My Biggest PB Stocky Hawkfish Ever!

Known Locally As A Po'oPa'a! Popular For Slide Baiting & Soup (sells for $20lb) In China Town!

This morning started out at a minus tide with an increase to over 2ft by early afternoon. So i positioned my sand spikes 5-7ft above the high tide mark. By 11am the spikes were in the waves. Also a humongous 7-8ft Monk Seal came in & that chased everything away. I had hooked the Hawkfish within a minute of my first cast on my second rig so i though this would be a great day. At first the line was stuck. I surmised either an eel or a bottom fish went out into the sand, grabbed the squid "ika" & went back to the reef to eat the bait.

Turned out to be the Stocky Hawkfish. Normally to hook one this large is indeed rare. Commonly used by GT anglers for sliding bait. Also in high demand for making soup stock. In Chinatown this fish averages $20 a pound. This was a large fat pig of a Hawkfish! I decided to release it. Then a humongous Hawaiian Monk Seal moved in & finally beached itself a 100yd off to my left. Should've left immediately as the fish most likely sensed the seal's presence. But i brought in 1 rig first, then the other.

https://youtu.be/jqE4QGnFozo