Now for the restrictions: The lake is only open for fishing on WEEKENDS, form 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It's a 20 minute walk from park headquarters to the "designated fishing area". Only hand poles are allowed. No live bait, and it's all catch and release. Barbless hooks only… which if your fishing around a bunch of kids and inexperienced adults, is a great idea.
There are bamboo poles available for FREE, but I suggest you bring your own… the FREE ones have 20 pound test line, a "bobber" the size of a tennis ball, and a huge hook that is not sharp enough to stick into a t-shirt. ( you can catch fish with the FREE rig, but smaller hooks and lighter line works a lot better.)
I suggest a bamboo or telescoping pole about 8 feet long.
4 or 6 Pound test fishing line, the same length as the pole.
A "floater" or "bobber" no larger than a quarter… I like a dine size one.
If you like a lead weight… a BB size split shot is fine.
A #10 AH style hook. ( you can catch a big fish on a small hook, but you can't catch a little fish on a big hook )
And now for the fish bait… most people use bread, they smash it down and put it on the hook… where it's quickly nibbled off by the little fish, or just falls off the hook as soon as it hits the water. Better idea? Buy a can of Pillsbury biscuits at the grocery store. Roll a small piece of un-cooked biscuit dough into a ball the size of a green pea and stick it on the point of your hook. It won't fall off and the fish love it.
To make your hooks "barbless, just bend the barb down flat with pliers. Not the point, the barb.
Other safety ideas when fishing with kids… Hat, Sunscreen, Water, Snacks, Polarized sun glasses (protects the eyes from flying objects like hooks, UV rays, and you can see into the water because they cut the glair… and sunglasses look cool.
NO RUBBER SLIPPERS… wear shoes… a fish hook in the toe is no fun, it's a 20 minute hike to the lake (one way), and rubber slippers are just dangerous when kids are running around all over the place, especially if they get wet or muddy. Play it safe and wear shoes.
Always carry a pair of nail clippers… use them to cut the fishing line. If someone gets a fish hook stuck in them… the first thing you do is cut the line so it doesn't get stuck deeper by someone accidentally jerking on the line… with barbless hooks, the fish hook should just easily slip back out.
So, if you have kids, or just want to go on a fun nature hike and also do a little fishing… Hoomaluhia Park in Kaneohe is a great place to visit.
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