Last Saturday we held the blessings of our new boats the IHU NUI and the IHU NUI II. This sacred ritual is called “lolo ana I ka moku(imparting brains to the boat), was used by ancient kahuna (priests) to consecrate the launching of a new canoe. In accordance with cultural protocol, the ceremonial dedication commenced with a pule kahea (sacred prayer chant) to invoke the presence of the benevolent Hawaiian deities. Using a koa bowl filled with coconut water and a lau ki(ti leaf), kahu performed the customary pi kai (sprinkling blessing) with the kōkua(help) of the boatowner, to spiritually sanctify the vessel and remove any taboo. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Daniel Akaka and his wife Anna and as they encircled the two boats, they called upon the Hawaiian akuaand ‘aumakua (ancestral guardian spirits) to watch over, guide and safeguard the boat on its seafaring ocean voyages to and from Hawaii’s shores. Maile Leis were fastened to the bow of the boat for protection. The blessing ceremony concluded with the sharing of aloha and kahu saying, “E au ana ‘oe iloko o keia moku me ka palekana a me ke aloha o na Akua.” (You may travel inside of this boat with safety and the blessings of the heavenly ones.
This was a beautiful sunny clear day in Kona after a storm had just passed the day before and we were surrounded by family and many special friends and other Captains from Honokohau Harbor. After the ceremony we were also blessed to have had the Luau provided by Sam Choy, his lovely wife Carol and their son Chris.
We hope that you will all come over to the Big Island soon to experience our New Rides.
On December 10th Capt. McGrew Rice and crew Carlton Arai hauled a huge blue marlin aboard the charter boat Kona Fishing Charters. Judging by eye, alone, it could have topped the 1,000-pound mark. If so, it would have been the third grander of the year for Kona and the third grander for each of McGrew and Carlton. But we fishermen can’t go only by what our lying eyes tell us, or every fish would be a world record. It isn’t a grander until the weigh scales make it official. Obey the Kona rule: “You can’t say it unless you weigh it.”
In the long ride back to the dock, McGrew and Carlton pulled out the tape, checked some key measurements, and got ready to be disappointed.
First, the tail stump measured just over 19 inches. The stump is the link between the motor (the body’s muscle mass) and the propeller (the big sweeping tail). The stump (officially, the “caudal peduncle”) on a grander usually has a girth of at least 20 inches. McGrew says he wouldn’t be comfortable with any measurement less than 19.5 inches.
Next comes the “short length,” which is the distance from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail (LJFT). For a marlin of normal conformation (not too fat, not too skinny), the LJFT length has to be 134 inches. This one came in at 133 inches.
So it looked like the Kona Fishing Charters’s Wednesday blue would be a few pounds less than 1,000. The missing factor would be what the marlin had in its belly. If it had feasted royally on a big tuna, that would make up all the weight needed.
Back at the dock, they were sure to bind the mouth shut so the stomach contents stayed put as the Fuel Dock crew swung the fish up and out of the boat for weighing. The scale meter flashed the true weight at that anxious moment in time as “996.” As McGrew’s wife Jennifer noted, it was one baitfish away from being Kona’s third grander of 2014.
That makes it what I call a “part-time grander.” At some point in its feeding cycle over the preceding days, it undoubtedly topped the 1,000-pound mark, because stomach contents do count in the official weight. Indeed, it might have been a grander when hooked that day. Marlin are known to unload their bellies during the fight. Ironically, if McGrew had caught it on a 4-pound bait and the fish had swallowed it, forget the measurements. The blue would have come in at 1,000 pounds on the nose.
So that’s the lesson for the day. You now have the standard measurements to file away for the next time you hook a giant marlin and wonder whether it is big enough to “go.”
THE REST OF THE STORY
The 996-pound marlin showed up at a spot McGrew had staked out the previous day. The Kona Fishing Charters had trolled through an area in 1500 fathoms off Keauhou and encountered big aku (skipjack tuna). These baitfish are great belly-fillers for marlin of all sizes.
The prospects for a big fish looked even better when word got around that Herb Jensen and John Wilson of the boat Lawaia had tagged and released a fish estimated at 650 pounds on Tuesday.
Wednesday, McGrew returned with Carlton and his charter Mike Demmer of Minnesota. Mike is a novice big-game fisherman and the 996-pounder would be his first blue marlin ever.
Allowing for fish movements based on current changes, they were working the promising area at around 10:00 am when the line on the short rigger snapped out of the release clip. In that position, Carlton had set out a purple Softhead lure — a style that catches fish of all sizes and types. In fact, when the line went down with very little fanfare, Carlton suspected it might be one of the smaller striped marlin we have been expecting to arrive in waves any day now.
Carlton changed his mind quickly when the line began screaming off the reel. He saw the fish jump completely out of the water and revised his estimate up to 800-pounds or more.
“This fish had more line out on me than I’ve had in years,” McGrew said. Time to get some back.
Though he was fighting his first marlin, Mike settled into the routine he had learned earlier during orientation and stayed with it as McGrew turned the Kona Fishing Charters to chase the fish. When a big fish takes control and heads for the horizon, you don’t wait until it has emptied the reel before you realize you have to go after it to keep what’s left of your line. With a little bit of help from Carlton toward the end, Mike got the fish to the boat in about an hour and ten minutes.
Based on their previous estimate of 800 pounds or so, McGrew and Carlton were set on placing a tag, removing the hook and releasing the fish. Unfortunately, the fish got very stubborn with about 40 or 50 yards out. It fought until it rolled over, changed color, and quit. Unable to revive it, they hauled it aboard and began their “guess-the-size” game.
