Pono Ulua Camping Trips

Bruce Baker invited Bruce Naffziger from Idaho and the “Splash!” family to camp on Big Island country cliffs. Bruce N., a Vietnam vet, is an amputee with a prosthetic leg. Fortunately, when we arrived just before dark, Bruce B.’s campsite was already set up and tight.

The purpose of the trip was to see kite-flying and drone-fishing techniques. Catching an ulua was also a goal, and Bruce B. wanted to share his frustration with some visiting fishermen’s behavior and his insights on pono ulua fishing.

Bruce N. used to live on the Big Island and fish for big ulua, mostly with flaglines from shoreline caves in Lower Puna. Bruce B. lives near the shore, is retired and, at 73 years of age, fishes a lot. His motto is, “Just got to go. Never give up. Never give up.”

My son Kit immediately started catching bait. The nenue were hitting, and a bucket was aerated to hold the bait. The variable winds died down. The drone crew couldn’t make it. We slid baits while Bruce B. waited for the offshore winds.

It was dark, and the menpachi started biting our curlytails. We kept the menpachi and released the nenue. A strike, likely from an eel, rang a bell.

In the dark, a super hero logo kite was launched and climbed