD15, 2-14/0s, and 3-12/0s.

John