Lawaia Album – Double Ahi With Three-Prong Spears

It was the crack of dawn on November 23, 1987. It was late in the ‘ahi season, and Nixon Pacheco was taking a break from nighttime fishing for yellowfin to have breakfast at the Dairy Queen (DQ). His dad, a heavy equipment operator, happened to be there, so they shared some kaukau and talked story. Afterward, Nixon and his wife, Robynne, were going to head down to the Suisan auction block. This may have been Nixon’s day off, but at the block he would still be keeping track of who was catching what and where.

Warren Bruddah Mehau rushed up. “There’s three big ‘ahi stuck in the pool at Richardson’s,” he said excitedly. “We need your shibi basket to hook them.”

Bruddah explained that he and Dennis Nabarro had been watching