Huge thank you to Max with Oahu Pelagic Pirates for putting this together, Richard for manning the tent, all of the incredible anglers, and our amazing sponsors for making this tournament a wonderful experience!
@bigislandbaits @reef_candy_lures @wikiwikiclean @thefishingbuddymaui @duointernational @luxhawaiirealty @dselectricalllc @helemai_fishingsupply @hobiefishing @windwardboats @smileandposeevents and @jifishingco
My game plan for this tournament was to catch bait early morning, troll one Opelu around at the surface while I focus on the reef category and jig all day long.
I managed to catch a few Opelu in the morning which was step 1 of my game plan. I rigged one line at the surface in hopes to catch any passing Pelagic species while I focused all my attention on jigging. I cruised around sharpshooting looking for good marks to drop on. I ended up catching two Kahala, one Ulua which gave me enough weight to take first place in the reef category. I lost a few good fish this day which is a tough pill to swallow in a tournament but making mistakes and learning from them is how we grow. I also caught a Shibi which I was super excited about. It wasn't big enough to get me in the money for the Pelagic category but I was happy to bring it home to my family.
jifishingco...
www.jifishingco.com/
Opelu Setup
Rod: Shimano Trevala M
Reel: Shimano Grappler CT151XG
Line: PE 1.5
Sabiki: Homemade
Grubs: Curly Tail
Live Bait Setup
Rod: Shimano Terez Heavy
Reel: Shimano Thunnus 12000
Line: 50lb PowerPro
Leader: 40lb Fluorocarbon
Bait: Live Opelu
Live Bait Setup
Rod: Shimano Trevala PX XXH
Reel: Shimano Torium 20
Line: 50lb PowerPro
Leader: 40lb Fluorocarbon
Bait: Live Opelu
Heavy Jigging Setup
Rod: Shimano Game Type J Heavy
Reel: Shimano Ocea Jigger 2001NR-XG
Line: Seaguar PE 3
Leader: 40lb Fluorocarbon
Jig: 200g JI Fishing Co.
Kayak: 2022 Hobie Outback
Fish Finder: Garmin Echomap UHD2 74sv
Transducer: Garmin GT51
Kahala, Amberjack, Ulua, GT, Shibi, Yellowfin Tuna Opelu.