Hook-Up In Hawaii

One of the world’s greatest vacation destinations keeps luring anglers as well as tourists. The Hawaiian Islands act as a mid-Pacific aggregator of pelagic game fish, and it’s been that way since time immemorial.

Anglers who pursue billfish, tuna and other big-game battlers have been attracted to these islands for nearly a century, and Hawaiian waters gained an international reputation for dependably delivering world-class sport fishing all year round. Few among us don’t know that Hawaii regularly produces blue marlin over 1,000 pounds more often than any other venue on Earth.

Modern anglers have pursued game fish on rod and reel in the Hawaiian Islands since the early 1900s. The first American known to do so was W.C. Bradbury, a prominent member of The Tuna Club of Catalina Island, America’s first big-game fishing club. Bradbury apparently traveled to Hawaii from California in 1914 to verify reports of plentiful schools of yellowfin tuna and monstrous “swordfish” (which California anglers called marlin in those days).

Pump and wind! It's all eyes on deck as an angler works a big marlin off Kona, a place famous for producing granders. On the Big Island of Hawaii, Bradbury indeed became impressed with the amazing battles he experienced.

Not only did he confirm such rumors, Bradbury quickly realized the fishing opportunities were even greater than anticipated. He helped local anglers found the Hawaii Tuna Club (later renamed the Hawaii Big Game Fishing Club).

Within two years of Bradbury’s first visit, the Tuna Club of Catalina Island stated that a “proper game-fishing launch” was dispatched to Hawaii from California. The boat went into service for visiting sportsmen at Haleiwa on the north shore of the island of Oahu, in the days when Waikiki was a beautiful beach, but the other side of the island consisted of a swamp.

Hawaii’s stature as a sport-fishing destination grew steadily in the years before World War II. Fishing legends of the time like S. Kip Farrington stopped through the islands and fished with members of the Hawaii Tuna Club in the 1930s. Farrington later reported his positive impressions in his book “Pacific Game Fishing.”

“More than 10 different varieties of major game fish are caught on the grounds off these islands and in the channels between them at various times of year,” Farrington wrote. “The water is exceptionally deep, very beautiful in color and warm, and there are always plenty of birds to lead you to the fish. The two major areas, Waianae, which is about a 50-minute ride by motor from Honolulu, and the grounds off the Kona coast at Kailua on the island of Hawaii, usually have very calm water.”

After World War II, the charter sport fishery really began to blossom. Thousands of GIs fell in love with Hawaii – Pearl Harbor notwithstanding – and learned of the bounty of island waters during stopovers for R&R. Many later lived up to their vows to return to this paradise while others simply never left and started a new life, some doing so in the sport-fishing businesses.

By the late 1950s, Kona grew to be known as a place where blue marlin could be caught virtually every day of the year, the only place on the planet that could deliver the prized game fish so dependably. In 1959, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, which emulated the successful formula of the Masters Tournament, began to attract international attention. Celebrities and fishing teams converged on the quiet Kona community and marveled at the calm-water lee of Hawaii’s largest and most active volcanoes.

Tournament Chairman Peter Fithian combined his hospitality industry training with the Masters format and his enthusiasm for the sport fishery he discovered when moving to Hawaii to manage the Kona Inn. In 1959, he helped to create an enduring, prestigious competition that brought the annual attention of the world to a once laidback fishing village.

Today, offshore fishing options abound on every island that offers visitor accommodations, including the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Oahu and Kauai. This includes fly, light-tackle, and big-game gear for those pursuing world records, tournament titles, or simply personal enjoyment. Unlike most seasonal marlin destinations, one can pursue blues over 1,000 pounds in Hawaii in virtually every month of the year.

Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii is particularly popular due to the aforementioned lee-shore protection. Here, no time is wasted getting to the fishing grounds, thanks to the precipitous depths that surround the island. The all-tackle IGFA world record for Pacific blue marlin (1,376 pounds) was caught about 1,000 yards from the entrance buoy to Kona’s Honokohau Marina, where nearly three-quarters of the state’s charter-fishing fleet is berthed. Nearly 50 marlin over 1,000 pounds in weight plus a plethora of tournament competitions continue to attract anglers to Kona from all over the world.

On the Water

Maui attracts about a third of the visitors to the state each year. Anglers staying in the Lahaina-Kaanapali-Napili-Kapalua resort areas will be close to the sport-fishing fleet berthed in Lahaina Harbor. The Lahaina-based charter boat Hinatea became the first in the state to tag and release over 100 billfish in a year. The annual Lahaina Jackpot Fishing Tournament is the only active fishing event in the world able to boast the capture of two granders in a single day of fishing. Those staying in the resort areas of Kihei and Wailea can choose from those boats in Maalaea Harbor in the south central bight of the island. Maui boats generally cross inter-island channels and longer runs are generally required to get to productive fishing grounds. Maui charter rates generally run the highest in the state, and during busy tourist seasons the best charter boats usually will be booked solid.

