There are close to two dozen companies offering fishing charters on Maui. Most of these focus on sport fishing. The best Maui sport fishing charters go out every day, keep their gear in good condition and catch fish on a fairly regular basis. No boat catches every day. Fishing is fishing, after all.
What might be a good Maui sport fishing charter for some, may not be the best trip for others. Below is a list of the sport fishing charters recommended by Fish Maui most often. (This content has been provided by them). All have bathrooms, a few have air conditioning, but most importantly, these guys know how to catch fish on Maui!
Hinatea Sport Fishing
The Hinatea (pronounced “Hee-nah-TAY-ah”) is a beautifully maintained 41′ Hatteras operating Maui sport fishing charters out of Lahaina harbor. Check-in time between 4:45am – 5:30am depending on the season. The Hinatea is fast with a stable, comfortable ride. The vessel features a tuna tower, a spacious salon and back deck, outriggers, a downrigger, a range of professional sport fishing tackle and top of the line electronics.
Fish caught aboard Hinatea Sport Fishing include striped and blue marlin, mahi mahi (dorado/dolphin fish), ono (wahoo), ahi (yellowfin tuna), big-eye, and aku (skipjack tuna). In addition to trolling with artificial lures, Hinatea’s crew love to catch and rig live bait, often running it on the downrigger. This can bring in uku (gray snapper), ulua (GT), trevally, rainbow runner, barracuda and more.
The fishing methods used on any given day depend upon a variety of factors, most notably season (live bait is more difficult to obtain during the summer), trip duration, weather conditions, and the previous days’ bite. Probably the most consistent comment received about Hinatea Sport Fishing is her crew. They share the Aloha Spirit at every opportunity. They love what they do, and they are genuinely pleased to have you on board!
Start Me Up Sportfishing
Start Me Up Sport Fishing oversees the largest fleet of sport fishing boats on Maui. Most of their maui fishing charters are run on identical 38′ Bertrams. They also operate 42′ Bertram (Jun Ken Po), a 42′ Dorado (Cuz), and a 35′ Blackfin (Action). This page covers Start Me Up’s standard sport fishing charters. Start Me Up’s Maui sport fishing charters depart daily from Lahaina harbor. All their Lahaina fishing boats are well maintained and fully outfitted with the latest equipment. Targeting mahi mahi, ono, ahi tuna and billfish like striped marlin, blue marlin and spearfish. These sport fishing charters are appropriate for both beginners and experienced anglers.
Be sure to fish early in your trip as the crew will gladly filet a portion of the day’s catch for all guests to enjoy a hearty fresh fish dinner or two during their stay on Maui. If requested, Start Me Up Sport Fishing will allow anglers to keep any mahimahi, ono and smaller ahi they personally catch, but be sure and let them know that this is your intention at the time of booking.
Luckey Strike II
The LUCKEY STRIKE II is a large, comfortable 50′ Delta Sportfisher. She is one of the few able to carry more than 6 passengers, so she is ideal for extended family, wedding groups, and corporate outings. Luckey Strike II can comfortably accommodate up to 15 guests. The minimum age is 10.
2 bathrooms onboard. Roomy, shaded cabin. Walk-around decks. Skilled and friendly captain and crew. All fishing gear and instruction are provided. Fishing licenses are not necessary. The captain prefers to operate trips nearer to shore, often with lighter tackle and live bait which keeps things interesting, but heavier tackle is available for offshore trolling as well.
Luckey Strike runs a maximum of 7 lines at a time while trolling, though 6 is more common. When a line is hit, the crew will direct a guest to either the fighting chair or will fit them with a belt to help secure the rod. Pelagic game fish caught trolling include mahimahi (dorado), ono (wahoo), ahi (tuna), and various species of billfish such as blue marlin, striped marlin, short-nosed spearfish.
Luckey Strike II’s captain and crew specialize in live bait fishing! If you’re lucky enough to catch bait on the way out or to have some onboard from a previous trip, the list of targeted species expands to include ulua (giant trevally), kahala (amberjack), and uku (gray snapper), along with a wide range of other predatory reef fish. Luckey Strike Charters will let you keep as much fish as you’d like. They will filet it for you as well at no additional charge, so you can take it back to your accommodations and cook it.
Guests are expected to provide food and beverages for themselves. Beer and wine are permitted, but no glass bottles as they’re a safety hazard. The boat is equipped with a large cooler filled with ice for you to use. Typical departure times from Lahaina harbor are between 5:30 – 6:00 am, occasionally earlier if the captain can talk you into it!
Reel Luckey
Their beautiful 38 ft. Mediterranean sportfisher features A/C cabin, flybridge, color fishfinder, Garmin chart plotter, and custom live baitwell. She is owner-operated and meticulously maintained. From September through June, the Reel Luckey out of Maui’s Lahaina harbor offers lighter tackle sportfishing, using predominantly live bait and lures when necessary. These fishing trips run from 4-6 hours and are operated closer to shore, making this our top recommendation for families with kids aged 8 and up, teens, and those who want to land decent-sized Maui gamefish, but don’t want to stay out 8 hours doing it!
