Realize Darryl isn't a fly fisherman, but bear with me a moment. Fishing from his kayak around Oahu, Darryl. Has landed some nice size bonefish. Six and 7 ponders are a regular occurrence.

This week on Molokai he noticed a large fish following his lure. The water was 3 feet deep and crystal clear. He stopped reeling and the fish took the bait right at his feet, a rod length away. Darryl estimated the oio (bonefish) to weigh around 12 pounds or larger. After several long runs the 16 pound test line cut on a coral head.

Several local Molokai residents told him they had caught bonefish that size, even larger. One commercial fisherman told Darryl of catching a 20-pound bonefish.

I know fly fisherman here in Hawaii who regularly catch 7 and 8-pound bonefish, and now I know there are larger fish out there just waiting for some lucky fly fisherman.
Thanks
corey

[Coach Duff]

I fish here every day. This species we have here that is likely the bigger of our two is Abula Glossodanta which has a range from Hawaii along the coast of India and all the way down East Africa to South Africa where the All-Tackle World Record is held at over 19 pounds. We actually have an endemic species and I have seen a legit 10 pound speciman of that 2nd species we have here but it usually is seen much much smaller and frequents deeper water. So yes, there are definately 20 pound fish in this Glossodanta subspecies in its extended range. In fact an 18 pounder was landed here in Hawaii in 1954 and was the World Record for many years to be broken in South Africa. However a 20 pound bonefish is not a common sight anywhere in the range of this Glossodanta species. We have folks claiming to see fish that size all the time, but I think alot of those "20 pounders" are really 13-17 pounds which we see pretty dang commonly. And some of those 20 pound "bones" folks see are milkfish. I know this for a fact as I have been fishing with a couple different anglers here and seen a milkfish with them, kept it's ID to myself, and then heard the stories of the 22 pound "bonefish" leak out everywhere. Not long ago a guide here and relentless self promoter tried to post a picture of an 11 or 12 pound fish (max) from the local newspaper on the Blanton board and fight for it's validity in being 24 pounds which it was about 12 pounds short of on it's best day. For a "guide" to be that far off (12 pounds minimum?) was a big discredit to all of us here in Hawaii, most of whom are very honest about our fishery and the fish we land. They are big no doubts, but a 10 pound bonefish is big ANYWHERE, including Hawaii. It wasn't even close to 15, yet alone 24. Glossodanta gets exceptionally long compared to Abula Vulpes of Florida fame which looks like a football with fins. Vulpes is the species that holds most line class world records. Rob Arita my partner on Kauai has seen a couple fish that size in 8 years. I have seen only 2 in 2 years I think were even close to or maybe over 20. One was with Jim Bokor a legendary angler from Florida and the other with my good buddy and associate guide Mahalo Bob Tang. Here is a photo of a fish that looks pretty big (28 to the fork and 16 in diameter) and only weighted 12.4 pounds on a certified scale. So look at this pig and imagine 20 plus pounds, or double the weight of this 12 pound fish. In fact this fish is as big as any legitimate pic anyone has shown me of a bonefish landed flyfishing here in Hawaii and it didn't even hit 12.6 yet alone 15 or 16. I guided that angler Mark Hopkins onto that fish. If you look at the pic he is holding it against his body. No fluff there. I have no doubts and am 110 percent sure much bigger fish have been landed on the fly here but no pics have been presented that made the grade. Not yet. I've seen other photos of so called 14, 15 and 16 pounders but they are not as big as advertised nor even close. I say the World Record is definately out there and catchable in Hawaii but not nearly as common as folks want you all to believe. Just keeping it real. Coach Duff Fly Fishing Hawaii - Trophy Hawaiian Bonefishing with Captain Terry Duffield (Coach Duff) - Bonefish Hawaii

[Stan Wright]

Back in the early 1970s while filming with Bruce Carter on the Let's Go Fisning TV show, we were with a commercial handline fisherman off the island of Lanai. We landed several oio (bonefish) over 20 pounds that day. The guy told us he had taken even larger ones. I figure if your going to break the current IGFA all tackle record.... a good place to start is off shore in some deep sandy areas.
LOL

[Coach Duff]

Since two fish over 19 pounds have been landed and reported in over 50 years over the entire range of Abula Glossodanta which is hundreds of thousands of square miles, all the nets, all the rods, all the offshore fishing, all the kayaks, all the commerical and recreational fishermen from Hawaii to South Africa and all the areas in between, Stan do you have one pic or any video of the "numerous" 20 plus pound bonefish you guys landed while handlining and filming? The Hawaii state record has stood since 1954 and is 18.4 As I said earlier, I have no doubts that 20 plus pound fish exist and have been caught but I find it hard to believe that anybody had a day of "numerous" fish over 20 pounds landed in any method. There just aren't enough produced pics, video or specimens of Abula Glossodanta in this size to suggest that this size is common. Show me some video or one pic of your day of multiple 20 pound fish landed handlining and I'll believe!

[Coach Duff]

Lastly you say to target deeper offshore areas in sand? Exactly where thousands of pounds of bait are dropped by dunkers every day all day year round on every inch of the islands and no fish over 18.4 reported since 1954. "But they eat them and don't turn them in" is the response I hear all the time. Local anglers know what the records in Hawaii are even if they plead ingnorance. If an Ulua angler landed a 22 pound bonefish you can bet your ass he'd show pics of it around. And there are no such pics anywhere to be found in these islands that I've found yet. I'll keep looking until I see one. "Multiple" 20 pounders in one day? I find that almost impossible to believe. I said "almost". It's possible but to me very unlikely. Duffer