Lepika Sportfishing, Kailua Kona, HI 96740 • 808-960-0068

Jim and Roger were back for more action today!  After fishing a few days ago with me they were well rested after catching a bunch of mahimahis.  They wanted a big blue marlin or a nice ahi to pull against today but the big fish just weren’t around.  Jim loves to say, “Here fishy…fishy” but I limited him to saying it only four times throughout the day.  I think he snuck a few more in while I was on the bridge but whatever he did, it worked.  Soon after we set the lines out we took a triple mahimahi strike and landed all three ranging from 10-15lbs.  For the next 3 hours we trolled an area no more than 2 square miles.  We took 4 short nose spearfish bites and successfully landed one that weighed about 32lbs and had a length of about six feet.  This was Roger’s first short nose spearfish so he decided to mount it to add to his many trophy North American and African plains game animals.  I’m sure the spearfish mount will look great over his mantle eating that 3lb brown trout he has hanging there!

Today was one of those frustrating days because we struggled to get a bite.  Other boats around me had some bites and landed a fish or two but today it was feast or famine.  You really had to be in the right spot.  One boat had a monster blue marlin estimated at 1000lbs but after a 2 hour fight they lost it at the boat.  Mark, his son Steve and daughter Elizabeth were troopers the whole day.  They knew the routine and had fished Kona before.  I stayed offshore almost all day fishing between 600-1000 fathoms without a bite.  Near the end of the day I decided to go to the 100 fathom ledge and try where others didn’t.  It paid off, and we tagged a nice short-nose spearfish about 35lbs.  As we neared the Green Bouy right in front the harbor I cleared two of the five lines.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a nice blue marlin come up and give the long corner bait a look.  It switched to the last two lures in the pattern but didn’t bite.  In Kona, you’re still fishing until the last line is in!

Jim has fished with me for about 3 years now.  He hoped to get another nice blue marlin like last years 259lb-er but a huge floating cargo net changed his mind.  We were the third boat to arrive at the cargo net floating just above the surface.  Under it were a few hundred hungry mahimahi, small yellowfin tuna and some big galapagos sharks.  We caught our first mahimahi on heavy conventional gear – a nice 25lb female.  I decided to go with some lighter tackle gear so we switched to my Shimano Trevala rods with Shimano Baitrunner spinning reels.  For the next few hours we caught 9 mahimahi from 12-25lbs on light gear.  We even had a few doubles!

 Jim and Roger did a great job fighting all those fish but quickly tired themselves out.  They could fight fish no more!  So, off we went trolling the nearby ledge where we had a small striped marlin almost to the boat before it jumped off.  Not quite a big blue marlin but I don’t think Jim minded losing that fish….

Today I hosted albacore fanatics John and Serena from Seattle, WA.  We’ve had a great Striped Marlin and Short-nose Spearfish bite lately south of the harbor and that’s where we headed.  At about 9am we were off of Keauhou when I got word of a big pod of dolphins holding big ahi (Yellowfin Tuna).  We pulled the lines up an made the 9 mile run to the school in about 30 minutes.  The pod of dolphins were scattered for most of the morning but we stuck with them and got one of the ahi to bite.  It was Serena’s turn in the chair and she did a great job working this 164lb. Kona Ahi to the boat in just under 15 minutes!

Today was Keith’s last day to fish kona.  We had calm water conditions all day and a really nice north current.  We headed up off the airport to the “Grounds” where we saw good signs of bait.  Keith has fished Kona for many years with me and we were lucky enough to catch a nice blue marlin.  We got several nice jumps off this hot fish.  See you next year Keith for more Kona marlin fishing!