Hawaii charter fishing - advice please - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Fish On · 10-21-2010, 12:50 AM

I'm on my honeymoon in Maui and the new wife has ok'd a day trip charter. I had talked to several charter boat outfits in Lahaina. Seems like it's about a 2 hour trip to the fishing buoys and they are catching some mahi but certainly not killing them. There are occassional Wahoo and a very rare blue marlin. Maybe a yellowfin tuna also. So it doesn't seem like the fishing there is super and it seems like a pretty long ride. I thought the blue water fishing would be closer. Split charters are running about $200/225 per person up to 6 people.

I will be off to Oahu (Waikiki) on Monday for another 5 days. My questions:

1) Does itg seem like the Maui fishing is worth it?
2) Would you wait and fish on Oahu? Is the good fishing closer to shore? Are the charters cheaper? Is the fishing better?
3) Can anyone recommend a boat/captain in either location that they have had a good experience with?

Any other advice you could offer woudl be GREATLY appreciated. If we catch anything I'll be sure to post pictures.

Thanks much!
Keith

redlite · 10-21-2010, 08:20 AM

Congrats.
I LOVE Hawaii.
We did 4 islands, Ohau, Maui, Big Island, and Kawaii.
I was gonna do the same thing you are looking to do, but never did it. We were there first 2 weeks of May. I checked on all islands and they all said that Maui was the best bet to fish from. But different times of year.
My biggest advice I can give you is to try and change your plans. 5 days on Wakikiki will dissappoint you after Maui. Wakkiki is like takin the crime and filth of NYC and throwin it on a tropical ocean. Definately not like Magnum PI. Be sure to go to peral harbor and take the boat ride out to the Arizona. Hike up Diamond Head is good too.
Get to Kuai if you can. Paradise.
You'll notice on all the rocks out there the white sand spike crew has all their spots marked as they quickrete the rod holders right to the rocks.....

Fishoholic · 10-21-2010, 09:04 AM

I'd keep fly'n right on by Oahu and go to Kauai. Redlite hit it on the head.. Waikiki aka "town" is a %$%$%$%$ show tourist trap. If you insist on Oahu check out Diamond head. The North Shore is another cool place but it's the surfer equivalent to montuak and can be a zoo. Kauai and the Napali coast are real gems. Sorry I don't have any fishing advice. When I went I was surfing not fishing.

Hike this.. trust me

Mr. Sandman · 10-21-2010, 10:16 AM

Keith,
Congrats!!! again!

It's been a few years since I have been out there but KONA is the big game mecca. I did fish with a friend who use to live there on his boat and we had yellow fin (50# class) within sight of the beach off Oahu, the boat ride wasn't 15 min.

I looked into fishing in Maui as well but didn't go and decided to play golf instead. Your wife might like the whale watching which is close to the shore. (again, at least when I was there)

have a great time (and life)!

Jim

redlite · 10-21-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishoholic

I'd keep fly'n right on by Oahu and go to Kauai. Redlite hit it on the head.. Waikiki aka "town" is a %$%$%$%$ show tourist trap. If you insist on Oahu check out Diamond head. The North Shore is another cool place but it's the surfer equivalent to montuak and can be a zoo. Kauai and the Napali coast are real gems. Sorry I don't have any fishing advice. When I went I was surfing not fishing.

Hike this.. trust me

And if you do make it to Kuai, take a helicopter tour. It was the best money I have EVER spent. The pinnacle of my life. That way you can see the whole Island without having to drive or hike.
Paradise. That's why they film so many movies there.

Bronko · 10-21-2010, 12:36 PM

I agree with the boys above me. Kauai is my favorite place on earth. If I had to do it all over again I would have cut the 3 days we spent in Oahu right out and stayed in Kauai. Paradise.

redlite · 10-21-2010, 01:30 PM

Soooooooo, when you wake up as you are 9 hours behind us, tell the new bride to pack up for a quick overnighter to Oahu, hit Pearl Harbor, run up and down Diamond head, and have dinner at Hai's Steak House, and call your travel agent and tell them to get you set up to Kuai for friday. You would be cheating you both to fly half way around the world and not go to paradise.
Either way, enjoy your trip.

Big Game · 10-21-2010, 08:32 PM

Definitely do the helicopter tour if you can. Unbelievable views.

I've fished out of Kona before, and as Mr Sandman stated, you can fish for marlin just a few miles from the shore. Not sure about the other islands, but it gets DEEP fast off the coast of the Big Island.

ProfessorM · 10-21-2010, 08:59 PM

Wish i could add to above for fishing but can't. I was born on Oahu, before it was a state so I guess I'm old, and lived on North shore for 3 years. Oahu is city style now, but still beats the hell out of Lakeville anyday. I have been lucky enough to have been back a few times. Did my honeymoon on Maui for 2 weeks 20 years ago last week. God I luv that place. The smell, the weather, the plants. Man I got to get back there soon. 25th anniversary maybe. Hope you did the volcano sunrise and bike ride down, Hookipa beach windsurfers, Hana, I'm so jealous. I like Big Island the best though and Kona fishing is very good and very close to shore as it is unthinkably deep a stones throw out so no long rides I 'd say. They start trolling in channel on way out it is so deep. I just wandered around the 100's of charter boats in Kona and asked for info and prices. I am sure there are seasons when each species is abundant but I have no knowledge of that. No helpful info on Maui fishing either from me but I just luv talking about Hawaii so I had to put my useless 2 cents in.

Have fun and enjoy yourself. The withdrawals coming home will suck for sure.