Though it didn’t make the 1,000-pound mark, it is still the third heaviest marlin weighed here in 2014.
With two weeks left to go, that third grander of 2014 might yet show, McGrew said. “People forget that November, December and January can be good ‘big-fish months’ here in Kona”. Story by Jim Rizzuto.
November brings much news to be Thankful for this Holiday Season. Researchers are launching a new tagging program for AHI in West Hawaii that will help them better understand the patterns of this highly migratory and elusive fish. With the help of area fisherman the $4000.00 devices will be tagged into five Big Eye Tuna that are 70 pounds or larger this winter. Designed to read water temperature and depth and to transmit location to a satellite, the tags will help researchers understand how fish behave and how environmental factors may influence their migratory pattern.
The research is a collaboration of the Pacific Island Fisheries Group, West Hawaii Fishermen and the Large Pelagics Research Center, and is sponsored by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. The project was unveiled at a gathering of fisherman, researchers and fishery council staff in which Capt. McGrew Rice was present.
New FAD in Town…..Kona fishermen and the council are also collaborating on a device to attract fish, which has already been deployed about 20 miles off Kealakekua Bay. Numerous fish species congregate around the anchored floats, essentially creating offshore fishing holes. The fish aggregation device is designed to increase fishing opportunities and aide in data collection and research. This will also reduce the searching for fish and will help with fuel costs. The placement of the anchored 12-foot long skiff and GPS beacon is strategic according to captain McGrew Rice who is a member of the council. “It’s central where private FAD’s were put out there that have worked in the past very well and considered a proven area”
More Sashimi for the Holidays…..Hawaii fisherman got other good news. The state’s longline fleet can now contract with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for a portion of it’s AHI quota. The additional fish will help head off shortages of sashimi during the New Year’s holiday. For many years, the threat of a shortage during the holiday’s has caused higher prices for families and less productivity for our fishermen. We are pleased that NOAA and the Hawaii longliners…ensuring families won’t experience any shortage of sashimi when ringing in the New Year.
This week on the IHU NUI II our new 40′ Miller Marine was taken out for the first time to try everything out from the engines to the fishing equipment. We call this the “Shake Down” voyage to get the bugs out so to speak. Well this proved to be a good day to test it out as we had fishing veteran Louise Hawkins aboard along with Captain McGrew’s wife Jennifer Rice, Tony Clark and Carlton Arai. Louise is 95 years old and holds three Women’s IGFA world records on light tackle and just happens to be Jennifer’s grandmother. Louise and her husband Clifford have a long history in Kona with fishing on their boats the Papa’s Keiki and the Papa’s Keiki II. They came to Kona in the early 1960’s and built their first home in Papa Bay. They participated in many of the Kona Mauka Troller tournaments, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, the Kona Gold Jackpot, Kona Gold and the Golden Goddess tournaments. Jennifer came over as a young child to visit her grandparents and fish with them over summer breaks and holidays and even in between her breaks from professional figure skating and Ice Capades World Tours. However, Louise always took the Big Ones while Jennifer was trained to take the Ono’s and Mahi Mahi’s and became an excellent photographer capturing these exciting moments. Now the tables have tuned and history continues as Louise is happy to capture Jennifer catching the Big Ones! Today was no exception as good luck struck again with Jennifer catching her largest Mahi Mahi to date weighing in at 30 lbs. As many of you know this has been a long journey for the IHU NUI II. Starting off in Savannah, Georgia to be transported to Kona with some major detours that resulted in a year long journey to finally arrive here at it’s new home in Honokohau Harbor. This delay turned into a blessing as this situation helped us find the IHU NUI 45′ Monterey which is proudly docked next to the IHU NUI II. Today as we embark on our first official Charter on the IHU NUI II we look forward to many years of adventures fishing in Kona on this beautiful Kona Coast.
The Kona Fishing Charters is a 45′ Custom Monterey fully loaded with two QSM 11 Cummings engines and state of the art electronics such as Garmin 5212 GPS and Depth Sounder. Simard Auto Pilot and Furuno Radar. Teak decks and covering boards, water maker, fish box with Eskimo Ice Machine in deck, Air Conditioned Spacious Comfortable Salon with Two Large Sofas. The Galley includes a Microwave, Cook top, Two Stainless Drawer Refrigerators and a U-Line Ice Maker. Master Stateroom with Private Head & Shower and Crew Quarters with two bunks and another head with shower. The Bridge also has ample seating with three benches. This boat is equipped with state of the art Shimano tackle with custom rods.
The Kona Fishing Charters II is a 40′ Custom Miller Marine fully loaded with two QMS 11 Cummings engines and state of the art electronics such as Garmin 5212 GPS and a Furuno Depth Sounder and a Furuno Radar. Water Maker, Large Fish box with Ice Chipper. Four tuna tubes in covering board, Air Conditioned Salon with large curved sofa. The Galley includes granite counter tops, Stainless Steel Sink, Cook top, Microwave, Sub Zero refrigerator drawers and large freezers out on the deck. Includes a Master Stateroom and a two bunk Crew Quarters with extra large head and shower. The bridge has two helm chairs and a large bench. This boat is also equipped with Shimano tackle and custom rods.
Both boats have already proven the same IHU NUI performance catching fish in Kona. Please phone to reserve your dates today!
WE SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST………..
