Kona Hawaii fishing report - Archive -

Kona Hawaii fishing report 5/24/02

The marlin bite has been a bit slow for Kona but the fish sizes have been BIG! The largest since my last report was a 848 pounder caught on the Ihu Nui. There have been several caught in the 300 to 600 pound range in the past month. Also many rumors of "granders" that have fought and won their battles. I still remain in 4th place for Kona's biggest marlin of the year but I don't think I'll stay there long. There have been 2 fish recently that were real close. The striped marlin have moved out of Kona for the year so my "biggest of the year" striped marlin record appears to be safe. There's an article about it in this months issue of Sport Fishing Magazine.

The spearfish are here! So much for my prediction last month about them not showing this year. The fishing seasons are a bit messed up. Can't these fish learn how to read the calendar? The "shibi" that were supposed to show up at the beginning of winter are just showing up now. Lots of action on the FAD's. The mahi mahi are biting like they're supposed to, the ono are starting to show up along with some yellowfin tuna bites here and there. Most of what's being caught in Kona right now is mahi mahi and ono.

The bottom fishing bite has slowed down a bunch. Not because they're not down there but because they're being real picky about what they'll eat. Sea conditions and bait availability is changing on a day-to-day basis. It makes it hard to plan a course of action. I've been switching style, target species and gear several times a day to make sure my anglers don't get skunked. I still maintain the highest sportfish catch rate in Kona.

See 'ya on the water,
Capt. Jeff Rogers
http://FISHinKONA.com