Motor Fish · 10-21-2010, 10:37 PM

Keith - Congrats!

I had a similar honeymoon almost 10 years ago in late June. We fished a day in Maui - shared charter.

We fished on a boat called 'Start Me Up' out of Lahaina. I'm not sure if they're still there, but would highly recommend them. Full Disclosure - they put me on a 668lb Blue Marlin - I was VERY happy. The captain and mate (actually both captains) were fantastic and great guys.

redlite · 10-22-2010, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

Wish i could add to above for fishing but can't. I was born on Oahu, before it was a state so I guess I'm old, and lived on North shore for 3 years. Oahu is city style now, but still beats the hell out of Lakeville anyday. I have been lucky enough to have been back a few times. Did my honeymoon on Maui for 2 weeks 20 years ago last week. God I luv that place. The smell, the weather, the plants. Man I got to get back there soon. 25th anniversary maybe. Hope you did the volcano sunrise and bike ride down, Hookipa beach windsurfers, Hana, I'm so jealous. I like Big Island the best though and Kona fishing is very good and very close to shore as it is unthinkably deep a stones throw out so no long rides I 'd say. They start trolling in channel on way out it is so deep. I just wandered around the 100's of charter boats in Kona and asked for info and prices. I am sure there are seasons when each species is abundant but I have no knowledge of that. No helpful info on Maui fishing either from me but I just luv talking about Hawaii so I had to put my useless 2 cents in.

Have fun and enjoy yourself. The withdrawals coming home will suck for sure.

We HATED the big Island-- it was our least favorite--stayed at the MASSIVE Hilton Resort , took us 20 minutes to get from the jeep to our room. Place was huge. Wife swam with the dolphins, I watched the sun set with Dennis Eckersley, cool water park, but it ended there. We drove as far south as the pink and black sand beaches, saw the turtles, and took the jeep completely airborne, but it was just too big. And the whole Kona side of the island is like the moon from all the lava flows. A barren wasteland.

I just came in from changing the water in my live well....its cold out...I wanna go back to hawaii...............

ProfessorM · 10-22-2010, 07:54 PM

LOL. I luv the big island. So diverse. Opposite side you were on is really lush. Waipi'o Valley, Hilo. Awesome Kauai type spots. The volcano Nat. park is fa nominal. The snow capped Mauna Kea. I spent 2 weeks there but it takes that long to see it all. I agree the ironman area is like the moon but I likey. Heck I'd take a bar room alley in Oahu right now over what we got coming in the next few months.

Fish On · 10-24-2010, 01:11 AM

Thanks for all the well wishes. Still haven't gone fishing yet. It got a bit too windy the last couple days and other things took precedent. I will try again on Oahu. Start Me Up is still here by the way.

I did play a round of golf on Kapalua's Plantation Course (Mercedes Championship). It was $158 after 1 pm but was worth $1000! The views were spectacular. The wife drove the cart and I had the best round of golf I've played in a few years. I shot 94 from the tips (championship tees) with a birdie (Dao snapped a picture just after I hit the putt) on the 508 yd par 4 17th (# 2 handicap). I hit my drive 397 yds on the 18th to finish up the round. The hole is very downhill and has a strong Maui wind at your back. What a day!

Did the road to Hana yesterday and circled the island. Pictures do not do the views justice. Spectacular! Just had dinner at Mama's Fish House. FVery expensive but VERY delicious. Definately worth a visit.

I'll let you know how I do fishing if I go.

Thanks again!

MakoMike · 10-25-2010, 12:29 PM

Kona is the port to fish from. I've caught 500- pound blue marlin right at the harbor buoy outside Hanakahu harbor. Prime grounds are less tha 1/2 hour from the dock. Blue marlin are there year round. Summer is tuna season, winter is striped marlin and spearfish season. Mahi's a re always a possibility. Not many boats will fish for wahoo, as they are in too close. You can fly to Kona and spend a day fishing and then fly back to Maui or any other island. Freddy Rice or his son on the Ihu Nui will treat you right.

Piscator · 10-25-2010, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish On

Did the road to Hana yesterday and circled the island. Pictures do not do the views justice. Spectacular! Just had dinner at Mama's Fish House. FVery expensive but VERY delicious. Definately worth a visit.

Thanks again!

Exactly what the wife and I did on our Honeymoon in Maui. What a place. Enjoy every minute of it.

I fisnished up mine in Kauai, went out fishing with a local fisherman from Kauai (friend of a friends, friend) and we hooked up to a Wahoo, a 250 # Blue Marlin, and Ocean Black Tip Shark and a bunch of football Yellow fin. It was great.

Enjoy.

Big Game · 10-26-2010, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakoMike

Kona is the port to fish from. I've caught 500- pound blue marlin right at the harbor buoy outside Hanakahu harbor. Prime grounds are less tha 1/2 hour from the dock. Blue marlin are there year round. Summer is tuna season, winter is striped marlin and spearfish season. Mahi's a re always a possibility. Not many boats will fish for wahoo, as they are in too close. You can fly to Kona and spend a day fishing and then fly back to Maui or any other island. Freddy Rice or his son on the Ihu Nui will treat you right.

Too funny....the Ihu Nui is also the boat I fished on when I was in Kona. Top notch crew. They've landed many granders (just none the day I was fishing!)

Fish On · 10-27-2010, 02:22 AM

Forecast not looking good. Seems like Friday is the only possible day for me. Headed home Saturday.

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 21.29N and Longitude 157.86W (Elev. 10 ft)