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.
(https://i.imgur.com/lo11VwW.jpg)
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
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Nice John, that's what I call being persistent. :) That was a nice surprise at the end , you earned it!
Good job!
Sal
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!
that is a good week fishing. Dominick
Great fishin' John! I'd love to catch one of the wahoo...looks like a blast. 8)
Nice report John,
Thanks......
now that's looks like fun ;D
Good work John.
Glad to see those Senators doing what they do best. ;)
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
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.
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
I took myHawaiian fisheries observer friend, Mike out trolling for 2 hours this evening. We picked up a little Mahi at last light on the short rigger, and lost his buddy on the long corner. Looks like its fresh Mahi for dinner.
John