VOL . 40 • ISS . 16 August 27 , 2021

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Bryce from local tackle support J . Hara . Ernie , one of J . Hara ’ s suppliers , Amy , Ernie ’ s friend and Ivan , Amy ’ s friend . Ernie was in Hawaii to celebrate his parents 50th wedding anniversary and wanted to get in a day of fishing . The charter was on our 50 ’ Uniflite / Chris Craft Boom Boom II . Boom Boom II is docked at Waianae Small Boat Harbor on Oahu ’ s Leeward side . The Leeward side offers world class big game fishing since the water gets very deep very fast ( 3000 feet 3.5 miles out ) and the water is protected from the wind by the Waianae Mountain Range . Although most of Oahu ’ s Fishing Charters depart from Honolulu , the informed anglers usually choose Waianae . My deckhand JT and I arrived about an hour before the charter to an absolute madhouse of a harbor . This Saturday was the day of the Westside Ahi Fishing Tournament . 100 boats with crews of fishermen eager to get out and compete in a tournament when all the other Oahu tournaments were shut down due to COVID . The lines to the six boat ramps stretched all the way back a quarter of a mile to Farrington Hwy . I planned on using our 5am start time as a one hour head start to the deep sea traffic jam ! As we left the harbor we passed about 50-60 boats on the starting line and headed out . We then went 12 miles out to the Waianae Pinnacle . The pinnacle is a Westside fisherman ’ s favorite . Surrounded by water averaging 9000 feet the pinnacle rises to 3000 feet . Making it a great spot for currents and upwellings to stir up nutrients for small bait fish and in turn attract big fish . We worked the area for a while and the boats started to approach . We noticed birds flying close to the water on the left side of the pinnacle . We turned towards them and the next thing you know JT shouts Hana Pa ’ a ( Hawaiian for fish ON !!). The center reel peeled out line

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Fishing • Hunting • Destinations Conservation • History Dedicated to the Northern California Outdoorsman

Amy , Ivan , Bryce and Ernie got a chance to pull on this beautiful yellowfin . Ahi pull hard and all four anglers were ready to “ tap out ” and give the others a turn to fight this fish !

Photo of Boom Boom Sportfishing

Captain Tony shows off his Ahi chain that is made of 18k gold and has 2.5 carats of yellow , white and blue diamonds . The Ahi Chain is made by Jason Dow is very well known in Hawaii and offers beautiful jewelry . Visit them online at www . jasondow . com .

Photo Courtesy of Amy Wellenkamp

and it was evident that we had a big Yellowfin Tuna or Ahi on ! Everyone took a turn on the reel except Ivan . We finally wore the fish down and gaffed it in 30 minutes . After bleeding it to get rid of the lactic acid that could cook the meat we brought it onto the boat . It was a nice fish but not huge ,

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CALIFORNIA ’ S LONGEST RUNNING OUTDOOR TALK SHOW !

Sometimes it ’ s not the fish picture that catches your attention . This amazing view of the ocean and the gear used when targeting Ahi Tuna is mesmerizing !

Photo Courtesy of Amy Wellenkamp

about 120lbs . When we brought the fish in Amy looks at me and says , “ We ’ re shooting the cover of a magazine . Can we take a picture with the fish right away ?”. I looked back at her and said , “ Not right now . We wanna get the lines back in the water and trolling again . The cover will look a lot better with 2 Ahi !” Amy agreed and we proceeded to get the lines back out . Before Ernie could take the “ cover shot ” with the Ahi I wanted him to put on the “ Ahi Chain ”. The Ahi Chain is Boom Boom Sportfishing ’ s version of the University of Miami Football Team ’ s Turnover Chain . If a Miami player gets a fumble recovery or catches an interception he gets to wear the turnover chain on the sideline for a minute . The Ahi Chain is made of 18k gold and has 2.5 carats of yellow , white and blue diamonds . The Ahi Chain is made by my friend and longtime Hawaii Lacrosse teammate Jason Dow . Jason ’ s jasondow . com jewelry is top notch and well known in Hawaii . So Ernie puts on the chain and takes the picture . We put the ahi away and no more than ten minutes later the center reel takes off and is SCREAMING !! No doubt another Ahi and this ones bigger ! At first , Ernie and Bryce take turns battling the fish . And then Ivan steps in and takes over on the reel wearing out the fish . We brought it to the boat in 45 minutes , bled it and set up to fish again . Well you probably get the point , cover shot take 2 . This fish

By Captain Tony

Ernie Marlan was all smiles when he landed this gorgeous yellowfin . Battles with this sized yellowfin really tests your strength . Sore and cramping arms are usually the norm .

Photo of Boom Boom Sportfishing

was fatter . Mitre round and like a butterball . Ernie had a tougher time standing this one on its nose . It was a 160lb Ahi !! We got more pics and even Ivan got into the picture action . We all high fived as we set up looking for number three . That fish never came but that was ok because we had a great experience !! Everyone was very excited that Amy and Ernie got the cover shot they were looking for ! JT and I were very happy because the price for Ahi was at an all time high for us at $ 15 / lb ! We had two nice fish and the proceeds from that help us to keep our rates low . It also helps us to provide for our families . One of the greatest things about this fishing trip was the fun day that we had . Ernie and his guests kept it light and fun . They didn ’ t mention the “ cover shot ” ahead of time or put pressure on the trip . We weren ’ t in the tournament competing with 100 boats for the top tuna . We were just there enjoying the day , enjoying the ocean and enjoying the experience . To me this is the best way to approach a fishing trip . Get out there and enjoy just being out there with your family or friends . When the catch happens that ’ s a bonus . We see so many people with high expectations that are often not met . The people who take it light almost always have a better experience . So here we are side by side with 100 boats with pressure to produce . Well , we caught 2 Ahi over 100lbs , the 100 boats in the tournament had a total of 6 tuna between them . Now who ’ s to say we wouldn ’ t have caught those tuna if we had known about the cover shot or had we been in the tournament ? Not sure ! But I can tell you that it was extremely nice to fish with people who truly enjoyed the experience and then were rewarded with an awesome catch ! To enjoy the best of Oahu fishing make sure to look up Boom Boom Sportfishing and book a trip with Tony . He can be found at ( 808 ) 306-4162 .