Marlin, wahoo, and mahimahi (dorado) have arrived in big numbers on the East China Sea (west) side of Okinawa. Most of the action is west of Aguni-shima, 30 miles northwest of Kadena. There have been several fine, flat-calm fishing days lately.
Thought you might enjoy the attached photo. The tail belongs to a 485-lb blue caught 11 May on Dave Sloss's YURIKAGO, a 35-foot Yamaha that I crew on now and then. The fish was on its way to be printed at a local tackle shop. Hope someone has a wall big enough for a 12-foot print. Only two men were aboard, and they had a tough time getting the fish onto the swim platform, with a shark 8 feet or so long cruising on the surface a few feet away. It looks like a bronze whaler in the photos. Dr. Park, the angler, pushed it away with a gaff, and it never got a bite of the marlin. It took Dr. Park under an hour to bring the fish boatside, using 80-lb line on a 50W-LRS on a stand-up battle station.
YURIKAGO released a baby marlin, estimated at 90 lbs., a week before, and two others slightly bigger the week before that. CHEERS, the only charter boat at Kadena Marina, captained by Mark Medges, got a 250-ish blue May 3. Jeff's Boat, a 28-foot Yamaha that may or may not have a real name, lost three marlin in two trips -- one big girl after a three-hour fight. He has respooled all his 50-lb reels with Yo-Zuri Hybrid, which tests at over 70 lbs. He's closing the gate after the cow is out, as we say back in Arkansas.
I hooked and lost two marlin 11 May, on a private trip on CHEERS. The first never got hooked well because when the fish hit, we had slowed down to idle for the three of us to reel in five dorado hooked at once. The second took out half the line on my 50W-LRS and then doubled back and jumped very near the boat, trailing my brand-new Williamson Marlin Catcher on a long leader -- but not my line. Too much belly, I guess. And my line (YoZuri Hybrid 50) probably got nicked when the five mahi did their cross-and-jump routine. Always check when you put lines back out! I hope the fish doesn't have to drag that lure for long. Maybe a wahoo will cut off the head, which slid down to the loop end.
The Pacific side has also had good fishing in May. Jose Caban reports hot fishing for dorado and wahoo at Prefectural Buoy #11, on 11 May. The number of wahoo there made vertical jigging for tuna nearly impossible, and he gave up after losing a few $20 jigs. Something even cut his cable leader off a Yo-Zuri Bonito. He says the number of tuna strikes goes way down if you use wire leaders. But sometimes there's no choice, as at Diego Garcia, where the dogtooth tuna cut off everything that's not wire and some that is.
Steve Wright, charter captain and manager of the White Beach recreation facility, reports fast and steady action trolling May 4-10 on the Pacific side for nice mahimahi, 20 to 30 pounds, and a few wahoo and school yellowfin.
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