Chasing GTs and Bonefish in Hawaii October 2024

Hawaii's fishery is world class! This is one spot in America where you can catch Giant Trevally and Bonefish in the same day. Sure the fish in this video isn't super big, but they do get big. We started casting and within minutes a giant school of Trevally charged the lure. It was absolute pademonium! Reeled it in pretty quick and threw it back. If you are chasing GTs in Hawaii on a popper, we highly recommend that you take off the barbs. Safety is key! The trebble hooks get stuck in the jaws of these giants and are super hard to get out without barbs. Therefore using barbless helps you take out the hooks from the fish. It also makes it easy for you to take hooks out of humans.
We made way to the flats too hook some bones. It was a boneless day in the afternoon, but we made our way back the next day. I found this particular bone about 7 yards from where I was standing facing down sun and sitting on top of some sea weed. He wasn't worried about anything else around him. He was focused on whatever was in the weeds. It is super important to put the fly in the right spot.
Over the years we figure out where to place the fly based on a couple key principles.
1) What direction is the fish heading?
2) What are the reaction of the fish of humans walking in the water? Do they see you from 30 yards away and book it in the opposite direction? Are they not interested in you walking in the water?
Sometimes fish all look up and you have really no chance to get close to them. Other times they are super focused on looking for food on the bottom.
3) How do fish react to your fly placement? Do they spook easy or not spook easy?
You can place the fly closer to the fish based on your first or second cast.
4) What is the fish doing?
In this case the fish was occupied with looking for whatever was in this weed. I casted once about a rod lenght from the fish to its left. The fish didn't react or move. Then I placed the fly about 1 yard from the fish and slightly above it. As the fly dropped the fish turned and attacked and the rest is history.