Fishing trip in Maui.

[Mighty Sylvan]

My wife and I just booked a 7 day trip to Maui. I have not been there before and I have been looking at the fishing charters in Lahaina. From the web it looks like June is a good time to try for many different species. I'm not looking for anything fancy. I would just like to get a shared trip for the day. Any suggestions?

 

[Wooly]

My wife and I just booked a 7 day trip to Maui. I have not been there before and I have been looking at the fishing charters in Lahaina. From the web it looks like June is a good time to try for many different species. I'm not looking for anything fancy. I would just like to get a shared trip for the day. Any suggestions?

Try to get the local hawaiin hook up! I went with a full on charter for my stag out of lahina. paid way too much and all we caught was 4 and 5 pound tuna. and not very many of them. the locals in smaller boats were slaying them 4 or 5 to 1. Just my experience. Do your research for a good captain. I think my guy got out of the bar at 4 am and met us at the dock 15 mins late at 415. then had his deck hand captain the boat all day while he slept.

cheers,

 

[ripper12]

startmeup fishing charters take the 10 hr charter did fantastic last year .

 

[Optimist]

x2 on startmeup,great boats and lots of fish,remember there is an extra charge for cleaning your catch on top of the trip

 

[Seafever]

You can't be too careful picking your charter down there. Some caps will just take you out for a boat ride...don't go by anything the front desk in your hotel says....

 

[KV1]

Fished Kona many times did well. Buddy told me you have to go out much farther in Maui but cant say for sure. Helps to go down to Marina and check out ALL the boats your interested in at the end of their charter day usually lunch for half day charters and 4 for full day before you book. See who's flying flags and who's not and see who is crushing beer cans on their deck and who's cleaning fish. Also check out dry boat charters where you can fish for yourself did that in Kona and worked out great.

 

[tubber]

I saw a 700lb marlin on the scale in Lahaina in mid july a few years ago so June should work. There ar several recommended charters on ifish.net if you do a search there. The boat owns the fish in Maui and usually resell it to the fresh market. I would seek clarification on that before you go.

 

[AlGee]

A guy at work took his son on a charter. There were six people in all, the skipper lined everyone up and pointed at the first guy and said "You are number1, number 2" etc. down the line. My buddy and his son were numbers 5 and 6 to fish from the chair. The first 3 guys actually got to fight bigger fish in the chair, no one else. He said the rest of it was catching mahi on the little rods. And yes, the boat keeps the fish. They wouldn't even give them a couple steaks for a BBQ on the beach. That was 400 bucks. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

 

[Pippen]

Glad this thread got bumped as I was trying to remember who started one of these recently!

As for StartMeUp Charters......had a buddy who just went with them about a week ago (out of Lahaina) and had a great day on a shared charter for $200 cash per head. StartMeUp has a few boats, may even be up to 10 but my friend went with Tim Putnam on a 42' Bertram.

He wanted to get on a 2am departure but couldn't so had to do a 9 hour or so charter that left around 6 or 7am I think he said.

Sylvan.....I have Tim Putnam's business card right in front of me as well as another Captain's.

Tim was apparently a great guy to deal with over there and great Captain. Here is his contact info;

• tputnam37@gmail.com
• I would assume this number is his direct as the 2nd number corresponds on both cards I have . Direct seems to be 808-276-6561 and it seems as though the main number is 808-667-2774
• I am assuming he regularly runs the same boat as it notes on the card he is in slip #36.

In advance you may want to ask about keeping some fish if you wanted so as not to run into the same issue as AlGee has referred to. I have done two charters out of Kauai and both times have been offered up some fish without hesitation. (unfortunately last year in Maui I was too roped in to hanging out with family and didn't get around to fishing! )

 

[CIVANO]

Was on a charter out of Maui few years back. I asked if we caught something if we could have some fish for dinner that night. The captain said certainly. We caught 3 45 - 50 lb yellow fin tuna and he decided he would not share any after we tipped him. I'm still pissed and will not fish there again on a big charter.

 

[tulameentrapper]

Been with both Start me up and Finest Kind. Caught more fish with Finest Kind. Guide was great too. Ended up going for $200 on a group charter. My group was me and 2 other guys. Left at 5:00am and came back around 4:00pm. Caught a 20lb mahi mahi, and two 6' long short billed spear fish. Fish stay with the boat. He offered me a steak of Mahi. Both companies have pretty good reputations.

 

[ziggy]

Check which port you leaving from, time to the fishing grounds makes a difference as well.

 

[Aces]

I would never go on a charter where the crew doesn't share up the fish......that's crazy!!

 

[Mighty Sylvan]

I booked with Start me up. 8hr shared trip. I really hope I fight some fish for my $200. I'm not worried about the meat as long as it doesn't go to waste. Pictures and maybe a steak and Ill be happy.

 

[Pippen]

I booked with Start me up. 8hr shared trip. I really hope I fight some fish for my $200. I'm not worried about the meat as long as it doesn't go to waste. Pictures and maybe a steak and Ill be happy.

MS......look towards one of the EARLY morning trips. They get you out much further where the fish tend to be more abundant. In saying that...I am sure it changes seasonably. I had a buddy who went out 2 years ago in May from Lahaina....ran out a couple hours leaving at 2am and whacked north of 40 tuna, mahi and sailfish.

 

[Pippen]

I would never go on a charter where the crew doesn't share up the fish......that's crazy!!

I have asked about it in Hawaii with all I have fished with.....unfortunately it seems all to prevalent with some operators that getting a few meals worth of fish can be a challenge. I have heard many a story of no fish offered or given when requested.

 

[TelStar26]

www.bloodydecks.com

A good place to research your captain.

 

[Rockfish]

Did fish out of Lahaina and got nothing but still enjoyed the experience. Went with the group rate and was expecting a crowd but there was only one other couple on their honeymoon. The guy was a Midwestern US boy who brought on two cases of beer and never had one. I don’t think he had ever been on the water and he was green with his head over the side. Got a smile out of his new wife by softly singing the Gilligan’s Island song (“The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed…”).

They did try outside from between the islands in open water where there are more fish but there had been a squall the night before and the waves were very impressive for a city boy like me and we did not stay out there long before going back inside. Even in a forty foot sport boat I felt like I was on a dingy.

There was some local guys who had brochures for taking tourists shore casting sport fishing which could also be worth a try and not overly pricy; you could ask at the tackle shops.

We also took one of the large party boats out to Molokini (the semi circle tip of a volcano) and turtle town for some snuba diving which is safer diving for beginners as you have a regulator but the tank is in a little raft you tow around on the surface and a scuba diver looks after you while you look at the reef fish and the turtles. They also threw out a rod or two while traveling but again no bites.

Good luck, hope you get into some fish. Sounds like some good advice with getting a Charter who leaves very early and goes far out into the open water.

 

[xavier]

Or you can hit up South Maui in a yak. Haven't done it yet, but watched lots of locals heading out while I stared with envy from the beaches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEBhwQC-4Yo

www.localfishingknowledge.com

 

[Seafever]

I believe down in Hawaii the charter sport boats are in reality commercial fishing vessels. They technically do not have to part with any of their catch even though you are paying them and you caught the fish. Once the fish is on board it belongs to them to sell or do what they will with it. You would think they would be good and send you home with at least a couple of fillets or steaks......but they don't have to if they don't want to. However it would be good for business IMO if they did, so one could get a decent dinner out of it. On the other hand the fridge in my condo wasn't big enough to hold 45lbs of fish......and I wasn't thinking of taking any on the flight home with me either....