I know nothing about long range fishing

[Griz]

I'm new to this site, just found about it via Marlin Magazine. What a great deal you guys got here. Fishermen- real fishermen! And lot's of 'em! Nice.

The most interesting part to me are the long range guys. I run a boat in Hawaii. Yes, a 6 pax. I'll stop for a moment so you guys can regroup and get your cracks ready...
But before you lay into me and Hawaii charter boats in general, give me a chance. I'm very interested in your sport and your Tuna fishery. Not just because you do an excellent job of putting average people on exceptional fish. But mostly I'm interested in the behind the scenes stuff. Bait, live wells, tackle ect.
I run one of only 2-3 boats on Oahu that makes bait every morning. No bait receivers here. But that's good for us- less people fishin' live bait means more quality fish for us. We don't kill a ton of rat tunas- generally we stay away from fish under 20 pounds unless our guests want to fish for them. The year round tuna size in Hawaii is much smaller than the fish that you target, but 40-50 pound fish come and go all year here. You just have to find them and make them bite.
Here's the deal.
Would any of the captains or crews be willing to answer a few questions for me? Either on this site or through PM's?
I completely know where you are coming from if you don't. I consider my time valuable too. BUT, I just can't help but wonder if there is a way to improve the Tuna fishing in Hawaii using your knowledge and techniques.
If not, are there any books / DVD's that have better info and less cows coming over the rail. Cows over the rail is a good thing, I just want to learn more about how to get to that point over here.
I'll be happy to answer any questions about our fishery or be the punching bag for some Hawaii horror stories. Bring it on.

I'll throw out one question for the road.
How in the hell do you keep all that fish in good shape for the duration of the trip. Or is it all just frozen and people walk off the boat with a bunch of tuna-pops? I know the longliners here, gill and gut tunas. Then some spraybrine them initially to chill them. But the final pack job is just a huge hold of ice and the fish never really freezing just staying at about 35-38 degrees. They keep them for 2-3 weeks at sea that way. And usually get a better price than locally caught 1-2 day old fish. Price has something to do with the cooler water temps. where longliners fish and the fact that the fish die slowly on the line at depth instead of battling their way to the surface and getting a good old fashioned beat down.


I really appreciate your time and know full well that some west coast fishermen have a bad Hawaii vibe. But in the end, we all just want the same thing- large quality fish and a bloody deck.

Merry Christmas.

Aloha,
Jesse

[wahoodad]

Welcome Jesse, right here live, via pms or email at wahoodad@socal.rr.com
Or email and we can trade phone numbers. No bad vibes here, maybe I can come over and fish/surf awhile on your beautiful island.

[Cuda/Hoo_Killer]

Hey Jessie, boat leaves Monday morning from Point Loma Sport Fishing Landing. Be your ass on it. All your questions wwill be answered. Welcome to the board. hold on tight, it's a bumpy ride

[vellocity]

what's up Jesse
i grew up on Oahu, my dad had a green sponson 27' Yellowfin named the Brandi Elua, and we fished all of Waianae and around the corner to your side... we fished from the '80's until he actually sold the boat in '94 to some divers in Haleiwa... i wonder if the boat is still around? we used to semi-commercial/recreational fish and we probably share the same local fishermen/friends... do you know Mike Pruner, he's like 10 years older than us and used to run one of the 6 packs in Haleiwa like 4 years ago, i can't remember his boat.. i wanna say Lanakila, or at least i know that was one of his boats at one time..
anyways.. this long range stuff is relatively new to my dad and I and he absolutely LOVES it... presenting a live bait and hooking your own fish is, like you said, pretty much unheard of on Oahu... catching live bait on the daily is also unheard of!! that bait is FOOD in Hawaii!! haha!

