Kaanapali Sportfishing Fish Guide
What
Can You Expect To Catch On Maui?
Marlin
Pacific
Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin and the Short-nosed Spearfish are found closer
to land in Hawaii than most places due to the deep waters surrounding our
islands. With the exception of shutome, billfish are harvested in the open
ocean by the same fleets which land fresh
tuna and they enter the same markets as tuna. Seasonality of species is evident,
with Pacific blue marlin most available during the summer months, striped
marlin most available in the spring and fall, and shortbill spearfish most
available in the summer and fall. Shutome is predominant in spring and summer.
Mahi Mahi (dolphin)
Mahimahi
(Coryphaena hippurus) is commonly known as dolphin (the fish, not the mammal),
dolphinfish, or dorado. When a
mahimahi takes the hook, its colors are brilliant blue and silver dappled
with yellow. These fade quickly when the fish dies. Large aggregations of
mahimahi are common around flotsam drifting at sea and off fish aggregation
buoys.
Ono (Wahoo)
Ono
(Acanthocybium solandri), commonly known as wahoo, is a close relative of
the king mackerel. Unlike true mackerel, ono rarely
school, but groups may be found around fish aggregation buoys. Surface catches
indicate that ono associate with banks, pinnacles and flotsam. However, longline
catches suggest that this species is also widely distributed in the open ocean.
Ono may grow to more than 100 pounds in round weight, but the usual size of
the fish caught in Hawaii is 8 to 30 pounds in round weight.
Ahi (yellowfin tuna)
Tuna
caught off the Hawaiian Islands belong to stocks which migrate long distances
across the Pacific
Ocean, and their availability in Hawaiian waters is seasonal. In Hawaii, the
peak season for most tuna
species is summer (April-September), but in contrast, the heaviest landings
of bigeye tuna occur in winter
(October-March).
Aku (skipjack tuna)
Aku is commonly known as skipjack tuna. Other names for this species include
striped tuna, oceanic skipjack
and katsuo. This near-surface schooling tuna is widely distributed across
the Pacific Ocean.
Ulua (giant Trevally)
The
Ulua is normally caught from the shoreline; however, it can
be caught from a boat by plug casting, deep jigging, drifting baits
or slowly trolled lures close to shore. These fish reach weights well
over 100 pounds.
Opah (moonfish)
Opah
or moonfish (Lampris regius) is one of the most colorful of the commercial
fish species available in Hawaii. A silvery-grey upper
body color shades to a rose red dotted with white spots toward the belly.
Its fins are crimson, and its large eyes are encircled
with gold. The moonfish's large, round profile may be the origin of its name.
Moonfish landed in Hawaii range from 60 to
over 200 pounds in round weight. A pelagic wandering species, it is often
found in the company of tunas and billfish.
Onaga
(red snapper)
Onaga (Etelis
coruscans) is one of Hawaii's fish better known by its Japanese name than
by its Hawaiian name, ula`ula. It is also called
ruby snapper or longtail snapper. This bottomfish is caught in deep waters
(100-180 fathoms), especially around outcroppings
along rocky bottoms. Most of the onaga caught off the Hawaiian Islands range
in size from 1 to 18 pounds. Onaga
caught in the South Pacific are often larger.
Opakapaka (pink snapper)
Opakapaka
(Pristipomoides filamentosus) is commonly known as crimson snapper or Hawaiian
pink snapper, although its skin is light brown. Opakapaka are usually caught
at depths between 30 and 100 fathoms. Fish caught over hard bottoms have brighter
skin colors than those caught over soft bottoms.
Although this species occurs throughout the tropical Pacific, nowhere does
it grow as large as in the Hawaiian Islands. When a new opakapaka fishing
area is discovered, the initial size of fish caught may be 12 to 18 pounds.
Opakapaka of this size could be at least 10 years old.
