# Fishing Hawaii



## Guest (Jul 23, 2018)

My wife and I are taking a trip to Kauai the last week of October through the first week of November. Of course I'm not gonna miss a chance to fish in a tropical location. Anyone have Recommendations? We are staying in Kekaha to avoid crowds and the rain on the north shore. Any thoughts on lures etc from anyone who has fished there? Also, species that are more prevalent. I'd love to get the chance to fight a Trevally. Anyways, I would like to take lures etc along with me to avoid purchasing them for who knows how much more there. I know it's a shot in the dark but any help will be appreciated.


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## mbg60 (May 11, 2008)

Try some top water plugs with through wire rigging. When you get there try to get a few dark colored Mark White lures from a local fishing store. If you don't get action with lures, change to frozen squid cut into lengthwise strips for bait. Be careful of waves.


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## Scuba Chris (Jun 17, 2017)

If funds aren't an issue contact Joe Olivas (WWJ on YouTube). He lives on Kauai & knows how to fish there.


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2018)

Thanks for the info!


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

It may not be as bad on Kauai but my experience living on O'ahu was there are some spots that the Local's don't like to share.


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2018)

*Fishing Hawai*

I can imagine they would want to keep their best spots secret. Who can blame them honestly. I considered a charter until I read up on them. Most of them keep any fish you catch over a certain size. Many won't even release fish you catch even if you want to. Even billfish. Apparently they sell the fish to local restaurants so they can afford to purchase new tackle... sounds shady to me as their prices aren't any cheaper up front. I've fished in several different areas on charters and I've never heard of this practice.


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

brob757 said:


> I can imagine they would want to keep their best spots secret. Who can blame them honestly. I considered a charter until I read up on them. Most of them keep any fish you catch over a certain size. Many won't even release fish you catch even if you want to. Even billfish. Apparently they sell the fish to local restaurants so they can afford to purchase new tackle... sounds shady to me as their prices aren't any cheaper up front. I've fished in several different areas on charters and I've never heard of this practice.


That's pretty standard there , For the most part they have tourists may from the Far East and Middle East and of course US and Canada that want to catch a fish get their picture taken with it but have no practical way to get them back , So this selling the catch locally works for them , I'm sure if you looked hard enough you may find someone that will deep freeze and ship it but it would be so expensive it's just not practical , 
The same holds true for other places in the world , Germany ,you hunt game their it belongs to the landowner and you will get a small part for your self , England and Scotland the same but you would be allowed to buy some the game . Something were not accustomed to here . I found it odd when I lived there and found out that's how it is , After a local that I fished with gave me the explanation than it made some sense


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

I know that the last time I was on the big island, there were plenty of charters running for Ono. (wahoo)

No such problems that I've heard of. And they have a phenomenal fishery. I even saw parrotfish that were over 15" long, right off of a seawall near Kona. Unfortunately, didn't get time to do any fishing, myself.

Some islands are certainly more protective than others.


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## Don B (Jul 28, 2001)

"My wife and I are taking a trip to Kauai the last week of October through the first week of November. "

A couple or three years ago I attended a wedding at the Waimea Plantation Cottages which is about 3 miles away from Kekaha. At the wedding, several people were complaining about their cottage not having air conditioning. The plantation was built from real plantation homes and every attempt was made to keep them authentic. Otherwise, the wedding was fantastic. It seems that many hotels in the area did not have AC. There has been information regarding improvements being made to the electrical grid. A call to the hotel that you are staying to verify your needs may be appropriate.

Between Kekaha and Lihue, 10 miles out of Kekaha you will come to Hanapepe. In Hanapepe is a shop called Rainbow Paint. They repair and paint boats as well as having fishing supplies. Kyle is the owner and the number is (808) 335-6412. He may be able to supply you with needed information for the area.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Funny how spoiled some people can be. I thought that sleeping without windows or air conditioning was one of the most charming aspects of the whole trip. Going to bed at dark to the sound of frogs, waking up at first light, to the sound of birds. Temp was always perfect.


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## Jollymon (May 21, 2015)

The house we had in Wahiawa on O'ahu didn't have A/C or Heat , The most we ever needed was a fan


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2018)

@Don B

Thanks for the info on tackle. I'm staying at a home in Kekaha right across the street from the ocean. I'm happy that it has air conditioning. Hard to say if we will need it but it will be nice to have. I'm going to try to transport my rods and reels but that may be expensive unless i can find a 2 piece that can fit in my suitcase. I'll be in contact with United trying to get a straight answer there. I'll find a way to fish one way or another. This is an opportunity to catch fish I may never have a chance at again. Even a small Trevally would be an awesome experience for me! I'm definitely excited and looking forward to it!