the first thing we noticed was that the texture of the YellowFinTuna off So.Cal and Mexico are much fattier than Hawaii.. maybe cooler water temp? but i think more from the different abundance of food source(anchovy, sardine, pacific mackerel(saba))...the fatty food source missing in Hawaii..
with that, i have yet to see a Yellow Fin Tuna BURN like they do in Hawaii..
imagine on the LR trips, sometimes well over 1-1.5 hour fight times and all they do it spike, spinalcord tap, gill and gut and into the RSW(Refridgerated Sea Water) where they float around for up to 5-6days.. pristine sushi grade Yellow Fin Tuna..
i can remember we used to spike, bleed, spinalcord tap, gut, each big Yellow Fin Tuna was packed with crushed ice and STILL getting BURN around the center bone and a shit price at the auction block.

it's pretty amazing the Long Range Fleet and what they do... from the quality and size of these boats to the servicing of 26-32 passengers for 5-15 days and feeding them three 4-5 star meals a day and with snacks in between..
amazing how the captains use their electronics, water temps, chlorophyll charts, currents, navigate to locations to find FISH within a 200-700 mile range!!! just the range in which they fish is amazing enough!
the knowledge they process and what have been passed down from their predecessors is simply unbelievable!
not to mention fishing techniques, live bait chum techniques, bait presentations, iron fishing, jig surface fishing and blah blah blah..

the best thing i can say is fly up and book one of these tuna trips and experience it!! you will love it and you can check out the whole process and from first hand experience, questions are welcomed..

check out
http://www.fishingvideos.com/shopping.htm
for some DVD stuff...
before a scheduled LR trip we'd buy a DVD of that location to get familiar with what we'd be in for on our trip.. and it's kinda wierd when your trip actually happens cause it's pretty damn similar to the DVD!

hope this helps a little.. and yeah, a few LR fishermen, crew and captains on this board! lots of good people here..

Aloha
Nelz

[skippajack]

Jesse Kills emmmmm!!!!!

[Griz]

Xmas morning and the kids are goin' off. My 3 year son is out practice casting is new custom Scooby Doo rig. The kid crushes the Peacock Bass! All catch and release too. Unheard of for Hawaii.
Just want to drop you guys a note- thanks for the warm welcome.

wahoodad, Hawaii ain't what it used to be. The outer islands haven't gotten as bad as Oahu. But why the hell would you want to fly over here when just to the south you have endless surf, fewer people and huge tunas?

true pimp, I would if I could man. Believe me.

Skippajack, Next time you are in Nawiliwili, say hi to Les on the Striker for me and Dave. Keep skiff fishing alive!

Hey Nelz, I'm not sure about your boat. I've been in Haleiwa my whole life and I'm sure we have crossed paths. I do know Mike Pruner very well, just traded a few emails with him. He's in California now and not fishing much. I can give you his email/nextel if you want. Thanks for the info, I really want to make some of this stuff work here.
Regarding bait. Why do local people want to eat my bait?? IT'S BAIT MAN!! Go use it to catch a real fish- and if a little one bites... LET IT GO!

I was looking at the Shogun's site. Aren't some of the trips like 2 weeks long? Do the fish just sit in the RSW for weeks? And I can't help but wonder, if the fish isn't frozen and just chilled and there are no fish sales in California. What does an angler do with 4 or 5, 200+ pound Yellow Fin Tuna and probably some Ono and Mahi Mahi too? That's a ton of fish- well 1/2 a ton at least. And with no burn... sashimi for days!!
What does the average person do to store that much fish upon returning to port?
If the fish are that awesome as far as fat content and grade. I can't only hope that when the longliners have fished out the central and western Pacific that they don't uncle-up with those evil super seiners and really put the hurt on you areas. With 100 thousand pounds of tuna being processes through Oahu's one auction daily... When the supply here dries up. Mexico ain't that far away. Not a good holiday thought.
A LR trip is very high on my list. What's the season? I'm good friends with Del Marsh a regular on the Red Rooster. He has some great stories, but not a whole lot of details. Still a super cool cat to sit and listen to.

