If you haven’t been deep sea fishing before, or if you haven’t gone in a while, you might want to get some deep sea fishing tips on how to make the best catch possible. Today’s article should help you figure out the best ways to catch a game fish while you’re deep sea fishing. We hope you’ll join us out on the Kona Fishing Charters after reading all the tips, since our charter is one of the best ways to go deep sea fishing (that’s tip number one). Call us at (808) 960-1424 to schedule your fishing charter with us here in Hawaii!
What is Deep Sea Fishing?
Deep sea fishing is when you go fishing off the shore in the deep waters. There should be at least 30 meters of depth. It is synonymous with offshore fishing, big game fishing, and sports fishing. An angler will be attempting to fish for a large open-ocean, big game species of fish as a fun challenge when deep sea fishing. It’s a fun adventure for any angler to attempt. The tips below should help it make your fun adventure a success!
11 Deep Sea Fishing Tips
Work with Nature
Make sure to keep an eye on your surroundings and work with nature.
Know what Fish School Together
Some game fish school with other game fish, and other game fish school with dolphins (which you do not want to catch). Tuna and dolphins often school together so make sure you don’t accidentally catch a dolphin when you’re aiming to catch a tuna!
Look for Floating Wood or Debris
If you see any debris or floating wood, check it out! Large game fish often linger around debris and floating wood.
Circle Hooks
Circle hooks are great for several reasons. One, there’s a higher hook up ratio guaranteeing that you have a good hook up ratio, and allowing you to catch more. Second, circle hooks are better for the fish because they hook the lip not the gut. So if you’re trying to do catch and release, that makes this option even better.
Reef fishing
Smaller fish live near reefs making those locations really great fishing hot spots, for both you and the big game fish you’re aiming for. Big game fish go there for a snack quite often so you’re bound to catch something great if you wait it out at a reef.
Don’t get Sea Sick!
If you’re the type who often gets sea sick, or if you want to be prepared in case the waves are extra choppy, it’d be good to know what to do in case you start feeling sea sick. The first thing is to stay on deck and watch the horizon. Watching the horizon helps you center yourself and feel more at ease. If you can, bring ginger ale or other types of ginger snacks with you on the charter boat. Ginger helps combat nausea. And stay away from boat fumes which will only make your nausea worse.
Work with the Captain and Crew and Know Boat Safety
It’s important to work with whoever you go with on a deep sea fishing charter boat. The experts on your boat can give you great advice that is unique to your fishing area. They’re also there to be in control during an emergency situations. They’ll go over boat safety with you as well as where the best fishing hot spots are – the captain and crew are always there to help fellow anglers.
Full Moon = Crab Bait
Crabs shed their shells during full moons, causing their predator, such as stripers, to come after them. If crabs are something the fish in your area like to eat, you should definitely consider using soft crab imitations as bait. You’ll have a lot of success.
Follow the Fish
Make sure to go to where the fish are, large or small. If the smaller fish, the food of the larger fish, aren’t where you’re set up to fish for big game fish, why would the big fish show up? They need their meals.
Watch for Birds
As you keep an eye in the water to look for fish large and small, keep an eye on the sky as well. If you see birds fishing on small bait fish, there are probably larger game fish below the surface that you can catch.
Ask Questions If You Have Them!
If you’re having trouble or want to know more about deep sea fishing, ask your captain or crew! Or, if you’re not yet on the boat, and want to learn more beforehand, go to our FAQ page or read through some of our other informative blogs on fishing.
We hope this list of deep sea fishing tips help you out when you go deep sea fishing. But where else would you go but to the Kona Fishing Charters when you want to go deep sea fishing off the Hawaiian coastline. There are lots of sport fishing all year round, and you can’t go wrong with the beautiful weather while you angle for your favorite sports fish. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip on the Pacific!
There are many different fishing proverbs that have been in use for centuries or more. But where did these familiar sayings come from? What do they really mean? In today’s blog post we collected two different fishing proverbs and researched the origins of each of them. Most of these origins are muddled and oftentimes confused for ancient sayings but this isn’t always the case.
“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Show him how to catch a fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”
For instance, the well known fishing proverb, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Show him how to catch a fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” has often been attributed to an ancient Chinese proverbs, although it’s also been mistakenly said (by the reputable Oxford Dictionary of Quotations of all places) of being from this past century. Actually, both are very, very wrong, although the Oxford Dictionary is closer on the timeline. The proverb originated from a British novel in the 19th century. A young woman named Anne Isabella Ritchie wrote a book called Mrs. Dymond in the 1880s. This book included this passage: “He certainly doesn’t practise his precepts, but I suppose the patron meant that if you give a man a fish he is hungry again in an hour; if you teach him to catch a fish you do him a good turn.” While it is possible that it could still be older than that, it was most likely coined by Anne Ritchie in her novel.
