Fishermen hoping for halalu catch school of sardines

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Many have gathered with fishing poles in hand for a school of fish at Ala Moana Beach Park hoping for an early halalu season… but don’t be fooled.

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“This patch hasn’t really moved. It is really organized in shape. That’s a pretty good indication that that’s sardines,” stated Brian Kimata, former owner of Brian’s Fishing Supply.

Kimata added a school of halalu usually drifts around and changes shape. According to local fishermen, the school of sardines comes closer to shore for protection as they mature. The more calm areas near the shore have fewer predators.

“These guys are looking out for predators right now. So you’ve got to see sometimes there’s a circle around. So, that’s a predator swimming around into the school,” said Earl Omoto, Retired Commercial Diver and Harbor Master.

You can tell the fish are sardines from their silvery sheen. Halalu are normally bigger and have a blueish-green tinge, said Omoto. The sardines will stick around for another month before they move out.

“It’s not as popular because a lot of people like to eat them [and] they’re not as tasty,” said Kimata. “Even if you’re using it for bait, the predatory fish actually prefer to eat halalu.”

Despite the preference for halalu, some fishermen still came out to catch a meal.

“You just get like one cast iron, little bit of oil, take the guts out of everything, chop the head off, and just throw them in. Eat them like fries,” said Fisherman Randon Ruiz.

Others like Vernon Kaaihue suggest bringing a damashi, a rig with multiple hooks, to easily catch lots of fish at a time.

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During the peak of halalu season in July or August, hundreds of fishermen line the shore ‘elbow to elbow,’ according to locals.