Realistically I'd rather work, than fish. It's just my style. Maybe sneak a bait out on the side. But mainly just lend a hand where I can and watch the blood and scales fly.

Back on the water on Monday. God I hope the tunas are back.

Thanks again guys.

Jesse

[The Notorious S.U.A]

Originally Posted by Griz

I was looking at the Shogun's site. Aren't some of the trips like 2 weeks long? Do the fish just sit in the RSW for weeks? And I can't help but wonder, if the fish isn't frozen and just chilled and there are no fish sales in California. What does an angler do with 4 or 5, 200+ pound Yellow Fin Tuna and probably some Ono and Mahi Mahi too? That's a ton of fish- well 1/2 a ton at least. And with no burn... sashimi for days!!
What does the average person do to store that much fish upon returning to port?

The longest trips the LR boats run is the 23 day clipperton trips. Now, with the fly down fly back option, it isnt always that many days, but if you were to ride the boat, it would take that long.
Most of the boats now have the capability to do both RSW and Brine Spray in any and all of the holds/slammers. The only problem with the RSW is that fish are only good for about 8 days, so for the first part of the longer trips, the boats have to use the Brine spray.
Most of the anglers usually come home with a good deal of fish, and there are all kinds of options as to what to do with it. There are at least 3 seperate fish processing companies that meet the boats at the dock when they arrive. Price is usually between 25 and 75 cents per lb. for processing. they vacuum seal everything after it gets Filleted, and then they mark it. Also, we have the option of trading fish for Canned tuna. i believe its somewhere around 7lbs to one can. There is also the option to donate the fish to Charity, for a substantial tax write off. Despite the large #'s of fish caught, none of it goes to waste, it all ends up in someones stomach.

Originally Posted by Griz

If the fish are that awesome as far as fat content and grade. I can't only hope that when the longliners have fished out the central and western Pacific that they don't uncle-up with those evil super seiners and really put the hurt on you areas. With 100 thousand pounds of tuna being processes through Oahu's one auction daily... When the supply here dries up. Mexico ain't that far away. Not a good holiday thought.

Thats a concern for us as well. You'll never see anything quite as imposing as the look on the faces of 36 guys on an LR boat staring down one of the seiners as it drives past. usually around 72 fingers in the air as well.
I'm not going to say we're powerless against them, but its a shitty situation, and we're all concerned about being able to take our childrens children LR fishing.

Originally Posted by Griz

A LR trip is very high on my list. What's the season? I'm good friends with Del Marsh a regular on the Red Rooster. He has some great stories, but not a whole lot of details. Still a super cool cat to sit and listen to.
Jesse

Thats the thing about LR fishing, you cant really say there is one particular season, because different times of year produce different types of fishing, all which have their own appeal and benefits. Right now, it seems to be Cow tuna and wahoo, but in a month or two it will be giant yellowtail and albacore, throw in a few bluefin too. after that comes Guadalupe season, and the yellowfin fishing there. You cant go wrong booking a trip at any time of year really, its all a lot of fun, and personally i just like being out there, whatever we catch is just a Bonus.

[vellocity]

thanks Jesse
yeah i talk to Mike every once in a while, i figured for sure you'd know him.... he's been super busy with his new job and his fishing time has been cut back hard.. as you know, he's also been fishing off his kayak and when he comes down to San Diego that's when we meet up.. he's also fell in love with the California Yellowtail.. pound for pound the strongest fighter in the local waters..

as for the excess of fish, yeah that's some major poundage to deal with on the big Yellow Fin Tuna.. as SUA stated, we donated to charity more than half of our catch for a tax deduction... i'll find out next month how much it helps me as i'm self employed...
not educated enough to comment on the Mexico situation regarding the commercial side of things.. right now i'm spectator enjoying the fishing of a lifetime.. pretty amazing how these LR boats keep 200-300# Yellow Fin Tuna boiling around the boat ALL DAY!