Reel Luckey frequently lands mahi-mahi (dorado), ono (wahoo), barracuda, ulua, trevally (papio), Hawaiian salmon, snapper, amberjacks, sharks and every so often, smaller species of billfish. Reel Luckey is not available July or August.
Action Sport Fishing
Crewed by some of Maui’s most experienced and successful fishermen, the 35′ Blackfin, “Action Sport fishing” operates out of Lahaina harbor and is available for both share boat and private charters. This vessel is well maintained, and fully outfitted with top of the line equipment.
This is an early morning (O.K., middle of the night), 9-hour trip that can get you to Maui’s hottest fishing spots before the other boats have even left the dock. Action’s sportfishing charters are more appropriate for experienced anglers, and/or adults with a sense of adventure. We suggest you leave Aunt Tilly at home! Action uses live bait, dead bait and artificial lure. The most commonly caught species on this trip will be mahi mahi (dorado) and ahi (tuna). You also have a chance at catching ono (wahoo) and marlin.
Die Hard
Die Hard Sport Fishing is owned/operated by the infamous Captain Fuzzy. The 38′ Bertram sportfisher “Die Hard” regularly leaves before the bars close. A champion boat for mahi mahi and ahi, captain Fuzzy and his crew fish hard. This is not a trip for the feint of heart. Their main goal is to put you on the fish, even if it means leaving earlier, driving farther, or fishing rougher water. It’s as close as you’ll come to a commercial fishing operation on Maui.
Captain Fuzzy Alboro prefers to fish with live bait, and the Die Hard is usually well stocked. If not, they’ll try and catch some on the way out. It could take some time to get to where the captain wants to be, but once he and his crew find “the spot” (which changes daily), be ready for all hell to break loose!
Of course, no charter is ever guaranteed, no matter how early you leave, how long you fish for or how good the captain is. Fishing is fishing, after all. But Die Hard’s catch rate tends to be higher than those boats leaving at a more reasonable hour.
Rascal Charters
Rascal Charters is a fully outfitted & professionally maintained 43 ft. Bertram sport fishing boat. She departs daily from South Maui’s Ma’alaea Harbor. Rascal is one of the more spacious sport fishing vessels on Maui. Beginners welcome. No license required.
Rascal Charters Maui targets mahi mahi, ono, ahi and marlin. They troll up to 6 lines with artificial lures, at speeds on 8-10 knots. She is the only sport fishing boat out of Maalaea harbor which regularly offers shared sport fishing charters.
Piper
Piper Charters, a gorgeous 47′ Cabo, is owned and operated by captain Jeff Kahl. She is one of only 2 sport fishing companies operating out of South Maui’s Maalaea harbor, and one of Maui’s nicest fishing boats.
Fully loaded and tournament ready, The Piper features a tuna tower, huge cockpit with live bait well, 8 tuna tubes (hidden in covering boards), 2 large fish boxes in deck with 600 pound/day ice chipper to fill them.
Captain Jeff Kahl is one of Maui’s most experienced sport fishing captains. He’s logged thousands of hours fishing for marlin, mahi mahi, ahi and ono. He holds the record for the largest blue marlin caught on a chartered sport fishing trip. Its replica is on display over his slip at Maalaea harbor. Jeff has fished all over the world, and continues to participate in sport fishing tournaments at various hotspots like Kona, Australia, and Mexico.
While Maui’s charter boat operators here don’t usually target any particular species, some captains have their preferences. Capt. Jeff and his crew prefer billfish. So if you’re after Pacific blue marlin, stripers or even sailfish (uncommon in Hawaii), look to Piper first. Piper Charters’ availability is limited, especially in the summer. Call FishMaui for availability. 808-344-3520.
Lucky Me
40’ TOPAZ. Departing daily from Maalaea harbor at 7:00am, LUCKY ME is conveniently located within 25 minutes of Kihei, Wailea, Makena, Wailuku, Kahului, Paia, Lahaina and of course, Ma’alaea.
LUCKY ME is a new boat to Maui, having been completely refurbished top to bottom in 2019. Her captain and crew are both very experienced Maui fishermen with a proven catch record for bringing in big game. LUCKY ME has a spacious air-conditioned salon, a full marine head and forward berth for two. The tournament style fly bridge boasts great views and full controls are also in the tower and cockpit. A Yanmar 500hp re-powered engine provides plenty of speed! Upgrade to the Maui Ocean Adventure package (6+ hours) and enjoy any combination of sport fishing, snorkeling, seasonal whale watching, and sightseeing.
https://fishmaui.com/maui-sport-fishing/sportfishing-boats
Photo: https://www.maui-treasures.com/maui-things-to-do-by-sea.html