Crabbing at Kanaohe Bay

When was the last time that you had to literally labor hard just to have something for dinner? Yesterday, I did just that. I spent the whole day trying to catch what I had --- giant crabs and fresh mackerel!

After a healthy breakfast by the beach, I started to help out uncle Allen in setting up the boat in preparation for a whole day of crabbing and fishing. I have never done crabbing before in my entire life. So there I was, for two hours, I imagined myself to be a hard-core fisherman. I had to “lovingly” endure the stench of rotting eels and a variety of dead fishes which we used as crab bait. And you could just imagine how I had to mash them using my bare hands and place them in one section of the crab traps. Eeeeeeow (nyahaha, I could almost hear how a pa-sosy collegiala would react to what I was doing). We went around the bay and hauled six strategically placed crab traps. Uncle Allen patiently instructed me with all the nuances of how to hold the wire traps, how to throw it out, how to pull the slimy ropes and buoy,and how to make sure that I don't get snapped by the crabs! It was hard work! And not to mention the scorching sun all over my half naked body. It's a good thing though that the cool winter winds felt like a soothing balm.

After lunch, a bunch of friends and neighbors joined us for fishing. It's been a while since I last did some fishing. I used to do it with my Dad when I was a teenager. Joe and Craig patiently taught me how to use their very sophisticated fishing rods and after some time I felt like a pro already. I felt like Brad Pitt in the movie A River Runs Through It as I do the wriggling moves before hurling the bait far out. The rhythm was cathartic each time I made a cast and then reeled back the fancy bait. Joe, Craig, and I each had our rods and occupied the different sides of the boat while Allen took the stirring wheel and skillfully guided the boat through the occasional waves and the reefs. Finally after two hours of silent competition, we only got one large mackerel! Haha.... all the effort for just 1 fish! Finally, we gave up and started to head back to the boat house just as the sun was beautifully setting behind the Koala mountains. Guess what we had for dinner?