Of course, what does this proverb even mean? Simply put, the proverb is a metaphor about teaching people how to take care of themselves. As we know, fishing is a great sport but also a great skill to have. If you were ever on a boat and couldn’t get to food but had a fishing rod with you, you’d be able to feed yourself. Someone who doesn’t know how to fish might struggle with feeding themselves in that case. So teaching someone the skill of fishing, or any skill at all, is much more likely to help them than giving them in the long-run then a short-term handout.
Onto our second proverb, which might even be more familiar than the last one. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning,” is something many have heard anytime they’re on the coast, planning to swim, or on a boat. But where did this proverb originate? Is it true? And what does it exactly mean?
Well, this proverb is from one of the oldest written sources – the Bible (Matthew XVI: 2-3). Shakespeare also said something similar in his play Venus and Adonis, “Like a red morn that ever yet betokened, Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field, Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds, Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”
This is an old proverb that has been popular and in use for centuries if not longer than that. People have been using the sky to predict any changes in weather and the sea since sailing began. And it was a necessary precaution, both sailors and farmers depend on the weather for safety and sustenance.
So they looked to the sky and came up with weather lore. But is that proverb correct? Is a red sky at night a sailor’s delight and is a red sky in the morning sailor’s warning?
Well, according to science… sort of.
Red sky at night, sailors delight.
When there’s a red sky at night this means that the sun, that would be setting, is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. But what does that mean? Basically this indicates that the upcoming weather will be good. There will be a high pressure and stable air coming in from the west allowing you to have a nice day of sailing and fishing on the sea, making it a sailor’s delight.
Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.
However, if you wake up and see a red sunrise that might mean all the good weather has already passed by. The high pressure system probably already passed by and now you might be only getting a low pressure system, coming from the east. Also, a very, fiery red typically means that there is moisture in the air. And if there’s moisture in the air, there’s a high likelihood that means it’s going to rain and possibly even badly storm. Which, of course, indicates a sailor’s warning.
So watch the sky when you out on the water, but don’t worry. On the Kona Fishing Charters, we’ll make sure you don’t have to worry about the weather. The only thing you should be concerned about are the awesome sportsfish you’ll be catching. If you’re interested in Kona fishing charters, call us at (808) 960-1424!
What is the difference between bottom fishing and sports fishing? This is one of the questions we get often at Kona Fishing Charters. These are two very distinct fishing experiences, but many people do not know the difference between the two fishing types. In today’s blog post, we will explain the differences and the similarities between bottom fishing and sport fishing. We offer a great fishing experience on the Kona Fishing Charters, where you can rent us out and book an offshore fishing trip!
Sports Fishing
Although there is some overlap between the type of fish caught in the two different types of fishing experiences, sport and bottom fishing are pretty different from one another. Sport fishing (also known as big game fishing) involves dragging artificial lures on the surface behind the boat out in deep water. This attracts fish like the Ono, Tuna, and Marlin (all fish we have covered in previous blog posts). The stakes are higher than they are when you’re bottom fishing. Not only that but in general the fish are bigger in sport fishing.
Sport fishing methods, however, vary according to where you’re fishing, the species you’re targeting, and the resources available. It could be fly fishing, deep sea fishing, or another type. Sport fishing is done with a hook, line, rod, and reel rather than with a net or another fishing aid. Before fishing regulations occurred, sports fishers, even if they didn’t eat their catch, almost always killed their catch anyways to weigh them or keep them as trophies. However, now most sports fisherman practice catch and release (At Kona Fishing Charters, we encourage practicing catch and release for the Blue Marlin) in order to avoid interfering with fisheries or ecological habitats. It depends on the fish and the area, however, and if you join us on the Kona Fishing Charters, you can bring all your fish to dock if you choose to do so.
Bottom Fishing
The objective for rigs that are used in bottom fishing is to take your bait to the bottom, where the water hits the sand, and lure in the fish. The bait, of course, has to be appetizing to the fish, which is why live bait is often used more often than artificial lures.
Bottom fishing mostly uses live bait like squid also uses artificial lures but. Fishing is done when the boat is stopped (anchored or drifting over “spots” where fish are known to lurk in shallow water – 100 – 300 feet deep). Bottom fishing doesn’t have to be done only from boats as many anglers enjoy this type of fishing from land. Most of the fish caught are small, much smaller than the sports fishing but it’s still a fun challenge because of how light the tackle is. Bottom fishing doesn’t have to occur far from shore. The odds of catching fish are a lot greater than they are with sports fishing. Some types of fish that are caught with bottom fishing are reef fish like the gray snapper, moi’lua, barrucada, and the ta’ape.
