chartering a boat in hawaii

[jagerhunchback]

allright, i'll do the island of oahu.

the two best operations on the island (imho) are chupu charters and the magic.

Hawaii Sportfishing Charters, Hawaiian Fishing Vacations is the website for the "Foxy Lady" a solid 42ft uniflite kept in impeccable condition. YouTube - Fishing in Hawaii to Willy K they use live bait and operate out of haleiwa. as far as prices go they are in the middle of what you would find on the island but they are highliners and will put you dead center on the fish.you will also be allowed to take home 50 lbs of fish at the end of your day. the only bad thing that can be said is that the north shore tends to have rougher weather then the south shore.in addition i think they can also hook you up with a vacation rental on the beach on the north shore if you inquire. This is the charter i take friends and family on when they visit.

the next charter operates out of kewalo basin which is right next to waikiki. another highliner, "The Magic" is a 50 ft pacifica that is super baller gucci-liscious. Hawaii SportFishing Charter, Sportfishing Hawaii

captain russel tanaka has caught more grander marlin (i believe) than any other hawaii captain. his rates will be more expensive due to the luxury boat your gonna be on and higher operating costs being right in waikiki.

the next charter is live-bait sportfishing. Big Game Fishing -Live Bait Hawaii

they are located out of wainae harbor. a smaller boat so a lower cost operation. not my first pic if money was no option but a solid affordable reliable charter. the owner (shannon frasier) is an so cal boy who decided to move over to the island back in the day.

keep in mind that there are other boats in these same harbors. some are ok and some fish for tourists i.e. you pony up the cash and they take you out on a boat ride and could care less about catching fish. their mindset is that a new flock of tourists is just on the next plane to land. talk to the captain on the phone and e-mail them, feel them out. i've been on a number of charters on this island and i've seen the crews from lesser boats try to"chase" their charter off the dock so they don't have to see the catches that the good boats have made. don't be like these people.

another note on charters on oahu. whatever boat you decide to charter do the captain and crew a favor and research the boat and do not charter your boat through a charter desk operation. i think on other islands it is the norm, but on oahu you can charter directly with the captain,. most charter desks here nail the boats for generally 30% off the top. kinda lame.

for lodging, one of the better things to do is rent a vacation rental on island. it's comparable to a hotel, but private and i would say more comfortable. you can cook there, still go to the restaurants you choose to go to, and in the long run you will save money by not getting hosed by all of the expensive prices in waikiki. here's a cool website to find vacation rentals Hawaii Vacation Rentals - VRBO® Vacation Rentals by Owner Hawaii - Hawaii Travel

another place to find vacation rentals is here hawaii vacation rentals classifieds - craigslist

recently i went to a mcdonald's in waikiki and noticed they did'nt have the dollar value menu on the menu. i asked "wtf, no value menu" and they were like "ho brah, we got'em" i'll take 3 dbl cheeseburgers and 3 chicken sandwiches please, only cost 6 bucks. had i not i would have bought 2 normal meals for about 7 bucks a piece, another way to tax tourists here.

another smart thing to do to find a plethora of dining experiences is to buy the sunday paper. "honolulu advertiser" has a "dining out " guide in every sunday edition. it's full of coupons and loaded with places to eat.

[Hirize]

That guy in the tank top holding the fish don't look too happy either................damn do you ever smile???????

Better learn to smile cause it's rule #1 on my boat.

Aloha, Pete

[jagerhunchback]

i lost all my smiles in 33 months of combat in 3 different wars.

i usually have to be pretty buzzed to bring out my soft side. im thinking tim robertson to do the big island charters.

Originally Posted by Hirize

That guy in the tank top holding the fish don't look too happy either................damn do you ever smile???????

Better learn to smile cause it's rule #1 on my boat.

Aloha, Pete

[seabass willie]

I can make him Laugh and Smile............

[Tim R]

I use to book charters for some top boats in Cabo San Lucas and can tell you the most important thing is finding the right match and or someone your comfortable with and share the same fishing philosophy...

Get your note pad out and figure out what you want from your boat, captain and crew then get on the phone or e-mail and do a quick interview...

Top captains prefer this, they want to make sure they're on the same page as the angler. This doesn't mean negotiating a price, trust me these guys price their boats extremely fair and are the best value in any ocean by far. If you come off like a rate shopper, you'll get treated like one which means you won't get anywhere with the captain.

Everyone thinks we out of hand recommend Kevin Nakamaru on Northern Lights at our store, nothing could be further from the truth, I have never fished with Kevin and we are not buddy's, but he is a hell of a hard working fisherman and knows his stuff cold, but is not everyones cup of tea either so that's why we always recommend at least a couple of captains to most enquiry's.

