"Ho, that's a big one!" yelled her uncle, Sam Louangraj, running over to her to help. "It's her first fish!"

The 7-year-old beamed with pride. The wide grin on her face said it all: She was hooked.

"This is so good for kids," said Na'i's auntie, Jade Louangraj, who brought her two sons and two nieces to Lake Wilson on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. "It keeps them out of trouble. They learn about fishes. You should see their faces when they catch something. They're so happy."

These are just a few of the reasons why Wahiawa residents are hoping for the revitalization of Lake Wilson, the largest body of fresh water in Hawai'i, lately known more for last year's infestation of the alien weed Salvinia molesta than its fish population.

But the community hopes that will change.

Wahiawa's economy has been declining for years. And with the recent deployment of more than 8,000 soldiers from nearby Schofield Barracks this year, businesses in the area are hurting even more.

"It's our lifeline," said Raymond Tobita, co-owner of Wahiawa Sporting Goods on California Avenue, which has seen sales drop because of the salvinia infestation and the recent military deployment.

Revitalizing Lake Wilson has become part of a larger plan to boost Wahiawa's economy by offering freshwater sport fishing that will lure fishermen, residents and tourists to the area.

This past April nearly 1,000 largemouth bass were tagged and released into Lake Wilson, bringing the total number of bass there to nearly 3,000. More are scheduled to be released next year.

"They're surviving and fishermen are catching them," said Glenn Higashi, an aquatic biologist with the Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Aquatics Resources. "So it's positive. Looks like the bass population is coming back."

DLNR is monitoring the bass population and when it becomes self-sustaining officials will consider changing the "catch and release" policy that has been in place since 1998. "You want to approach a population size big enough where the bass can actually maintain its population and start spawning naturally," Higashi said.

In addition to recording tagged fish caught by fishermen, DLNR is also surveying the population using electroshock, which temporarily stuns the fish.

No one has an accurate count on the bass yet — some bass survived the salvinia infestation that covered nearly 95 percent of the lake's surface — but the released fish have been thriving. Some that were caught were measured at 10 inches long.

And that's even with the spike in population of other kinds of fish such as red devils and other cichlids, which compete for food and feed on bass fingerlings.

"The fish are pretty healthy," said Lance Marugame, president of the Hawai'i Freshwater Fishing Association, who fishes on the lake at least once a week. "They're nice and fat, which was a surprise."

Largemouth bass are being raised at the Wahiawa Middle School Largemouth Bass Hatchery, part of a $90,000 bass reproduction program financed by the federal government and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources' Aquatics Division. The project's goal is to restock the 300-acre Lake Wilson with fish to lure sport fishermen from around the world.

So far, the hatchery houses more than 4,500 bass stored in large pools and fish tanks. Spawns have been producing around 2,000 bass.

"For so long Lake Wilson has been an unpolished gem," said Rep. Marcus Oshiro, D-39th (Wahiawa), who grew up in the area. "But it's really a diamond in the rough that can provide so much for the Wahiawa community and also the state."

In fact, according to a national survey done for the Kaua'i Economic Development Board in 2000, Hawai'i ranked second in interest from anglers as a freshwater fishing destination, only behind Montana. Twenty-two percent of anglers surveyed said they would be very interested in taking a trip to go freshwater fishing in Hawai'i.

"Revitalizing the fishery is the first step in developing a sustainable sport fishing and recreational destination," said Dan Nakasone of the Wahiawa Community & Business Association. "This would be a boost to Wahiawa's economy by bringing families into Wahiawa for a unique upland experience."

Part of the 1994 Wahiawa Town Master Plan was to recast Lake Wilson as a destination rather than drive-by scenery. It called for improvements to the boat launch at the state-run Wahiawa Freshwater Recreation Area, including the addition of campsites and picnic areas.

The plan also indicated the need for more shoreline access for people who don't have boats.

"Lake Wilson has huge potential," said Honolulu City Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz, who grew up within walking distance of the lake. "Wahiawa has character, it has history, it has a lot of pride ... We need to really develop a park that not only residents can use but will really benefit Wahiawa because it will attract a lot of people, a lot of tournaments, a lot of activity."

Daniel Napoleon knows the potential of Lake Wilson. He fishes there with his children at least once a week, usually more.

"We love fishing," he said, watching his daughter Candace drop her line into the water. His other daughter, Natalie, was scooping out cichlids to use as bait. "It's a good way to spend time together."

That Thursday afternoon was perfect — light wind, lots of sunshine and no one else out fishing. Napoleon likes it that way.

"We don't want anyone to come here," he said, smiling. "This is our paradise."

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.