Charlie Stove hooked a nice-size ahi while fishing off Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
Midway Sport Fishing Photo
But now he is thousands of miles from his home state in the middle of the Pacific Ocean - and living in a fisherman's paradise.
"This is the best fishing I have ever seen - anywhere," said Bone, who is the president of Midway Sport Fishing.
His company runs a sport fishing business at the historic Midway Island, which has been renamed Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
The United States Navy transferred the refuge to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
There is offshore fishing at the atoll - which is located 1,200 miles northwest of Hawaii - for Pacific blue marlin, ahi, wahoo, ono and mahi-mahi.
Also, a 20-square-mile lagoon offers some of the most exotic fly-fishing around, with giant and blue trevally, amberjack, grouper, sailfish, kalakaua and even African pompano.
Then there is excellent ulua fishing from shore, with some of the catches running more than 100 pounds.
George Handgis, of Kailua-Kona, recently caught a potential IGFA record ulua, a 105-pounder on 30-pound test line.
The fishing, which has a big emphasis on tag-and-release, was opened Aug. 4. The first charter flight came in Aug. 18.
A group of Italian industrialists were the first visitors - and they were rewarded with a 750-pound blue marlin on the second day and a 550-pounder on the third day.
"Fishing is excellent right now with the water temperature dropping a bit from the 80s to the upper 70s," Bone said. "There are a lot of tuna (ahi) - the tuna are crazy, they're everywhere.
"It's almost a problem because when we're trolling for marlin we keep getting hooked up with tuna."
There are two flights a week from Kauai, leaving and returning every Wednesday and Sunday on Phoenix Air.
"The marlin fishing is still developing, but we're getting three or four 700 to 850-pounders each week," Bone said. "The reef fly-fishing is just insane, especially for the giant and blue trevally."
"And the ulua fishing is great from shore."
Bone said the climate is similar to Hawaii's, with typical conditions of three-to-four-foot seas and 20-knot tradewinds.
Fishermen stay in refurbished officers quarters and there are plenty of historic reminders at the World War II "Battle of Midway" site.
The offshore fishing on Midway is under the direction of former Madeira Island captain Roddy Hays, who also recruited a number of Kona-based captains and mates to operate two 38-foot Bertram III boats.
The saltwater fly fishing is guided by Captain Ed Hughes, who runs two 22-foot Glacier Bay boats.
Bone said the word is just starting to get out to the worldwide fishing community.
"We don't have a lot of people on the planes," he said, "But we're getting a lot of calls and a lot of advance bookings."
Bone said there are two basic packages - and there currently is a special rate for Hawaii residents until the end of the year.
For information, call Midway Sport Fishing at 770-254-8326.