Guys, I am off to Kona coast in early November and was wondering if anyone could reccomend a good boat or captain to charter for Marlin, Tuna, etc. Looking to do private full day...on 40 footer. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Never been to Hawaii so looking for suggestions -Thanx much
Kona.... Charter Boat or Captains Suggestions?
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Judging by the TV show, "Big Game Fishing the World" with Capt. Norm Isaacs on ESPN, I'd avoid the SUNDOWNER.
They spend most of the show talking about currents, bait, and favorite lures, but never seem to catch anything worth talking about.
The seas look nice, though.
Judging by the TV show, "Big Game Fishing the World" with Capt. Norm Isaacs on ESPN, I'd avoid the SUNDOWNER.
They spend most of the show talking about currents, bait, and favorite lures, but never seem to catch anything worth talking about.
The seas look nice, though.
Thnx for reply
Ai1 have u used this guy? If so what boat is it? Lokks like a 31 bertram form pic....Want to make sure guy i use is fun and curteous cause some of captains i have had in florida make for bad experience....Thanx for the the reply!
Ai1 have u used this guy? If so what boat is it? Lokks like a 31 bertram form pic....Want to make sure guy i use is fun and curteous cause some of captains i have had in florida make for bad experience....Thanx for the the reply!
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183 Posts
kona
shortsale,
I fish kona at least once a year and have fished many different boats.What I can tell you is that it is hard to go wrong.They have a very proffesional fleet and most boats are top notch.I fished the HIBT tournament in 2000 aboard "LEGEND" a 1999 35 CABO skippered by Capt Reuben Rubio and Mike Vidal(1999 World Billfish Champion).Great boat with a top notch crew(missed winning tourn by 100 marlin points on last day in 2000)!I have also fished on "SUNDOWNER"35 Bertram Capt Norm and Darin Issacs,"MARLIN MAGIC"43 custom Capt Marlin Parker,"ILLUSIONS"Capt Tim Hicks,and "NORTHERN LIGHTS"37 Merrit Capt Kevin Nakamaru.The only problem I have is choosing one of the previous mentioned boats as they are all world class Captains.I wish I could pick one out of the bunch, but caught marlin on all and had too good of a time to choose just one!Sorry to ramble on but just too excited,headind there this coming march and fishing for a week.The charters there range from $500 to $650 a day which you can't beat since you start trolling out of the harbour.If you need more info,phone numbers,or websites let me know and will post them.Hope this helps and good luck!!
shortsale,
I fish kona at least once a year and have fished many different boats.What I can tell you is that it is hard to go wrong.They have a very proffesional fleet and most boats are top notch.I fished the HIBT tournament in 2000 aboard "LEGEND" a 1999 35 CABO skippered by Capt Reuben Rubio and Mike Vidal(1999 World Billfish Champion).Great boat with a top notch crew(missed winning tourn by 100 marlin points on last day in 2000)!I have also fished on "SUNDOWNER"35 Bertram Capt Norm and Darin Issacs,"MARLIN MAGIC"43 custom Capt Marlin Parker,"ILLUSIONS"Capt Tim Hicks,and "NORTHERN LIGHTS"37 Merrit Capt Kevin Nakamaru.The only problem I have is choosing one of the previous mentioned boats as they are all world class Captains.I wish I could pick one out of the bunch, but caught marlin on all and had too good of a time to choose just one!Sorry to ramble on but just too excited,headind there this coming march and fishing for a week.The charters there range from $500 to $650 a day which you can't beat since you start trolling out of the harbour.If you need more info,phone numbers,or websites let me know and will post them.Hope this helps and good luck!!
I can recommend Jeff Rogers wholeheartedly
He's working very hard to build up a reputation and will work his a$$ off for you. He's very good and you will learn a lot from him. For better or worse, Jeff has the reputation as a top bottom skipper in Kona, so he gets a lot of bottomfishing (trevally and amberjack) charters while he really wants to spend more time chasing billfish.
I've gone out with Marlin Parker, Gene VanderHoek and a few other 'top boats, and they're good, but they treat you like fragile baggage. You do things their way, only their way, and only when you're told. While they may have a better billfish record, I didn't learn anything and was rather put off.
