Gullible fed tales at catfish free-for-all

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

It came as close to the adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer as it gets, 4,000 miles this side of the Mississippi River. Freshwater catfish season at Nu'uanu Reservoir No. 4 opened promptly at 7 a.m. Saturday.

Raymond Endow, left, his son Keith Endow and Chad Matsuda were among 180 or so people who arrived with opening-day appointments for the first weekend of catfish season at Nu'uanu Reservoir. The reservoir was stocked with channel catfish starting in the 1960s. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

"I came here with my parents and grandparents when I was 8 years old," said Dawn Yogi of Kane-

'ohe, who brought her 8-year-old, Sara, to enjoy her first freshwater fishing experience.

"That was 40 years ago, and I haven't been back since. But the place hasn't changed a bit."

Sara's eyes were riveted on the skeletal remains of a monster catfish at the edge of the water, baking in the sunshine.

"I think that's gross!" she said, apparently having second thoughts.

There were first-timers and old-timers and every sort of fish snagger in between. There were those who refused to divulge a single secret, and those willing to spill all they knew.

Most were willing to part with fragments of inside knowledge, but the rule was, "Let the listener beware."

"They jumping out of the water and onto the rocks," said Raymond Endow, 69, whose net contained a pair of little catfish. "We had to hide our bait. You had to turn your back on them or you could get hurt."

Endow, who lives near the reservoir and has been fishing there for decades, insisted tiny fish taste better. "We had to throw all the big ones back in. They're too dry and rough."

Others were casting for the large haul. Aaron Park of Waipahu reeled in a fish that weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Daniel Morita said he landed a 12-pounder last year and expects to do at least as well this time.

"I've found a secret place on the right side," said Morita, 26, of Pearl City, who wouldn't reveal the location of his "good hole."

The trick, he said, is the bait. Morita prefers aku belly fermented in harm ha seafood sauce for as long as it takes to achieve "as much stink as possible."

But Henry Arhelger of Wahiawa said he had tried every manner of bait, and come to the conclusion that it can turn so rank even fish are repelled.

"My brother sent away for some catfish bait, and it's been sitting in the garage for two years," he said. "We tried some, and the fish swam in the other direction."

Stace Kubota of Makakilo described his bait formula as a fish magnet, but even he seemed surprised to hear his son exaggerate their fortunes to the officials who weighed the youngster's catch.

"I caught 30 fish this morning," said Ryan Kubota, 7. "I had to throw a lot of them back."

"You didn't catch 30 fish," interrupted his dad. But Stace claimed Ryan landed a catfish last year that was one-fifth the kid's body weight. "Ryan weighed 50 pounds," he said. "The fish weighed 10."

Roughly 90 people showed up for the first fishing period, 7 to 11 a.m., and an equal number for the second, noon to 4 p.m. While the catch was unlimited, each person could keep only two fish. Everyone had to apply for permits in advance, and was assigned a time period according to a draw.

The city and county owns the reservoir, and the state Dept. of Land and Natural resources is in charge of the fishery.

Rodney Young, with the DLNR's Division of Aquatic Resources, said the reservoir has catfish seasons in May, August and November, with the May-June season the busiest.

By the end of opening day, Keith Endow, 25-year-old son of Raymond, had weighed all the wisdom, tips and advice and reached his own conclusions.

The secret to catching catfish?

"Luck."

Reach Will Hoover at 525-8030 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.