When we were fishing at South Point we did not catch anything big. These two guys fishing next to us landed a big Ulua (Giant Trevally) and this Giant Aha (Needlefish) which they gave to our fishing party. I have never caught a Giant Aha, in fact I have never even seen one until today. This guy was huge. I am curious as to how it tastes, but I would not get the chance as my father's friends took it home.

There have been two recorded deaths from the Aha, and one was in Hawaii off the island of Kauai where a 10 year old boy was killed in 1977 when an Aha jumped out of the water and the beak pierced the boy's eye and brain. The other death was in Vietnam.

I have heard stories of people being injured, especially at night, as the Aha likes to jump out of the water and then they stab an unsuspecting bystander.

This jumping makes the Aha fun to catch because the action is unlike any other nearshore fish. They are hard to catch as normally the leader gets cut by the sharp teeth.

The State Record

Giant Needlefish - 15 lbs 12 oz - Shawn Hackler - Ka'ena Point, O'ahu - 07/16/00