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View detailed surf forecast for Honokohau Harbour. Visit surf-forecast.com for more details, long range forecasts, surf reports, swell and weather maps.

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When to catch on Hawai‘i Island...*

Will I catch anything?

What to catch on Hawai‘i Island...

Fish	Description	Method	Flavor	Preparations
‘Ahi Yellowfin	Identify Ahi by the dual dorsal fins and bright yellow finlets along the spine. Congregate in large schools feeding on small baitfish and squid. Frequently found following schools of porpoise. Weight up to 300 pounds ( Hawai‘i Record 325 lbs)	caught trolling artificial lures, and slow trolling small live baitfish. When the fish are aggressively feeding in schools, pitching live rigged baits to the fish is especially effective.found over deepwater banks and submarine ledge areas at depths to 1000 fathoms. Young fish can travel near the surface.	Firm texture with mild flavor.	Raw (sashimi, sushi, poke). A preferred species for sashimi. Excellent for grilling, seared or blackened
‘Ahi Bigeye	Bigeye may be recognized by its plump body, its larger head and its unusually large eyes. Weight to 150 pounds, but some have been known to reach 300 pounds.	Caught using trolling lures, plugs and baits. Staying below 60 to 70 fathoms day, move closer to surface at night	Firm texture with mild flavor.	Grill, Broil, Sauté, Raw. One of the preferred species for sashimi. High fat content makes it desirable for grilling.
Aku Skipjack	Dark metallic blue above and light dusky blue below with four or five dark purplish stripes. Range from 4 to 30 pounds in weight. (Hawai‘i Record 40.8 lbs)	Caught trolling. in waters 100 fathoms and deeper. Difficult to land because soft jaw tissues	Flesh is oily and dark with firm texture and rich flavor.	Raw (sashimi, poke), Seared (tataki), Broiled, Fried, Sautéed, Dried. Main species used for canned tuna(Chunk Light).
A‘u Blue Marlin	Larger size, heavier bill, and rougher, dark/black skin. It lacks the stripes of the nairagi. Can get as large as 1,600 pounds, usual size of fish marketed is 80 to 300 pounds.	Caught trolling	Firm texture with somewhat mild flavor.	Raw (poke, sashimi), Grilled, Fried, Sautéed, Smoked Kajiki with high fat content is suitable for sashimi and other raw fish dishes.
A‘u Striped Marlin	Slenderest bill and the most visible stripes with high, pointed dorsal fin. Usually between 40 and 100 pounds are rarely over 130 pounds.	Caught trolling. Caught near shore by slow trolling with live bait or lures certain times of the year.	Firm texture with mild flavor.	Raw (sashimi, sushi, poke, ceviche), Broiled, Grilled, Sautéed, Smoked, Tempura. Ideal for grilling.
Hebi Shortbilled Spearfish	Dorsal fin is shorter than that of other billfish, bill is very short. Hebi caught in Hawai‘i are usually 20 to 40 pounds.	Caught trolling	Softer texture than Nairagi and Kajiki. Mild flavor.	Broiled, Grilled, Sautéed, Raw (poke)
Mahimahi	Brilliant green and yellow dotted with phosphorescent blue, with purplish blue dorsal fin. Colors change rapidly when fighting and just before death. Most fish are between 8 and 25 pounds, Capable of lengths over 4 feet in the first year of life, and over 6 feet in four years.	Caught using trolling lures, plugs and baits. School in large numbers and feed on small baitfish, needlefish, flying fish and squid.	Thin-skinned with firm, light pink flesh. Lean, fairly firm with large, moist flakes with sweet mild flavor.	Grilled, Broiled, Sautéed, Tempura (best with chips). Should not be overcooked — cook until it flakes and no longer.
Ono	Fast swimmers built like a torpedo. May grow to more than 100 pounds, but usual size caught in Hawai‘i is 8 to 30 pounds.	Caught using trolling lures, plugs and swim baits. Roams surface waters 50-60 fathoms usually over ledges or found near floating objects	Firm with a large, circular flake. Lean and mild taste.	Grilled, Broiled, Blackened, Sautéed, Poached, Tempura-good cooking method for “lean fish”.

Wild Hawai‘i Fish
The Big Tunas
Hawai‘i Gamefish
Hawai‘i Bottom Fish Guide

Where to get catching stuff...

Big Island Baits

How to catch on Hawai‘i Island...

Trolling With Big Game Lures

Hawai‘i Fishing Regs links...

	Department of Land and Natural Resources
	Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)

Hawai`i Fishing Regulations
Hawai`i Fishing Regulations - July 2022
How to Measure
Scientific Names of Regulated Species
Bottom Fishing
Fishing Around Protected Species
About Marine Managed Areas
DAR FAQ’s
Ocean Recreation Management Area (ORMA) Interactive Map

	NOAA Fisheries Permits
	Main Hawaiian Islands Non-Commercial Bottomfish This permit is required for any person, including vessel owners, fishing non-commercially for bottomfish management unit species in the EEZ around the main Hawaiian Islands. If the participant possesses a current State of Hawaiʻi Commercial Marine License, or is a charter fishing customer, he or she is not required to have this permit.

Education and Other Fishing Information Links...

DAR Education
Fishing in Hawai`i	Marine Invertebrates of Hawai`i

Pelagic Fishes of Hawai`i	Bottom Fishes of Hawai`i	Hawai`i's Jacks
Sharks of Hawai`i	Nearshore Fishes of Hawai`i	Hawaiian Tidepool and Shallow Reef

Study Guide for Boating Education

Other Boating/ Fishing Related WWW links...

NOAA Custom Charts
Sailing Weather
Marine Traffic

The Tunas...

Yummmm...