i grew up in Seaview(below Waipio Gentry) and went to Kamehameha... i used to be one pro boogieboardah and i'm sure you see my company Elemenophee Bodyboards in all the shops.. i moved up here 7 years ago to start it and i grew up with all the NS boys, Aka, Seth McKinney, the Lerners, Johnsons, and lots of the downside guys.. for sure we share friends..

have a good one..
Nelz

[Griz]

Originally Posted by stand_up_angler

That's a concern for us as well. You'll never see anything quite as imposing as the look on the faces of 36 guys on an LR boat staring down one of the seiners as it drives past. usually around 72 fingers in the air as well.
I'm not going to say we're powerless against them, but its a shitty situation, and we're all concerned about being able to take our children's children LR fishing.

Hey George,
It's not gonna take 2 generations for them to wipe out your fishery. In the late 80's and even early 90's a decent hook and line commercial day troller fishing 4-6 lines could catch 200 Ahi a year here (Yellow Fin Tuna over 100 lbs.). Just on lures. The guys with a few good tricks even more. At that time the longline fleet was minimal. When they opened up teh longline facilities here and welcomed everyone- from all nations with open arms. I think the west coast recreational fishermen lobbied to keep them out of their waters- best move ever!
It took only a few years for the fishery to crash. No more roaming tuna schools in the summer. The days of acres of tuna rolling on the surface are gone. And it happened fast. The general consensus is that the longline fleet intercepts a majority of the fish before they make it with in range of the little guy. That and the fact that a Yellow Fin Tuna only has to be 3 pounds to be legally sold in Hawaii. Anyone can be a commercial fisherman here and when the rats are biting- no are returned to grow in to mature spawners. It's so wrong.
What ever you can do to stop the shop vac's of the sea, you gotta get on it.
While technology is great for the small scale commercial guy and the recreational angler- it's murder on the fish populations when put in to the wrong hands.

Here's a photo of one of the, if not the last lift pole boat in the state. The Aku boats mainly target skipjack (Aku) but we've watched them jerk in 5K-10K of Yellow Fin Tuna under 10 pounds in just a few hours. If the Aku bite is slow.

Enough of the gloom and doom. Just wanted to let you know it might be closer than you think.


Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it.


Hang on!

Jesse

[Griz]

The Aku Boat

[Griz]

Hey nelz,
Yep. We know all the same guys. I don't hang around on land much anymore. But if I did, out of all of the old gang, the ones you named would be who I'd choose to reminisce with.
You probably partied at my house back in the day- Chesser used to live with me down by Silva's Channel.
Glad to hear you got off the rock and are making it happen.

Good to hear that no of those fine fish are wasted. I couldn't imagine that happening, but it's reassuring to know that they aren't cat food or something.

Best of luck and thanks again.

Aloha,
Jesse

[vellocity]

i remember Todd's pad down in Wailua.....early-mid 90's when Taylor Steele and the whole Cali crew used to come down and stay with you guys and Benji's too.. those were the good ol innocent days when everyone used to cruise in Benji's and Jack's houses... surf, break the river, mud football at Sunset Elementary...
small world for sure!

i also vividly remember when the Longliners came to Oahu in the late '80's and VERY VERY quickly changed our offshore fishing in Hawaii FOREVER.... the effect was fast and still being felt... in fact, it made my dad retire and sell his boat...
in the early '80's you could catch Ahi around the 3 bouys in Waianae.. by the late '80's we had to fish no less than 20 miles out...
when was the last time some recreational fishermen caught a Ahi over 200#? it used to be a regular sight back in the day...

it's pretty awesome how California's Dept of Fish and Game regulate the fisheries here... regulations on size and limits.... Hawaii needed that 20 years ago..

that Aku boat pic brings back some great memories! when i was a kid my dad knew the capt. of the Neptune and got to ride it one time when they caught nehu in Pearl Harbor! fun memories!