Relationships between fish feeding behavior and human predation strategies are examined in order to identify Lapita fishing strategies. Inherent properties of herbivores/omnivores versus carnivores suggest the kinds of fishing strategies best able to catch fishes representing these feeding groups. Comparison of fish faunal assemblages from nine Lapita sites distributed from the Mussau Islands, Papua New Guinea to Western Polynesia reveals some striking contrasts in fish representation. Most western Melanesian assemblages are comprised of similar frequencies of carnivores and herbivores/omnivores while eastern Lapita site assemblages are dominated by herbivores/omnivores. Differences in analytic and archaeological recovery practices do not account for these differences; rather, variation in fishing strategies better explains the faunal variation. Apparently, angling and netting were commonly practiced at some sites, while netting techniques were more widely used at others. Contrasts in habitat structure, labour organization, or technological costs presumably account for such variation in procurement strategies.