| A recent conversation centered around "extreme | | | | there are any waves to speak of. |
| fishing." It started with one's comment about | | | | Yet despite the obvious risks, slide-baiting is the |
| these "wild men," somewhere along the Mississippi, | | | | venue of choice for many of Hawaii's top shore |
| who would stick their hands in submerged traps | | | | fishermen many of whom have achieved |
| to let a catfish try and swallow their hands then | | | | membership in the 100# club, an elite group of |
| pull the greedy catfish up and flip in into a boat. | | | | anglers who have caught an ulua of a hundred |
| We all agreed it was pretty extreme to stick | | | | pounds or more. |
| one's hand in the mouth of anything as large as | | | | Slide-baiting starts off with the largest shore |
| the "cats" they were pulling up! | | | | fishing tackle you will come across. The poles are |
| Then, of course, the conversation turned to local | | | | heavy-duty twelve to fourteen-foot casting poles |
| fare--kayak fishing in the deep blue... free-dive | | | | equipped with conventional reels like the Penn |
| spear fishing for big tuna and wahoo in open | | | | 4-0's and 6-0's loaded with 50# - 75# test line. |
| ocean... trying to tag a marlin while it's thrashing a | | | | The rig is comprised of weights between 8-10 |
| bill and hook alongside the boat. In this congenial | | | | ounces connected to the main line with a large |
| arena of fishing tales one-upsmanship, all of the | | | | ring and weaker line intended to break away |
| well-known fishing venues for which Hawaii has | | | | when the fish is hooked or when the line needs to |
| been noted were discussed except one which I | | | | be retrieved. Generally, a slide baiter will cast his |
| reflected on after everyone had left. | | | | line out once at the beginning of the session. Since |
| For all of the fishing Hawaii offers, few are so | | | | each member of a group might have three to |
| uniquely tied to the islands as slide-baiting. Ask any | | | | four poles making for a pretty crowded fishing |
| local fisherman to name a single prized fish here in | | | | perch, the only time lines are reeled back in is |
| Hawaii and many of the responses will come back | | | | when a fish hits or when it's time to leave. |
| an "ulua" (oo loo' ah.) The Hawaiian name for a | | | | During the session, the fishermen slide their |
| trevally weighing over ten pounds, the ulua is the | | | | chosen bait down the line with a special leader. A |
| largest of all Hawaiian fish caught from the shore. | | | | hook is fastened to a stiff wire leader with a |
| Growing well in excess of a hundred pounds, ulua | | | | pigtail swivel on the other end allowing it to be |
| are fierce fighters and popular table fare as well. | | | | attached to the main line. The bait slides down as |
| Among the most popular environs for ulua are | | | | far as the ring at the end of the main line |
| the deep drops that lie off of many of the islands' | | | | preventing the bait from touching the bottom. |
| rocky coasts. And while the underwater | | | | Baits are slid down throughout the session without |
| topography might be perfect for fish, the anglers | | | | the fishermen ever having to worry about |
| wanting to fish these domains are faced with | | | | checking their bait or risking entanglement with |
| some precarious fishing spots often characterized | | | | other lines. |
| by steep ledges, sharp rocks, and threatening | | | | When a fish is caught, the prospect of bringing it |
| waves. | | | | up on the rocks from waters some ten feet or |
| The volcanic origin of the islands in which lava | | | | more below can be pretty tricky. A special gaff |
| flows added to the coastline over the years in | | | | hook with an open ring and rope is slid down the |
| which the islands were formed created a miles of | | | | main line down to the fish which is gaffed by |
| shorelines which end abruptly with a drop into the | | | | jerking up from under the fish then pulling it up |
| ocean. In these areas, it's not uncommon to find | | | | with the rope. It's a pretty slick technique that |
| immediate water depths of sixty feet or more | | | | takes a bit of practice especially with a fish that |
| within an easy casting distance. These areas, | | | | weighs in at fifty to a hundred pounds and more. |
| often ten feet or more above the water, are the | | | | Most of us will never experience fighting a |
| haunts of Hawaii's slide-bait fishermen! | | | | hundred pound ulua from a rocky ledge but a look |
| As a youngster, I was always fascinated by a | | | | at any of the trophies these skilled anglers have |
| white marker on an overlook along a highway on | | | | brought up might convince you that this is a |
| Oahu's east side. I had learned that it memorialized | | | | pretty extreme form of fishing. It's a form of |
| a fisherman who had drowned after being | | | | fishing you'll seldom hear about but is going on in |
| washed off the ledge by large waves. Looking | | | | Hawaii at some awfully precarious spots on |
| over the rocky coast which jutted anywhere | | | | almost any moonless night! |
| from three to ten feet above the water, it was | | | | The author, Richard Young, is the creator of |
| easy to see that getting back on to land after | | | | HawaiiBeachcombers.com, a site which includes |
| falling into the water was pretty close to | | | | Hawaii Fishing along with other favorite island |
| impossible on a calm day let alone at night (the | | | | ocean activities. |
| preferred time for this type of fishing) and when | | | | |