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## Don B (Jul 28, 2001)

"*My wife* and I are taking a trip to Kauai ". As far as AC goes, keeping that special someone happy is most important.

What is not realized by some are the different climates in Hawaii.

On Lanai, I experienced dust so fine and thick that is was like driving on ice.

I was required to respond to an issue on Maui. At the time I was in Honolulu and drove to headquarters wearing polyester pants and Aloha shirt. I reviewed the available information and was on the next plane to Maui. Going to the facility required initially driving through snow and ice and finally rocks and ice. The Aloha shirt and slacks were not much of am asset when exposed to high winds.

Maui and Kauai are in the top 10 wettest places in the world with one location in Kauai receiving 384 inches per year.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-ten-wettest-places-in-the-world.html

On Oahu, there is a bog on the top of Mt Kaala.

Bottom line, it's difficult to rate local conditions with only a few facts.


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## Don B (Jul 28, 2001)

"I'm going to try to transport my rods and reels but that may be expensive unless i can find a 2 piece that can fit in my suitcase. I'll be in contact with United trying to get a straight answer there."

Taking rods with you was free. The policy was changed between the time I purchased tickets and the date of the flight. United would not honor the fact that I purchased the tickets previous to the policy change. I was also charged for over size luggage. When I paid the fees, a release was brought out stating that United would not be responsible for any damages. 

From that time forward, I always ship my rods using FedEx. The corrugated PVC 4" tubes (without holes) available from the bigger hardware stores work well for me. The tubes are easily cut to length using a hand saw. FedEx does ship ground to/from Hawaii (sometimes it may be listed as home delivery). I believe ground is more of a commercial shipment. The only issue that you may need to fill out the shipping labels on line. I have enjoyed shipping my rods by FedEx as it makes the trip much more convenient and hotels have never refused holding packages until arrival. Put something on the ship to section saying Hotel, Guest, Name, Arriving and of course hotel address.

Do not put reels in your luggage as they may disappear. Put them in hard plastic box and inside your back pack. The box needs to be strong enough to prevent them from being damaged by other passengers. Having line on the reels may be debatable. 

https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2014/05/13/tsa-travel-tips-travel-tips-backpackers-campers-and-fishers
Fishing Rods/Poles/Tackle - TSA allows fishing poles, but if you’re taking them as a carry-on, you might want to give your airline a call and see if the pole exceeds their carry-on limits. Tackle is ok as a carry-on, but be sure that you don’t have any knives or large deep sea fishing hooks. Also, tools can’t be larger than seven inches.

Of course, individual airlines may have more prohibitive items.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Don B said:


> What is not realized by some are the different climates in Hawaii.


While that's true, if you're below 2700 feet, you'll not experience any of what you just mentioned. If you're going to have feet on flat ground, fishing the beach (as the OP indicated), the tourist wear is appropriate.

OP - if you really want a fun fishing trip, try to get with some of the locals, and try some cliff fishing. It's pretty interesting. Much more so than the beach fishing... Also, that's the only way that I've ever seen anyone catch giant Trevally.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2018)

You are spot on about the A/C. I made sure that I found a place with it. It really is a very unique place. It is seldom that you can surf a big wave on a tropical beach and suffer altitude sickness and frostbite on the same island in the same day. I've been reading up on Kauai and wanted to hike to the weeping wall until I realized just how dangerous that can be especially in the rainy season. I don't want to drag my wife into that. I really want to try to take a look at the Nāpali Coast. Rugged and ancient with so many sea caves. 

@Solid 7 thanks for the tip! I'm going to check it out for sure!


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## Don B (Jul 28, 2001)

"I really want to try to take a look at the Nāpali Coast. Rugged and ancient with so many sea caves."

If you are by or near the ocean, please be aware of the possibility of rogue waves. Both fishermen and tourists are lost to the ocean. The rule for fishermen is to never turn your back to the ocean. 

https://www.google.com/search?q=hawaii+rogue+wave+accident&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1-ab


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## Guest (Aug 16, 2018)

I definitely will keep a sharp eye. I'm hopeful to see some monsters on the north shore from a distance. Thanks again!


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## Caster1990 (Jun 15, 2017)

Be sure to leave nothing in the vehicle when parked.


