Shore & Flats

Nearshore Reefs & Ledges

Deep Blue / Offshore

Inshore

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  Bonefish (O'io) — Best February-April on the flats; sight-cast light spinning gear with small jigs or shrimp-imitation flies to cruising fish on a pushing tide.GearBonefish jigsFluorocarbon leaderLight spinning combo

  How to ID

  • Bright chrome-silver sides, greenish-blue back
  • Pointed conical snout that overhangs a small inferior (under-slung) mouth
  • Single short dorsal fin, deeply forked tail
  • Faint dusky bars/streaks across the upper back in some fish
  • Yellowish wash at base of pectoral fins; dark snout tip

  Tell it apart: The conical snout overhanging a small under-slung mouth, combined with bright chrome flanks and a deeply forked tail, is unmistakable - no other Hawaiian gamefish has that pointed nose set over an inferior mouth.

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  Ulua (Giant Trevally) — Peaks July-October; heavy shore-casting with large poppers and slide-bait rigs from ledges, or whip stickbaits at dawn and dusk along rocky shorelines.GearGiant trevally poppersHeavy circle hooksHeavy casting rod

  How to ID

  • Steep, blunt, near-vertical head profile
  • Silver to dusky-grey body; large adults darken toward black
  • Hard bony scutes (keeled scales) along the rear lateral line at the tail base
  • Deeply forked tail; first dorsal of soft rays low and even
  • No spots, bars, or blue fins (uniform; dominant/males may flush dark)

  Tell it apart: Steep blunt forehead, large size, and a plain silver-to-grey body with no blue fins and no spots separate it from the spotted, blue-finned Omilu.

  Easily confused with: Bluefin Trevally (Omilu), Papio (Juvenile Trevally)

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  Bluefin Trevally (Omilu) — Best November-December but available year-round; whip and cast small poppers, jigs and lead-head grubs over reef edges and shallow rocky shorelines.GearCasting poppersLead-head grubsMedium spinning rod

  How to ID

  • Electric blue to blue-green fins (second dorsal, anal, and tail)
  • Numerous small black and blue spots scattered over the upper body and head
  • Silvery body with a bluish sheen
  • Hard bony scutes along the rear lateral line near the tail
  • Forked tail; head profile sloping, less steep than Ulua

  Tell it apart: Bright blue fins plus fine black-and-blue speckling across the back instantly mark Omilu, versus the plain grey, steep-headed Ulua.

  Easily confused with: Ulua (Giant Trevally), Papio (Juvenile Trevally)

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  Papio (Juvenile Trevally) — Catchable steadily all year; whip lead-head jigs and small spoons or dunk bait from shore, working sandy channels and reef pockets at changing light.GearWhipping jigsSmall casting spoonsLight whipping rod

  How to ID

  • Small/juvenile trevally (locally any trevally under ~10 lb)
  • Bright silver, sometimes with faint vertical bars when young
  • Forked tail with hard scutes already developing on the rear lateral line
  • May show early blue fin tint (juvenile Omilu) or remain plain silver (young Ulua)
  • Head profile ranges steep to sloping depending on the parent species

  Tell it apart: Papio is simply a young trevally - confirm the bony scutes on the rear lateral line, then check for blue fins and spots (Omilu) or a plain steep-headed grey body (Ulua) to pin the species.

  Easily confused with: Ulua (Giant Trevally), Bluefin Trevally (Omilu)

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  Kawakawa — Prime May-August when bait schools thicken; cast or troll small chrome lures and metal jigs into surface boils, or run skirts along nearshore current lines.GearChrome casting jigsSmall trolling skirtsFluorocarbon leader

  How to ID

  • Wavy/scribbled dark bars on the back ABOVE the lateral line, not extending below it
  • A few (usually 2-5) small dark spots low on the body between pectoral and pelvic fins
  • Scaleless except for the corselet and along the lateral line
  • Stout, football-shaped tuna body; finlets behind dorsal and anal fins
  • Belly silvery and unmarked (no horizontal stripes)

  Tell it apart: Broken wavy markings confined to the UPPER back, plus a few dark spots low between the pectoral and pelvic fins, distinguish Kawakawa from Aku, which has clean horizontal stripes on the LOWER belly and a plain back.