Most of the fish are under 5lbs. when you go bottom fishing but the fish should still be delicious if you decide to cook it for dinner!
A common rig for bottom fishing is a weight tied to the end of the line and a hook that’s about an inch up line from the weight. This method can be used with handlines and rod fishing and the weight can be used to case or throw the line. The most common rig is called a “fish finder rig” while another, more rarely used rig is called a “break-away rig”. The last rig that’s often used in bottom fishing is called a “party boat rig”. This last one is often used on party boats which is why it is named that. Also, there are specialized fishing rods that are commonly used for bottom fishing called donkas.
In the end, you’ll catch more fish if you go bottom fishing but you won’t catch fish that are very big especially in comparison to the fish you’ll catch while sport fishing. It won’t be as much of a challenge as sport fishing is, especially to experienced anglers.
You can learn more about both fishing experiences if you book a deep sea fishing trip with us at Kona Fishing Charters. We can tell you about the similarities and differences between sport fishing and bottom fishing while you catch your own fish in the Hawaiian waters. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip!
We will conclude our series of Kona Fish facts with ten awesome broadbill swordfish facts! “When you fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters, you will see and experience many kinds of amazing and wonderful fish from the Pacific Sailfish to the Mahimahi fish. We knew our readers might enjoy 10 amazing facts about each of these spectacular Kona fish that you’ll see with us at Kona Fishing Charters. Today’s blog article is dedicated to the Black Marlin, which you will hopefully see (and possibly even catch) when you fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters!”
Awesome Broadbill Swordfish Facts
1. The bill of the broadbill swordfish is longer compared to other billfishes. The body of a broadbill swordfish is fairly cylindrical. They have two dorsal fins, although the second is quite small. It’s also separated from the first dorsal fin and set far back on the body. The first dorsal fin is high and rigid. Likewise, there are two anal fins, although again the second is considerably smaller than the first. The broadbill swordfish has no pelvic fins. Another cool fact about the appearance of a Broadbill Swordfish is that upon reaching adulthood, the broadbill swordfish loses their teeth in their jaws! Another thing that is lost as a broadbill swordfish grows older are scales!
2. The broadbill swordfish lives all across the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans no matter the climate and is a fairly migratory species. However, they often stick to Hawaii (so you should be able to catch one). They also primarily live in ocean depths of 650 to 1,970 feet, though it’s been observed swimming even deeper than that! How they do that is explained in fact five.
3. Swordfish feed at the surface mostly but they also tend to go deeper sometimes more than 2,100 feet! They, however, feed mostly upon pelagic fishes, and occasionally squids and other cephalopods. At lower depths they feed upon demersal fishes. The sword of the sworfish is not used to spear fish, but is still apparently used in obtaining prey, as squid and cuttlefishes commonly exhibit slashes to the body when taken from swordfish stomachs. It has been found the majority of large fish prey that swordfish feeds on had been slashed, while small prey items had been consumed whole. Baby (or larval) swordfish feed on other fish larvae and juvenile swordfish eat squid, fishes, and pelagic crustaceans.
4. Broadbill swordfish aren’t exempt from being preyed upon. The Predators of adult swordfish include marine mammals such as killer whales. Also younger broadbill swordfish are eaten by a variety of sharks and other large predatory fish including some of the fish we have covered previously: blue marlin, black marlin, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, and mahi mahi.
5. One of the reasons swordfish can go so deep in the ocean is because they have an adaptation which allows for swimming in such cold water. This adaption is the presence of a large bundle of tissue which insulates and warms the brain! This helps prevent rapid cooling and damage to the brain as a result of extreme vertical movements, allowing the swordfish to go much deeper into the ocean to escape predators or catch new prey.
6. Swordfish reach sexual maturity at 5-6 years of age, with a maximum lifespan of at least 9 years. Also, typically female swordfish grow larger and live longer than their male counterparts.
7. The IGFA all tackle record for broadbill swordfish is 1182 lb. and was caught by Louis Marron in Chile.
8. The broadbill swordfish has several names that it’s called by in Hawaii. It has TWO Hawaii Market Names which are mekajiki, shutome. Its Hawaiian Name is A`u and the Japanese Name it’s sometimes called by here is Mekajiki.
9. The broadbill swordfish is actually the sole member of their scientific family which is known as Xiphiidae.
10. All Hawaii broadbill swordfish are line-caught. And most of the time it’s the longline boats that are fishing fairly far away from any Hawaiian islands that are making the majority of the catches. Broadbill swordfish are only sometimes caught in other ways such as handlines and trollers.
The broadbill swordfish is truly an awesome fish that you should learn more about when you come fishing with us out on the beautiful Pacific at Kona Fishing Charters.
And that concludes our spotlight series on Kona fish! We hope you enjoyed learning about all the fish you might see when you come out on the Pacific Ocean with us. We’ll always tell you some cool facts when you come out with us, no matter what you’re interested in. Call us at (808) 960-1424 to learn more about deep sea fishing on the Kona Fishing Charters & book your fishing trip!
When you fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters, you will see and experience many kinds of amazing and wonderful fish from the Pacific Sailfish to the Mahimahi fish off our Kona coast. We knew our readers might enjoy 10 cool facts about each of these spectacular Kona fish that you’ll see with us at Kona Fishing Charters. Today’s blog article is dedicated to the varieties of spearfish there are, specifically focusing on the Shortbill Spearfish which is native to Kona, which you will hopefully see (and possibly even catch) when you fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters!
Ten Amazing Facts about Spearfish
1. The spearfish that is known best off the Kona coast is the Shortbill Spearfish. It’s also called the Hebi in the Hawaiian fish marketplace. The dorsal fin of the Shortbill Spearfish is shorter than that of other billfish species. The shortbill spearfish is known in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is caught year round off the Kona coast, one of the few areas where the spearfish is consistently caught.
2. The weight and size of the Kona fish is fairly large. The largest recorded shortbill spearfish weighed 74 pounds and 12 ounces and this species can reach a length of 91 inches, though most do not exceed 75 inches. However, the average weight of the spearfish caught off the Kona coast is 40 pounds.
3. Spearfish are pelagic, offshore, deep-water fish. Spearfish are typically available all year-round in small numbers off the coast of Hawaii and other Pacific locales.
4. The Pacific Shortbill Spearfish can be distinguished from other billfish by its slender, lightweight body. It, of course, also has a short bill, as well as a dorsal fin that is higher than in marlin and lower than in the sailfish. The bill of the shortbill spearfish is barely longer than its lower jaw, whereas the longbill spearfish has a bill that is about twice as long as its lower jaw. However, it is still noticeably short when compared to that in other billfish. The dorsal fin is bright blue and has no spots. The vertical bars on the body are never as prominent as in other billfish and may show only slightly or not at all.
5. The spearfish live in varied places across the world. Shortbill spearfish live in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Mediterranean spearfish live only in the Mediterranean. Roundscale spearfish live in the eastern Atlantic and the western Mediterranean, around Portugal and Spain, and closely resemble white marlin. Longbill spearfish live in the northwest, central and south Atlantic.
6. Available data indicates that the spearfish matures by the age of two and rarely lives past three years of age. Maximum age may be four to five years, but scientists are unsure.
7. The International Game Fish Association realizes that there is a difference amongst spearfish species and they plan on recognizing the distinction formally at some point. “We’re not opposed to it,” the President of IGFA says referring to the idea of splitting the categories.
8. Shortbill spearfish are caught year around off the Kona coast. Kona is one of the few areas that the acrobatic spearfish are consistently caught. Anglers trying to catch all types of billfish eventually come to Kona to catch the spearfish. This is because nearly all of the light tackle and fly fishing records for spearfish have been caught off the Kona coast.
9. Although the different spearfish live in different oceans from the Atlantic to the Pacific, they are not abundant in any one location and are rarely caught anywhere except Hawaii and the Mediterranean. This makes Spearfish difficult to catch. Their population levels are lower than most other fish in their genus and they swim deep underwater, far away from the surface.
10. Since they swim so far underneath the surface, all Hawaii spearfish are line-caught. Longline boats harvest most of the spearfish catch in Hawaii. However, spearfish are also caught by trollers using lures and baits.
There are even more amazing facts about spearfish. When you come fishing with us out on the beautiful Pacific at Kona Fishing Charters, we’ll answer your questions about all the different types of spearfish (or any other Kona fish) as best we can. But there’s nothing like seeing spearfish for yourself, especially once you hook one and bring it aboard the boat!
Next time in our series of Kona fish facts, we’ll give you some interesting facts about the Broadbill Swordfish, another Kona fish you will probably see when you come out to fish with us at Kona Fishing Charters! Call us at (808) 960-1424 to book your fishing trip!