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## Guest (Nov 2, 2018)

My first day fishing was yesterday evening. Still don't need a saltwater license here. I fished with cut fresh squid in the evening with no luck. I also tried shrimp. No luck. I threw a redfish magic spinnerbait thinking maybe something unconventional here may produce. No go, it is too light to get far enough out with my setup. As I was standing talking to my wife I noticed a few 4 to 5 inch silver sided baitfish leaping from the water as if something was giving chase. So, I tied on a big black and silver mirrolure to see what I could find. I broke for a minute to watch the sun set over the island of Ni'ihau. The very next cast something exploded on it on the first twitch. It put up a decent fight and ended up being the biggest needlefish I've ever caught. Lots of fun on my first attempt. I'll be back at it today. My wife took a nice picture with the sun setting over the tip of Ni'ihau behind me. Hope it loads correctly.


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## mbg60 (May 11, 2008)

More and better to come!!!


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## Guest (Nov 4, 2018)

Went fishing again today. This time I was trying to avoid the predicted monthly appearance of box jellies here on the leeward side of the island so we headed north. I wanted to find a beach that wasn't going to be crowded but still had rocks etc for cover. I settled on a little out of the way beach called 'Aliomanu beach. Once I got there I could see it was only locals. The current there is no joke. The water swept quickly from right to left. Definitely not a place to wade. And only fools would swim there.

I ended up catching a male Bird Wrasse which is the strangest fish I've ever caught, another brownish purple fish that looked like a snapper but i cannot identify it as there were no teeth, and finally a Bluefin Trevally (Omilu). It was only about a pound or so but they put up a good fight. Squid was the bait of choice. I was happy with the catch today and my wife found some really great shells! I'll be at it again tomorrow at some point I hope. We stopped in the mountains to see the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees on the way back. Awesome island this is.


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## Guest (Nov 8, 2018)

No more fish to speak of. But, we had a great time. The beaches were incredible (some secluded), the weather was great, and the people were the friendliest I've come across in my time visiting other places. The local's thanked us for visiting and even the shop owners were giving us things just for buying something. They couldn't thank us enough in their eyes. 

There were places that looked like fish would be there but they were slick, rocky, and the surf is way too big right now. Some areas had currents flowing like a fast river across the reefs and rocks. Couple that with regular 10ft shore break and it's a small wonder so many people have drowned there. I'll definitely be back fishing again!


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## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

nice job giving it a try and figuring things out.


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## Guest (Nov 8, 2018)

surffshr said:


> nice job giving it a try and figuring things out.


It was a lot of fun! One thing I figured out is that catching fish means you are going to lose a ton of rigs. They love the rockier areas. One of the local's said they don't use lead for that reason. The sea turtles will eat the lead, even if it is attached to your line. They use rocks for weights. Something I did not know.


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## Bosco (Jan 2, 2017)

brob757 said:


> It was a lot of fun! One thing I figured out is that catching fish means you are going to lose a ton of rigs. They love the rockier areas. One of the local's said they don't use lead for that reason. The sea turtles will eat the lead, even if it is attached to your line. They use rocks for weights. Something I did not know.


Thank for a great report and sounds like you had a wonderful trip. I just hope the part about using rocks instead of lead sinkers doesn't catch on here.


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

I'm thinking of going back to Hawaii soon. I'm going to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco next month. Not going to get any fishing done, but after that trip is done, I'm going to plot my next PNW and Hawaii stint.

OP, next time back, you gotta check out the big island, for fishing. Kauai is probably the nicest island of the bunch, but the big island, easily, has the most access. (plus offshore charters, if you want to catch some world class Ono (wahoo))


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2019)

I really want to go back at some point. I honestly didn't know a whole lot about Hawaii before going. I wanted to go to the big island but Kilauea was still rumbling and I didn't want to lose out on a vacation because of it. Kauai was incredible, though. The canyons and the Napali coast are like nothing I've ever seen. The Tropicbirds gliding through the canyons reminded me of a world somewhere back in time. Coming up in mid June my wife and I are heading up to Alaska for 10 days. Better believe I'm going to be fishing.... One of the cabins we rented is on a lake 12 miles from the highway and comes with a boat.... Can't wait!


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## solid7 (Dec 31, 2010)

Truthfully, you would have been in no danger at all from Kilauaea. My buddy owns a coffee farm, Kona side. They barely saw any effects. Of course, different story in the rift zone, but they don't call it "big island" for nothing. LOL Avoid the lava flow, and all is good. Nothing like a Mt St Helens event likely over there.

I actually almost went back, just so I could see Kilauaea at night.

Do you know if Kapoho Tide pools were damaged?


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## Guest (Mar 25, 2019)

I wasn't worried about my safety as much as I was about having a flight canceled or something of that nature. Planes and volcanic ash aren't friends lol. Truth be told seeing a volcano erupt is on my bucket list. I would really like to make that happen.... From what I recall the Kapoho Bay was destroyed by lava flows.


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