  Easily confused with: Aku (Skipjack Tuna)

Nearshore

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  Aku (Skipjack Tuna) — Peaks May-August; troll small skirted lures and feathers at 6-9 knots near current lines and bird piles, or cast metal jigs into breaking schools.GearFeather trolling luresMetal casting jigsTrolling rod combo

  How to ID

  • 4-6 bold straight horizontal dark stripes on the LOWER sides/belly
  • Dark blue-purple back; silvery belly
  • Back plain and unmarked above the lateral line
  • Streamlined tuna body, short pectoral fins, finlets
  • Scaleless except for the corselet and lateral line

  Tell it apart: Straight horizontal stripes running along the belly and a plain unmarked back separate Aku from Kawakawa, whose markings are wavy, confined to the upper back, with spots low on the chest.

  Easily confused with: Kawakawa

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  Mahi-Mahi — Best March-April; troll skirted lures and ballyhoo-style baits along weed lines and floating debris, then pitch jigs and plugs once a school is raised.GearSkirted trolling luresPitch bait jigsOffshore spinning combo

  How to ID

  • Brilliant green-gold-blue body with iridescent flanks
  • Forehead steep and near-vertical in mature bulls (males), rounded in females
  • Single long dorsal fin running from just behind the head nearly to the tail
  • Body laterally compressed; deeply forked yellow/gold tail
  • Vivid colors fade fast to grey-yellow out of the water

  Tell it apart: The single full-length dorsal fin running head to tail over a thin, deep, glowing green-gold body is unique - no other Hawaiian pelagic has that continuous dorsal.

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  Ono (Wahoo) — Peaks May-August; high-speed troll dark skirted lures and bullet-head jets on wire leader at 12-16 knots along reef drop-offs and ledges.GearWahoo bullet luresSingle-strand wire leaderOffshore trolling combo

  How to ID

  • Long, slender, torpedo-shaped body, elongated and tubular
  • About 24-30 vertical cobalt-blue bars/tiger stripes down the sides
  • Long pointed beak-like jaws (no bill) with razor-sharp triangular teeth
  • Long low first dorsal fin; finlets behind dorsal and anal fins
  • Steel-blue back fading to silver; no spots

  Tell it apart: An elongated tubular body with vertical blue tiger bars and a toothed beak-like jaw identifies Ono - it has no rigid spear/bill, unlike a marlin.

  Easily confused with: Pacific Blue Marlin

Offshore

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  Pacific Blue Marlin — Prime May-September; troll a spread of large skirted lures off the deep ledges and current lines, running a mix of short and long riggers at 7-9 knots.GearLarge marlin luresHeavy mono leaderStand-up trolling combo

  How to ID

  • Long, round, rigid spear-like bill (rostrum)
  • Cobalt-blue back, silvery-white belly
  • Pointed (not rounded) front dorsal fin, its height lower than the body is deep
  • Pale cobalt vertical bars/stripes on the sides that fade rapidly after death
  • Stout, high-shouldered body, nearly round in cross-section

  Tell it apart: The rigid round spear bill and a pointed dorsal fin shorter than the body depth confirm a marlin; Ono has a toothed beak and a long low body, never a bill.

  Easily confused with: Ono (Wahoo)

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  Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna) — Best June-September; troll skirted lures and feathers near FADs and porpoise schools, or chunk and drop jigs to fish holding deep under bird activity.GearCedar plugsTuna jigsHeavy fluoro leader

  How to ID

  • Very long, sickle-shaped second dorsal and anal fins (bright yellow, elongating with age)
  • Bright yellow finlets edged in black along the rear
  • Dark metallic blue back, golden-yellow lateral stripe, silvery belly
  • Pectoral fin only moderate - tip falls short of the second dorsal fin
  • Streamlined tuna body; finlets behind dorsal and anal fins

  Tell it apart: Very long curved yellow second dorsal/anal fins, a bright yellow side stripe, and a normal-sized eye separate Yellowfin from Bigeye, which keeps short fins, a larger eye, and a longer pectoral.

  Easily confused with: Bigeye Tuna

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  Bigeye Tuna — Peaks August-September; troll deep-running lures and weighted feathers before dawn near FADs, or deep-drop jigs to fish stacked well below the surface.GearWeighted trolling luresDeep jigging jigsHeavy jigging combo

  How to ID

  • Conspicuously large eye, proportionally bigger than Ahi's
  • Second dorsal and anal fins stay SHORT and even, never elongating into sickles
  • Long pectoral fin reaching back past the origin of the second dorsal fin
  • Dark metallic blue back; an iridescent blue lateral band in life (not a yellow stripe)
  • Yellow finlets with black margins; deep, robust forward body

  Tell it apart: Short second dorsal/anal fins, a noticeably larger eye, and a long pectoral fin reaching past the second dorsal origin mark Bigeye, versus the long sweeping yellow fins and yellow side stripe of Yellowfin (Ahi).

  Easily confused with: Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna)