First Ahi!

The word on the street was the Ahi was on the move!  So after many attempts to land that elusive tuna we decide to load up the Red Sea Boat this weekend and try one more time.  Our first ahi strike snapped our lure line, then losing a marlin on the next trip out was strike number two.  We have to get ready for our next dive trip so we had to make this swing count. I checked the weather and we had two more days of light winds so fueled up and got ready to go!  Our crew this time was divinely set with Grandpa Crow,  Cat, and myself.  I couldn’t sleep thinking of what lures to run and woke up at 2:49 am.   

Started loading the gear and got to the harbor before sunrise to find lots of other boats with the same idea.  When you got the Ahi fever, it can be very infectious.  So we motor out to the spot and I call my friend Ryan Itoman already in the line up. Its slow and not much birds to follow until I find a pack of birds working to the east so we follow them for 10 miles with no avail.  Crow brought a good luck charm he wore around his neck of Grandma Nakamoto and says she is watching from heaven above and wants to eat sashimi tonight.  This was Crows second time on the boat fishing and first time we caught a nice shibi.   I call Ryan back and he gives me his coordinates and I lift up my lines and motor back another 14 miles while we eat lunch.  By this time its’ around noon and we join the circus of boats chasing Ahi.  

Then a few hours later we find the bird pile!  Water is bussing and small fish are boiling.  I try to put the boat in the best position for a strike but no hits.  Everyone is courteous and knows how to drive so we respectfully chase the birds down trying to anticipate their move.  Birds start diving again!  I’m rotating lures at this point and hoping to lay the trail mix for the big hit!  I put on my other secret weapon and the birds move, so I turn and try to get ahead again.  Then the inevitable happens…My lines cross and outside lures are tangled.  Cat says reel it in fast so I start reeling trying to minimize the mess.  Meanwhile birds are bombing all around us, some boats stop and guys are hooking up.  Crow drives while Cat and I are untangling the mess of twisted lines.  It was heartbreaking as hundred of bird are beside us and I look up to see a flash of Ahi come up beside the boat.  I cut my lines and try to get a lure back in the water as fast as possible but it was too late, the birds scatter and commotion disappears.  I re-rig and put out my go to gaji 9” bubble gum lure that has been working for me on all my bites.   Its 3:00 pm now and we have no Ahi on the boat.  Every fisherman knows that feeling when there are no bites by the afternoon. 

I’m feeling down and decide to head back to the harbor while Cat optimistically says no worries fish are still around.  There are no birds in sight, the ocean is quite, and all the boats are miles outside of us still fishing.  Then at 3:20 pm the outside starboard pole slams down hard and reel starts to scream and my 130 shimano is peeling out line.  The fish almost pulls the pole out of the shotgun holder as I grab hold not to lose my new reel.  Cat and I start clearing lines as I glance over to see my line three quarters gone!  OMG!  I push the 2 speed buttons on the reel but still can’t get any line back.  My line is almost gone now and I decide to tighten the drag to pass the strike point in order to regain some line.  Cat takes over reeling while I start the handline process.  I knew it was an Ahi and didn’t want to bring it up to early so took my time as Crow kept the boat in gear with tension on the line.  I had the plan on what to do so got my 110 cm speargun loaded and gaffs ready to go!  After 45 minutes we see color and it’s huge!  The fish is tired but still very much alive.  I tell Crow to turn off the motors and lift it up and I pass the line to Cat and grab my speargun as the fish spirals up around the boat twice and on the third rotation I aim and fire!  The shaft hits the fish high but it holds as my breakaway setup is tied to the boat.  I grab the gaff and stick it hard while I tell Crow to gaff it again!  He misses so I grab the gaff and stick it again while Cat grabs the third gaff.  The fish is at ease as the three of us hang over the side of the boat holding the fish tight.  We decide to secure the tail so Cat tries to lasso the tail with a one-inch strap we have on board.  It floats and doesn’t sink so as it touches the tail the fish goes wild!  I almost lose the gaff but we hold it back from swimming away.  At this point other all the fisherman are coming in from the outside passing us cheering us on!  Cat yells to them, “What do we do now?”  She grabs the anchor line and finally tail wraps the fish after a few attempts while hanging off the side of the boat with one leg.  This was way better than Wicked Tuna show and it was happening right before us!  Crow is panting and catching cramps while I get my Red Sea Spike and brain the fish the best I can.  After another 20 minutes pass with the Ahi still hanging on the side of the boat we count to three and heave ho the fish over the side and get it into the boat.  Everyone is exhausted and overwhelmed with our first experience of catching our fist Ahi weighing in around 180 lbs.

It was a long day, finished washing up at 9:00 pm and James and Alan came over to help us unload the fish off the boat.  I would like to thank God, Grandpa Crow, Cat, my family, crew, and friends who have been there by our side through good and bad (whitewash) days and for all their advice and support and willingness to make our dream of catching our first Ahi come true!