Here's my Long short list, all the captains are great and offer something unique along with their boats:

• Sea Genie II 39', Gene Vander Hoek
• Ihu Nu 35'i, Mcrew Rice & Carlton Arai
• Marlin Magic II 52', Marlin Parker
• Bad Company 55', Randy Parker
  • Soon to be a 45 foot Rybo
• Marlin Magic I 43', Jason Holtz
• Jun Ken Po 42', Mike Holtz (returns soon)
• Foxy Lady 46', Boyd Decoito (most underated capt. in Kona, HI)
• Humdinger 39' Jeff Fay
• Rod Bender 35', Kirwen Masunaga
• Monkey Biz II 35', Chip Van Mols
• Five Star 52' Carlton Taniyama & Matt Losasso
• Northern Lights 37', Kevin Nakamaru & Steve Epstein
• Bite Me 42', Kevin Hiney
• Illusions 39', Tim Hicks
• Lepika 31', Russ Nitta
• Dojo 42', Ryan Foster
• Chiripa 36', Bill Crawford
• Playtime 39', Wayne Knight
• Lady 37', O.B. Morton
• Howbadoyouwanit 35', Allan Bakke & Sam Choy Jr.
• Krista 40', Dennis Cintas
• Fish Wish 33', Kent Mongreig
• Anxious 35', owner Neal Isaacs
• Monkey Biz 35', Vinny Maggio
• Tara II 53', Scott Fuller (Scooter)
• Why Knot 31', Billy Dorr

I have probably missed a dozen or so other great captains and boats for no other reason than my hands are cramping up...

Remember do your homework, interview the captains and find the right operation to fish with that suites what you want to do:

• Chase Big Fish
• Jig at the buoy
• Light tackle
• bait and switch
• Catch Tuna
• Stand up
• Night Time
• Catch first Spear fish
• Bring family and friends for 2 days then fish hard for 2 days

Tell the capt what you want, then let them make recommendations...Listen to what they have to say, yes you are the customer, but they are the expert...You are paying for that expertise, so you should listen closely. Don't start off asking for a discount, you'll be looked at as a cheap charlie whether you are or not and that won't help you, don't turn it into a negotiating session the prices in Kona, HI are the best their are set a budget and work with the captain you want to fish with on number of days....

Not being snotty here, but if you are looking for one day or a 3/4 or half and or that is all you can afford, your not really going Big Game hunting / fishing, your recreational fishing and I would suggest you find the right size boat and a versitile capt that likes to fish for everything and you'll enjoy your day.

If you are looking for 3 days plus your looking at being able to create a realistic plan to CHASE what you want and have some success, which you generally can't do in one day.

Well those are what I would call the golden rules for chartering in Kona, HI and abroad...

Like I always say don't be afraid to e-mail us at the shop or call for advise, we'll gladly provide it at no charge...

Fish With Capt Fuzzy Lahaina, Maui

[Hirize]

Kat,

Don't get me wrong but I do not think this thread is supposed to be an advertizing section.
It should be information to members from members as to the charter operations on each island available for visiting members.

There are many misconceptions on how charters work in Hawaii and which ones us non-charter boat captains would reccommend. Also a little information on the differences between boats and how they fish or what aspect of fishing they excell at.

Aloha, Pete

[Tim R]

Originally Posted by Hirize

Kat,

Don't get me wrong but I do not think this thread is supposed to be an advertizing section.
It should be information to members from members as to the charter operations on each island available for visiting members.

There are many misconceptions on how charters work in Hawaii and which ones us non-charter boat captains would reccommend. Also a little information on the differences between boats and how they fish or what aspect of fishing they excell at.

Aloha, Pete

Kat,

Pete's right nobody minds boats and operators that provide reports and promote themselves in the process, but if you want to 'Just" promote on BD (or any board) buy some ad space (with Bloodydecks) and support the cause...

Come to think of it, I gotta get with our E-com guy and get us a Melton Hawaii Banner going here!!!

Oh and by the way you can fly to Kona, HI from Maui, fish on a 40 plus boat, in calm waters for bigger fish, no run to the grounds AND spend less Money than for say a 32 foot BW in Maui...Just a thought. Check with "Start me Up" in Maui, they do this all the time!!!! (their boat in Kona is Jun Ken Po, which seems to win a lot of tournaments, catch big fish etc....)

Just providing information here...Not tying to be Competitious (new word, use at your own risk)...

AND you can book DIRECT with all boats in Hawaii by walking the dock or contacting them on line. Helps the owner / operators not having to pay brokers...more fuel in the tank for fishing which makes captains and charters happier in the long run.

Don't get me wrong I'm not against brokers, but BROKERS have to add value for the client and captain, not just be a middle person...

Say hi to Fuzzy for me! I hope he likes the new outriggers he got from us, he's definitely a really good captain to fish with in Lahaina!!!!

[jagerhunchback]

i concur this thread is designed as a "been there done that" from bd'ers that have experienced each charter from a first hand customer perspective.

[Stringer]

Great write-up Mike. I am going to be right there in Oahu in August, and would like to go out 1 day, you have given me a good base to start from. Thanks

[konaguy]

You could pick any five of the captains on Tim's list and they would outfish any five captains you could pick worldwide. That's how good I think these guys are. I've deckhanded on some of these boats and am always impressed by how professional and knowledgeable these captains are. The boats I haven't been on, I've read about in the weekly catch reports or I've seen outfishing me when we're on a net loaded with mahimahi. Remember, Kona is a premier fishing destination because it hosts huge fish of all varieties. These captains (and crew) are the best because they deal with these fish on a daily basis. Do you know what you would do in handling a 1,000 pound blue marlin? Many of these captains have had that experience or something close to it. Take a ride on one of these charter boats and learn how they do it. Look at their setups and lures. Look how they arrange the hooks and where they set the drags. Ask about tides and moon phases and sounders, etc. Even if you don't catch any fish that day you will be sure to get your money's worth and come away with something that will make you a better fisherman. You won't go wrong with any of them.

[FishingHawaii]

Tim's got a great list and can be counted on for good advice. More good advice? Check in with index.html every week and read the in-depth reports. You'll get a good sense of who is doing what type of fishing and what they are catching. Jim Rizzuto