The small islands of Molokai and Lanai, the most recently developed, currently offer only limited opportunities for sport fishing. Anglers staying at a Lanai hotel will fish out of Manele Small Boat Harbor, just minutes from the productive offshore waters south and west of the island.

Molokai promises a variety of fishing and accommodations. Options range from hotels, condominiums, B&Bs and oceanfront vacation rentals. Molokai Ranch’s unique camp feature safari tents built on spacious wooden platforms and equipped with solar-powered ceiling fans, lighting and solar-heated showers.

On Molokai, Captain Joe Reich delivers one of the better offshore fishing bargains in the state. Smaller species can be caught within minutes of leaving Kaunakakai Harbor, and larger game fish abound in the deep Kaiwi Channel that separates Molokai from the bustling island of Oahu about 20 miles away.

Honolulu on the island of Oahu is where most incoming flights land. Here you’ll find the seat of state government, the Hawaii Convention Center, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, the famous North Shore surfing spots and the largest percentage of the state’s hotel rooms.

The waters off Honolulu produced the largest marlin ever caught on rod and reel: A 1,805-pound behemoth Pacific blue landed by visitors fishing aboard the Coreene-C. Charter boats run out of Kewalo Basin (close to Waikiki) and Waianae, Haleiwa and Heeia Kea as well as the new marina at Ko’olina. Oahu charter boats range in price depending on the location of the vessel and its size, but $750 is about average for a full day.

Oahu, often dubbed the Gathering Place, offers more variety (accommodations, dining and activities) and generally better prices than its neighboring islands due to the relatively high volume of visitor traffic. It’s also the most congested urban and commercial center with about three-quarters of the state’s population.

Kauai, commonly referred to as the Garden Island due to its rainfall and lush verdure, is the oldest island in the main Hawaiian chain. Kauai sees the first of the state’s annual yellowfin tuna run each spring, and good fishing becomes available for vessels berthed at Nawiliwili near the island’s capitol city of Lihue, and at Port Allen, which is closer to the resort area at Poipu.

Kauai’s sport fishery begins immediately offshore, but a run across the channel to fish around the island of Niihau can be very productive. However, Kauai offers little in the way of a lee and the waters can be quite boisterous. Charter rates on Kauai also get quite steep, with quality boats priced as high as $900 a day.

Hawaii charter boats usually return to port between 4 and 5 p.m. each day. That’s also a great time to wander the docks, get to know the boats and crews, and find out what they’ve been catching. Another method involves booking agents, such as those on the docks in Lahaina and Maalaea on Maui, at Gentry’s Kona Marina, in Kona’s Honokohau Marina and at Kewalo Basin on Oahu.

Good fishing resources include Sportfish Hawaii at www.sportfishhawaii.com for bookings on all islands, Fish Maui at www.fishmaui.com for Maui action, and the Kona Sportfishing Promotion Group at www.fishkona.org for information about fishing in Kona and direct links to various charter operators.

Kona’s calm waters not only rank among the most famous fishing areas in the world, the beauty makes you sigh. It’s possible to troll along the 1,000-fathom curve while your eyes lazily wander up the disarmingly green slopes of the world’s largest shield volcano, only to have them discover a glistening, white snow-cap on top. Where else in the world can you ski in the morning and fish for Pacific blue marlin the same afternoon?

In Kona, state-of-the-art boats can be booked for an average of about $750 a day, and anglers can fish on a pristine, record-producing, one-of-a-kind 39-foot Rybovich like Sea Genie I or the 37-foot Merritt Northern Lights.

The same caliber of boat and crew would cost $1,500 or more in many other top destinations. Charter agents here also often organize “share charters” made up of mixed groups of individuals who pay an average of only about $90.

Hawaii’s septuagenarian tourism industry has evolved into a vacation paradise with accommodations ranging from some of the world’s top-rated resorts and famous hotels to family oriented condominiums, vacation rentals, budget hotels and eclectic bed-and-breakfast units. The latter in particular have exploded in popularity due to the often-encountered bargains and non-commercial settings.

The annual volume of visitor traffic promises competitive air and ground transportation, with some of the cheapest rental cars in America. Hawaii’s burgeoning water-related recreational activities serve an active tourism market and likewise it’s priced quite competitively.

One of Hawaii’s most popular attractions: volcanoes. Tourists on the island of Hawaii can actually watch an active volcano pour molten lava into the sea – an awesome scene from the water in particular that’s been continuous for over 17 years. The islands are also home to some of the world’s most celebrated and challenging golf courses. You can also view one of the world’s largest cattle ranches, tropical rain forests, waterfalls, gorgeous beaches featuring white, red, black and even green sand, and a host of activities for every member of the family. That means that non-fishermen can find a lot more to do in Hawaii than most other angling destinations.

November through February represents the least productive timeframe to fish in the islands. The water can be rougher than normal and rates can be higher for most accommodations, transportation, and activities due to the winter season when Hawaii crowds with sun worshippers from northern climes.

