Shore Fishing in Hawaii

My husband and I recently inherited two fine fishing poles. We live on the North Shore on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. We often notice fishing poles stuck in the sand on the shore near the winding highway on our way to and from Honolulu. Some of these poles have bells on them to indicate that a sea creature is biting the line. Predictably, a fisherman or woman is nearby sitting on a lawn chair with a net and an awaiting cooler chest.

In summer and early fall, you can also see lines or circles of people a few yards off shore standing in waist deep water. They are fishing for small goatfish (oama) which can be eaten fried (bones and all). These small (7 inches or smaller) can also be used as bait for larger fish.

Luckily, native Hawaiians have passed down their fishing skills through the generations. Incidentally, Hawaii does not require a fishing license. Come on over!

Some locals fish with a simple bamboo pole with a line, sinker and hook. Many children in Hawaii are taught to fish this way. Then they graduate to spinning reels and rods. Skills include whipping or spinning (casting your line with a lure and quickly reeling it in) and dunking (Casting a baited and weighted line and then waiting for a fish to bite).

Other bait that can be used include eel, crab, squid and octopus. From the shore on Hawaii, you can even catch mahimahi, ahi and ului. Fishing is best near sandbars or where the reef is close to shore. Plenty of fish look for food in the sand near the reef.

The farther out you fish from shore, the larger the fish you can catch with the right equipment. It stands to reason that the larger the bait, the larger your catch, but make sure you have hefty line and a strong reel. Fly fishing is not as popular from the shore in Hawaii. Having grown up in Utah, I remember my father and brother making flies for fishing in the rivers or lakes, but have not seen it as much here.

With the whole island of Oahu surrounded by ocean, you can find plenty of shore for fishing.

Of course, if you are a well-seasoned fisherman, this hub will be very elementary for you, but that is where my husband and I are at. We are still learning the basics, and hope to share more as we go along. See you at the beach!!