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Fishing
Opportunities at Midway |
| Midway offers anglers a wide range of styles
to fulfill their fancy. Whether interested in volume or size, light or heavy tackle,
conventional or fly gear, boat or shore fishing, there’s something for everyone at
Midway. There are essentially three main styles of fishing available at Midway, and many
of the species that can be caught overlap each other. Anglers can either fish offshore,
inside the lagoon, or from the shore itself. Within each of these basic options, several
additional choices exist, and anglers therefore have the opportunity to select tackle
types and species to target. Outside
the Atoll/Offshore Fishing – Bertram 38’s and Glacier Bay 26 |
| Offshore trolling on the Enterprise and
Yorktown (both nicely appointed Bertram 38’s) consists of trips similar to what one
might find in other blue water fisheries of the world. Gear ranging from light spinning
rods to 130 lb test rigs, designed strictly for the fighting chair, are used, and anglers
have their choice of what will be on board on a given day. Most anglers looking for their best chance at a large Black or Blue Marlin or
beefy tuna like gear in the 50 to 130 pound class, while those looking to catch Ono
(Wahoo), smaller tunas and Mahimahi generally prefer 12 to 30 pound gear. It makes no
difference what you’d like, because Midway has it all, and the gear is in top shape.
Trips to the seamounts and Kure Atoll, areas even more
remote and unspoiled than Midway (if you can imagine), can produce many different species
of pelagic fish, and anglers like to have a full range of gear for trips like this. At
times, the Wahoo at the seamounts can be so thick that a day of fishing could possibly end
from running out of tackle before running out of fish. Of course, that’s OK because
that means there’s a lot of tired arms and happy faces on board as well. |
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The Glacier Bay 26 is also available for offshore trolling trips, but is limited to four
anglers. There is considerably less protection from the elements on the smaller boats, but
it is seaworthy and anglers considering themselves more "hardcore" often like to
go offshore all week on this boat.Species generally
encountered offshore include six species of Billfish (Pacific Blue, Black and Striped
Marlin, Spearfish, Sailfish, and Broadbill Swordfish), four species of tuna (Yellowfin,
Bigeye, Skipjack and Kawakawa), Mahimahi (Dorado or Dolphinfish) and Ono (Wahoo). Both
boats used in offshore applications can support conventional and fly gear for all species,
and anglers are encouraged to make their desires known well in advance in order to ensure
availability.
Just outside and Inside the
Atoll Fishing – Glacier Bay 26 and Glacier Bay 22 Catamarans
The atoll is approximately five miles long
and three miles wide. It is a receding land mass that was once the size of Lanai in
Hawaii. As the island recedes into the sea (a process over several thousand years), the
outer reef forms a protective barrier, leaving the shores of the interior islands
themselves well protected from winter storms, big surf, and the like. This
protective barrier also becomes home to many species of fish, some of which reach sizes
not seen in other areas around the world. |
| The Glacier Bay Catamarans are all well suited
for fishing either just outside the reef (usually less than ¼ mile off) or within its
confines, because the water is usually calm and the stable platforms provide plenty of
working space. Usually referred to as a "lagoon," the name can be deceiving
because the area is quite large (10 square miles or so) and the reef is very low providing
almost unrestricted visibility to the open ocean. Six
species of Trevally (Ulua, Papio, etc.), Amberjack (Kahala), Yellowtail (Hamachi), Uku,
Hawaiian Grouper, and more can be found in and around the lagoon. Because jacks and sharks
live in reef areas where their favorite foods are plentiful, fishing from both inside and
just outside these shores has produced thousands of fish for guests, many of which are
world records. |
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| Anglers fishing near the atolls may use a
variety of tackle, ranging from light spinning and casting gear to 80 class. Putting the
brakes on a hard-charging Ulua is not easy even with 80 pound gear, so anglers not
familiar with this style of fishing generally start heavy and work lighter as their level
of comfort increases. Targeting specific species can be exciting when the water is clear,
which is quite often because putting the exact lure in front of the fish desired can be
done with almost surgical precision. Flyfishing is a
fantastic option for anglers working the areas just inside and outside the reef. Lighter
weights (8-10 wt) are appropriate for smaller specimens, and 12 and 14 wt tackle may even
prove to be a real challenge for larger Ulua. |
Shore fishingFor those that prefer to
test their mettle with Midway’s reef species from the most stable platform of them
all, terra firma, several areas on the island offer this option for both conventional and
fly tackle. Areas such as Bulky Dump, Rusty Bucket, and the Cargo pier are three Ulua
producing spots that have solid working areas on which to stand. Anglers can cast poppers
with spinners or bait casters, or fly lines can be cast with an assortment of various
flies. When the water is calm, most fish can be sight casted, providing the angler
with an even more thrilling experience of watching a fish take the bait. |
| Fishing from shore and on a boat around the
reef produce six species of Trevally (Ulua, Papio, etc.), Amberjack (Kahala), Yellowtail
(Hamachi), Uku, Hawaiian Grouper, and more. Ultra-light
tackle anglers can also fish from the famous North Beach in search of Moi and other
smaller fish. During a Midway sunset, wading into a foot of water and casting into gentle
water lapping onto the white sand beach might just be one of those experiences you never
forget about!
From Ultra-light to the 130 pound class leviathans, Midway
truly has everything for the angler in us all.
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A nice Amberjack caught off the cargo dock and released on
the beach by Wayne Fultz
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If you have questions about Midway or would like to make reservations, please call us toll
free at 1-888-BIG-ULUA or email us at destpacific@sportfishhawaii.com and we will be happy to help.
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