Gorillas

[mems]

Aloha, here in Hawaii we call big ahi gorillas. Today I got one. I lost one on friday at the gaff, and my friend lost one today, also at the gaff. I got it on conventional gear on this blue maurader. By the way that lure has caught over 500lbs of ahi, ono and ulua in the past month. I also got this ono today, and the mahi yesterday. I got the mahi on a spinner. We got about 20 samll ahi and I got some of those on the fly. I just don't see how anyone could get an ahi like this on the fly rod. It is hard enough on conventional gear, it took me 45 minutes to land this fish today. Sashimi for everyone. Laterz, Mems.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/DSC00698.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/DSC00694.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/DSC00696.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/DSC00693.jpg

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Can we say "Sashimi" or "Wasabi".................?

Wahoo..........great fish and great photos.

Thanks 'mems'

[Darian]

Hey Don,.... Great catch. How long does it take to clean up/process an Ahi that big :?: :?: Your filet knife has to be a machete. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jbird]

HOLY yellowfin pig batman!!!!!! I love when I see mems has posted a fresh report, you know there will be some nice pictures 8)

Don, youre gonna live a long healthy life eating all the fish you do, not to mention staying young at heart by catching them...

Very nice!

J

[mems]

Mahalo for the comments guys. Bill I hope you don't mind me putting non-fly caught fish. The ahi I got on the fly just didn't compare.
Darian, it takes longer to clean and process this fish than it did to catch it. The big eye is a nice pink sashimi that is very sweet. I like it better than yellowfin. I am going to do a soy sauce seared, wine poached, bacon wrapped steak dish tomorrow night with the steaks I have. That recipe is out of this world.
J-bird, I love fish, and love to cook it all kinds of ways. I hope I live a long life, but I am afraid my mecury level might be a bit high. What was I just saying? If my memory starts to fade... please remind me of the fish I caught. I tend to only remember the ones I lost! Take care guys, Mems.

[Darian]

Hey Don,.... Look at it this way, you'll always be able to tell the temperature without a thermometer. :lol: :lol: :lol:

That recipe sure sound good. You gotta gimme a report.... 8) 8) 8)

[SullyTM]

mems... Nice fish!! Can you give us some details on how you fished these puppies. Type of water, time of day etc.. Having never fished for anything approaching what you caught, I'd be interested in hearing about the "hunt!" Thanks. Thom

[mems]

Aloha Thom, basically you use two different strategies here fishing off-shore. You troll and look for fish, or you use bait and wait for them to find you. Both methods can be productive, and there are some minor adjustments you can make to increase your chances. The large ahi and the ono both hit the blue maurader in the picture. I have wire as a bite guard, and have fished that lure on 80lb to 130lb main line test.
We have been trolling the 40 fathom ledge and have been getting lots of ono. The large ahi started to show up a week ago. I lost one last friday and got this one on monday. We also lost another one that day. They are very difficult to land and gaff. Strong fish, big circles and they can pull you in the water, or rip off fingers and other body parts while leadering them.
I got the mahi at a local bouy, a fish attracting device set out by the state of Hawaii. They are known as fads or fish aggregate devices. We were catching small ahi on poppers, and decided to switch to bait to see if anyone bigger was around. The bull mahi came to check out the chum, and I baited a circle hook on a spinner and tossed it to the mahi. The fish took off and it took about 30 minutes to land the fish after several leaps and cartwheels. I really enjoy catching those fish.
Trolling is a good way to cover distance, and can produce large fish. I prefer the action of the bouys and catching lots of fish. Plus that is where I can use the fly rod.
I really like to catch fish and don't care about how I do it. I love to catch a fish bigger than the gear I use, and that makes it a challenge. Ofcourse the fly is the ultimate, and my friends think I am nuts. The sport and the challenge are fun to me. Eating and cooking the fish is another passion, but that only comes after they are in the boat. I don't know how anyone would land an ahi that size on the fly. They are just beasts.
I hope this helps give you a better picture of how we fish. The water was deep blue, and the islands are green. Sometimes it is very rough, but that is when you know you have paid the price. Fishing over here is really fantastic at times. Have a good season, Don.

[SullyTM]

Thanks Mems...If I'm ever in the neighborhood I'll be sure to bring my gear :D And I thought an 8 inch bluegill on the fly was a thrill :wink:

Adios...Thom