HAWAIIAN SHORE FISHING Baitcasting and Dunking for Ulua |
When fishing off beaches, which are too low to the water to slide bait or where waves would otherwise push a slid bait towards shore, the ulua fisherman might have no option but to cast his or her bait out. The method is simple and can be done anywhere. The rig consists of a lead weight with the leader either behind the lead or tied to the line above it. Smaller baits must be used thus putting this method at a disadvantage to slide bait fishing in terms of a fishing method for big ulua. Most people are not capable of casting baits over half a pound any reasonable distance. Tako leg and live reef fish work good and dead baits will work. Akule and eel head are good baits as well. Ulua are opportunistic feeders and will take a variety of live, dead, and cut baits. Grabber weights should be used if there is current or if casting onto reef but otherwise, drop sinkers and pyramid weights work fine and are much faster to retrieve. Baitcasting or dunking has one major advantage over slide bait fishing: it can be done anywhere. But because smaller baits must be used, the chance of attracting bigger ulua is somewhat less. Grabber weights are good choices when current is strong in the sand or over reef. Other weights such as pyramid and drop sinkers are better choices when there is little current and are necessary for the top rig where a grabber weight would get tangled. The pyramid weight is a good choice in the sand and can add some resistance to being dragged. In any case, a break away lead line should be used just in case the weight becomes snagged. |
Grabber weight can be used under leader but not above it. |