These fishing poles were two of many set up along the North Kohala coast for a fishing tournament. Typically, fishing poles are set into a piece of pipe lodged or cemented into the rocks. They’re anchored on something solid so that they can’t be yanked out – the yellow lines in these photos. Often a bell is attached to a pole so that when something strikes the fisherman is alerted, since they’re not usually tending the poles, but hanging out nearby, often nursing a beer.
A lone fisherman tries his luck in the coastal waters off North Kohala.
A small fishing boat works the blue waters off the Kohala coast.
Lay nets are also known as gill nets. They can be hundreds of feet long and many feet deep with floats on the top edge and weights on the bottom. The problem with them is that, rather than targeting specific food fish, they can catch anything swimming by including turtles and monk seals. Because of this, they’re banned in certain areas, though not everywhere in Hawaii.
To me, this photo represents how the ban works. This section of the Kona coast is one of those areas where lay nets are banned. Someone has gone so far as to erect a sign in the lava near the coast. But that’s about it. In due course, the sign will fall down. It probably won’t be replaced. In the meantime, enforcement of the ban is spotty at best. Even when a violation is called in, chances are no one will be out to check on the situation until long after the net has been hauled and the netters gone home.
Between Kailua Kona Airport and Kekaha Kai State Park is a stretch of coastline heavy on lava and aircraft coming in to land, but light on vegetation and people.
There’s a fair smattering of black sand to be found in little coves and one proper black sand beach at Makole’a (below).
In several places, white plastic tubes can be seen wedged or cemented in to the lava (above). They’re fishing pole holders and are a common sight on most of the island’s coastline.
And then there are the usual features of old lava flows by the ocean including blow holes and fractured lava tubes where the ocean surges in and out again (right).
I saw this little outrigger sailing canoe off the North Kohala coast. The two men had obviously been fishing, possibly still were, but though the canoe wasn’t too far out, I couldn’t figure out which way they were headed. I guess they must have made it safely to shore since I didn’t see anything in the news about missing mariners.
A man tries his luck fishing on the shore of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park north of Kailua Kona.
For more information about Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, go to www.nps.gov/kaho/index.htm.
It’s not unusual to see unattended fishing poles on the Big Island. The fisherman is probably not far away, perhaps taking a quiet moment to enjoy the sunset.
Graham's Island 