Other Species

This Hawaiian staple table food fish is also one of the most exciting to angle for. While out cruising for Marlin, Hawaiian anglers will often find a cargo net, a piece of plywood or some other floating debris with a nice school of Mahi-Mahi underneath it. We try to catch the first one as we troll by the hazard, and if we get a good hookup on about a fifteen pounder, we either leave it on the rod or set it out on a bleach bottle rig attached to a 40 foot piece of 20lb line. The Mahi will return to the school, and as he does, one crew will go below and get out the light tackle casting gear while two or three crew will watch the bottle and the floating debris. Then the fun really begins. We cast live Opelu (if we have it), spoons or small plugs with or without dead bait into the school, and we then spend a couple hours fighting beautiful, rambunctious fish. The lighter the tackle, the more fun the fishing.

Wahoo - Acanthocybium solanderi

Hawaiian Name: 'ono Avg Weight: 25 lbs Fishing Method: trolling, live bait Best Fishing: April-October IGFA Record: 158 lbs 8 oz Loreto, Baja California, Mexico 6/10/96 State Record: 124 lbs Oahu, HI 1940's

The rule of thumb for catching Ono, one of the fastest and the most delicious yet sharpest toothed of the Hawaiian species of game fish, is to use the depth recorder religiously in order to stay right at 40 fathoms. Although we don't know what the reason for Ono's preference to this depth is, we do know they often hang around near the bottom in this part of the water column and then attack surface lures with a vengeance. Our theory is the pressure gradient at 40 fathoms allows them to be comfortable yet still have the ability to feed on both the bottom (hence the sharp teeth) and the surface. Hawaiian waters have many ledges very close to shore, and the depth often drops from 40 fathoms to several hundred fathoms in only a few miles. While we do occasionally catch Ono in deeper water, we usually consider the deep water dogs to be an incidental catch. Don't target Ono in deep water, or you might spend a bunch of time wondering why you have no fish back at the dock. To prove our point, we often share the story about the end of a recent tournament we were in. While heading home, we traveled and zig-zagged right at 36 - 40 fathoms and boated several Ono only 300 yards away from another boat in the same tournament who was consistently outside the 40 fathom line in deeper water. Our competitor didn't need to stop at the weigh scale on the way into his slip.

Yellowfin Tuna - Thunnus albacares

Hawaiian Name: 'ahi Avg Weight: 125 lbs Fishing Method: trolling, live bait Best Fishing: May-September IGFA Record: 388lbs 12 oz Isla San Benedicto, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico 4/1/77 State Record: 325lbs Lanai, HI 1990

Some Hawaiian anglers don't consider a Yellowfin Tuna an "Ahi" unless it exceeds 100 pounds. Although from a scientific standpoint the characterization is inaccurate, it is fun to follow the same guideline and call the smaller ones Shibi's. Thus an "Ahi" is more of a prize, while a 15 pound Yellowfin is a baitfish or a great piece of raw table food. A long time staple in the Hawaiian diet, Yellowfin are succulent and flavorful, especially when prepared with Musubi (a mixture of soy/shoyu and green-paste Japanese horseradish), and served chilled over a bed of shredded green cabbage. Hunt for the Ahi the same way you would for Marlin and other game fish; look for piles of birds that are active and organized. Hawaiian anglers also try the FADS (Fish Aggregation Devices) when looking for Ahi. Mix up your lures to see what they bite on a given day; sometimes it's big and purple, sometimes it's small and green. You should also carry bait if you are looking for Ahi, because there are times you'll want to drop bait down to the fish instead of trying to troll the surface.

Bigeye Tuna - Thunnus obesus

Hawaiian Name: 'ahi po'onui Avg Weight: 40 lbs Fishing Method: trolling, hand line Best Fishing: October-April IGFA Record: 435 lbs Cabo Blanco, Peru 4/17/57 State Record: 228lbs Kona, HI 1996

The Bigeye is often mistaken for a Yellowfin, but it is typically a smaller fish and does have a much bigger eye. The other most remarkable difference is found in the dorsal and anal fins; the Yellowfin's are longer and sharper, almost like a catfish's, while the Bigeye's are more fin-like. Bigeye is seldom targeted per se in Hawaiian waters because Marlin, Yellowfin and other species are so readily available, and they often are found as incidental catches with the other Tunas. In fact, many anglers catch them and eat them as though they had caught a yellowfin without batting an eye that something was different.

Skipjack Tuna - Euthynnus pelamis

Hawaiian Name: 'aku Avg Weight: 5 lbs Fishing Method: trolling, hand line Best Fishing: May-September IGFA Record: 45 lbs 4 oz Flathead Bank, Baja Calif, Mexico 11/16/96 State Record: 37 lbs Big Island, HI 1964

Known in Hawaii as Otado's when they exceed 20 pounds, many anglers target Aku for their multi-hookup action-packed activity which makes for a fun time regardless of whatever else is caught on a trip. Once an Aku school is found and identified by constant surface boiling combined with active and organized bird feeding, get out the smaller lures and handline them with small double hooks for quick retrieval. Multiple hookups are frequent, and the crew work will be constant. For big time sportfishing excitement, however, the Aku truly is the known hero for live-baiting Blue Marlin. Where there's Aku, there's usually Marlin. Rig the Aku as described in the Marlin section, and troll at slow speeds just outside the school creating the disturbance and fear that predators sense so well. The great thing about live baiting Aku is if you catch a Marlin you have a story to tell your friends about forever. If you don't catch one and the Aku dies while trying, you can bring it back on board, ice it down, and make sashimi (raw cut fish) or poke (a salted concoction mixed with herbs and greens) for a delicious crew meal.

Kawakawa - Euthynnus affinis

Hawaiian Name: kawakawa Avg Weight: 3 lbs Fishing Method: trolling with bait Best Fishing: Year-round IGFA Record: 29 lbs Isla Clarion, Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico 2/19/75 State Record: 23 lbs Makapu'u, HI 1993

This little fellow will show up when you least expect it; trolling for hours on a sunny day with no strikes, the Kawakawa will suddenly strike a lure rigged on a 130 class line and try to hard in vain to outstrength the drag. The poor thing usually ends up being towed around awhile before the crew even notices strange activity out off the back of the boat. This fish is similar in appearance and often found with Aku. The easiest way to tell a Kawakawa from an Aku, especially if they are in a school together, is the underbelly of the Kawakawa has spots instead of black stripes. It tends to stay nearer to shore and in the same areas, and will feed off both the bottom and the surface just like Ono. These traits may help explain why Marlin are more likely to hit the Aku than the Kawakawa in a live baiting situation.

Billfish