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Fishing the Kona Coast in Hawai'i

3K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Wormonhook 
#1 ·
Went out on a guide trip with Don Memmer, kickithilo@yahoo.com, on the Kona Coast of Hawai'i. My husband and I rented a home in Puako for the week and had to fish. Don took us to Anaeho'omalu, also called A-Bay, about 10 miles south of Puako. I still can't believe how many fish there were, I thought I would need to be out on a boat, near rocks and rough coast line, but we were on a sandy beach up to knees in water. Bonefish and Blue Trevally came up to the shrimp fly in 3 feet of water!

Don taught us to let a shrimp fly sink to the bottom and lightly move the fly, when the fish nibbled to set the fly by putting the rod into the water and pulling the line. Kinda hard at first, the trout hit is just a habit in me. Trevally's put up a decent fight but no Bonefish that day, though I did have a 5 pound Bonefish take the fly but I couldn't set it. Don was a little frustrated with me on that one. ;)

Don Memmer and his wife Joy both came out that day. Joy does private snorkeling and her knowledge of the reefs and wildlife is amazing. They're the perfect fishing couple, she knows the reefs and where the fish are, Don's casting skills catch the fish. It can't get better that that!

My husband had 3 fish that day, no Bonefish, but Blue Trevally's aren't bad. The following days I fished the reef at low tide in Puako. I got into a brown spotted/striped football sized fish. I think it was a Goatfish.
 
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#2 ·
Thanks for the report, it's been about 30yrs since I've been to Kona but if I ever get back I'll look that dude up.
 
#3 ·
Great report. I was in the vicinity over the holidays, half way between Puako and A-Bay, at one of the resorts. Didn't fish but sounds like I should have. It was close enough for sure but I was playing with the family and they don't fish. Did fish some on Waimea Bay (Kauai) but no love.
 
#4 ·
Great report, jesgal and thanks for it! :)

Wish I could get my wife interested in fishing. She loves being close to the water or out on a boat but isn't really into chasin' fishy creatures.

Your husband's a lucky guy!!
 
#6 ·
Huh, I didn't get that feeling from reading jesgal's post. I thought it was well written.

When I first moved to Oahu with my folks in Jan '67, I cast white feathered jigs on spinning gear off the beach near our house. I waded the flats out as far as waist deep. I didn't catch any bones, but I caught papio and barracuda. It would have been great fly casting there.

When I was snorkeling and trying to spear dinner, i would usually just get kumu and goatfish. That was usually over a reef near Sandy Beach, though.
 
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