He's working very hard to build up a reputation and will work his a$$ off for you. He's very good and you will learn a lot from him. For better or worse, Jeff has the reputation as a top bottom skipper in Kona, so he gets a lot of bottomfishing (trevally and amberjack) charters while he really wants to spend more time chasing billfish.
I've gone out with Marlin Parker, Gene VanderHoek and a few other 'top boats, and they're good, but they treat you like fragile baggage. You do things their way, only their way, and only when you're told. While they may have a better billfish record, I didn't learn anything and was rather put off.
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183 Posts
kona
Josko,
Very suprised at that!All of those Captains let me be involved 100%,actually they encouraged it,not to mention some of the most knowledge sharing company you will have on the water!They want to catch as much as their charters do if not more.ILLUSIONS kept me out an extra 45 minutes one time cause it was a slow day and saw how bummed i was.Anyway payed off with a 150 blue.Not too many "stictly business" Capt's will do that for you.Sorry to hear about the bad experiance.
Josko,
Very suprised at that!All of those Captains let me be involved 100%,actually they encouraged it,not to mention some of the most knowledge sharing company you will have on the water!They want to catch as much as their charters do if not more.ILLUSIONS kept me out an extra 45 minutes one time cause it was a slow day and saw how bummed i was.Anyway payed off with a 150 blue.Not too many "stictly business" Capt's will do that for you.Sorry to hear about the bad experiance.
tunatamer
I've never fished Hawaii (too much travel time for a one week trip), but I do fish extensively on the west coast of Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. At least six weeks over the winter.
The main question I have about Kona: How many shots do you get at big marlin?
I know they get stripers, sails, spearfish, and the occasional small blue, but how many shots do you get at 400+ blue or black marlin.
Judging from Norm Isaacs show, not too many. But maybe you can correct me.
I've never fished Hawaii (too much travel time for a one week trip), but I do fish extensively on the west coast of Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama. At least six weeks over the winter.
The main question I have about Kona: How many shots do you get at big marlin?
I know they get stripers, sails, spearfish, and the occasional small blue, but how many shots do you get at 400+ blue or black marlin.
Judging from Norm Isaacs show, not too many. But maybe you can correct me.
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183 Posts
kona
buckley,
Sping and fall seem to be the best time for shots at big blues,but you won't get the action like the summer months.Mid summer it's not unusual to get 5 or 6 shots a day but they are usually small fish 150 to 300 pounds.In the spring and fall you might only get 1 shot over a three day period but that seems to be when the big girls are their for breeding and it's not unusual to see a few marlin over 700 that are brought in over course of the week(only thing I don't like is that they eat marlin their so alot of the more "unprofesional boats" keep their catch).First thing I recommend is making sure the boat will catch and realease,as on one of the boats I caught
a 100 pound blue got him next to the boat for my wife to get a picture and next thing I knew they laid a gaff in him and i could do nothing!That turned out to be a very short charter as I made the captain take us back in as we shared words I would care not to repeat!
As for Blacks I've heard of them being caught but have never seen one when I was there.Also all the stripeys you want in the winter months.It really is my favorite place to fish.
A couple of places my wife and I have been considering that we haven't fished yet are baja,cabo,and panama,any recomendations for those areas as you said that is where you fish most of the time?
buckley,
Sping and fall seem to be the best time for shots at big blues,but you won't get the action like the summer months.Mid summer it's not unusual to get 5 or 6 shots a day but they are usually small fish 150 to 300 pounds.In the spring and fall you might only get 1 shot over a three day period but that seems to be when the big girls are their for breeding and it's not unusual to see a few marlin over 700 that are brought in over course of the week(only thing I don't like is that they eat marlin their so alot of the more "unprofesional boats" keep their catch).First thing I recommend is making sure the boat will catch and realease,as on one of the boats I caught
a 100 pound blue got him next to the boat for my wife to get a picture and next thing I knew they laid a gaff in him and i could do nothing!That turned out to be a very short charter as I made the captain take us back in as we shared words I would care not to repeat!
As for Blacks I've heard of them being caught but have never seen one when I was there.Also all the stripeys you want in the winter months.It really is my favorite place to fish.
A couple of places my wife and I have been considering that we haven't fished yet are baja,cabo,and panama,any recomendations for those areas as you said that is where you fish most of the time?
