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NEIGHBORHOODS
Catfish tales:
‘That big
one keeps you
coming back’
Catfish season -- just three times
By Pat Gee
a year at the Nuuanu Freshwater
Fish Refuge -- is 'good fun'
Star-Bulletin"Come on, Betsy, I know you're out there!" LaVonne Takaezu of Salt Lake tried to cajole the one that got away to bite her line again.
She, husband Russell and their kids were some of the lucky ones to get a spot at the Nuuanu reservoir last weekend to go casting for some good ol' Oklahoma catfish.
The whiskered fish, which looks like a much larger version of the ones that clean the bottom of an aquarium, were imported from Oklahoma back in 1969 by the state because they were "good eating" and easy to breed for recreational purposes, said Dennis Shinno, a biologist with the state Division of Aquatic Resources.
But the fish weren't biting for the Takaezus, except for the tilapia. Asked if they like the taste of catfish, LaVonne quipped, "We will if we catch one!"Her husband added: "Just being out here is nice; it's so peaceful. And it was nice that it fell on Father's Day for me."
240 local fishermen per day
Casting for catfish is so popular that you need to make an appointment, and time slots are decided by lottery. The openings were "fully booked" by 3,150 applicants this year -- that's 240 local fishermen per day every Saturday and Sunday until mid-July, Shinno said. The reservoir, technically called the Nuuanu Freshwater Fishing Refuge, is off of the Pali Highway before the tunnel.Entry cards are free, but state freshwater game fishing licenses cost $5 for adults, who are required to supervise card-holders 15 and younger. Entry is limited to either 7 to 11 a.m. or 12 noon to 4 p.m. There are no makeup periods or refunds.
Even the number of fish is limited -- two per licensed angler -- and the fisherman can't get too picky. Any catfish 16 inches or longer must be kept by the angler and not thrown back in the hope of catching a larger fish because they cannot survive the shock, Shinno said.Families like the Takaezus come out every time catfish season opens three times a year, and have been doing so for years because it's fun for the kids and good to get away from it all. Warren Yamamoto of Honolulu hadn't caught anything that day, like most families, but "that big one keeps you coming back."
Kenneth Lee of Kaneohe said, "We'll catch anything that bites."
Across the reservoir, a big cheer went up, followed by lots of excitement as one group caught its second big one of the day. Glenn Cambra, a fishery technician stationed at the site to weigh the fish, said the biggest catfish that morning was 17 pounds, and the day before, a 16-pounder was caught.
Never mind the cold and wind
The best spots vary from day to day, and everyone has their favorite kind of bait, usually aku belly, liver or shrimp, he said. Rumor has it that cheese balls sometimes work, too.Shinno said fishermen are warned to wear rain gear and warm clothes because the weather in the lush valley is usually cold and rainy. But, Cambra said, "that's when the catfish bite the most," and hardly anyone leaves during their four-hour time slot.
Ken and Bonnie Lee and their three children are among the diehards who will fish even when it's miserable. "We stay anyway because it's good fun, it's something different, and the kids will have memories about fishing in the cold and wind," Ken Lee said.He said catfish tastes like broom fish or sole -- a soft, white meat. The biggest ones they've caught have been small ones, but they still come every chance they get for the serenity and "just for fun," Lee added.
The catfish season reopened June 3 after being delayed for the month of May to allow the catfish more time to spawn, according to Shinno.
The next catfish season is scheduled from Aug. 19 to Sept. 30, and a three-week application period will be available about a month in advance. Look for public service announcements in the newspapers, Shinno said.
