# 52177: Subject: Kona Coast, Hawaii

Submitted by Capt. Chip Van Mols (ip 66.8.189.234)

• Fished on 7/11/2004

• Report received: 7/11/04

Water Temperature: 82
Water Clarity: perfect
Seas: calm to moderate
Weather: sunny mid 80s
Fishing_for: Marlin and other palagics
Boat: Rod Bender
captain: Capt. Chip Van Mols

Report:
Kona Fish Report, July 11 2004 and June too.

Summer is here and time for the computer is scarce but here’s an overview of the what’s been happening. News Flash! The first GRANDER blue marlin of the year made it to the scales on July 3rd aboard the charter boat TARA with skipper Shawn Cleaver and mate Mike Shimimoto, official weight 1006 pounds. The fish was foul hooked square in the middle of the back and was dragged sideways from depths, stiff as a board, after a 5-hour battle, OUCH!!! Congrads to the boys and their party!!! Kona’s biggest fish for the 4th of July World Cup tourney was 701lb blue caught aboard the HoloHolo by Capt. Scott Pruner , nice fish but not big enough to beat the 1189 in Bermuda this year but it did win the Kona Cup and also the Firecracker Open and fetched the boys on Holo Holo over $100,000.00. More congrads!

This weekend the Marlin Skins tourney is in progress with day ones Skin taken by a 710 blue aboard the Game Boat and day two taken by a 680 aboard the Anxious. 25 boats still out there today competing for the final skin, 500lb minimum weight to qualify for a skin.

Blue marlin and Yellowfin tuna are the mainstay of our summertime fishery here and they are both present fair numbers this year. Also hanging around over the edge have been short nosed spearfish and the odd wahoo.

Here’s how we did on the ROD BENDER since the first of June: June 2nd, half day all zero’s June 7th, full day holoholo with my daughter Jada and one of her soccer mates Chelsea Possamonti. A wave of small blues had arrived and were biting right in front the harbor. Chelsea caught her first blue ever tagging one about 150lbs, 1 from 3 shots, and Jada caught a 30lb spearfish from 2 raised. GOOD FUN! June 9th, double half days. We tagged 1 spearfish from 2 bites and went 0 for 3 on small blues. June 10, afternoon half day. They were waiting for us right in front of the harbor, we went 2 for 3 tagging 150 and 200lb blues, only in Kona! June 11th, ¾ holoholo with Jada. 0 for 1 on blues. June 21st, full day with Dale Ransier and his party. We had the humm today tagging 3 blues from 7 raised, 140-250lb and an est. 30lb spearfish. Funny, I hadn’t been out in over a week and I had heard it was a bit slow all over but everywhere we went there they were! Ignorance is bliss sometimes. June 23rd, full day with Dale, We went to all the same areas today and no takers for us until 4:00 we scored a 119lb Ahi on the shot gun and backed it up with 125 ahi immediately after that. Talk about a mercy bite! June 24, full day with Dale and co. again. 1 for 2 on blues tagging an 180lber. June 25, full day with Nick Cortezi and his gang. We caught 1 small ono, lost a 150lb blue right behind the boat and also lost a spearfish. The moon and tides are perfect but the current (most important factor) is slack, fish are scattered. June 27-July 4th, Henry Potts and his Party for 8 days of slow fishing, we couldn’t get rolling on this trip. The marlin and ahi were still scattered and we had 6 or 7 marlin up for the trip only tagging 2 at 180 and 250lb and caught 1 spearfish from 5 raised, a 40lb ono and a 40lb cow mahi mahi. Not what I had in mind for 8 days over the full moon, sorry guys! There were some nice blues to 800+ caught during this period but … July5th, full day with the returning Cortezi party. Nick tagged his first blue est. 275lbs after a biteless morning and shortly after we encountered a double header on sailfish releasing one about 50lb. That was my second sailfish in Kona over the last 20 years, yep they’re rare here! We went looking for a spearfish to complete the slam but no dice, good day though! July 6th, full day with Daniel Davis and Anna. Anna did great job on her first blue marlin, tagging an est. 250lb and Daniel caught an ahi of 100lb gilled and gutted. 1 for three on blues, we jumped off a couple smaller ones. The Ahi was caught in a huge porpoise school we had all to ourselves, I thought we were going to sink the boat with them but we’ll take the one! July 7th, ¾ day with another Daniel and Peter who I recognized and we figured out that he went to school with my sister in-law, small world! Peter started out the morning a 160 ahi, his first ever and Dan caught a spearfish, no marlin bites today but a good day all the same! July9th, afternoon half day for no bites. Oops. There was fair bite in the morning and the afternoon bite was a bit out of our half-day range.

When we finally get our good current happening this place will go mental!! Still pretty fair fishing except our little 8 day backslide up there and you’re only one bite away from grander any day you wet a line here! We’re due! We have a few days off this week then it’s straight thru till Sept.3rd. I won’t be surprised if this summer the fishing continues right thru September, it was killer last year and after labor day you have all the grounds and fish pretty much to yourself. I’ll bet it really goes off here any day now, should be a good summer! Questions? bvanmols@rod-bender.com, or call 808-960-5954. I’m always happy to help!

Good fishin, tight lines and ALOHA! Capt. Chip Van Mols ROD BENDER Sportfishing

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