Tunatamer: If you want a quiet atmosphere, Palmas de Cortez on the East Cape of Baja was a very nice trip that I took. However, if you want a rowdier time, then Cabo San Lucas is more the place to be in Baja.
I've heard good things about Tropic Star lodge in Panama (never been myself), but the thing that's kept me from going is that it is far from cheap. However, if cost were not a problem, I'd check it out myself the first chance I got.
I've heard good things about Tropic Star lodge in Panama (never been myself), but the thing that's kept me from going is that it is far from cheap. However, if cost were not a problem, I'd check it out myself the first chance I got.
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1,409 Posts
fished the Illusion with capt juan wariqueres (spelling) back in 88'. 35 topaz with all the best goodies (fin-nor, etc). juan was making his name at the time having won the HIBT and a pioneer in night swordfishing off of kona. if he's still around you can't go wrong. very professional capt and crew (2 mates). yes i did catch 2 blue marlin, kona is unreal, fish right out of the harbor.
Tropic Star Lodge
Tunatamer:
I've been there 11 times over the past 5 winters. Never had a bad trip.
Great place to bring your wife also, if she likes to fish.
May sound a little expensive, but it's six solid days of fishing + room and gourmet meals.
Best week: eight black & blue marlin to 500 lbs.
Best day: three blacks before 11 am.
Best months: August & September if you don't mind the rain. Or January, February and March in dry season. Pacific sails all over the place in April & May.
I'm going to TSL three times this winter: January, February and March. Love the place!
By the way, the Republic of Panama does NOT permit the killing of billfish.
Also great for big yellowfin, dorado, and some great inshore fishing.
Yes, Cabo is a bit of a party town, but if you go for the serious fishing, it won't bother you. Cabo gives the best access for Pacific fishing, as well as access to the Sea of Cortez, if you charter a fast enough boat. I'll be down there the first week in October, and I'll send you a report if you'd like.
Tunatamer:
I've been there 11 times over the past 5 winters. Never had a bad trip.
Great place to bring your wife also, if she likes to fish.
May sound a little expensive, but it's six solid days of fishing + room and gourmet meals.
Best week: eight black & blue marlin to 500 lbs.
Best day: three blacks before 11 am.
Best months: August & September if you don't mind the rain. Or January, February and March in dry season. Pacific sails all over the place in April & May.
I'm going to TSL three times this winter: January, February and March. Love the place!
By the way, the Republic of Panama does NOT permit the killing of billfish.
Also great for big yellowfin, dorado, and some great inshore fishing.
Yes, Cabo is a bit of a party town, but if you go for the serious fishing, it won't bother you. Cabo gives the best access for Pacific fishing, as well as access to the Sea of Cortez, if you charter a fast enough boat. I'll be down there the first week in October, and I'll send you a report if you'd like.
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2,650 Posts
Lived in Kona for 3 years,and worked on a few different boats. I would reccomend capt. Mcgrew Rice on the IHU NUI, local boy going back 3 generations of fishermen. Kevin Nakamura on the Northern Lights, Capt, Gerry Allen on his vintage 31 Bertram and Dan Givens on the Marlin Grando are all gentlemen and professionals. All have a grander to their credit and consistantly produce. If possible, the time to go is May thru August. LATER
Kona Fishing
Captain Marlin Parker of the Marlin Magic! I fished Kona waters for over 13 years, last May i got the chance to charter the Marlin Magic, we brought in a Marlin over 500 pounds and what a show she gave. Captain Parker comes from a family of Charter boat Captains, look up the MARLIN MAGIC on the web and read his history, very immpresive. Also check out the web site for KONA'S INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT, you'll read more about him and his father there. He also desighns and sells his own lures! Don't miss this one, he's the best kona has to offer!quote:
"TIGHT LINES"
Captain Marlin Parker of the Marlin Magic! I fished Kona waters for over 13 years, last May i got the chance to charter the Marlin Magic, we brought in a Marlin over 500 pounds and what a show she gave. Captain Parker comes from a family of Charter boat Captains, look up the MARLIN MAGIC on the web and read his history, very immpresive. Also check out the web site for KONA'S INTERNATIONAL BILLFISH TOURNAMENT, you'll read more about him and his father there. He also desighns and sells his own lures! Don't miss this one, he's the best kona has to offer!quote:
"TIGHT LINES"
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