I find myself fortunate enough to be breaking out of the winter PNW weather and heading to Kauai for a week in late February. I’m planning to fish (of course!) but am at the beginning of my intel-gathering phase.
It’s a family trip so fishing isn’t the main event but my 14yo and I will be bringing rods for shore and pier fishing, and I’m planning to rent yaks some days. We’re staying in Princeville on the North Shore.
We’re going to do some day trips so not limited to the immediate area, though that will be most convenient. I may do a morning charter early too to get offshore and learn the lay of the land. It looks like some basic messing around in the bays would be easy, but would be cool to try for some bigger and tastier fish. Anyone have any recommendations? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks, Tom
SD2OR:
Before my trip to the islands was covid cancelled, I was going to do a day kayak fishing for tuna, wahoo, and dorado, with Kauai Bucketlist Adventures.
I talked to the guy a bunch of times, was very helpful and professional.
Thats all I know about opportunities there.
jed:
The standard shoreline whipping rig is a 1/2 to 1 oz egg sinker carolina rigged with about 3' of leader. 12-15#main and leader. AH (or whatever type of hook you have) with a scrounger (curly tail) in firecracker or black or clear live strip. Experiment with retrieves and see what works best. You'll need to work the live strips a little more than the curly tails. This should catch everything on the reefs during the day. Mostly Papio, goats, moi, cornet fish, barracuda. Night time fishing is fun. Use a dropper loop with 1-3 oz bank sinker with droppers and leaders 1' and 2' feet up from the lead. Long cut strips of ika or chunks of shrimp will catch you everything at night. Snappers, papio and moi are most common. Find a rip current ( or where sand and rocks meet) along a beach and cast into the rip and you are set. This can be done during the day time too. DO NOT SWIM IN THE RIP! There's bass and tucanare on Kauai as well.
Dawn Patrol:
Thanks guys, this is great. I checked out the Kauai Bucketlist site, that may one of the ways to go, it looks great. Need to get with the other stakeholders (family) to see about out schedule and plans.
Looking at youtube videos, there’s a lot of good action with guys catching pelagics. I came across this gem, have a look:
Drifter2007:
I am so jealous! From all directions! We stayed in Princeville a few years ago. Love that place! We did a lot of snorkeling. I did do an offshore charter trip with Kai bear charters. My son caught a short billed spearfish. That was the only bite of the 1/2 day charter. We got to eat a chunk of that fish, which made for the best meal of the entire trip. I wish I had tried some more ocean fishing, but will go back again someday. Good luck! I will be excited to hear how your trip turns out!