While it’s absolutely true that Pacific blue marlin and other billfish are caught in Hawaiian waters year-round as well as mahi-mahi, wahoo and tunas, it’s best to target the peak seasons for them. Tuna schools generally start to mass in Hawaii in early March, congregating billfish and other gamesters. The period of dependable marlin fishing usually holds into October, although in recent years it’s been good right though the winter. From mid-winter into spring, smaller game fish abound with hoards of striped marlin entering the fishery as well as spearfish and mahi-mahi.

Hawaiian charter boats are generally six-pack vessels, meaning most carry only six passengers rather than the masses of humanity typical on stateside party boats. A couple of party boats do operate out of here but usually carry much smaller numbers of anglers, lessening over-crowded conditions. Charter options include eight-, six- and four-hour exclusive charters where the entire boat is yours up to its six-passenger capacity.

Exclusive charters allow you to fish pretty much as you please and are generally more satisfactory to serious game fishermen, fly fishermen or to groups of friends and families. Share charters allow individuals to experience fishing in Hawaii at a lower cost, but can lead to dissatisfaction if one or more of the other parties turn out to be fish hogs or obnoxious.

Other options include overnight charters based on larger boats or even luxury yacht mother ships, like the 60-foot Hatteras Sunseeker II. This provides the advantage of staying on productive locations for more than one day or accessing inter-island hotspots where day boats seldom can venture.

Where to Toss the Bags

Peruse the yellow pages in Hawaii and you’ll be amazed at the seemingly endless listing of hotel choices. To at least get started, decide on which island interests you the most as a headquarters site. Blue marlin aficionados will undoubtedly choose Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. Then again, Maui’s tough to beat when it comes to enjoying much of the best scenery and ambiance that Hawaii has to offer.

The best place to start digging includes the Hawaii Visitors and Conventions Bureau, 800-GOHAWAII or www.gohawaii.com (and also do a site search with words “sport fishing”). Another good source: Maui Visitors Bureau, www.visitmaui.com. For those wishing to really roll up the sleeves for serious research, get a copy of Frommer’s Hawaii 2007.

Many of the game fish caught in Hawaiian waters rate mighty high in plate value, and anglers intent on releasing their catch should confirm that desire with their skipper when discussing charter rates or before leaving the dock. Many Hawaiian charter crews supplement income or support families by selling or eating the catch. Most will be happy to share the catch, and tipping further encourages releases. Let the crew know up front that you understand their “keep it and pay the rent” or “release it and make the angler happy” dilemma by offering a generous tip.

Fly fishing is just beginning to blossom in Hawaii, and only a few skippers in Kona and Maui possess the requisite experience in that style of fishing, The good news: Several world records on fly have been set in Hawaii with opportunities for many more.

Whether your visit to Hawaii involves attending a convention, your sister’s wedding, or appeasing your in-laws’ unfathomable desire to vacation together, you know what will be on your mind. You didn’t travel to the planet’s most isolated islands only to leave without experiencing some of the greatest blue marlin fishing in the world, right? Whether participating in a tournament, pursuing world records or fishing for fun, the sport-fishing options across these beautiful islands will satisfy your piscatorial passion. After all, Hawaii’s been doing exactly that for the better part of a century.

If festivals flip your wig – especially those featuring hula dancing – Hawaii simply can’t be topped. Take a look at just a sampling of the celebrations that run throughout the year:

• Cherry Blossom Festival (January – March), features a variety of Japanese cultural events, most of which occur on Oahu.
• Ka Molokai Makahiki Festival (January) on Molokai is a week-long celebration featuring a fishing contest, Hawaiian games and sporting events, music and hula dancing.
• Honolulu Festival (March), represents Hawaii’s premier event promoting cultural understanding, economic cooperation and ethnic harmony between the people of Hawaii and the Asia-Pacific region.
• Prince Kuhio Day (March 26) is a state holiday honoring Hawaii’s first delegate to the U.S. Congress. The festival lasts a week and features canoe races, music, dance and a royal ball, are held on his native island of Kauai.
• Merrie Monarch Festival (April), a one-week festival of cultural events including Hawaii’s most prestigious hula competition at Edith Kanaka`ole Stadium and the Miss Aloha Hula competition.
• In Celebration of Canoes (May), Maui’s acknowledgement of Hawaii’s rich heritage, honors the voyaging canoes that united all of Polynesia. Cultural delegations from Pacific island nations come together with master carvers creating Polynesian canoes.
  

Other notes of interest

Hawaiian Islands:

• State Name: The Aloha State
• Origin of state name: From the native word Hawakiki, which means “Homeland”
• Capital: Honolulu
• Population: 1,186,602
• Languages: English, Hawaiian
• Area: 6,427 square miles
• State Fish: Humuhumunukunukuapua`a (try pronouncing it!)
• Weather: Mild temperatures year-round & significant differences in rainfall within short distances

For over 25 years, Hawaii-based Rick Gaffney has been an award-winning author and photographer. Although he specializes in Hawaii, his travel writing, fishing interests and photography take him to all areas of the world.